October 16, 2024 • 46 mins
# 9 - The Tower of Babel - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein we explore the story of the Tower of Babel, where human pride led to divine intervention and the scattering of nations. Reflect on the themes of ambition, unity, and the importance of keeping God at the center of our endeavors as we delve into this powerful biblical narrative.
Episode 9 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
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Show Notes:
(01:33) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:26) The Tower of Babel - Cinematic Retelling
(32:27) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Behold, I would destroy them with the earth. I would
bring a flood to wipe this earth clean.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Remembered me.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Remember my family, had the animals with me.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
God hadn't forgotten Noah, the Creator remembered him, and all
the beasts within the ark.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Go out from the ark, Noah, as a sign of
my covenant with you, I have set my bow in
the clouds.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
The never ending pattern of sin and struggle didn't cease
with the flood. Cup after cup, Noah drank away his sorrows,
yet it only numbed the pain. His youngest son, Ham
watched from a distance, Disdain etched on his face as
he witnessed his father's shameful display.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I present to you the honorable, the stoic, and the
righteous Noah, naked and sleeping in his own vomit.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Heem, you've disgraced our father, cursed, be catered for what
his father is done.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Shut up, old man.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Men's sins stretched alongside Noah's descendants. But God's promises remained.
His faithfulness wouldn't waver even in the face of human imperfection.
Speaker 7 (01:36):
Pride has a way of blinding us, of making us
think that we're invincible. We start to believe we don't
need anyone, not even God. But in our pursuit of greatness,
we often lose sight of what truly matters. We forget
that our worth isn't in our achievements or in the
name we make for ourselves. Rather, it's in the name
given to us by God. Shallo my friend from here
(02:00):
in the Holy Land of Israel i'm El Extein with
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, this is the Chosen People.
In each episode, we escape into the world of the
Hebrew Bible, exploring stories of faith, failure, love and loss.
As we press into the story of Israel, we'll discover
what it means to live a life of purpose and
(02:22):
step into the calling that God has for each of us.
God chose the nation of Israel a Mount Sinai, but
through their story we will discover one abiding truth that
we are all chosen for something great. If you are
interested in discovering more about the incredible work that God
is doing through the Fellowship, I invite you to visit
(02:43):
our website at IFCJ dot org. That's IFCJ dot org.
Now let's begin in the beginning, when the earth was young.
Humanity had one voice and one vision. It was a
world where everybody spoke the same laguage, where every word
uttered was understood by all. But what becomes of humanity
(03:06):
when we raise our collective voice not in worship but
in selfish ambition? Before us stands the story of the
Tower of Babel and the tale of divine intervention, where
language itself becomes a tool to humble the proud. Listen now,
and let the wisdom of this story guide us in
our own quest for meaning.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The sons of Noah spread across the land, hands stretching
out to seize the promise God gave them. Jafforth sired
many sons, whose clans became the people of the coastlands.
They were voyages, fishermen, and tradesmen of great renown. Their
influence stretched beyond the seas to lands untouched. The sons
(03:52):
of Shem scaled the hill country of the east. They
were people of the promise, just as God had foretold,
from his line would come Terra, the father of Abraham.
Yet the sons of Ham were cursed with ambition. His
sons were Canaan, Egypt, Put and Cush out of the
(04:13):
line of cush came a man unlike any other, a
man of strength, influence, and power. His name was Nimrod.
Nimrod stood atop the hill, a silhouette against the dying
light of the sun. The air was thick with the
(04:34):
scent of earth and blood. The spoils of his latest
hunt arrayed around him. His cloak, fashioned from the pelts
of lions, billowed in the evening breeze. To his people,
he was not just a man. He was a legend,
a giant among mortals, a hunter favored by the Creator.
(04:55):
As the last rays of sunlight bled out of the sky,
Nimrod descended from the hill with the carcass of a
stag carried over his shoulders, His eyes sharp and piercing
as an eagle's, scanned the crowd at the bottom. They
looked upon him with awe and reverence, whispers of his
name rippling through the assembly like a prayer. The whispers
(05:19):
rose like a song, eventually becoming a chant singing his glory.
The great hunter's gaze fell upon the carcass of a stag,
its antlers spanning wide, a testament to its once proud stature.
Nimrod's hand rested on its flank, his fingers brushing against
the coarse fur.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
The night we feast, we honor the life taken, and
we give thanks to the Creator for his bounty.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
He watched as his men began to prepare the feast,
the crackle of firewood and the savory scent of roasting
meat filling the air. Nimrod turned away, his mind already
drifting to thoughts of the hunt to come. He craved
another challenge in the wilds of China. For Nimrod, the
hunt was more than the means of survival. It was
(06:10):
a test, a sacred right that affirmed his dominance over
nature and man alike. His camp was a sprawling expanse
of tents and makeshift shelters, filled with warriors and craftsmen,
women and children. It was a kingdom in its infancy,
a realm forged from blood and sweat under the rule
(06:32):
of a man who feared nothing. As he walked through
the camp, his people parted before him, their eyes shining
with admiration. Nimrod's presence was a promise of protection and prosperity.
In his tent, lit by the flickering light of torches,
Nimrod sat before a map of his domain. It was
(06:54):
drawn from charcoal on parchment crafted from tanned pelts. The
parchment was marked with symbols and drawings, a record of
his conquests and the cities he had founded, Babel, Erek, Akad,
and Kalna. His kingdom was growing, and with it his power.
(07:16):
Yet Nimrod's ambitions stretched further still. He envisioned a city
like no other, a monument to his greatness, a testament
to human ingenuity and divine favor. A shadow fell across
the entrance of his tent. Nimrod looked up to see
one of his trusted servants, a man named Elum, standing
(07:39):
there with a grim expression.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
My Lord, the scouts have returned. There are whispers of
descent among some of the tribes.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
What's the matter.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Your beau is mighty, Lord Nimrod, and your arrow strong,
but it's reach wanes in the border Lads, Some tribal
elders seek to make a name for themselves by stretching
further out. They want to scatter as the descendants of
Jpth and Shem have troubling. It was the divine mandate
(08:15):
passed from the forefathers, was it not? We are meant
to stretch outward and fill the earth.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Yes, but that isn't how greatness is achieved, Elam. Greatness
is built brick by brick, stone by stone, on top
of one another. If we spread and disperse, we weaken
what we've built here, pray, scatter outward, but the predators
gather together.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Would you like me to send more men to the
borderlands to impose your will?
Speaker 5 (08:49):
No, No, that would be shortsighted. Why use force against
each other when we can use force for each other.
The these people dissent because they want to be significant.
They don't want to live in my shadow. But what
if I could somehow manufacture greatness for them? What if
(09:13):
I could give them the feeling of greatness under my rule.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Are you suggesting you give up some of your power
and divide it among the elders?
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Oh, no, sweet Ela, I don't need to relinquish freedom
or power. I need to rally them under an ideology,
a cause that gives them a sense of significance. But
it will all be under my rule.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Will you build a temple?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Nimrod rose to his feet, his stature imposing even in
the confines of the tent. He opened the flap of
his tent and looked up, gazing at the night sky.
The stars scattered like diamonds across the velvet darkness.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Not a temple.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Temples are for gods.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We are men.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
We will build a tower.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Nimrod turned to his friend and grabbed his shoulders, his
massive hands nearly wrapped around his entire back. He shook
him enthusiastically.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
I have been blessed by God with the strength and
the will to lead. I will lead them to greatness. Upward,
we will ascend. People want to scatter abroad for greatness.
They want to go into the unknown and venture out. No,
no true greatness is found above. We will build a
(10:42):
city so great, so large, that it reaches the heavens.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I can begin preparations. We can consolidate the tribes and
bring them closer together. Of all your kingdoms, where shall
this tower bee? Where will the people gather?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Nimrod looked back at Elam with a glint in his eye.
His mind was set, his path clear. He would build
his tower, and it would reach the heavens. In doing so,
he would carve his name into the annals of history,
a name spoken with reverence and fear for generations to come,
(11:25):
For Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter, was more than a man.
He was a force of nature, a king among kings,
destined to leave his mark on the world, and nothing,
not even the will of God, would stand in his way.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Bring them to babble.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Nimrod's dreams were turned to stone and stacked upon each other.
His kingdom rose from the plains of China. The city
he founded was a marvel of architecture and ambition, its
war high and strong, and streets bustling with life. Babel,
erech Akad, and Calner. These were the jewels of his realm,
(12:11):
each a testament to his vision and might. Yet for
all their splendor, they were but the beginning of Nimrod's
ground design. In the heart of Babel, Nimrod stood atop
a balcony overlooking his city. Below, the streets teemed with people,
(12:31):
merchants hawking their wares, craftsmen plying their trades, children playing
and laughing. It was a city alive with energy and purpose,
a city that bore the mark of its king. Nimrod's
gaze was steady, his expression one of pride and determination.
This was his creation, his legacy, and he would see
(12:55):
it flourish. Ela interrupted his gaze.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
My Lord, the council is assembled. They await your command.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Nimrod nodded, his eyes lingering on the city for a
moment longer before he turned and strode Inside. The council
chamber was a grand hall. Firs from Nimrod's hunts laced
the ground. The pelts of bears, lions, and wolves draped
over his throne, centered at the head of a large table.
(13:27):
Beside the table sat the leaders of China, men who
had sworn fealty to Nimrod and shared in his vision
for the kingdom.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Welcome, friends, Our kingdom thrives, but there is still much
to be done. The cities we have built are merely
stepping stones to our ultimate goal, a city that will
be the envy of the world, a tower that will
touch the heavens.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the council. What is Nimo's
ambitions were well known, and his charisma had won him
the loyalty of even the most skeptical among them. Yet
as he spoke, a note of caution crept into a
few voices. My Lord, there.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Are whispers of unrest among some of the tribes. They
fear that our ambition may bring the wrath of God
upon us.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Haven't you heard the songs? I am Nimrod, the hunter
who stands before God. He is the one who has
blessed us with this land and this power. It is
our duty to use it to its fullest. We will
build this tower, and in doing so, we will show
(14:49):
the world that the people of Babo and the entire
region of Shanar are not to be trifled with.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
The towers.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
How we reached God.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
The tower is how.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
We reach greatness.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Perhaps together we can reach paradise again. Maybe we could
be like God himself.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The council members nodded. Nimrod's words had a way of
dispelling doubts, of igniting a fire in the hearts of
his followers. He was a leader unlike any other, a
man whose vision extended beyond the horizon, whose will could
bend even the most obstinate to his cause. In the
(15:35):
days that followed, Nimrod's vision began to take shape. Plans
were drawn, resources gathered, and work on the tower commenced.
The people of Babel toiled day and night, their efforts
guided by the hand of their king. The tower rose steadily,
its base broad and robust, its height a testament to
(15:56):
human ingenuity and ambition. Yet for all the progress made,
some harbor doubts. Among them was Javon, a builder of
great skill and wisdom, who had been tasked with overseeing
the construction. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,
(16:16):
Javon approached Nimrod, his expression troubled.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
My Lord, I fear our ambition may be our undoing.
Some speak of omens. God may not look kindly upon
our attempt to reach the heavens.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
It is God who has given us the strength and
the will to achieve greatness. We honor him by striving
for the impossible and pushing the boundaries of what is
known and possible. Fear not, javan We are destined for glory.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Javon nodded, though the worry did not leave his eyes.
As he departed, Nimrod watched him go, a flicker of
uncertainty crossing his mind. He pushed it aside, focusing instead
on the task at hand. The tower would be built,
and it would stand as a monument to his reign,
a symbol of the indomitable spirit of China. Days turned
(17:18):
into weeks, and weeks into months. The tower rose higher
and higher, its shadow stretching long across the plains. The
people of Babel looked upon it with a mixture of
awe and pride, their faith in Nimrod unshaken, for in
their king they saw a man who could turn dreams
(17:38):
into reality and lead them to unimagined heights. And so,
under the watchful eye of Nimrod, the Tower of Babel
continued to rise. Fires burned in the heart of Babel,
casting long shadows that danced across the half built tower.
(17:59):
Nimrod stood on a platform high above the ground, surveying
the work below. The structure was a marvel, its base
broad and solid, climbing steadily towards the sky. Every stone laid,
every brick set was a step closer to his vision. Below,
(18:20):
people were chanting and singing. A smile curled on the
edges of Nimrod's face.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
It was working.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
They had made the tower a religion in itself. They
wouldn't dream of leaving it, or leaving him. They would
remain because their greatness was tethered to the tower. Nimrod
turned to his gathered advisers, their faces illuminated by the
flickering light. They were his most trusted lieutenants, the pillars
(18:50):
upon which he built his kingdom. Yet even in their
eyes he could see the flicker of doubt. Javon stepped forward,
his eyes earnest.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
My lord, the tower's design is sound. The higher we go,
the more challenging it becomes. The weight materials and labor
owes a new set of challenges. We must be cautious.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Cautian has its placed, Jabi. But this is not a
time for fear. It is a time for oldness. We
will face these challenges and overcome them, just as we
have overcome all others.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
The days that followed were a blur of activity. The
people of Babel worked tirelessly, driven by their desire to
be part of something greater than themselves. Yet as the
tower grew, so did the whispers of descent. Some questioned
the wisdom of such an undertaking, fearing the wrath of
the Elohim. Others worried about the strain it placed on
(19:55):
resources and labor. Nimrod heard these whispers, made them no heed.
He had come too far, sacrificed too much to be swayed.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
By fear and doubt.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
One night, as the stars shone brightly, above. Nimrod found
himself alone at the base of the tower. He placed
his hand on the cool stone, feeling the pulse of
the dream that lived within it. The tower was more
than a monument. It was his legacy, a mark that
would endure long after he was gone. A figure approached,
(20:32):
and Nimrod turned to see Javon standing there, his expression thoughtful.
Speaker 6 (20:38):
My Lord, I have seen many wanderers in my time.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
What this tower?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
This is something beyond anything I ever imagined.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
It is the work of our many hands, Javan, But
it is also the work of one vision, a vision
that we share.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Javon top of the tower, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Do you ever fear.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
My Lord, that we are reaching to hide that God
might take offense?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Nimrod's smile faded, as expression turning solemn.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
I have heard this exhausted warning too many times. Has
the Allowheem not given us the earth, the sky, and
the strength to build to dream? If we do not
use these gifts, if we do not strive for greatness,
then we dishonor him. This tower is not an affront,
(21:45):
It is an offering.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Javon nodded slowly, his doubts not entirely dispelled. Nimrod sensed
his trepidation. Irritated, the king continued his pontificating.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
And why should I fear him anyways? Did he not
flood the earth? Did he not curse my grandfather ham?
If he doesn't accept my offering, then maybe I shall
build my tower even higher higher than him. Maybe then
it is he who will fear me.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Nimrod's voice reverberated through the empty stone halls. Javon said nothing. Together,
they stood silently, gazing up at the tower that reached
ever closer to the heavens. Dawn broke, casting a golden
light over the plains of China. Babel awoke to the
(22:41):
sound of hammers, chisels, and stone being set upon stone.
Nimrod watched them with pride, his heart swelling with the
knowledge that they were building something that would endure, something
that would be remembered for generations to come. As the
day wore on, the heat grew oppressive. The sun beat
(23:01):
down mercilessly on the workers, sweat pouring from their brows
as they toiled under the watchful eyes of the overseers.
Nimrod's presence was a constant, his shadow falling over every.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Aspect of the project.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
He was a man possessed, driven by a vision that
consumed him. The sounds of construction filled the air. Hammers
and chisels rang out in a symphony of labor, mingling
with the shouts of foremen and the grunts of workers.
Nimrod moved among them, his presence a constant reminder of
the stakes. He spoke with the Masons, offering words of
(23:40):
encouragement and were necessary stern rebukes. His people needed to
see that their king was as invested in this endeavor
as they were. In the midst of the chaos, a
cry went up. Nimroud turned to see a group of
workers gather around a fallen scaffold, a man pinned beneath
(24:00):
the wreckage. He strode over, his expression grin.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
What happened here?
Speaker 4 (24:06):
The supports gave way, my lord, it was an accident.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
There are no accidents, only failures of preparation and vigilance.
And sure that that man receives the care he needs,
and see to it that the supports are reinforced properly.
We cannot afford any more mistakes.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
Yes, my Lord, it will be done.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Javen came out from among them, eyes intense with anger.
Speaker 6 (24:30):
I told you that something like this might happen.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
It will continue if we don't relent.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
We will only relent when I stand atop my tower,
looking out of the world like it's an apple fitting
in the palm of my hand.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Nimrod gesture to the crowd, charisma dripping from him like sweat.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Are the people of Babel cowards? Will you shrink back
at the first sign of weakness? Will you scatter and
scurry like prey? Or will you gather and build like predators?
We will make a name for ourselves. We will be great.
We will build something to rival Eden.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
The crowd cheered, but Javons slunk back into the rubble,
helping the fallen workers to their feet. The Lord God
saw Babel. The tower rose brick by brick, reaching toward
the heavens, a monument to human pride and unity. But
the people of Babel were sorrowfully mistaken. No earthy structure
(25:33):
could pierce the divine realm, the celestial plains where the
Almighty dwelled. These realms existed beyond the mortal coil, destined
to one day reside in the hearts of those who
trusted in him. Seeing the path to their doom. The
Council of God convened to thwart their endeavors.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
They are one people, unified in language and yet unified
to destruction. This is only the beginning of what they
will do. Soon, they will have the power to do
whatever their heart desires, and nothing will be impossible.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
God knew men's hearts. He knew that their plans ultimately
led to their demise, so he crafted a plan.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Of his own. Come, let us go down there and
confuse their language, so that they may not understand one
another's speech. The words used to unite them under an
impure cause will become confusing to them. They shall be
the city of Babel chaos.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
The sky above Babel darkened with the approach of a
summer storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low and
ominous growl that seemed to echo the unease growing among
the people of Chinah. Nimrods atop the incomplete tower, his
eyes scanning the horizon. The wind whipped his cloak around him,
(27:07):
but he stood unmoved. A statue of unyielding resolve Elim
approached the balcony, worry etched on his brow.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
My Lord, there are omens we cannot ignore. The storm
is but one The oracle speak of divine displeasure. People
fear that we have angered the Yelloheim.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Nimrod snarled as he looked out at the incoming storm,
his face scrunched with a contemptuous scowl.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, he's threatened by us. He's worried that we will
become too great for him to control. He is right
to fear me.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Nimrod turned to Elim, his gaze piercing.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
The people need to see strength, not fear.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
As Elam departed, Nimrod's eyes returned to the horizon. The
storm clouds gathered, thick and black, reflecting the turmoil within
his kingdom. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of
his vision pressing down on him. He could not afford
to falter. Now the tower must rise. As the storm
(28:27):
raged on, Nimrod ascended the tower once more, standing defiant
against the elements. Lightning flashed amilate in the dark sky,
and thunder cracked like the voice of an angry god.
Yet Nimrod stood firm, a solitary figure against the wrath
of nature. The reins descended like arrows. They beat against
(28:50):
Nimrod's broad shoulders. His eyes glowed in the lightning, reflecting
an ancient evil, like the.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
Serpent of old I like God.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
The king shouted downward at some of the remaining workers.
His voice bellowed like the thunder above.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Yet, Jabbah, Yeah, there are the able bodied men in
the city. Today we filled this tower in thefiance of
the Creator. Today we seize greatness for ourselves.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Nilmaud laughed at the heavens. When Javon arrived, Nimrod commanded
for the furnaces to.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Be lit, more breaks jamand more mortar. We will not
be dispersed. We will be one city, one utopia, one
monumental human greatness.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Javon peered up at Nimrod, then down at the foundation
of the tower. The reins eroded some of the mortar,
the winds shifting the scaffolding at the top. Javon's eyes
widened in alarm. Nimrod was caught in disaster. He had
to act before it was too late. Turning to Elim shouted.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Ilam, Nimrod Nasamo nano sa al vasa.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Ilam stared at Javon with confusion. Perhaps Javon was suffering
from an illness. He cocked his head to the side
and responded with concern.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Yavan Malik Sma Manta saim Alasta Abra Malakaseh.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
The two men stared blankly at each other, unsure what
they heard. They couldn't understand each other.
Speaker 8 (30:27):
The Anna Almaka wha Laka Nanulazi, Nibra Gabon Man Yavda
and Saban may Tali.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Javon couldn't play any more guessing games. Shoving Ilam aside,
he sprinted up the tower steps. The rein slipped steps
slid under his feet, but he pressed on, finally reaching Nimrod.
The king thrashed atop the tower, raising his fists in defiance.
Javon reached out her hand and.
Speaker 8 (30:54):
Shouted, Nimrod inzel yes, sabab sat and each.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
What's the matter? Jabon has fear stolen your tongue. Come
and bask in the glory of our creation.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Nimrod looked down below. Confusion reigned. People shoved each other,
panics setting in. Nimrod turned to Javon, but before he
could speak, a brick slipped from beneath his feet. Nimrod
fell back, catching himself on the scaffolding. It bent to
his weight, then snapped. Javon stepped forward, but it was
(31:32):
too late. Nimrod plummeted, his screams muted by the thundering skies.
Nimrod struck the earth unseen. In the chaos, God had
confused their language. People trusted only those they could understand,
faming tribes and leaving Babel to seek peace elsewhere. Thus
(31:56):
the tribes of the ancient world grew beyond the shadow
of the utopia. God's command to fill the earth was
fulfilled through the diversity of language and thought. Nimod's body
lay beneath the tower's shadow. Slowly the elements claimed the stones,
and the sunds of time covered its greatness.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
It returned to dust, the.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Destiny of every man since the Great four.
Speaker 7 (32:30):
The Tower of Babel is one of those stories that
makes you scratch your head and wonder what on earth
is going on. A bunch of people decide to build
a tower that reaches to the heavens. They're unified, speaking
the same language, working together towards a common goal. And
then God comes down, witnesses what they're doing, and decides
to scatter them all over the earth, confusing their language.
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So these once unified people can't understand each other anymore.
But why would God do this? Is he again progress?
Speaker 8 (33:01):
You see?
Speaker 7 (33:02):
This story isn't about human advancement. No, it's about humanity
trying to assert its independence from God, to create a
name for themselves which is apart from him. Does that
sound familiar? Our ancient tradition, which reads between the lines
of the Biblical text, gives a shocking picture of what
the human beings who built the Tower of Babel had
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become while the people were building. One interpretation suggests if
a man fell down and died, no attention was paid
to him, but if one brick fell down, they would
sit and weep and say whoe And to us, when
will another brick be hauled up in its place? Well?
Doesn't this sound a lot like our modern society? Don't
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We sometimes think and talk and care more about technology
than about other people. Don't We sometimes worry more about
what's wrong with our phone than what's wrong with the
world or our neighbor and how we can help fix it.
Here at the fellowship which I am so privileged to lead,
we try to think about people all the time, what
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their needs are, and how we can help them. Sure,
We use most advanced technology to help us do that,
but it's people first technology Afterwards, when our world asked,
we never stop seeing the individual. We use technology to
help us help people, not the other way around. When
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our world asks what's more important a person or a brick,
we need to answer a person every single time. Maybe
this story isn't just about why God scattered humanity at Babel.
Maybe the question we should be asking is why do
we keep trying to build our own powers even today?
Why do we try to get farther away from God
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instead of closer to him? Why do we try to
be more independent from God? And what would it look
like to stop, to humble ourselves and to let God
God build something far greater in us than through us.
The lesson of this story is not that we should
squash progress, no, but that we must address the heart
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behind it. Is progress really progress if it leads us
away from God? Instead of asking is God against progress?
Maybe we should ask what kind of progress is reaching
closer to God? And is better for man? The answer
to that guides us even today. This brings us to
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a deeper layer of the story, the theology of divine
judgment and mercy. God's actions at Babyl weren't merely punitive.
They were also an act of mercy to prevent greater harm.
By scattering humanity and confusing its language, God was stepping
in to stop a trajectory that could lead to widespread
(35:52):
corruption and evil. God didn't want a repeat of the
flood of Noah, so at Babel he intervened in a
different way. Rather than allowing humanity to reach that same
level of corruption in the times of Noah that we saw,
he dispersed them. He broke up their unity to curb
their potential for widespread evil. God's judgment here was a
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protective measure. He did it out of love, not out
of penalizing them. Our ancient teaching explains it this way.
The people's plan was to build a monument that would
be seen for many miles around. They wanted to settle
together and decided to remain within view of the tower
that they would never stray from it. They decided that
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anyone who strayed too far from this new metropolis would
have the tower to guide them back. But of course
this meant that the king of that city would also
be the king over all the people in the world.
Because everyone lived in his kingdom. This wasn't God's plan,
since he created us to settle the world, all of it,
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and to make it a better place, to be a
light in the darkness, to spread justice and love, to
spread values. This is something that each of us must
try to do every day wherever we are, and we
do it in a way that follows the moral ideas
of the Bible. This means that there would be no
king of the world ever except for God. The Towers
(37:24):
plan was uniformity, but God created all of us, and
God appreciates humanity's multiplicity, range, and variety. He wants each
of us to come with our own heart, our own background,
our own story, our own challenges, our own way of worship.
But to all come to Him, we have to believe
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that God loves us with all of our faults, as
long as we come with our authentic, pure hearts, and
that we're always looking to do better and repent. What
we see in this story of Babel is god scattering
of the people as an act of mercy. It's a
reminder that God's judgment and his mercy often go hand
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in hand. His actions may seem harsh, but they are
rooted in his desire to protect us. Our God is
a god who judges, but he is also a god
who loves, who shows mercy, who prevents disasters of our
own making by disrupting our prideful pursuits. You see, the
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story of Babel doesn't end in the Hebrew Bible. It
actually continues on in the Christian Bible. So to speak
more on this is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 9 (38:41):
Thank you, Yeah, El, I want to look at something
that's really quite consequential to our faith, found in Genesis eleven.
The Tower of Babel, not the strangest sounding thing, the
tower of confusion or chaos, this tower of babbling. Well,
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you know from the Christian scriptures that our God is
not the author of confusion. Oh but I'm so grateful
he will often use confusion against your enemies. How many
times do we read that those who assailed against the
(39:23):
chosen ones, assaulted, determined to destroy, would wake up in
the middle of the night, totally dumbfounded, grab their swords,
not knowing who they were or where they were, and
all of a sudden would wipe one another out. This confusion,
this chaos, Well, what's this story about? I would call
(39:48):
it the first convening of the United Nations. This globalist
confederation of peoples determined to penetrate the heavens without our well,
God building this tower. If you were well, you know
in your Bible that that lion piece of snake convinced
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Adam and Eve that if they would partake of that
tree that fruit, well, they would become like God. All
problem was they were already created in the image of God,
in his likeness. And now we've got these peoples who
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were determined to bypass the sovereignty of our One God,
his supremacy, and to somehow make their own name great,
according to verse four, make their own name great, not God's.
It's interesting to me when I just skip real quick
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here in my Bible, at chapter twelve, God has a
conversation not with those seventy nations, but with one man
and says, through you, all the nations of the world
will be blessed, and I God will make your name great. Well,
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they tried to erect this thing, and God saw what
was happening. He was offended by their corporate pride, but
was impressed by their unity and realized new and said
so that nothing would be withheld from them by the
power of their unity and their words of agreement, And
(41:37):
so he cast them into confusion, into chaos. He canceled
their common language so they couldn't understand one another anymore
and conspire against God. We get to chapter twelve, and
Gods determined to impregnate the earth, where they person a
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people through whom all timately Mosheer Messiah to Christians, Christ
would come and for Christians through whom the Church would
be birthed and the Kingdom of God manifest. Can I
pray with you right now, Almighty God, I thank you
for the people who are listening. All of us are
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witnesses to schemes and plans, strategies of the enemy to confuse, bewildered,
to deceive. But I'm just declaring by God that this
profound discernment will be in your people and they'll know
exactly what the enemy's doing and even more what you
plan for us. And for all this we give you praise.
Speaker 7 (42:46):
With the story of Babel and Mind, let's turn inward
and ask a deep introspective question. How do we see
God's hand of mercy in situations that initially seem like
judgment or punishment? In those moments when life feels like
it's falling apart, when our plans are disrupted, when our
powers come crashing down. Could it be that God is
at work showing us mercy even in the midst of
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what feels like judgment. Think about the times when you
face set backs, disappointments, or even suffering. Could it be that,
like Babbel, God has intervened to prevent greater harm. Have
there been moments in your own life where God's intervention,
though difficult to understand at the time, was ultimately for
your own good. Maybe it was a job that didn't
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work out, only to lead to a better opportunity. Maybe
it was a relationship that ended, making way for a
deep or healthier connection. Maybe it was a plan that
fell apart only to redirect you to a path that
brought you closer to him. Reflect on those moments. Sometimes
it's revealed and sometimes it's hidden. But when it's revealed,
we can see God's mercy in it. We can recognize
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as hand is at work even when it feels like
he is judging. We have to trust in God when
it's easy, when it's hard, when we see the clarity,
and when we don't understand. So today let's ask ourselves,
each of us, where have I seen God's mercy in disguise? Remember,
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the God who scattered the people at Babel is the
same God who leads us today, and he is guiding
you towards His better plans, even if you can't see
it right now. You need to trust in God that
He's got you. He knows the plans and they are good.
So hold on, keep the faith and know that God
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has a plan for each of us, a plan for
something even better. As you think and pray and what
God's better plan is for you, I leave you with
the priestly blessing from number six, a blessing my own abbah,
my own father would share with me and my sisters
and bless on us. And I continue to cherish it
to this day. Ivarra Hashem vish morehra yeah er Hashem
(44:57):
panave lera ye shampannave le Shalon. May the Lord bless
you and keep you. May the Lord make his face
shine upon you, May the Lord be gracious to you,
and may the Lord turn his face towards you and
give you shaloon. Give you peace with blessings from the
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Holy Land. This is your el Exstein and you are
listening to the Chosen People.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
You can listen to the Chosen People with isle Exstein
add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
producers of the Chosen People with yil Exstein, Edited by
(45:51):
Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. 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 Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
(46:15):
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.
Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Behold, I would destroy them with the earth. I would
bring a flood to wipe this earth clean.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Remembered me.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Remember my family, had the animals with me.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
God hadn't forgotten Noah, the Creator remembered him, and all
the beasts within the ark.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Go out from the ark, Noah, as a sign of
my covenant with you, I have set my bow in
the clouds.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
The never ending pattern of sin and struggle didn't cease
with the flood. Cup after cup, Noah drank away his sorrows,
yet it only numbed the pain. His youngest son, Ham
watched from a distance, Disdain etched on his face as
he witnessed his father's shameful display.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I present to you the honorable, the stoic, and the
righteous Noah, naked and sleeping in his own vomit.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
Heem, you've disgraced our father, cursed, be catered for what
his father is done.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Shut up, old man.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Men's sins stretched alongside Noah's descendants. But God's promises remained.
His faithfulness wouldn't waver even in the face of human imperfection.
Speaker 7 (01:36):
Pride has a way of blinding us, of making us
think that we're invincible. We start to believe we don't
need anyone, not even God. But in our pursuit of greatness,
we often lose sight of what truly matters. We forget
that our worth isn't in our achievements or in the
name we make for ourselves. Rather, it's in the name
given to us by God. Shallo my friend from here
(02:00):
in the Holy Land of Israel i'm El Extein with
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, this is the Chosen People.
In each episode, we escape into the world of the
Hebrew Bible, exploring stories of faith, failure, love and loss.
As we press into the story of Israel, we'll discover
what it means to live a life of purpose and
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step into the calling that God has for each of us.
God chose the nation of Israel a Mount Sinai, but
through their story we will discover one abiding truth that
we are all chosen for something great. If you are
interested in discovering more about the incredible work that God
is doing through the Fellowship, I invite you to visit
(02:43):
our website at IFCJ dot org. That's IFCJ dot org.
Now let's begin in the beginning, when the earth was young.
Humanity had one voice and one vision. It was a
world where everybody spoke the same laguage, where every word
uttered was understood by all. But what becomes of humanity
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when we raise our collective voice not in worship but
in selfish ambition? Before us stands the story of the
Tower of Babel and the tale of divine intervention, where
language itself becomes a tool to humble the proud. Listen now,
and let the wisdom of this story guide us in
our own quest for meaning.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The sons of Noah spread across the land, hands stretching
out to seize the promise God gave them. Jafforth sired
many sons, whose clans became the people of the coastlands.
They were voyages, fishermen, and tradesmen of great renown. Their
influence stretched beyond the seas to lands untouched. The sons
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of Shem scaled the hill country of the east. They
were people of the promise, just as God had foretold,
from his line would come Terra, the father of Abraham.
Yet the sons of Ham were cursed with ambition. His
sons were Canaan, Egypt, Put and Cush out of the
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line of cush came a man unlike any other, a
man of strength, influence, and power. His name was Nimrod.
Nimrod stood atop the hill, a silhouette against the dying
light of the sun. The air was thick with the
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scent of earth and blood. The spoils of his latest
hunt arrayed around him. His cloak, fashioned from the pelts
of lions, billowed in the evening breeze. To his people,
he was not just a man. He was a legend,
a giant among mortals, a hunter favored by the Creator.
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As the last rays of sunlight bled out of the sky,
Nimrod descended from the hill with the carcass of a
stag carried over his shoulders, His eyes sharp and piercing
as an eagle's, scanned the crowd at the bottom. They
looked upon him with awe and reverence, whispers of his
name rippling through the assembly like a prayer. The whispers
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rose like a song, eventually becoming a chant singing his glory.
The great hunter's gaze fell upon the carcass of a stag,
its antlers spanning wide, a testament to its once proud stature.
Nimrod's hand rested on its flank, his fingers brushing against
the coarse fur.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
The night we feast, we honor the life taken, and
we give thanks to the Creator for his bounty.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
He watched as his men began to prepare the feast,
the crackle of firewood and the savory scent of roasting
meat filling the air. Nimrod turned away, his mind already
drifting to thoughts of the hunt to come. He craved
another challenge in the wilds of China. For Nimrod, the
hunt was more than the means of survival. It was
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a test, a sacred right that affirmed his dominance over
nature and man alike. His camp was a sprawling expanse
of tents and makeshift shelters, filled with warriors and craftsmen,
women and children. It was a kingdom in its infancy,
a realm forged from blood and sweat under the rule
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of a man who feared nothing. As he walked through
the camp, his people parted before him, their eyes shining
with admiration. Nimrod's presence was a promise of protection and prosperity.
In his tent, lit by the flickering light of torches,
Nimrod sat before a map of his domain. It was
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drawn from charcoal on parchment crafted from tanned pelts. The
parchment was marked with symbols and drawings, a record of
his conquests and the cities he had founded, Babel, Erek, Akad,
and Kalna. His kingdom was growing, and with it his power.
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Yet Nimrod's ambitions stretched further still. He envisioned a city
like no other, a monument to his greatness, a testament
to human ingenuity and divine favor. A shadow fell across
the entrance of his tent. Nimrod looked up to see
one of his trusted servants, a man named Elum, standing
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there with a grim expression.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
My Lord, the scouts have returned. There are whispers of
descent among some of the tribes.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
What's the matter.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Your beau is mighty, Lord Nimrod, and your arrow strong,
but it's reach wanes in the border Lads, Some tribal
elders seek to make a name for themselves by stretching
further out. They want to scatter as the descendants of
Jpth and Shem have troubling. It was the divine mandate
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passed from the forefathers, was it not? We are meant
to stretch outward and fill the earth.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Yes, but that isn't how greatness is achieved, Elam. Greatness
is built brick by brick, stone by stone, on top
of one another. If we spread and disperse, we weaken
what we've built here, pray, scatter outward, but the predators
gather together.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Would you like me to send more men to the
borderlands to impose your will?
Speaker 5 (08:49):
No, No, that would be shortsighted. Why use force against
each other when we can use force for each other.
The these people dissent because they want to be significant.
They don't want to live in my shadow. But what
if I could somehow manufacture greatness for them? What if
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I could give them the feeling of greatness under my rule.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Are you suggesting you give up some of your power
and divide it among the elders?
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Oh, no, sweet Ela, I don't need to relinquish freedom
or power. I need to rally them under an ideology,
a cause that gives them a sense of significance. But
it will all be under my rule.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Will you build a temple?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Nimrod rose to his feet, his stature imposing even in
the confines of the tent. He opened the flap of
his tent and looked up, gazing at the night sky.
The stars scattered like diamonds across the velvet darkness.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Not a temple.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Temples are for gods.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We are men.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
We will build a tower.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Nimrod turned to his friend and grabbed his shoulders, his
massive hands nearly wrapped around his entire back. He shook
him enthusiastically.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
I have been blessed by God with the strength and
the will to lead. I will lead them to greatness. Upward,
we will ascend. People want to scatter abroad for greatness.
They want to go into the unknown and venture out. No,
no true greatness is found above. We will build a
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city so great, so large, that it reaches the heavens.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I can begin preparations. We can consolidate the tribes and
bring them closer together. Of all your kingdoms, where shall
this tower bee? Where will the people gather?
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Nimrod looked back at Elam with a glint in his eye.
His mind was set, his path clear. He would build
his tower, and it would reach the heavens. In doing so,
he would carve his name into the annals of history,
a name spoken with reverence and fear for generations to come,
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For Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter, was more than a man.
He was a force of nature, a king among kings,
destined to leave his mark on the world, and nothing,
not even the will of God, would stand in his way.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Bring them to babble.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Nimrod's dreams were turned to stone and stacked upon each other.
His kingdom rose from the plains of China. The city
he founded was a marvel of architecture and ambition, its
war high and strong, and streets bustling with life. Babel,
erech Akad, and Calner. These were the jewels of his realm,
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each a testament to his vision and might. Yet for
all their splendor, they were but the beginning of Nimrod's
ground design. In the heart of Babel, Nimrod stood atop
a balcony overlooking his city. Below, the streets teemed with people,
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merchants hawking their wares, craftsmen plying their trades, children playing
and laughing. It was a city alive with energy and purpose,
a city that bore the mark of its king. Nimrod's
gaze was steady, his expression one of pride and determination.
This was his creation, his legacy, and he would see
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it flourish. Ela interrupted his gaze.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
My Lord, the council is assembled. They await your command.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Nimrod nodded, his eyes lingering on the city for a
moment longer before he turned and strode Inside. The council
chamber was a grand hall. Firs from Nimrod's hunts laced
the ground. The pelts of bears, lions, and wolves draped
over his throne, centered at the head of a large table.
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Beside the table sat the leaders of China, men who
had sworn fealty to Nimrod and shared in his vision
for the kingdom.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Welcome, friends, Our kingdom thrives, but there is still much
to be done. The cities we have built are merely
stepping stones to our ultimate goal, a city that will
be the envy of the world, a tower that will
touch the heavens.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the council. What is Nimo's
ambitions were well known, and his charisma had won him
the loyalty of even the most skeptical among them. Yet
as he spoke, a note of caution crept into a
few voices. My Lord, there.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Are whispers of unrest among some of the tribes. They
fear that our ambition may bring the wrath of God
upon us.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Haven't you heard the songs? I am Nimrod, the hunter
who stands before God. He is the one who has
blessed us with this land and this power. It is
our duty to use it to its fullest. We will
build this tower, and in doing so, we will show
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the world that the people of Babo and the entire
region of Shanar are not to be trifled with.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
The towers.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
How we reached God.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
The tower is how.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
We reach greatness.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Perhaps together we can reach paradise again. Maybe we could
be like God himself.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
The council members nodded. Nimrod's words had a way of
dispelling doubts, of igniting a fire in the hearts of
his followers. He was a leader unlike any other, a
man whose vision extended beyond the horizon, whose will could
bend even the most obstinate to his cause. In the
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days that followed, Nimrod's vision began to take shape. Plans
were drawn, resources gathered, and work on the tower commenced.
The people of Babel toiled day and night, their efforts
guided by the hand of their king. The tower rose steadily,
its base broad and robust, its height a testament to
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human ingenuity and ambition. Yet for all the progress made,
some harbor doubts. Among them was Javon, a builder of
great skill and wisdom, who had been tasked with overseeing
the construction. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon,
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Javon approached Nimrod, his expression troubled.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
My Lord, I fear our ambition may be our undoing.
Some speak of omens. God may not look kindly upon
our attempt to reach the heavens.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
It is God who has given us the strength and
the will to achieve greatness. We honor him by striving
for the impossible and pushing the boundaries of what is
known and possible. Fear not, javan We are destined for glory.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Javon nodded, though the worry did not leave his eyes.
As he departed, Nimrod watched him go, a flicker of
uncertainty crossing his mind. He pushed it aside, focusing instead
on the task at hand. The tower would be built,
and it would stand as a monument to his reign,
a symbol of the indomitable spirit of China. Days turned
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into weeks, and weeks into months. The tower rose higher
and higher, its shadow stretching long across the plains. The
people of Babel looked upon it with a mixture of
awe and pride, their faith in Nimrod unshaken, for in
their king they saw a man who could turn dreams
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into reality and lead them to unimagined heights. And so,
under the watchful eye of Nimrod, the Tower of Babel
continued to rise. Fires burned in the heart of Babel,
casting long shadows that danced across the half built tower.
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Nimrod stood on a platform high above the ground, surveying
the work below. The structure was a marvel, its base
broad and solid, climbing steadily towards the sky. Every stone laid,
every brick set was a step closer to his vision. Below,
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people were chanting and singing. A smile curled on the
edges of Nimrod's face.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
It was working.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
They had made the tower a religion in itself. They
wouldn't dream of leaving it, or leaving him. They would
remain because their greatness was tethered to the tower. Nimrod
turned to his gathered advisers, their faces illuminated by the
flickering light. They were his most trusted lieutenants, the pillars
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upon which he built his kingdom. Yet even in their
eyes he could see the flicker of doubt. Javon stepped forward,
his eyes earnest.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
My lord, the tower's design is sound. The higher we go,
the more challenging it becomes. The weight materials and labor
owes a new set of challenges. We must be cautious.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Cautian has its placed, Jabi. But this is not a
time for fear. It is a time for oldness. We
will face these challenges and overcome them, just as we
have overcome all others.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
The days that followed were a blur of activity. The
people of Babel worked tirelessly, driven by their desire to
be part of something greater than themselves. Yet as the
tower grew, so did the whispers of descent. Some questioned
the wisdom of such an undertaking, fearing the wrath of
the Elohim. Others worried about the strain it placed on
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resources and labor. Nimrod heard these whispers, made them no heed.
He had come too far, sacrificed too much to be swayed.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
By fear and doubt.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
One night, as the stars shone brightly, above. Nimrod found
himself alone at the base of the tower. He placed
his hand on the cool stone, feeling the pulse of
the dream that lived within it. The tower was more
than a monument. It was his legacy, a mark that
would endure long after he was gone. A figure approached,
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and Nimrod turned to see Javon standing there, his expression thoughtful.
Speaker 6 (20:38):
My Lord, I have seen many wanderers in my time.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
What this tower?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
This is something beyond anything I ever imagined.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
It is the work of our many hands, Javan, But
it is also the work of one vision, a vision
that we share.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Javon top of the tower, his eyes reflecting the firelight.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Do you ever fear.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
My Lord, that we are reaching to hide that God
might take offense?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Nimrod's smile faded, as expression turning solemn.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
I have heard this exhausted warning too many times. Has
the Allowheem not given us the earth, the sky, and
the strength to build to dream? If we do not
use these gifts, if we do not strive for greatness,
then we dishonor him. This tower is not an affront,
(21:45):
It is an offering.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Javon nodded slowly, his doubts not entirely dispelled. Nimrod sensed
his trepidation. Irritated, the king continued his pontificating.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
And why should I fear him anyways? Did he not
flood the earth? Did he not curse my grandfather ham?
If he doesn't accept my offering, then maybe I shall
build my tower even higher higher than him. Maybe then
it is he who will fear me.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Nimrod's voice reverberated through the empty stone halls. Javon said nothing. Together,
they stood silently, gazing up at the tower that reached
ever closer to the heavens. Dawn broke, casting a golden
light over the plains of China. Babel awoke to the
(22:41):
sound of hammers, chisels, and stone being set upon stone.
Nimrod watched them with pride, his heart swelling with the
knowledge that they were building something that would endure, something
that would be remembered for generations to come. As the
day wore on, the heat grew oppressive. The sun beat
(23:01):
down mercilessly on the workers, sweat pouring from their brows
as they toiled under the watchful eyes of the overseers.
Nimrod's presence was a constant, his shadow falling over every.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
Aspect of the project.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
He was a man possessed, driven by a vision that
consumed him. The sounds of construction filled the air. Hammers
and chisels rang out in a symphony of labor, mingling
with the shouts of foremen and the grunts of workers.
Nimrod moved among them, his presence a constant reminder of
the stakes. He spoke with the Masons, offering words of
(23:40):
encouragement and were necessary stern rebukes. His people needed to
see that their king was as invested in this endeavor
as they were. In the midst of the chaos, a
cry went up. Nimroud turned to see a group of
workers gather around a fallen scaffold, a man pinned beneath
(24:00):
the wreckage. He strode over, his expression grin.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
What happened here?
Speaker 4 (24:06):
The supports gave way, my lord, it was an accident.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
There are no accidents, only failures of preparation and vigilance.
And sure that that man receives the care he needs,
and see to it that the supports are reinforced properly.
We cannot afford any more mistakes.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
Yes, my Lord, it will be done.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Javen came out from among them, eyes intense with anger.
Speaker 6 (24:30):
I told you that something like this might happen.
Speaker 8 (24:33):
It will continue if we don't relent.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
We will only relent when I stand atop my tower,
looking out of the world like it's an apple fitting
in the palm of my hand.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
Nimrod gesture to the crowd, charisma dripping from him like sweat.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
Are the people of Babel cowards? Will you shrink back
at the first sign of weakness? Will you scatter and
scurry like prey? Or will you gather and build like predators?
We will make a name for ourselves. We will be great.
We will build something to rival Eden.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
The crowd cheered, but Javons slunk back into the rubble,
helping the fallen workers to their feet. The Lord God
saw Babel. The tower rose brick by brick, reaching toward
the heavens, a monument to human pride and unity. But
the people of Babel were sorrowfully mistaken. No earthy structure
(25:33):
could pierce the divine realm, the celestial plains where the
Almighty dwelled. These realms existed beyond the mortal coil, destined
to one day reside in the hearts of those who
trusted in him. Seeing the path to their doom. The
Council of God convened to thwart their endeavors.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
They are one people, unified in language and yet unified
to destruction. This is only the beginning of what they
will do. Soon, they will have the power to do
whatever their heart desires, and nothing will be impossible.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
God knew men's hearts. He knew that their plans ultimately
led to their demise, so he crafted a plan.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Of his own. Come, let us go down there and
confuse their language, so that they may not understand one
another's speech. The words used to unite them under an
impure cause will become confusing to them. They shall be
the city of Babel chaos.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
The sky above Babel darkened with the approach of a
summer storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low and
ominous growl that seemed to echo the unease growing among
the people of Chinah. Nimrods atop the incomplete tower, his
eyes scanning the horizon. The wind whipped his cloak around him,
(27:07):
but he stood unmoved. A statue of unyielding resolve Elim
approached the balcony, worry etched on his brow.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
My Lord, there are omens we cannot ignore. The storm
is but one The oracle speak of divine displeasure. People
fear that we have angered the Yelloheim.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Nimrod snarled as he looked out at the incoming storm,
his face scrunched with a contemptuous scowl.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, he's threatened by us. He's worried that we will
become too great for him to control. He is right
to fear me.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Nimrod turned to Elim, his gaze piercing.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
The people need to see strength, not fear.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
As Elam departed, Nimrod's eyes returned to the horizon. The
storm clouds gathered, thick and black, reflecting the turmoil within
his kingdom. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of
his vision pressing down on him. He could not afford
to falter. Now the tower must rise. As the storm
(28:27):
raged on, Nimrod ascended the tower once more, standing defiant
against the elements. Lightning flashed amilate in the dark sky,
and thunder cracked like the voice of an angry god.
Yet Nimrod stood firm, a solitary figure against the wrath
of nature. The reins descended like arrows. They beat against
(28:50):
Nimrod's broad shoulders. His eyes glowed in the lightning, reflecting
an ancient evil, like the.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
Serpent of old I like God.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
The king shouted downward at some of the remaining workers.
His voice bellowed like the thunder above.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Yet, Jabbah, Yeah, there are the able bodied men in
the city. Today we filled this tower in thefiance of
the Creator. Today we seize greatness for ourselves.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Nilmaud laughed at the heavens. When Javon arrived, Nimrod commanded
for the furnaces to.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
Be lit, more breaks jamand more mortar. We will not
be dispersed. We will be one city, one utopia, one
monumental human greatness.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Javon peered up at Nimrod, then down at the foundation
of the tower. The reins eroded some of the mortar,
the winds shifting the scaffolding at the top. Javon's eyes
widened in alarm. Nimrod was caught in disaster. He had
to act before it was too late. Turning to Elim shouted.
Speaker 8 (30:00):
Ilam, Nimrod Nasamo nano sa al vasa.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Ilam stared at Javon with confusion. Perhaps Javon was suffering
from an illness. He cocked his head to the side
and responded with concern.
Speaker 4 (30:13):
Yavan Malik Sma Manta saim Alasta Abra Malakaseh.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
The two men stared blankly at each other, unsure what
they heard. They couldn't understand each other.
Speaker 8 (30:27):
The Anna Almaka wha Laka Nanulazi, Nibra Gabon Man Yavda
and Saban may Tali.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Javon couldn't play any more guessing games. Shoving Ilam aside,
he sprinted up the tower steps. The rein slipped steps
slid under his feet, but he pressed on, finally reaching Nimrod.
The king thrashed atop the tower, raising his fists in defiance.
Javon reached out her hand and.
Speaker 8 (30:54):
Shouted, Nimrod inzel yes, sabab sat and each.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
What's the matter? Jabon has fear stolen your tongue. Come
and bask in the glory of our creation.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Nimrod looked down below. Confusion reigned. People shoved each other,
panics setting in. Nimrod turned to Javon, but before he
could speak, a brick slipped from beneath his feet. Nimrod
fell back, catching himself on the scaffolding. It bent to
his weight, then snapped. Javon stepped forward, but it was
(31:32):
too late. Nimrod plummeted, his screams muted by the thundering skies.
Nimrod struck the earth unseen. In the chaos, God had
confused their language. People trusted only those they could understand,
faming tribes and leaving Babel to seek peace elsewhere. Thus
(31:56):
the tribes of the ancient world grew beyond the shadow
of the utopia. God's command to fill the earth was
fulfilled through the diversity of language and thought. Nimod's body
lay beneath the tower's shadow. Slowly the elements claimed the stones,
and the sunds of time covered its greatness.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
It returned to dust, the.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Destiny of every man since the Great four.
Speaker 7 (32:30):
The Tower of Babel is one of those stories that
makes you scratch your head and wonder what on earth
is going on. A bunch of people decide to build
a tower that reaches to the heavens. They're unified, speaking
the same language, working together towards a common goal. And
then God comes down, witnesses what they're doing, and decides
to scatter them all over the earth, confusing their language.
(32:52):
So these once unified people can't understand each other anymore.
But why would God do this? Is he again progress?
Speaker 8 (33:01):
You see?
Speaker 7 (33:02):
This story isn't about human advancement. No, it's about humanity
trying to assert its independence from God, to create a
name for themselves which is apart from him. Does that
sound familiar? Our ancient tradition, which reads between the lines
of the Biblical text, gives a shocking picture of what
the human beings who built the Tower of Babel had
(33:25):
become while the people were building. One interpretation suggests if
a man fell down and died, no attention was paid
to him, but if one brick fell down, they would
sit and weep and say whoe And to us, when
will another brick be hauled up in its place? Well?
Doesn't this sound a lot like our modern society? Don't
(33:45):
We sometimes think and talk and care more about technology
than about other people. Don't We sometimes worry more about
what's wrong with our phone than what's wrong with the
world or our neighbor and how we can help fix it.
Here at the fellowship which I am so privileged to lead,
we try to think about people all the time, what
(34:06):
their needs are, and how we can help them. Sure,
We use most advanced technology to help us do that,
but it's people first technology Afterwards, when our world asked,
we never stop seeing the individual. We use technology to
help us help people, not the other way around. When
(34:27):
our world asks what's more important a person or a brick,
we need to answer a person every single time. Maybe
this story isn't just about why God scattered humanity at Babel.
Maybe the question we should be asking is why do
we keep trying to build our own powers even today?
Why do we try to get farther away from God
(34:49):
instead of closer to him? Why do we try to
be more independent from God? And what would it look
like to stop, to humble ourselves and to let God
God build something far greater in us than through us.
The lesson of this story is not that we should
squash progress, no, but that we must address the heart
(35:10):
behind it. Is progress really progress if it leads us
away from God? Instead of asking is God against progress?
Maybe we should ask what kind of progress is reaching
closer to God? And is better for man? The answer
to that guides us even today. This brings us to
(35:32):
a deeper layer of the story, the theology of divine
judgment and mercy. God's actions at Babyl weren't merely punitive.
They were also an act of mercy to prevent greater harm.
By scattering humanity and confusing its language, God was stepping
in to stop a trajectory that could lead to widespread
(35:52):
corruption and evil. God didn't want a repeat of the
flood of Noah, so at Babel he intervened in a
different way. Rather than allowing humanity to reach that same
level of corruption in the times of Noah that we saw,
he dispersed them. He broke up their unity to curb
their potential for widespread evil. God's judgment here was a
(36:16):
protective measure. He did it out of love, not out
of penalizing them. Our ancient teaching explains it this way.
The people's plan was to build a monument that would
be seen for many miles around. They wanted to settle
together and decided to remain within view of the tower
that they would never stray from it. They decided that
(36:38):
anyone who strayed too far from this new metropolis would
have the tower to guide them back. But of course
this meant that the king of that city would also
be the king over all the people in the world.
Because everyone lived in his kingdom. This wasn't God's plan,
since he created us to settle the world, all of it,
(37:00):
and to make it a better place, to be a
light in the darkness, to spread justice and love, to
spread values. This is something that each of us must
try to do every day wherever we are, and we
do it in a way that follows the moral ideas
of the Bible. This means that there would be no
king of the world ever except for God. The Towers
(37:24):
plan was uniformity, but God created all of us, and
God appreciates humanity's multiplicity, range, and variety. He wants each
of us to come with our own heart, our own background,
our own story, our own challenges, our own way of worship.
But to all come to Him, we have to believe
(37:46):
that God loves us with all of our faults, as
long as we come with our authentic, pure hearts, and
that we're always looking to do better and repent. What
we see in this story of Babel is god scattering
of the people as an act of mercy. It's a
reminder that God's judgment and his mercy often go hand
(38:08):
in hand. His actions may seem harsh, but they are
rooted in his desire to protect us. Our God is
a god who judges, but he is also a god
who loves, who shows mercy, who prevents disasters of our
own making by disrupting our prideful pursuits. You see, the
(38:30):
story of Babel doesn't end in the Hebrew Bible. It
actually continues on in the Christian Bible. So to speak
more on this is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 9 (38:41):
Thank you, Yeah, El, I want to look at something
that's really quite consequential to our faith, found in Genesis eleven.
The Tower of Babel, not the strangest sounding thing, the
tower of confusion or chaos, this tower of babbling. Well,
(39:03):
you know from the Christian scriptures that our God is
not the author of confusion. Oh but I'm so grateful
he will often use confusion against your enemies. How many
times do we read that those who assailed against the
(39:23):
chosen ones, assaulted, determined to destroy, would wake up in
the middle of the night, totally dumbfounded, grab their swords,
not knowing who they were or where they were, and
all of a sudden would wipe one another out. This confusion,
this chaos, Well, what's this story about? I would call
(39:48):
it the first convening of the United Nations. This globalist
confederation of peoples determined to penetrate the heavens without our well,
God building this tower. If you were well, you know
in your Bible that that lion piece of snake convinced
(40:11):
Adam and Eve that if they would partake of that
tree that fruit, well, they would become like God. All
problem was they were already created in the image of God,
in his likeness. And now we've got these peoples who
(40:32):
were determined to bypass the sovereignty of our One God,
his supremacy, and to somehow make their own name great,
according to verse four, make their own name great, not God's.
It's interesting to me when I just skip real quick
(40:52):
here in my Bible, at chapter twelve, God has a
conversation not with those seventy nations, but with one man
and says, through you, all the nations of the world
will be blessed, and I God will make your name great. Well,
(41:14):
they tried to erect this thing, and God saw what
was happening. He was offended by their corporate pride, but
was impressed by their unity and realized new and said
so that nothing would be withheld from them by the
power of their unity and their words of agreement, And
(41:37):
so he cast them into confusion, into chaos. He canceled
their common language so they couldn't understand one another anymore
and conspire against God. We get to chapter twelve, and
Gods determined to impregnate the earth, where they person a
(41:57):
people through whom all timately Mosheer Messiah to Christians, Christ
would come and for Christians through whom the Church would
be birthed and the Kingdom of God manifest. Can I
pray with you right now, Almighty God, I thank you
for the people who are listening. All of us are
(42:20):
witnesses to schemes and plans, strategies of the enemy to confuse, bewildered,
to deceive. But I'm just declaring by God that this
profound discernment will be in your people and they'll know
exactly what the enemy's doing and even more what you
plan for us. And for all this we give you praise.
Speaker 7 (42:46):
With the story of Babel and Mind, let's turn inward
and ask a deep introspective question. How do we see
God's hand of mercy in situations that initially seem like
judgment or punishment? In those moments when life feels like
it's falling apart, when our plans are disrupted, when our
powers come crashing down. Could it be that God is
at work showing us mercy even in the midst of
(43:08):
what feels like judgment. Think about the times when you
face set backs, disappointments, or even suffering. Could it be that,
like Babbel, God has intervened to prevent greater harm. Have
there been moments in your own life where God's intervention,
though difficult to understand at the time, was ultimately for
your own good. Maybe it was a job that didn't
(43:28):
work out, only to lead to a better opportunity. Maybe
it was a relationship that ended, making way for a
deep or healthier connection. Maybe it was a plan that
fell apart only to redirect you to a path that
brought you closer to him. Reflect on those moments. Sometimes
it's revealed and sometimes it's hidden. But when it's revealed,
we can see God's mercy in it. We can recognize
(43:51):
as hand is at work even when it feels like
he is judging. We have to trust in God when
it's easy, when it's hard, when we see the clarity,
and when we don't understand. So today let's ask ourselves,
each of us, where have I seen God's mercy in disguise? Remember,
(44:12):
the God who scattered the people at Babel is the
same God who leads us today, and he is guiding
you towards His better plans, even if you can't see
it right now. You need to trust in God that
He's got you. He knows the plans and they are good.
So hold on, keep the faith and know that God
(44:32):
has a plan for each of us, a plan for
something even better. As you think and pray and what
God's better plan is for you, I leave you with
the priestly blessing from number six, a blessing my own abbah,
my own father would share with me and my sisters
and bless on us. And I continue to cherish it
to this day. Ivarra Hashem vish morehra yeah er Hashem
(44:57):
panave lera ye shampannave le Shalon. May the Lord bless
you and keep you. May the Lord make his face
shine upon you, May the Lord be gracious to you,
and may the Lord turn his face towards you and
give you shaloon. Give you peace with blessings from the
(45:20):
Holy Land. This is your el Exstein and you are
listening to the Chosen People.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
You can listen to the Chosen People with isle Exstein
add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
producers of the Chosen People with yil Exstein, Edited by
(45:51):
Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. 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 Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
(46:15):
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.
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