The Exodus

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: I will have monuments built to my glory long after your unnamed god has forgotten. 00:00:12 Speaker 1: And Pharaoh sat alone in the pitch black, simmering in his hatred, his pride refusing to bend. He wanted vengeance, wanted blood, but he would not have the chance. The Lord would strike him down soon enough, for Pharaoh was the last god left to fall. 00:00:34 Speaker 3: Pharaoh has refused. 00:00:37 Speaker 2: The Lord will be sending a final plague. 00:00:41 Speaker 4: The whole assembly shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses. The blood of the Lamb will cover your household for the raft to come. 00:00:58 Speaker 1: A shadow passed through the streets of Egypt, unseen yet felt. It moved with purpose, slipping through doors that were left unmarked, where no Lamb's blood clung to the lintel. Beyond the palace walls, the whales began to rise, one by one, like the growing roar of the sea in a storm. In every house untouched by the blood of the lamb, the first born were found cold in their beds, From the eldest son of the lowliest farmer to the first born calf in the fields. 00:01:33 Speaker 2: Go go and take your people, leave this land, take your flocks, your herds, your children, and be gone. Frenzies, What Moses, you're sorry for my loss? Are you? Said, with the death of a generation. 00:02:13 Speaker 1: Without a word, he turned and departed, leaving Pharaoh in the silence of his broken kingdom, a king brought to his knees not by armies, but by a plague of death sent by a god he could neither see nor challenge. 00:02:31 Speaker 4: By breveren, Remember tonight, this day shall be a memorial for us. We will repeat this feast throughout the generations. It shall be a day of remembrance. Hundreds even thousands of years from now, our children will remember the deliverance spot and one by the God of all creation. 00:02:59 Speaker 5: As the cries of Egypt filled the night, footsteps began the journey to freedom, a journey that would define a people for eternity. Clome friends from here in the Holy Land of Israel. I'mya l Eckstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People. Today's storiesn't just history, it's our very essence as the Chosen People. It's a tale of our exodus from Egypt. 00:03:28 Speaker 1: The dawn was accompanied by a frenetic energy, a mixture of excitement and fear that electrified the air like a brewing storm. Every Egyptian, from the lowliest servant to the generals of Pharaoh's court, urgently demanded that the Israelites leave immediately. Their very presence had become a scourge on the land of Egypt, a cursed mark upon its soil. No longer were they merely slaves. Now they were harveyinges of death. The torment of the night's slaughter still hung in the air. The first borns of Egypt had fallen, and the specter of the final plague haunted the streets. Mourning wailed from every household. Even the most hardened soldiers shuddered with fear. The Israelites, once a people oppressed and invisible, now moved through the streets like an unstoppable tide. Every step they took was laden with the weight of four hundred and thirty years of suffering. Their chains, invisible though they might have been, were now broken by the hand of the Almighty. 00:04:42 Speaker 4: I order a pheroh every Israelite, she departs from this land and go into the wilderness. 00:04:51 Speaker 1: His voice was harsh, but there was something deeper in it, a quiver at the edges. 00:04:56 Speaker 4: Get out, leave now, or face the tip of our spears. 00:05:03 Speaker 1: The threat was as empty as the Egyptian's hearts. They wanted no more blood, no more death. The spear points glittered beneath the pale light of dawn, but there was no will behind them. The streets of ghosh And hummed with frantic urgency, a current of hope laced with the sharp sting of fear. Like cattles set loose from their pens, the Israelites scattered through the narrow streets, gathering what little they could carry. Miriam and Aaron moved through the throngs of people with determination. The time has come. 00:05:39 Speaker 4: Quickly, gather your belongings before the Egyptians come after us. 00:05:43 Speaker 1: She pressed forward, hands gripping the door frames of every house she passed. Miriam's heart thundered in her chest. She had waited for this day her entire life, Yet now that it had arrived, the enormity of it left her trembling. This was no simple departure. It was an exodus, the tearing of one people from another, like flesh from bone. 00:06:09 Speaker 4: There is no time to waste. Everyone leave at once, Bring only what you can carry. 00:06:15 Speaker 1: His eyes darted from face to face, seeing the disbelief in their eyes. Some were too stunned to move, frozen by the suddenness of it all. 00:06:25 Speaker 2: What about food, Oh, we have no time to bake bread for our provisions. 00:06:30 Speaker 4: No, there's no time. Take the door before it's levened. 00:06:33 Speaker 5: You can pack your leaving balls, but there's no time to wait for the bread to rise. 00:06:37 Speaker 1: The urgency in her voice carried the weight of prophecy. This was the moment they had been waiting for. The people moved like a river through the streets, gathering their belongings with shaking hands. Sheep bleated nervously, sensing the tension in the air. Children clung to their mothers, their wide eyes reflect the uncertainty of the moment. The elderly, who had known nothing but the cruel yoke of Egyptian oppression, looked back at their homes, their wrinkled faces edged with a mixture of hope and sorrow. This was all they had ever known, and now they were leaving it behind forever. In a final act of desperation. The Egyptians came not with swords, but with offerings. Gold, silver, and precious jewels were thrust into the hands of the departing Israelites. It was a strange sight, the conquerors of Egypt leaving not as rebels but as victors, laden with the spoils of the land. The Lord had delivered his people by bringing Egypt to its knees. The great throng, over a million strong, surged out of Gashen. Six hundred thousand men and their wives, children and herds poured forth like a flood from a broken dam. The cattle and sheep shuffled their feet, their bleating drowned out by the cries of the children, who held tightly to their mother's skirts. The elderly, their backs bent from decades of labor, moved with slow, deliberate steps, casting one final glance at the land of their bondage. Their exodus was one of triumph and desperation, driven by the hand of God and the fear of Egypt's sword. On a jagged hill, overlooking the multitude, Moses stood alone, his staff rested firmly in his hand. The wind tugged at his robes, whipping them around him. Like a banner. His eyes scanned the mass of humanity below. These were his people, the children of Israel. For the first time, he allowed himself to feel the weight of their eyes upon him. Moses, once a man of Pharaoh's house, now stood as the chosen deliverer of God's people. Heavy as it was, the mantle of leadership sat upon him like a second skin. He had not sought this path, but it had found him. He had been a shepherd for forty years. But it was only now, with his people streaming out of Egypt like a river, that he truly became a leader, a prophet, a deliverer. With an uncharacteristically bold shout, Moses raised his staff to the heavens, His voice, booming across the plains. 00:09:43 Speaker 4: Stemmed with, Oh, Children of Israel, Master Freedom. 00:09:48 Speaker 1: The words, simple though they were, ignited something deep within the crowd. A cheer rose from the people, a raw, primal sound that should the very earth beneath their feet. It was a cry born of centuries of oppression, and now, at last, deliverance had come. The children of Israel moved as well, a tide of humanity surging into the unknown wilderness. For days, they traveled their spirits. Buoyed by the knowledge that they had left Egypt behind. They journeyed to Succoth, the wilderness just beyond Goshen, and there they rested for the first time since the dawn of their exodus. The campfires flickered beneath the darkening sky, casting long shadows across the barren land. Moses walked among the people, his heart heavy with the weight of what would come. They had escaped the land of their bondage, but freedom was not yet entirely theirs. He watched as the people gathered to eat, their faces weary but hopeful. None of them had had the time to bake their bread before leaving, and now they ate the unleavened dough, coarse, flat, and brittle when it reached their mouths. But even in this simple, unsatisfying meal, Moses saw the hand of the Lord. The bread, its flatness and its haste, carried a message. This bread would be remembered eaten, not just as food, but as a symbol of their deliverance. The Lord was forming them, binding them together as a people and a nation set apart for his glory. The voice of the Lord returned to Moses. He kept his eyes fixed on the people, but his heart attentive to the voice of the Lord. 00:11:53 Speaker 3: Be sure the people remember this day that you came out from Egypt of the house of slavery. For by a strong hand I he brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten to day. In the month of a bib you are going out. And when I bring you into the land that I swore to your father's, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service. In this month seven days you shall eat unleaven bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast unto me. Unleaven bread shall be eaten. For seven days, no leaven bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be found in your territory. You shall tell your son on that day. It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out from Egypt. 00:13:00 Speaker 1: The words seared themselves into moses heart. This was not just the beginning of a journey, but the beginning of a covenant. The Lord was not merely liberating slaves. He was shaping a people, forming a nation that would carry his name for generations to come. This was a moment that would echo through the ages. Moses turned and passed the Lord's message to Aaron and Miriam. The elders were gathered, their faces tense and drawn as they listened to the words of the Lord delivered through Moses. Slowly understanding dawned upon them. The Lord was forging them into a people, consecrating them through this exodus. Aaron, standing tall among the crowd, raised his hands and called out to the people, his voice full of power. 00:13:58 Speaker 4: When the Lord brings you into promised land, you shall set upon the firstborn from every womb. All the firstborn of your animals shall be taken and given to the Lord. You shall kill a lamb for every firstborn son in the nation, redeem them all, and consecrate them onto the God who delivered us. 00:14:23 Speaker 1: As Aaron spoke, the heavens stirred, and a mighty wind began to howl across the wilderness. It wasn't a storm that was coming, but something far greater. Moses turned toward the horizon, where the sky churned with power. The heavens were igniting with divine radiance, and its weight pressed down upon the earth. The air itself crackled with anticipation. Moses looked back at Aaron, who was still speaking with fervor. His brother, once a mere spokesman, now stood as a leader of men and free. Aaron's voice carried across the camp, and the people listened in awe, their hearts stirred by his words. 00:15:09 Speaker 4: Years from now, when your children ask why we did this, you shall tell them what you've witnessed here. You shall tell them of the mighty hand of the Lord and how he delivered us from the chains of Egypt. 00:15:25 Speaker 1: The wind picked up, swirling around the people like a living thing. Every soul in the camp felt it the presence of something greater than themselves, something ancient and powerful. Moses felt his heart quickened, each beat pounding in his chest as Aaron's words rang through the air. 00:15:47 Speaker 4: When Pharaoh refused to bend our God broke him. The Lord killed every first born son in the land of Egypt for you. It is for this reason we redeem our suns. It is for this reason we were sacrificed to the Lord. We are a freed people. We are redeemed people. We are the chosen people. 00:16:19 Speaker 1: And as his final words echoed across the camp, the skies erupted with thunder, the clouds bellowed like the trumpets of war, and lightning split the heavens in a blaze of holy fire. From the storm descended a pillar of fire, its radiance burning with the glory of the Almighty. The Lord had come among them, his presence like a roaring flame, ready to guide them into the unknown wilderness. And so the children of Israel stood in awe, their hearts swelling with the knowledge that they were not alone. The Lord had delivered them, and now by this pillar of fire he would lead them into their destiny. 00:17:15 Speaker 5: The Exodus never ceases to amaze me. Every time I hear it. I'm captivated by the sheer magnitude of what our ancestors experienced. Can you imagine the relentless oppression, the agonizing weight, and then God steps in with plagues and wonders, breaking not just the chains of slavery, but the world's mightiest empire. What gets me every time is the faith that our people displayed to pack up everything and march into the wilderness with nothing but trust in God's promises. That kind of bravery sense chills down my spine. It's a faith and a determination that define us as a people chosen and protected by our career. Later, I feel a surge of pride, knowing that we come from such resilient stock. What does the Bible have to say about this story? While Exodus twelve thirty four tells us that on the morning of the Exodus, the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs, wrapped in clothing. You see, the Israelites were in such a hurry, my friends, to leave Egypt, that they took dough that had not yet risen. As they left Egypt. What would have been bred turned out to be a kind of flat cracker. But what was the rush? After the plague of the Firstborn? No one, including Pharaoh, wanted to keep the slaves in Egypt, So why didn't the Israelites take a little bit more time to let the bride rise? Generations later, the prophet Jeremiah explained it beautifully as he expressed the love relationship between God God in Israel. This is what he said, Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, this is what the Lord says, I remember the devotion of your youth. How as a bride. You loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. So in love with their God were the Chosen People that they couldn't wait to follow him into the desert, a dangerous place with no vegetation and no water. They went with faith and love after their God, who redeems. They were in such a rush to follow him that they couldn't even wait for the bread to rise, such was their desire to follow God and to receive the Torah and to come to the Promised Land. The Jewish people quote this beautiful verse in our most special prayer on Russias Shanna, the Jewish New Year, as we asked God to remember that love that we showed for him and for the trust that he would lead us through the desert safely. And that flat bread, well today we call it MutS, and we still eat it on Passover to remind us of those thrilling moments of endless love and trust. These ancient stories aren't just relics of the past, but living teachings that guide us today. The plagues, especially the final one, aren't just about punishment, but about God's justice and mercy in striking down the Firstborn. God wasn't simply enacting punishment on Egypt. He was orchestrating a profound act of redemption. This midnight act symbolizes a pivotal moment where darkness meets the dawn of deliverance. It's a reminder that our darkest moments often perceived the dawn of our liberation. The Firstborn plague coming at midnight symbolizes the end of Israel's oppression and the beginning of their freedom. Jewish tradition teaches that divine justice is always coupled with the possibility of tashuva, or repentance. Even as God struck Egypt, he left the door open for Pharaoh to repent, illustrating the balance of justice and mercy. The Exodus story highlights the tension between divine justice and human freedom. But how does the story of the Exodus speak to us today. Well, First, it teaches us to see our struggles through the lens of divine timing our own midnight moments. Those times of our deepest darkness often comes just before breakthrough, so when you're in the thick of it, remember that the dawn is near. Second, we learn to balance justice with mercy in our actions, even as we pursue righteousness, Let your compassion even for those who wrong us. Finally, this story calls us to recognize the sacredness of new beginnings, wherebi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote quote, faith is not clinging to a shrine, but an endless pilgrimage of the heart. Our journey with God is ongoing, my friends. It's filled with highs and lows, light and dark. So carry this story with you and find strength and hope in your own midnight moments. 00:22:15 Speaker 1: You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore, music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.