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- [00:00]
Narrator
This is an Iheart podcast.
- [00:05]
Previously on the Chosen People.
- [00:08]
God
Let there be light.
- [00:10]
Narrator
It was like a song, an anthem from his voice. Light broke through the noiseless void. At last it was time. One thing remained for the Creator. It was time to stamp creation with his image, bearers of his likeness to steward the world. God the Elohim consulted with Himself about the nature of his next masterpiece.
- [00:40]
God
Let us craft creatures in our image, imbued with our essence. Let us make man as an image of God to steward the fish of the sea, birds of the air, and creatures of the earth.
- [01:00]
Narrator
The light of dawn bounced off the morning mist. The rays kissed the earth, awakening the flowers and creatures below. Leaves dripped morning dew, falling gently onto the soft dirt. It was from the dirt that God would craft his masterpiece. His voice rustled the leaves as he spoke. He spoke in plurality, representing the essence of the heavenly hosts and a divine identity yet to be fully understood.
- [01:34]
God
Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.
- [01:40]
Narrator
His words were an expression of his intention and a command to the earth. It obeyed. The dirt began to stir and the animals scurried and watched from their burrows, waiting to see what would happen. A figure began to take shape from the earthy clay, like a potter's vessel slowly forming on the wheel. The earth spun to the sound of music. The Creator's hands moved precisely, crafting each detail with love and care. From the ground, the first man emerged, a lifeless being of dust and stone. He stood there, lifeless, an unoccupied body in need of a soul. The wind whistled through the garden and danced around the lifeless figure. God's life giving power. The ruach blew into his nostrils. The man's chest rose and then he exhaled his first breath. He opened his eyes to see the radiant garden, glowing with color and life. He looked around and beheld the trees and every corner creature looking down on him from above. He turned, feeling the dirt underneath his toes. The sensation of mud, leaves and moss electrified him. He drew another breath, feeling the muscles in his chest expand, then retreat. He smelled the air, crisp and fragrant from the mist and blooming flowers. The man considered his own body, looking at his hands, then scanning downward to his bare chest and naked legs. His tongue rolled and slid over the roof of his mouth. Then, mirroring the Creator, he spoke.
- [03:35]
Adam
Who am I?
- [03:38]
God
You are Adam.
- [03:40]
Narrator
It was his name and his identity. He was the man, the image bearer of the Creator, stamped with something divine and filled with the breath of life. Hearing his name made his eyes wide. He was aware of himself and could discern his Identity as separate from the voice that spoke to him. And the animals observed from a distance.
- [04:09]
Adam
Where am I?
- [04:11]
God
This is Eden. Go explore. Survey the splendor of creation and see what I have given you. This land will be yours to cultivate and fill as my steward, as my image bearer.
- [04:30]
Narrator
Adam took a step forward, feeling every sensation of existence simultaneously. He felt the earth underneath him, the excitement of what was before him and the awe of what was above him. He walked between the trees, exploring the boundaries of his new home. It was a garden set upon a high place, teeming with vibrant life and vibrating with possibilities. Cascading falls fell majestically, splitting the earth and flowing downward into great rivers. Adam followed the water upward until something caught his eye. He was drawn to a light emanating from the peak of the falls. He grabbed onto the mossy stones next to the falls and climbed up. The waterfall was powerful, nearly blowing Adam off the rocks. But he persisted. Hair dripping with water and determination, he finally summited the falls and looked at the source of light. At the top of Eden was a tree towering above all the rest. Its branches stretched beyond the clouds and its roots spread throughout the forest. It pulsed with power. The entire garden seemed to hum to its heartbeat. Its fruit hung elegantly from its branches. Light and sound circled it, then left in the breeze to adorn the rest of the garden in splendor. What is this?
- [06:06]
God
This is the Tree of Life. Its fruit is a gift. A gift to be cherished forever. It is the life I offer you. A life of unity with me.
- [06:23]
Adam
It's beautiful.
- [06:25]
God
Look around you, Adam. Everything here is yours to enjoy. You may eat of every fruit in this garden. Be filled to your heart's content.
- [06:38]
Narrator
The Tree of Life pulsed with the sound of God's voice. Adam surveyed the garden. He saw birds flying above the treetops and heard the sounds of creatures crying from below. Adam's eyes were aglow with possibilities. He saw the fruit of the trees and the soil's potential to grow new things. He plucked a berry, rolled it between his fingers and pressed it enough to squeeze the juice out. He examined it, then held it to his mouth to taste. The sweetness lit up his brain, and he could feel his body receiving it with gladness. He scaled the slope leading to another section of the gate garden. He pressed his hand against the damp moss and held his nose to the blooming flowers. Adam measured through the brush, then paused when he heard something. A rustling in the bushes startled Adam. He stepped back, poised to run. Then from the tall ferns emerged a stag, its antlers Stood proudly atop his head like a crown. Adam laughed at the sight of him.
- [07:53]
Adam
Hello there. Who are you?
- [07:56]
Narrator
The two circled each other curiously. The stag bowed its head, stamped its hooves, and then pranced away into the forest. Adam ran after it, feeling the muscles in his legs extend and contract. He felt the resistance of the earth below and the rising of his heartbeat. It was all new and exciting. Adam leaped over a stream and dodged some low hanging branches. He slid through dirt and water, rounded the corner of the path, and then stopped immediately when he reached the shadow of another large tree. Its trunk was thick and braided like serpents, coiling around each other. The branches shot outward and down, making its fruit low for picking. The fruit was a deep crimson and perfect for one's palm. Adam was drawn to it, but terrified by it at the same time. His body tensed with every step as he inched closer to it.
- [08:58]
Adam
Every fruit of every tree is good to eat, right?
- [09:03]
Narrator
Adam reached out his hand to touch the fruit, but before he could, God interrupted. His voice rushed through the forest like the evening wind. Adam recoiled and listened.
- [09:18]
God
This is the Tree of Knowledge, the Knowledge of Good and Evil. You may eat of every tree in this garden, but the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat.
- [09:36]
Adam
What will happen if I do?
- [09:38]
God
Knowledge of Good and Evil, which leads to evil itself. While the Tree of Life brings eternal life, the knowledge of Evil brings death.
- [09:51]
Adam
Death.
- [09:52]
God
A choice is before you, Adam. You can freely take of the Tree of Life, nourishing yourself in my abiding love. You could live under the comforting canopy of your Creator, obeying me and partnering with me to cultivate the earth. Or you can reach for the Tree of Knowledge. You can awaken your mind to the possibility of evil, seize autonomy, and live apart from my blessing.
- [10:27]
Narrator
The choice was his. God wouldn't force him to climb the hill and access eternal life. Nor would he stop him from grasping at sin, even if it meant separation from all things good. Life was new to Adam, so the concept of death was strange. Yet if God was the Creator of life and all the beauty displayed before him, Adam trusted that God's word was true. Adam looked back at the tree. Something caught the corner of his eye. He peered closer but saw nothing. He could have sworn he saw a part of the trunk moving. He took God at his word and stepped away. Behind him, tucked in the shadow of the tree, two eyes watched Adam leave. Adam followed the stag's tracks to a clearing in the trees. The stag was drinking from the stream just as Adam was About to approach it, he saw another deer approach. A doe with glistening eyes and a playful wag of its tail. The stag perked at her presence and approached. They circle the other playfully, then dipped their heads to touch. They drank side by side, then pranced around each other and back into the forest. Adam smiled, then frowned in confusion. He felt a lack, an ache in his heart. The Creator saw Adam's face. For all the goodness he had imbued in creation. One thing.
- [12:12]
God
It is not good for man to be alone. I will find a companion suitable for him. One to contend with, grow with and multiply with. One to help love and be loved in return.
- [12:30]
Narrator
Adam ran through meadows and under trees, prancing with deer and rolling around with wolf cubs. He studied each bird by its song and feather. He understood why some fish swam upstream while others remained at the banks of the ponds. All the creatures had companions, those to multiply with and sing the song of Creation. Although he was in paradise, Adam's heart continued to ache. He yearned for someone like him. That night, Adam rested on a grassy hill underneath the stars. The garden mist hovered below, weaving through the trees like wandering ghosts. Adam looked up, pondering his future, the purpose he had been crafted for. A warm breeze enveloped the valley, causing the grass to sway. God put Adam's mind at ease and cradled him to sleep with a warm breeze and soothing lullaby of swaying grass and crickets. That night, God opened Adam's side as if making an incision with an invisible blade. Carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly, God removed a rib from Adam. He didn't take a bone from his foot or a piece of his head. He took a rib, desiring to craft a companion to walk beside him, not under him or above him, but beside. God closed up Adam and used the rib to create a new life. Flesh sprouted forth from bone like vines around branches. God's glorious night light danced around it as bone begat bone and flesh grew on flesh. Elegantly and masterfully. God fashioned a woman and placed her gently beside Adam. She lay peacefully and still in the tall grass. The breeze lifted her hair over her face. Gently, silently. God breathed life into her as well. Her chest rose and she exhaled. She was alive. In the morning, the garden had a symphony of sounds and colors. Verdant light delicately touched flower buds. They stretched out, receiving its life giving nourishment. Songbirds awakened the rest of the forest. Foxes emerged from their burrows and deer drew water from the morning dew. Adam lay there in the grass. The light touched his cheek, gently, waking him up. His eyes Opened slightly, then closed again. He opened them again in shock and sprang back. Another creature lay beside him, sleeping soundly on the soft earth. What are you? The woman opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes were filled with awe and curiosity. She wasn't startled or apprehensive. She was filled with innocent amazement at the grass below and the skies above. Adam stared at her closely. She wasn't like the fawn or the birds of the air. She was like him. Adam approached slowly. She propped herself up and stood across from him. They circled each other, mirroring each other's movements. Adam stepped to the side. Quickly she stepped to the side. Adam smiled, then spun around. She mimicked his movement, returning his smile, but with far more grace.
- [16:30]
Adam
You're like me.
- [16:31]
Narrator
Eve tilted her head to the side. She smiled with her eyes. It sent a pleasant shiver through Adam's body. Feeling jittery, Adam jumped up and rolled down the grassy hill. Flower petals sprang up behind him. The woman laughed and leaped after him. Adam watched her hips and legs moved. He watched her chest rise and fall. With each breath, she enraptured him. They danced around each other, bodies inching closer and closer with each spin. Finally, they stood face to face beside the waterfall, the sound of rushing waters mixing with their breath. The woman tilted her head at Adam and raised her hand to his. He did the same. The two touched, fingers intertwined in perfect connection. She looked at their hands, then down at the water. She saw her reflection. She was becoming aware of herself.
- [17:36]
Who am I?
- [17:39]
Adam
I'm not sure.
- [17:41]
Narrator
Adam was certain. She was like him, but unsure who she was. He held a hand to his side and touched the scar where God had taken his rib. He scanned her up and down. He remembered the stag and doe in the forest. He knew she was a mate for him. But he sensed she was something more. Adam took her hand and brought it to the scar on his side.
- [18:08]
Adam
You're from me.
- [18:10]
Narrator
But who are you?
- [18:13]
Adam
I'm Adam. I am Man.
- [18:16]
Narrator
Adam.
- [18:17]
Knowing his name brought familiarity and intimacy. The woman pondered long, repeating his name under her breath.
- [18:27]
Adam. Adam.
- [18:30]
Adam
Adam.
- [18:33]
Narrator
You are Adam, Man. Then what does that make me? Who am I? What should I be called?
- [18:44]
Adam held her hand. Gently, tenderly, knowingly. He traced the lines of her palms with his fingertips. The wind from the rushing waterfall pushed her hair to the side. Even in a paradise of unfair, unfathomable and divine beauty, she was the most breathtaking thing his young eyes had beheld. Adam ran a hand through her hair and touched her cheek.
- [19:13]
Adam
You are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. You are part of me, from me and with me. I am man and you are woman.
- [19:34]
Narrator
Eve. Eve heard her name and became more aware of herself. She was distinct from Adam, separate but still crafted in the image of God. She looked at Adam with knowing eyes and leaned closer to him. He mirrored her gesture. They embraced each other in the safety of the garden. They were naked and unashamed. Nothing separated them. No lies, no fear, nothing to be hidden or withheld. Their bodies intertwined in the flowers and beside the rushing waters. Adam was no longer alone. He had a companion, a friend, a helper. The two would walk side by side, filling God's creation with more image bearers. All seemed perfect, good, just as God intended. But deeper in the forest, coiled under the shadow of the forbidden tree, an evil presence waited for its moment to strike.
- [20:46]
Producer/Announcer
This prey.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Cattina, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Caltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steven Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Robert, Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Leschinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosely and Chris Baig. You can hear more Pray.com productions on the Pray.com app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
- [21:32]
Narrator
This is an iHeart podcast.