Latest / The Chosen People / Noah & The Promise
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: This is an iHeart Podcast.
- 0:02Speaker 2: Guaranteed human.
- 0:04Speaker 3: Previously on The Chosen People. Mankind was blighted by bloodshed
- 0:11Speaker 3: and discord. Noah was determined to oppose the culture.
- 0:17Speaker 1: Behold. I would destroy them with the earth. I would
- 0:23Speaker 1: bring a flood to wipe this earth clean. I have
- 0:27Speaker 1: appointed you, Noah, to build an ark.
- 0:31Speaker 3: Noah gazed at the ark, a towering monolith against the sky,
- 0:35Speaker 3: its shadow stretching over the valley. He watched his sons,
- 0:39Speaker 3: no longer boys but men, bound by duty and the
- 0:42Speaker 3: promise of future generations, saw, chop, hammer and sand the
- 0:47Speaker 3: vessel's final touches.
- 0:49Speaker 4: This world is sick. These people are plagued by evil.
- 0:57Speaker 4: I know what they deserve, but I can't bring myself
- 1:01Speaker 4: to fully accept it. They're all going to die.
- 1:06Speaker 3: Thousands of creatures, two by two, ran into the Ark,
- 1:10Speaker 3: their hooves, paws, and claws thumping and scratching against the
- 1:14Speaker 3: Ark's floor. Flashes of lightning replaced the sun's light, and
- 1:19Speaker 3: thunder roared like a predator ready to kill. The voice
- 1:23Speaker 3: of the creator spoke through the tempest.
- 1:25Speaker 1: To the Ark, Noah.
- 1:29Speaker 3: Underneath the white noise of falling rain and rushing water,
- 1:33Speaker 3: the screams became audible. Desperate, blood-curdling screams. Noah ran to
- 1:39Speaker 3: the door and pounded his.
- 1:41Speaker 1: Fists against it.
- 1:42Speaker 3: His shouts were surprising to the others.
- 1:45Speaker 4: What's wrong?
- 1:46Speaker 2: We made it!
- 1:47Speaker 4: If you don't weep at their suffering, you're no better
- 1:52Speaker 4: than them.
- 1:54Speaker 3: Outside, the skies wept and the earth quivered. God's wrath
- 1:59Speaker 3: rolled forth, but it did not please him. He sent
- 2:03Speaker 3: the flood with regret and sorrow. The waters prevailed over
- 2:08Speaker 3: the earth, and the sea swallowed every creature given the
- 2:11Speaker 3: breath of life.
- 2:16Speaker 1: Darkness.
- 2:18Speaker 3: Noah remained huddled beside the window, the ark rocking to
- 2:22Speaker 3: the tempest outside. Noah was certain it was midday, but
- 2:27Speaker 3: there was no way of confirming it. The sun's warmth
- 2:31Speaker 3: hadn't graced their faces in weeks. Noah's countenance was gaunt,
- 2:36Speaker 3: his eyes unfocused and glazed over with sorrow. His mind
- 2:41Speaker 3: swirled like the charcoal clouds above, Noah was tired but
- 2:45Speaker 3: couldn't close his eyes. Every time he did, he saw
- 2:49Speaker 3: the faces of the damned floating atop the waters. Emzara
- 2:54Speaker 3: stepped lightly through the opening of their room. She held
- 2:57Speaker 3: the wax candle. The tiny flame twitched to and fro,
- 3:02Speaker 3: casting shadows against the wooden walls of the ark. The
- 3:06Speaker 3: faint light revealed her concerned face. Her husband had barely
- 3:11Speaker 3: spoken since the walls shut.
- 3:13Speaker 1: Have you eaten?
- 3:15Speaker 3: Noah shook his head. His stomach knotted, not only from guilt,
- 3:20Speaker 3: but also from the relentless swaying of the boat. Hemzara
- 3:24Speaker 3: knelt beside him, her fingers gently stroking his matted hair. She, too,
- 3:30Speaker 3: felt the weight of survival, though her guilt was different.
- 3:34Speaker 3: She did not share Noah's anguish, but felt relief that
- 3:37Speaker 3: they were spared. Her husband's heart, however, was tethered to
- 3:42Speaker 3: the Creator's sorrow. She reached for his hand, placing a
- 3:46Speaker 3: barley loaf in his palm, and kissed his forehead.
- 3:50Speaker 2: Eat, or else we will have to witness another death.
- 3:55Speaker 3: Noah tore a small piece of the loaf and rolled
- 3:57Speaker 3: it in his fingers, toying with the idea of eating.
- 4:01Speaker 3: The white noise of rain was a constant murmur, muting
- 4:05Speaker 3: his low-pitched voice.
- 4:07Speaker 4: Do you think I'm ungrateful?
- 4:09Speaker 3: Hemzara sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.
- 4:14Speaker 2: I remember you telling our boys the stories of Old
- 4:17Speaker 2: by the Fire. The story of the garden and the banishment.
- 4:23Speaker 2: I remember you repeatedly reminding them that the Creator was merciful,
- 4:29Speaker 2: even in his wrath.
- 4:32Speaker 4: Merciful in his wrath?
- 4:36Speaker 3: Searching for words that might reach him, Noah repeated... the
- 4:40Speaker 3: words heavy and foreign in the damp wooden tomb he
- 4:43Speaker 3: found himself in. He sighed, allowing the small piece of
- 4:48Speaker 3: bread to pass his lips, chewing slowly, each bite a
- 4:52Speaker 3: struggle against his sorrow. He laid his head on Amzara's chest,
- 4:57Speaker 3: her humming a soft lullaby against the storm. Slowly and sloppily,
- 5:03Speaker 3: Noah began to fall asleep.
- 5:05Speaker 4: Remember me. Remember my family. And the animals with me.
- 5:12Speaker 4: Do not.
- 5:16Speaker 4: Do not forsake us in this tomb.
- 5:19Speaker 3: As Noah's breathing finally steadied, the rain stopped. For forty
- 5:25Speaker 3: days the heavens had wept, but finally, mercifully, they ceased.
- 5:31Speaker 3: Amzara felt a weight release from her chest. She thought
- 5:35Speaker 3: about waking Noah, but chose not to. instead laying his
- 5:39Speaker 3: head gently on a bed made of wool and hay.
- 5:42Speaker 3: The ark rocked gently, the low purrs of wildcats and
- 5:47Speaker 3: braying of horses filling the space where the rains once sang.
- 5:53Speaker 3: God hadn't forgotten Noah. The Creator remembered him and all
- 5:58Speaker 3: the beasts within the ark. The breath of God, the Ruach,
- 6:03Speaker 3: blew mightily over the waters. The winds churned. spreading the
- 6:08Speaker 3: seas in each direction. The voice of the Creator tamed
- 6:12Speaker 3: the dark and chaotic abyss. Noah looked out with his sons.
- 6:17Speaker 3: The heavens had closed and ceased their churning. A rumbling
- 6:22Speaker 3: could be felt from below, and the fountains of the
- 6:25Speaker 3: deep had closed. Shem peered out at the horizon, straining
- 6:30Speaker 3: to see any sign of land. The wind cut at
- 6:33Speaker 3: his cheeks, and his eyes began to water.
- 6:36Speaker 1: I don't see anything yet.
- 6:38Speaker 4: How long will it take for the waters to recede?
- 6:40Speaker 2: I'm not sure how much longer I can endure the smell.
- 6:44Speaker 4: Patience, boys. God has not forgotten us. Listen closely. The
- 6:50Speaker 4: wind of God is.
- 6:51Speaker 1: Moving on our behalf. Do you think there's anything on
- 6:55Speaker 1: the horizon?
- 6:56Speaker 4: There's a way to find out.
- 6:58Speaker 3: Noah captured a raven from within the ark and brought
- 7:01Speaker 3: it to the others. He petted its feathers and held
- 7:04Speaker 3: it up to the windows.
- 7:06Speaker 4: Birds gather twigs, leaves, and other things for their nests.
- 7:12Speaker 4: If there's any land, this raven will return with something
- 7:16Speaker 4: for its mate.
- 7:17Speaker 2: Maybe it will return a fig for me. Nothing but
- 7:20Speaker 2: stale barley loaves has my stomach in knots.
- 7:24Speaker 3: Noah released the raven and watched it recede into the horizon.
- 7:28Speaker 3: The raven carried Noah's anxiety on its wings. He knew
- 7:32Speaker 3: better than to put all his hope in the raven.
- 7:35Speaker 3: but curiosity gripped him still. Days passed into weeks, and
- 7:41Speaker 3: still the raven hadn't returned. Noah's face twitched with irritation.
- 7:48Speaker 4: I should have known better than to use a raven.
- 7:51Speaker 3: Noah had a dove in his hands. He gently stroked
- 7:54Speaker 3: its white feathers with his thumbs. With a sigh and
- 7:58Speaker 3: a prayer, he released it into the air.
- 8:02Speaker 4: Why is a dove better than a raven? Ravens are scavengers.
- 8:07Speaker 4: The bird is likely feasting off the carcasses floating atop
- 8:10Speaker 4: the waters. No, it's too fat.
- 8:13Speaker 1: To fly back.
- 8:15Speaker 4: The raven is comfortable with death. It will make its
- 8:20Speaker 4: home somewhere on the floating carnage and never return. But
- 8:26Speaker 4: the dove is a clean animal. It won't make its
- 8:30Speaker 4: nest among death and despair.
- 8:33Speaker 3: It will return to us Noah remained at the window
- 8:37Speaker 3: for hours, staring earnestly at the water. The faint echoes
- 8:42Speaker 3: of screams still tortured his mind.
- 8:45Speaker 4: He wasn't sure he.
- 8:46Speaker 3: Even wanted to go back onto dry land. Noah was
- 8:50Speaker 3: old and unsure if he was capable of a fresh start.
- 8:54Speaker 3: Before Noah's mind could spiral even further, he heard the
- 8:58Speaker 3: faint sound of the dove returning. It perched atop his finger.
- 9:04Speaker 3: It hadn't found land, at least nothing inhabitable for it
- 9:08Speaker 3: to rest its wings. Noah petted its feathers and retreated
- 9:12Speaker 3: into the ark to feed it. Another week passed, and
- 9:17Speaker 3: it was time again for Noah to send the dove out.
- 9:21Speaker 3: It flew gracefully over the familiar waters, wings shimmering in
- 9:25Speaker 3: the light of dawn. After hours of waiting, Noah's eyes
- 9:29Speaker 3: widened to see the dove's return. In its mouth, was a.
- 9:33Speaker 1: Freshly plucked olive leaf.
- 9:36Speaker 3: Noah took the leaf and cradled it in his palm.
- 9:40Speaker 3: He stroked its smooth, green surface. His face quivered with relief.
- 9:46Speaker 3: The waters were receding. They would walk the earth again.
- 9:53Speaker 3: The dove was sent out again and hadn't returned. Confident
- 9:57Speaker 3: that the land was near ready, Noah removed the top
- 10:01Speaker 3: covering of the ark. It had settled on the mountains
- 10:04Speaker 3: of Ararat. The sun shined brilliantly, revealing a land reborn.
- 10:12Speaker 3: Noah's family leaned over, beholding the beautiful landscape, teeming with
- 10:16Speaker 3: vibrant colors. Noah's family leaned over, beholding the beautiful landscape,
- 10:18Speaker 3: They wafted in the crisp air, smelling the damp earth
- 10:22Speaker 3: mixed with fruit trees. Emzara squeezed her husband's arm.
- 10:28Speaker 1: Look, Noah!
- 10:29Speaker 2: Our new home!
- 10:30Speaker 3: Shen, Ham, and Japheth ran to the Ark's entrance and
- 10:34Speaker 3: released the ropes keeping doors shut. The fresh air blew
- 10:38Speaker 3: against their cheery faces. The three brothers held their wives,
- 10:43Speaker 3: giddy to step out of the Ark and into their future. Still,
- 10:48Speaker 3: Noah wouldn't permit them to leave the ark. He stood
- 10:51Speaker 3: at the threshold, waiting. His eyes were nervous, and his
- 10:56Speaker 3: hands shook. Noah refused to embark on the adventure. He
- 11:01Speaker 3: pensively stood, frozen to the ark. Nearly a year after
- 11:06Speaker 3: they entered the ark, the Creator spoke to Noah, prompting
- 11:10Speaker 3: him to leave. He could hear his voice deep within
- 11:14Speaker 3: his heart. His voice was like a steady stream.
- 11:18Speaker 1: Go out from the ark, Noah. Take your wife, your sons,
- 11:24Speaker 1: their wives, and every living thing that dwells with you.
- 11:28Speaker 1: Swarm the earth, Noah. Fill it, be fruitful, and multiply.
- 11:35Speaker 3: Noah took the first step forward. His family waited with
- 11:39Speaker 3: bated breath as he slowly, steadily, and somberly descended the ramp.
- 11:46Speaker 3: A patch of grass was at the bottom Noah placed
- 11:49Speaker 3: a bare foot on the wet earth. The chill sent
- 11:53Speaker 3: a shiver up his spine. A sigh of relief followed.
- 11:58Speaker 3: He turned to his family and gave them a reassuring smile.
- 12:03Speaker 3: They ran like children and skipped across the meadow. The
- 12:07Speaker 3: animals followed, scampering, padding, slithering and galloping.
- 12:12Speaker 1: The hills were alive.
- 12:15Speaker 3: The animals didn't look back. They spread across the earth
- 12:19Speaker 3: stretching as far as the eye could see. Noah's eyes
- 12:23Speaker 3: glistened with tears, tears of relief, joy and sadness. He
- 12:29Speaker 3: ascended a jagged path that led to an overhang looking
- 12:33Speaker 3: out at the ark. There he made an altar of
- 12:37Speaker 3: wet stones and sacrificed to his God. The offering burned bright,
- 12:43Speaker 3: a beacon signaling a new beginning. The smoke billowed upward
- 12:49Speaker 3: Mixing with the clouds, the creator breathed in the offering
- 12:53Speaker 3: like a leasing aroma. Noah watched the light play off
- 12:57Speaker 3: the mist. Across the sky, brilliant lights began to form.
- 13:02Speaker 3: Everyone watched in awe as the colors arched against the
- 13:06Speaker 3: blue backdrop. Noah's heart swelled. Within, he could sense the
- 13:12Speaker 3: heart of God.
- 13:14Speaker 1: I will never again curse the ground because of man.
- 13:17Speaker 1: for I know his heart is corrupt from his youth.
- 13:21Speaker 1: Neither will I strike down these creatures again. The long
- 13:25Speaker 1: winter is over, while the earth remains. Seed time and harvest,
- 13:31Speaker 1: cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall
- 13:38Speaker 1: not cease.
- 13:41Speaker 3: Noah gathered his family and relayed everything he could hear
- 13:44Speaker 3: from the Creator's heart. God spoke to him, within him,
- 13:49Speaker 3: and about him. Each word was a balm to his
- 13:53Speaker 3: aching heart.
- 13:54Speaker 1: Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth as I have
- 14:00Speaker 1: commanded since the days of old. Once again, you have dominion.
- 14:07Speaker 1: The beasts of the earth will fear you. The birds
- 14:11Speaker 1: of the air and the creatures of the deep will
- 14:14Speaker 1: flee in dread because of you. Into your hands I
- 14:18Speaker 1: give them. They shall be food for you, as are
- 14:22Speaker 1: the plants of the earth. I have given you everything. Yet,
- 14:28Speaker 1: even so, my eyes are on the lower creatures. You
- 14:33Speaker 1: shall not deal with them cruelly, nor shall you eat
- 14:37Speaker 1: flesh with its lifeblood. Life is precious, and for your
- 14:42Speaker 1: lives I will require a reckoning. The life of all
- 14:47Speaker 1: beasts and men will end. And to those who take
- 14:52Speaker 1: life on their own, shedding the blood of their fellow man,
- 14:57Speaker 1: I will require a reckoning. Whoever sheds the blood of
- 15:02Speaker 1: a man, by man shall his blood be shed. For
- 15:09Speaker 1: God made man in his image. Do not take life,
- 15:14Speaker 1: multiply it, Cultivate it, increase and roam the earth. I
- 15:20Speaker 1: have washed it clean for you.
- 15:24Speaker 3: The lights continued to form in the sky, slowly stretching
- 15:28Speaker 3: across the clouds. Noah and his sons watched in awe,
- 15:32Speaker 3: taking in the captivating dance of colors bowing over the sky. Red, orange, yellow, green,
- 15:40Speaker 3: blue and purple lights held together by some unseen thread.
- 15:44Speaker 1: Behold. I establish my covenant with you and your offspring
- 15:50Speaker 1: after you. I make a promise to you and to
- 15:53Speaker 1: all the creatures from the ark. I shall never again
- 15:57Speaker 1: flood the earth. As a sign of my covenant with you,
- 16:01Speaker 1: I have set my bow in the clouds. When I
- 16:04Speaker 1: bring the clouds over the earth and the sun's light
- 16:07Speaker 1: mingles with the mist of the sky, you shall see
- 16:11Speaker 1: the bow and remember my covenant. The waters shall never
- 16:15Speaker 1: destroy the earth. When the bow is in the clouds,
- 16:19Speaker 1: I will remember the everlasting covenant I have made with
- 16:24Speaker 1: every living creature.
- 16:26Speaker 3: Noah's sons glowed with hope for the future. Emzara and
- 16:31Speaker 3: the other wives watched from a distance, their eyes glistening
- 16:35Speaker 3: with gratitude that the earth was safe. Noah's jaw tightened.
- 16:41Speaker 3: A rush of gratitude for the Creator came upon him.
- 16:44Speaker 3: but in the back of his mind, whispers of torment
- 16:48Speaker 3: plagued him. Noah woke in a panic, sweat dripping down
- 16:55Speaker 3: his chest and back. His entire body trembled, unable to steady.
- 17:00Speaker 3: Emzara placed a gentle hand on his back. Noah's eyes
- 17:04Speaker 3: were wild, haunted.
- 17:06Speaker 2: Another nightmare?
- 17:07Speaker 4: This time it was Shem drowning outside the ark. He
- 17:11Speaker 4: screamed for me. He begged me to let him in, but.
- 17:15Speaker 4: I couldn't do anything. Then the corpses of the Nephilim
- 17:20Speaker 4: rose and dragged him to the bottom of the abyss.
- 17:23Speaker 2: It was only a dream. Our son is safe. No
- 17:28Speaker 2: doubt cradling his new child in his arms.
- 17:32Speaker 4: Of course it was just a dream. But that doesn't
- 17:35Speaker 4: make it any less real, Amzara. These images are seared
- 17:41Speaker 4: into my mind. I've been branded by these memories.
- 17:45Speaker 2: You act as though you're the one to have flooded
- 17:48Speaker 2: the earth. How long will you hold on to this guilt?
- 17:53Speaker 4: It isn't guilt that torments me. It's knowing that evil
- 17:57Speaker 4: still exists out there. In here. In each of us.
- 18:04Speaker 4: We were spared from the flood. But that doesn't mean
- 18:07Speaker 4: we're innocent.
- 18:09Speaker 3: Noah stormed out, flustered and quivering. The moonlight bathed the
- 18:14Speaker 3: landscape in a pale ethereal glow as he descended the
- 18:18Speaker 3: hills to the vineyard he had planted. Beside it were
- 18:21Speaker 3: cisterns hewn from stone and wood, filled with fermented wine.
- 18:26Speaker 3: Noah drew some in a bowl. The liquid was a
- 18:29Speaker 3: deep crimson, perfect to drink. His eyes glazed over with
- 18:34Speaker 3: desire as he placed the cup to his lips and drank,
- 18:38Speaker 3: seeking to wash away the sorrow, the hurt, the guilt,
- 18:43Speaker 3: the fear. The cup was his flood, drowning out the
- 18:48Speaker 3: anguish within him. Cup after cup, Noah drank away his sorrows,
- 18:54Speaker 3: yet it only numbed the pain. Wine would never ease
- 18:58Speaker 3: what only God could heal. It silenced the screams in
- 19:02Speaker 3: his head, but gave way to different sounds. Drunk and alone,
- 19:08Speaker 3: Noah howled at the moon. He thrashed his arms and
- 19:11Speaker 3: punched his fists in the air. He shouted vulgarities, cried,
- 19:16Speaker 3: and wailed into the empty night. His youngest son, Han,
- 19:21Speaker 3: watched from a distance. Disdain etched on his face as
- 19:26Speaker 3: he witnessed his father's shameful display. Righteous Noah, the one
- 19:32Speaker 3: who walks with God. The air was humid and thick.
- 19:37Speaker 3: Noah removed his clothes. and skulked through the vineyard. Naked,
- 19:42Speaker 3: Noah kicked the dirt and thrashed at branches, murmuring and
- 19:46Speaker 3: burping his way back to his tent. He was a
- 19:49Speaker 3: sad and shameful sight, but Ham passed in his father's shame.
- 19:55Speaker 2: The fool can barely stand.
- 19:58Speaker 3: Ham leaped off the stone he was sitting on and
- 20:01Speaker 3: gingerly followed his father. Noah swayed to and fro, barely
- 20:06Speaker 3: keeping his naked frame upright. Ham danced around him.
- 20:12Speaker 2: Ah, so this is what it means to walk with God, eh, Father?
- 20:17Speaker 2: What happened to all that honor you preached to me?
- 20:22Speaker 3: Here, let me help you. Ham reached out his arms.
- 20:27Speaker 3: Noah fell forward, expecting to be caught. But instead, Ham moved,
- 20:32Speaker 3: and Noah fell face first into the dirt. Noah groaned
- 20:37Speaker 3: and turned on his back. The world was spinning. He
- 20:40Speaker 3: could feel the gravel grinding against his back and buttocks.
- 20:44Speaker 3: Ham stood above him, face beaming with amusement. Noah, unable
- 20:50Speaker 3: to speak, began crawling back to his tent. The first
- 20:54Speaker 3: signs of dawn crept over the horizon. Emzara was already gone,
- 20:59Speaker 3: attending to her grandchildren. As the sun rose, Ham stood
- 21:04Speaker 3: outside his father's tent, waiting for his brother's. Shem and
- 21:09Speaker 3: Japheth approached, their tools clinking softly in the cool morning air.
- 21:14Speaker 3: Ham waved them down, a theatrical air about him.
- 21:18Speaker 4: Brethren, I have a rare sight for you to behold.
- 21:23Speaker 4: What is it now, Ham?
- 21:24Speaker 2: I present to you the Honorable, the Stoic.
- 21:28Speaker 3: And the Righteous Noah, naked and sleeping in his own vomit!
- 21:35Speaker 3: Ham grabbed the opening flap of the tent to reveal
- 21:38Speaker 3: his naked father, but the brothers stopped him before they
- 21:41Speaker 3: could catch a glimpse. Ham!
- 21:44Speaker 4: You've gone too far! What?
- 21:47Speaker 2: After all the preaching and lecturing that man has given me,
- 21:51Speaker 2: why not revel a little in his hypocrisy?
- 21:54Speaker 4: Ham, you've disgraced our father. You too, Shem?
- 21:59Speaker 2: Come on!
- 22:01Speaker 3: We've all been through a living nightmare!
- 22:03Speaker 2: Why not have a little fun with him?
- 22:05Speaker 1: What do you mean, fun?
- 22:07Speaker 4: I don't know.
- 22:09Speaker 3: Maybe we could... Ham was interrupted by a stirring within
- 22:12Speaker 3: the tent. Noah exhaled a befuddled and dreamy moan.
- 22:17Speaker 4: Jabeth, go get father's clothes from the vineyard.
- 22:20Speaker 1: Ham, I suggest you leave.
- 22:23Speaker 4: Go jump in the stream.
- 22:25Speaker 1: Clearly you need to cool off.
- 22:27Speaker 3: Ham snarled and left, kicking the dirt on his way
- 22:31Speaker 3: back to his tent. Japheth returned with the garment. The
- 22:36Speaker 3: two older brothers walked backward into the tent with the
- 22:39Speaker 3: garment on their shoulders. When they felt his body on
- 22:42Speaker 3: their heels, they dropped it and covered him. They didn't
- 22:46Speaker 3: want to shame him as their brother had. They crept
- 22:49Speaker 3: out of the tent, pensive and afraid of what would
- 22:53Speaker 3: happen to Ham when their father woke. Noah slept all day,
- 22:59Speaker 3: drifting in and out of his wine-induced stupor His head throbbed,
- 23:05Speaker 3: the world around him a fuzzy blur, but he remembered
- 23:08Speaker 3: Ham's actions. He recalled the mocking laugh, the bruise on
- 23:13Speaker 3: his jaw a painful reminder of his son's betrayal. Emerging
- 23:18Speaker 3: from his tent, Noah wrapped his garment tightly around his
- 23:21Speaker 3: body and hobbled to the fire where his wife and
- 23:24Speaker 3: son sat. Japheth and Shem's sons were also by the fire,
- 23:29Speaker 3: while Ham's son Canaan was on his father's lap. Shem
- 23:34Speaker 3: and Japheth looked up at him, empathy etched on their faces.
- 23:38Speaker 3: But not Ham. A mocking smile played on his lips
- 23:43Speaker 3: as Noah stood over the fire, the dancing flames illuminating
- 23:47Speaker 3: his scowl. His voice, coarse and gravelly, broke the tense silence.
- 23:54Speaker 1: Curse me, Canaan.
- 23:56Speaker 3: His tone was sharp and impassive. Ham's expression shifted from
- 24:00Speaker 3: confusion to rage. He covered his son's ears and raised
- 24:04Speaker 3: his voice. What did you just say to my son?
- 24:08Speaker 4: Cursed be Canaan for what his father has done. He
- 24:12Speaker 4: will be a servant to his brothers.
- 24:15Speaker 3: Ham stood, his chest puffed out in defiance.
- 24:19Speaker 1: What do you think you're doing?
- 24:21Speaker 4: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem. Canaan will
- 24:25Speaker 4: be his servant.
- 24:27Speaker 3: Shut up, old man.
- 24:30Speaker 4: May God enlarge Japheth, my faithful son. He will dwell
- 24:35Speaker 4: in the tents of Shem, but Canaan will be a
- 24:37Speaker 4: slave to them all.
- 24:39Speaker 3: Shut up!
- 24:40Speaker 4: Curse me, your descendants, Ham!
- 24:42Speaker 3: Ham lunged to strike his father, as Shem and Japheth
- 24:46Speaker 3: got to him first. Ham's screams echoed down the hills.
- 24:51Speaker 3: The children scurried to their mothers, and Imzara rose to
- 24:54Speaker 3: Noah's side.
- 24:56Speaker 1: Leave here.
- 24:57Speaker 2: Gladly.
- 25:00Speaker 3: Thus continued the cycle of blessings and curses, faith and failure.
- 25:06Speaker 3: The never-ending pattern of sin and struggle didn't cease with
- 25:10Speaker 3: the flood. Men's sins stretched alongside Noah's descendants, but God's
- 25:16Speaker 3: promises remained. His faithfulness wouldn't waver, even in the face
- 25:21Speaker 3: of human imperfection. The name Noah means rest. His name
- 25:27Speaker 3: was a foreshadowing. A glimmer of hope that peace with
- 25:32Speaker 3: God would one day be restored. This Pray.com production is
- 25:39Speaker 3: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
- 25:43Speaker 3: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager and Ben Gammon are
- 25:48Speaker 3: the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Colter-Fianu.
- 25:52Speaker 3: Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz,
- 25:57Speaker 3: Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher,
- 26:04Speaker 3: and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by
- 26:09Speaker 3: Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear
- 26:13Speaker 3: more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the
- 26:17Speaker 3: Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed
- 26:20Speaker 3: The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
- 26:23Speaker 1: This is an iHeart Podcast.
- 26:26Speaker 2: Guaranteed human.