The Rise of Phinehas

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have any other gods before me. 00:00:18 Speaker 1: Lightning split the sky, lighting the darkened world around them, and thunder shook the ground again. 00:00:25 Speaker 3: Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above, the earth below, or the waters under the earth. 00:00:37 Speaker 1: More lightning, thunder, and terror. But Aaron wondered at the outlawing of idols. Creating an idol was a common practice, the most natural thing in the world. In his experience, people could not understand the spiritual alone. They craved something physical, tangible, something they could touch and comprehend. It was comforting for their faith and essential for their belief. 00:01:02 Speaker 2: Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous god, bringing the consequences of the Father's iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who aid me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands. 00:01:32 Speaker 4: This Israelite God had no intention of relenting or changing his mind. All he ever wanted was to use me like a puppet. 00:01:41 Speaker 1: Revenge. The word took root in Baylan's mind and heart, expanding with each breath. A sly smile crept across his lips. As a plan began to fall, he recalled the oracle and noted a glaring omission in the list of Israel's end. His eyes slid to the Medianite kings still gathered and murdered among themselves across the clearing. 00:02:07 Speaker 4: My kings, I have more to say that you may like to hear. 00:02:12 Speaker 1: The Medianites inclined their heads and edged closer to Vaylam. Intrigued, they leaned in to hear Velam's advice. 00:02:29 Speaker 5: Zeal for God is not measured by restraint, but by the fire that refuses to let sin go unchecked. Shello, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel. I'm l Extein with international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People in the wilderness. The Chosen People stand on the brink of a new era. The land is just before them, But before they can step into the promise, darkness gathers and temptation slithers through their camp seduction, compromise, pagan worship, rebellion, And in the middle of this descent a man rises, Pinras, son of Eliazar, grandson of Aaron, a priest. But more than that, he becomes a man of action Phineas or in Hebrew, as we say. Pinras refuses to sit quietly while the Chosen People betray their covenant. In this moment, the children of Israel are at a crossroads. They're about to enter the Promised Land, but first they must face themselves. 00:03:40 Speaker 1: This episode of The Chosen People with yil Estein contains explicit content that may be triggering for some listeners and inappropriate for young children. Listener discretion is advised. Knots of feastgoers mulled around at irregular intervals, and a steady drum beat in the sound and of music could be heard drifting down the hill in the crisp evening breeze. The sun was just setting, and a sprinkling of stars was starting to wink down at all of them. Jeremiale continued looking over his shoulder and nervously eyed the clearing a head. Raphael, who had brought him here, stood confidently at ease even in star, contrast to Jeremial, who kept nervously tugging on his clothing. Are you sure we should be here and you're sure they will be here? 00:04:34 Speaker 6: Relaxed, Jeremial, You worried too much. We were invited. It would be rude not to accept the invitation. 00:04:45 Speaker 1: Out of the growing shadows, the figures emerged. When Jeremial took in what they were wearing, his jaw fell open. 00:04:53 Speaker 7: Oh there you are, mahar and I were beginning to wonder if you weren't coming, Rafael, who's your friend? 00:05:00 Speaker 1: Raphael jabbed Jeremil sharply in the ribs as he struggled to remember his name, as his eyes hungrily drank in the scantily clad women standing before him, Just Jerumal, Raphael rolled his eyes at Jeremiel, strode up between the two women, boldly wrapped his hands around their waists and started to climb up the hill. They leaned into his touch and giggled as they walked, leaving Jeremiel behind. 00:05:27 Speaker 6: Come along, Jeru Jerremiel, Ya, you'll miss the start of the feast. 00:05:34 Speaker 1: Embarrassed, Jeremiel stumbled after them. The two women's hair cascaded unbound and uncovered down their backs, and the thin fabric of their dresses clung to their bodies, leaving very little to the imagination. Jeremiel soon found his mouth hanging open again as he crested the hill and found himself in a clearing just below Mount Peare. The field had been set with low tables and cushions for seating. Inviting fires and lanterns beckoned him to sit and eat. The tables were laden with a bounty of meats, fruit bread, and pitchers of wine. Musicians played lyres and pipes, keeping in time with the drums. The beat echoed throughout the valley, and Jeremil's heart seemed to beat in time. His eyes drank in the sight of beautiful women in revealing garments, pouring wine, swaying their hips to the music, and seductively caressing feast goers. Raphael and the two women with him disappeared into the crowd. The feasts, tantalizing melody and fragrant smells wound their way into his soul. His mouth watered with more than hunger as he took in all around him. A particularly striking serving woman approached him. He fought to keep his eyes on her smiling face, not her plunging neckline, and see through ropes. She pulled him by the arm and led him to an unoccupied table near Raphael and the two other women. 00:07:07 Speaker 6: You see, Jeremiel, this is what friendship with the Moabides. 00:07:11 Speaker 8: Has to offer. 00:07:13 Speaker 4: Wine and women a plenty. 00:07:16 Speaker 1: Rafael reclined with a cup of wine. One of the women brazenly sat on his lap, picking at the plate of olmonds. The other kneeled behind him, running her fingers through his hair. 00:07:28 Speaker 6: I thought we were just coming to see how they worship. Oh, my friend, this is how they worship. 00:07:37 Speaker 8: Are you sure we're allowed to be here? 00:07:41 Speaker 4: Does your wife know your year? 00:07:44 Speaker 2: Does yours? 00:07:46 Speaker 6: Look around you'll see many familiar faces. And besides, we're settled in the region. Now, it's only fitting we should respect the culture of this land. Festivals like these are how them all by its ensure a fruitful summer. 00:08:03 Speaker 1: Shouldn't we ask the Lord for a fruitful summer? 00:08:07 Speaker 6: Moses says, Oh, Moses is old and has forgotten how to enjoy himself. Look around you, this is living. 00:08:18 Speaker 1: Jeremiel tried to loosen up, but couldn't shake his worry. They had been warned about these high places. Moses warned that they were like the traps of desert spiders, harmless on the outside, but treacherous within. Now that the Israelites had ousted the Amorites and were settled in the region, many had become friendly with the neighboring nation of Moab. Few who attended these feasts were very forthcoming about what they were like. Therefore, curiosity finally convinced jeremil to accept their invitation. He looked around and tried to see beyond the alluring women and the enthralled men, He saw men that he recognized. Many had wives and husbands who doubtfully knew they were there. He also realized that what he had mistaken for cook fires initially were actually altars ascension offerings were burning around sacrifices, sending their aromas into the heavens. Jeremiel lowered his gaze back to the clearing before him. Movement at the edges of the gathering caught his attention. The flames from the altars through shadows on writhing, intertwined bodies, but the sweaty sheen of their naked skin glowed in the darkness. Jeremial couldn't peel his eyes away from the desperate, heaving tangle of flesh, open legs and groping fingers. It was difficult to discern where one body started and another began. Men, women, old, young. It did not seem to matter. Partners were fluid and exchanged frequently. Men and women would join couples already in the throes of fornication. Jeremil had heard wild rumors of such things in his youth, but to see a ceremonial orgy in full effect was something else entirely. Hibs thrust and backs arched in time to the drums, their movements breathless and ravenous. His last hungrily rose within him, shoving out any thought of his duty to his wife and young children. He felt drawn to the Moabites and the Israelites in their thraw, breathlessly worshiping one another's body before their pagan gods. Tracking his gaze, the woman behind Graphael reclined toward him, laying on her side and draping herself around Jeremial. He tensed as she propped her head up with one hand and placed the other on his knee. She looked up at him, and Jeremil looked down at her and found he was once again unable to form thoughts or speech. 00:10:56 Speaker 7: See something that intrigues you, Jeremil, Look at you, so devoted to your god, how quaint and so close minded. You're not nomad's in the wilderness anymore. Here in Moab, ba all of poor rules over our fortunes. Of course, you can ask your god for a fruitful summer, but you should really just ask Baal. Just last month, he commanded the skies and three mighty storms came. Can you imagine that kind of power? Oh, in the way we worship him. Well, that's something you won't want to miss. 00:11:38 Speaker 1: Jeremial barely registered her words as he watched her hand draw lazy circles from his knee to his thigh. 00:11:45 Speaker 7: Come and join us tonight. You'll learn how we conjure the power of Baal. We'll show you how we appease our gods. 00:11:54 Speaker 1: Jeremil tried to grasp his senses and tamp down the heat threatening to take over completely. 00:12:00 Speaker 6: Hell, how do we appease baw? 00:12:03 Speaker 1: The women exchanged mischiefous grins, and he heard Raphael snort into his cup of wine. 00:12:11 Speaker 7: Don't you worry. We will show you how to please Baal. 00:12:22 Speaker 1: Sweat beaded on young Phineas's forehead, and he tightened the grip on his spear. He squinted against the bright noonday sun as he walked beside his father, Eliezer, the High Priest of Israel. 00:12:36 Speaker 4: Tell me, my son, are you nervous about what you must do for me today? 00:12:41 Speaker 1: Phineas considered for a moment as they walked alongside Israel's judges. 00:12:47 Speaker 8: I understand why we must do what we must. 00:12:51 Speaker 4: Do, yes, but are you nervous? 00:12:54 Speaker 1: Phineas looked up at his father and observed his resolved and steady countenance. Phineas swallowed. He was decided. No, I will not be nervous. I will not be afraid. I know that this is right, this is justice, Yes it is. You have grown very wise these days, Phineas. You will make a fine priest one day, perhaps even high priest after me. Phineas could not help but smile at that, but he quickly returned to his stoic walk, Remembering their duty here today, Eliezer broke off from Phineas and the other judges to stand by Moses before the people. Phineas and the judges then proceeded to stand before a condemned man. The man before Phineas trembled uncontrollably, his blubbering face contorting as he awaited what was inevitable. The guilty man's name was Raphael. He was another failed leader, one of several who had embraced idolatry and debauchery on the high places of Moad. Now stripped of dignity and power, he would face the consequences for his sins. Raphael had partaken in pagan rituals. They were looed affairs meant to appease lesser gods with indulgence and unsavory sacrifices of blood. The Moabides called them high places, but Phineas knew what they really were. False edens, manufactured attempts at paradise, and, like the forbidden fruit long ago, they promised more than they gave. Raphael and his companions thought they were joining in on a night of simple pleasures, wine and women. What they had failed to see is that there were much darker forces at work. Wargies turned to blood rituals and human sacrifice. Such atrocities required punishment. Their blatant disregard for their integrity and the holiness of God's law caused Phineas's anger to burn as the man across from him. They were all traitorous adulterers, and now they were all being sentenced to die. The Pagans would call such a sentence harsh, but Phineas knew better. 00:15:13 Speaker 8: Strong nations require strong families. These high places threaten the fabric that hold us together. 00:15:19 Speaker 1: Moses stood before them all now, each traitor, standing with bound hands before a spear aimed at his heart. All of Israel was gathered to witness this public execution. 00:15:32 Speaker 4: The Lord, our God, has smoking jewelry. There are those of you above. 00:15:38 Speaker 9: Us who have sid You've cast the holiness of our laws aside and instead pursued idolatry, worshiping a false God. 00:15:50 Speaker 8: You know the law, They knew the poor, They even swore covenant to a maid. But yet they spat on the law and debase themselves by breaking their else. A penalty for this sin his death. 00:16:06 Speaker 9: The plague ravagers as even now affecting the guilty among us. The Lord told me to take all the leaders of the guilty people and execute them in broad daylight. And here their bodies will remain, so that his burning anger may turn away from Israel. 00:16:26 Speaker 1: Phineas looked out at the crowd and saw some of the afflicted. The plague came quickly. One of Rafael's companions, Jeremil, was among the afflicted. Jeremil was likely one of the many men Raphael had led into this terrible sin. To sin in this way was despicable enough, but to lead and deceive others into sin was egregious in style. Of contrast to the guilty stood Raphael's wife with their children. Fury and disgust were written all over her face. She spat at her husband's feet and turned her face away so as not to witness his death or provide any comfort. In his final moments, Raphael still cried out, pleading with them to turn back and look at him. 00:17:13 Speaker 4: Phe Twice, Roma had. 00:17:25 Speaker 8: Judges, the time has come. 00:17:29 Speaker 9: Execute each of the men who align themselves with bail. 00:17:34 Speaker 1: At Moses command, the judges lunged forward and thrust their spears into the convicted men's hearts. Phineas, standing in for his father, Eliezer, the High Priest, was tasked with enacting this justice on his behalf. The High priest was not allowed to become ritually impure. Phineas drove his spear into the man's chest, or tried. The tip of the spear cut through Raphael's flesh quickly, and blood spur to dripping back towards his hands, but the spear met the sternum and caught. Rafael screamed in pain over the sickening, grating noise of methyl on bone. Phineas eyed the flowing blood as it inched down the spear's shaft and toward his hands. He had to move quickly or his hands would be too slick to maneuver the weapon. Phineas deftly adjusted the spear, hoping to catch one of the narrow openings of the ribs beside the sternum. He threw his weight into the weapon. Once he shifted its angle, a horrific swelching noise and a geezer of more blood told him he had been successful. Rafael choked on the blood pumping from his dying heart, and life slowly left his eyes. His body slumped further into the spear, and Phineas relinquished his grip before the blood dripped onto his hands. Phineas looked down the line of crumbled body, the abandoned spears of the judges swaying vertically in the air, protruding from flesh. It was an ominous sign of defeat before all of Israel. Their bodies would be left there in the sun, not as a warning to the people of their misdeeds, but rather to rob them of an honorable burial. A wave of nausea hid Phineas as he stepped back. He had never killed a man before, As as soon to be priest, he had made countless sacrifices. He slaughtered multiple animals every day. He naively assumed this would not be so different, But taking a human life was not the same as taking an animal. It made him feel heavy. The weight of taking a life grieved him, despite knowing it was justified. 00:19:49 Speaker 8: If this grieves my heart, how must the Lord feel? 00:19:53 Speaker 1: He reminded himself that this killing was not wanton violence or fits of passion. This justice, the Lord understood justice. Cosby stood coolly with her arms folded, leaning against the stones of the well just outside her camp. She watched the nervous hebrew Man work out how to best approach her. She had noticed him observing her for a while. He had worked out that she frequented this well to accompany her handmaidens as they drew water for her and her family. Cosby didn't need to go with them, and she would never admit this out loud. She liked to feel important. Overseeing their tasks gave her something to do, and more importantly, it allowed her to be seen. She decided to lean into that need as she pushed off the stones and flashed the Hebrew a beckoning smile with a look akin to relief. He opened the door and approached her. 00:20:58 Speaker 10: Forgive me for lingering here, but I have to know. 00:21:02 Speaker 1: Cosby's pride perd at the man's shy admission. 00:21:07 Speaker 10: Are you the princess daughter of King Zur of the Midianites. 00:21:12 Speaker 1: Cosby's lips curled into a dazzling smile in response to the man's question. 00:21:17 Speaker 11: I am indeed the daughter of King Zur of the Medians. My name is Cosby. 00:21:22 Speaker 12: I see my fame has. 00:21:23 Speaker 11: Spread to even the nation of Israel, and you. 00:21:26 Speaker 10: Are I am Zimri, son of Salu, the leader of the tribe of Simeon of Israel. 00:21:33 Speaker 12: Zimri, well, tell me, Zimri, son of Salu, you have tribe, Simon of Israel. I've the stories of my beauty been exaggerated? 00:21:43 Speaker 1: Cosby nearly burst out laughing when she saw the look of shock shoot across Simri's face. 00:21:50 Speaker 10: A ha ha ah, No, they have not been exaggerated. 00:21:55 Speaker 4: You are very beautiful. 00:21:59 Speaker 11: I always love to heal it. Now tell me why have you sought me out? 00:22:04 Speaker 10: Well, I'm sure you've heard of the recent events in the israel. 00:22:08 Speaker 1: Camp, Cosby stilled. She had. Her father had been summoned to meet with King Bailak of Moab and the other Mediunited kings that very morning to discuss the events. The kings had done nothing but encourage commingling and friendship between their nations and Israel. They had apparently been talked into the idea by a famous prophet, Beilam. Cosby wished she could have spoken with the prophet as something of a priestess and prophetess herself. But as of this morning, King Bailak was concerned that the recent events would lead their nations to war, and if the stories were true, he had reason to fear. The Israelites who were found worshiping Bahal on the mountain had been harshly punished. 00:22:55 Speaker 11: I had heard rumors there were executions right, and a plague now runs through the people. 00:23:02 Speaker 10: All true. 00:23:03 Speaker 4: I'm sorry, thank you, but. 00:23:06 Speaker 10: I actually came to find you to see if you could help. 00:23:09 Speaker 1: Cosby's eyes narrowed, but she could not deny that. She was curious. Not to mention being sought out. It made her feel important. 00:23:19 Speaker 10: I've heard your people know of an ancient way, secret way of healing. I've heard you may know how to appease the gods. 00:23:29 Speaker 12: I heard your people are only allowed to worship your Israelite god. 00:23:34 Speaker 10: Yes, but we don't know what to do. It's been a week since the leaders were executed, and still the plague. 00:23:40 Speaker 4: Has not stopped. More people die every day. 00:23:43 Speaker 10: It's hard to keep track of the death, but our priest estimate that twenty four thousand are dead. 00:23:48 Speaker 1: Cosby ghasped. She could hardly fathom such a pandemic, and the Israelites camp was as large as a city. The desperation in the man's voice moved her. The suffering in the Israelite camp was staggering. If she could do something about it, she would. Her pride purred again the idea of being a hero. 00:24:09 Speaker 11: I see you seek to reverse the plague with the ritual of my people. 00:24:14 Speaker 2: Ah. 00:24:15 Speaker 10: Yes, but my people have begun to wonder as this plague stretches on. Perhaps our God has turned his back on us. Perhaps we need to appease the gods of this land now. And you're a princess among your people. Your gods chose your blunt line. Maybe they will receive your offering and listen where others have failed. 00:24:35 Speaker 1: Cosby could not deny that she was flattered by the man's words. But should she intervene, especially when intermingling between the Moabites and Israelites had gone so poorly? The need was urgent. Decided, Cosby answered the desperate Hebrew. 00:24:52 Speaker 11: Lead me to your house of the dead, for that is what Israel has become. 00:24:57 Speaker 10: What must we do was the ritual required. 00:25:00 Speaker 1: Cosby looked the man up and down. He was not so bad looking. Perhaps saving the Israelites would be enjoyable as well as heroic. She smiled at him. 00:25:11 Speaker 12: Did your morbide friends show you the way we ask the gods for fertility? 00:25:17 Speaker 1: His cheeks instantly reddened. Yes, he knew the way. 00:25:22 Speaker 12: The thing about death is that we must not forget to live. 00:25:27 Speaker 11: This ritual will differ from the one for fertility, but there are some aspects that are similar. Come, we must not lead the way. 00:25:46 Speaker 1: The tabernacle courtyard was packed with mourners, yet the plague persisted. Phineas watched as Moses and Eliezer stepped out to address the crowd, silencing the commotion. At that moment, fine noticed a man leading a woman through the camp, away from the assembly. While Israel repented, this man moved in defiance. Phineas sensed the wrong, the malice. It was as if every fiber of him was on high alert, compelled to act. 00:26:18 Speaker 8: Something evil about to a curve and right at the heart of Israel. 00:26:22 Speaker 1: The same searing, righteous anchor he felt on the day of the execution rose within him. Phineas's feet took him to where the weapons were stored. His hands grasped for his spear. His eyes never left the man and the woman. They did not enter the courtyard, but instead veered left toward the tents of Tribe Simeon. With predatory purpose and stealth, Phineas slipped out of the courtyard and followed. They did not see him. The man was distracted by the striking woman he led. She was a Medianite. Phineas realized, based on her dress, jewelry, and the strange, foul instruments she carried, she was one of those priestesses for bar. She giggled as the man opened the flat to his tent with a gearish flourish. Phineas balked the brazen sin unfolding before his eyes. 00:27:15 Speaker 13: This tribe of Simian man would engage and beg and worship all what the stones throw away from the tabernacle, the holy sanctuary of our God stren will not stand, it cannot stand. 00:27:29 Speaker 1: Phineas's rage kicked into a gear that was foreign to him. A killing calm came over him. His shaking hands stilled on the spear, and his breath became measured. As he approached the ten entrance, the smell of incense wafted through the seams. He heard more giggling and a throaty voice murmur. In response, Phineas transferred the spear to one hand and used the other to draw open the tent. The sudden light from the outside caused the mean unite woman to turn and face him. Her eyes furrowed with confusion as they met his, but they widened to horror when she saw the spear in his hand. The man's eyes were so glazed and lust that he had not taken them off the prostitute in his tent. Phineas did not even give her a chance to scream before he thrust his spear through her bury. He learned his lesson and aimed just below the ribs. The strength of his arm plunged the spear through her midsection and impaled the man standing behind her. He felt the letter slicing through muscles, singing and soft organs, until it finally met bone. The fog of his fury did not clear until he pulled the spear back through their bodies, and they felt before him, choking and groaning. He then dropped his spear to the ground and stumbled out of the tent. They pleaded and wept after him. They did not understand, but Phineas did. Some of the pre beasts from the tabernacle, his father and Moses among them, must have followed him. His father hurried to his side. 00:29:07 Speaker 4: My son, what happened? Are you all right? 00:29:10 Speaker 1: The images of the bloodied and slain adulterers flashed through his mind. The violence of the memory threatened to overwhelm him, But then a calming confidence settled on him, different than the ferocious anger, but just as powerful. It was resolved. Phineas's eyes slid up to meet his father's. 00:29:32 Speaker 8: I could not stand and let this terrible evil take place again. I took action. 00:29:38 Speaker 1: Eliezer nodded, but seemed uncertain that his son's cryptic words. Her curious crowd was beginning to form around them, and from somewhere in the back, the shouting began to echo throughout the camp. Women and men began to shout they were healed. The people who were afflicted had been miraculously and suddenly relieved. How they did not know that Phineas knew. 00:30:02 Speaker 4: He knew. 00:30:03 Speaker 1: The instant he withdrew his spear. His eyes returned to the entrance of the tent before them. His father tracked the movement and slowly walked forward to draw the flap open. The doorway of the tent perfectly framed the bloody scene. The evidence of their intentions was clear enough. A hush fell over the crowd. Phineas found his voice at last and spoke with the confidence that had settled upon him. 00:30:28 Speaker 8: They sought to bring further evil into a holy place. Their debauchery would further drench us in pagan filth. I ended their treachery before they could further dishonor the Lord. 00:30:42 Speaker 1: The crowd was silent for a moment, but the people's murmuring in the back slowly rippled until the whole place was in an uproar. Moses held up his hands to quiet the crowd, his eyes never leaving Phineas as he spoke. 00:30:56 Speaker 9: Behold, Phineas of Eliza of Eron, the priest. The Lord has turned back his wrath from us because Phineas was zealous among you with the Lord's zeal, so that he did not destroy all of us with that very same zeal. The Lord has therefore declared he will grant Phineas his covenant of peace. It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for Israel. 00:31:40 Speaker 5: There is something unsettling, almost unnerving, about watching the people of Israel. Our people slipt so easily in tidolatry, after all the miracles, after walking through the desert under the very shadow of God's presence, they fall. But then there's Pinas action was swift, unflinching, and I didn't know whether to be horrified or moved. It's the kind of movement that makes you question would I have had the courage to stand up like that? Would I even have seen what was happening through the haze of compromise. The story of Pinras isn't a story of peace that comes from silence, but from boldly stepping into the fire. Pinras, filled with zeal for the holiness of God, stood up when no one else would. His actions, severe as they seem, saved Israel from destruction. Sometimes peace demands more than prayers. It demands bold, decisive action. Pinras acted when others hesitated, and it reminds me of my Abba, my father, Rabbi Riel Eckstein of Blessed Memory. You see, my Abba was a of peace. He was a builder of bridges. He was always seeking unity. But even he knew that there are moments when silence is not an option. There are times when peace must be fought for, defended and preserved. Sometimes we have to act boldly to protect what is holy, no matter how hard it is, because if we don't, that holiness will be destroyed. We have to act boldly so that holiness will survive. But we also learn from Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon, who openly sinned with a Midianite woman. But we don't even learn his name until after he's killed. 00:33:47 Speaker 8: Why is that? 00:33:48 Speaker 5: Why do the scriptures only tell us Simeon's name after he was killed. Well, Jewish tradition teaches us that if his name had been known earlier, people might have justified his actions. If someone so esteemed can sin like this, maybe it's not so bad, they would think. 00:34:08 Speaker 9: So. 00:34:08 Speaker 5: That's why his name was only revealed after his death. Not to glorify him, not to make him a figure to admire, but to serve as a warning, to serve as a warning that even holy people can do unholy things. We don't lead by titles or positions. We lead by acts. We lead by how we live. Pinchas wasn't a man of high status, but his courage shaped Israel's future. Zimri, on the other hand, was a leader and is remembered only for his fall. Our influence doesn't come from how the world sees us. It comes from how God sees us. It comes from the example that we set it comes from the actions that we take when it matters most. True shalom, true peace isn't about turning way, It's about turning towards what is right. The story of the Chosen People can get pretty dark, can't it. The Jewish sages point out that in our entire forty year journey from slavery to Egypt, two nations tried to destroy us. Can you guess who they are? Do you remember? It's a Malek and Median. Amelek's attack was physical. Their aim was to completely destroy us physically, but as we see, Median had a very different approach. By leading the Israelites into immorality and idle worship, they intended to destroy Israel spiritually. The strength of the Chosen People has always been a strong emphasis on preserving the purity of the family, of having family values and passing those values down generation to generation. It makes us distinctive, and so we're always aware of how important it is to preserve the moral principles that we are commanded to keep from God himself. 00:36:14 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with yle 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 Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Sae Alvado, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, 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.