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This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
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Narrator
on the Chosen People.
God
Now I will tell you what I told your new leader, Joshua, so that
Jacob Goldstein
you may all be encouraged and take heart.
God
Your own eyes have seen everything the Lord your God has done to these two Amorite kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to enter. Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God fights for you. Now tell me, do you believe it?
Narrator
The crowd erupted in cheers. After such a recounting of their history, Israel was stirred and determined. It took them several moments to settle down before Moses could continue.
God
This is the land I promised Abraham, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And I will fulfill that promise by giving it to your people, the descendants of my servant, Abraham.
Narrator
Moses dropped to his knees and bowed low before the Lord. Breathless, he struggled to express his gratitude at being granted access to this invigorating vision.
God
I am at a loss for words.
Narrator
Thank you.
God
Thank you for granting me this request.
Narrator
Moses felt the Lord's compassionate and merciful acknowledgment. He then gently spoke again to this servant.
God
I have now let you see it with your own eyes, and you know you will not cross into it. I have also appointed Joshua, son of Nun, to lead my people in your stead. I have placed some of your authority on him so that my people will obey him. I have even filled him with my spirit of will. I have delivered my law to my people, and my priests are teaching them my ways. My task for you is now complete. Come now, rest with your fathers and come be with me, for it is where you belong.
Narrator
He released his grip on life and fell into the loving embrace of the God who had called him by name a lifetime ago.
God
That's all any of us can do. Be faithful to what's in front of us without the guarantee of what is to come. Next,
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Click the link in the description to get started.
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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc, SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
Jacob Goldstein
is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting. All linked and talking to each other. Check out odoo@O-O-O.com that's o d o o.com this is Bethenny Frankel from Just
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Narrator
Joshua and Caleb let the fire burn down to crackling embers as the first rays of the sunrise warmed their faces and chased away the chill from the night. They had both fallen into an awed silence as the sun steadily illuminated the sky. It was as if the light was marking the significance of this strange changing of the guard. The sun set on Moses, and now here it was, rising on Joshua. A nagging sense of duty was crouching in the back of Joshua's mind. Once he returned to camp, there would be half a dozen things to do and get into order, but he wasn't quite ready to leave this moment. Not yet. Caleb sensed Joshua's reluctance, rekindled the embers in the fire with the end of a stick and struck up a new conversation to ease Joshua's restless mind.
Caleb
I remember the day my my father died. Unsurprisingly considering it was well over 60 years ago. When he died, I. I was about the age you were when when we met.
Narrator
Joshua gave Caleb a sidelong look. He had a feeling he knew where Caleb was headed with this.
God
This doesn't feel anything like that. I barely knew my father. I was raised by my siblings more
Caleb
than I was him, and by Moses most of all.
Narrator
Joshua couldn't help but smile at that.
God
Yes, by Moses most of all.
Narrator
Caleb let that sentiment linger for a moment before he continued, never looking away from the glowing embers of the resurrected fire.
Caleb
Jeff and Natha Candizite. My father preferred the styling of his chosen name over our tribe name. He was a stubborn old goat.
Narrator
Joshua nodded and wondered where this was going. Caleb did not often talk about his ancestry. The Kenizzites inhabited the land of Canaan at the time of Abraham, long before Israel was ever enslaved in Egypt. As far as Joshua knew, they had either died out or assimilated entirely into other nations.
Caleb
When I was young, all I wanted to be known as was a tribe of Judah, man. Anything to be liked, to be accepted by the men whose lineages were more pure than mine.
God
But you are liked. I can't think of anyone more beloved than you, Caleb.
Narrator
Caleb leaned his shoulder into Joshua's playfully and rolled his eyes.
Caleb
Yes, but what I'm saying is that it was all by design. I worked hard for my position, but what I came to learn as I grew into a man was why my father held onto our ancestral heritage. He didn't want us to forget where we came from and more importantly, the choice we made. He wanted people to remember how his people chose the God of Abraham. What I perceived in my youth to be my father's clinging to the glory of some distant, irrelevant heritage was actually a reminder of the power of choice. We choose our families and our faith, and it's faith that truly defines us. Your lineage or past doesn't shape you as much as your faith does. Moses chose you.
God
Joshua.
Caleb
The mighty and faithful Moses recognized the mighty faith. Faith in you, Moses, who was a prophet of the Lord we will never see the likes of again. A man who spoke to the Lord as one would a friend. The performer of signs and wonders of our God in Egypt and in the wilderness. All that.
God
All that.
Caleb
And he was not the man chosen by God to lead us into the promised land.
God
You are no pressure, right?
Caleb
No, there's definitely pressure. A mountain's worth of pressure is on your shoulders, my friend. I don't envy you. But such was the weight of Abraham when he ventured from his father's home. Such was the weight of Jacob when he wrestled with his destiny. To be chosen is to choose. So let me ask you, Joshua. God chose you. Moses chose you. But what will you choose?
Narrator
Joshua could not deny the lingering doubts lurking in the corners of his heart and in the pit of his stomach. He carefully selected one of them and quietly confessed it to his friend.
God
Did you know I've never actually heard from God? I've been around people who have. Moses, Aaron, the elders who prophesied. I believe God has chosen me.
Narrator
I feel his presence.
God
I sense his wisdom. And well, I trust Moses. But how can I possibly live up to a man who could speak to God face to face?
Narrator
And finally he came to it. The heart of his fear.
God
How long will it take the people to rebel against me?
Narrator
Caleb nodded in understanding. He was the only other person in the world who understood the utter devastation and defeat of Israel's rebellions outside of the Lord himself. Caleb sighed and gave him an honest answer.
Caleb
I suppose that's a question neither of us can answer. The people and the people alone will choose whether or not they will have faith.
Narrator
Joshua nodded. He recognized the truth in Caleb's words and knew it to be true from within his own heart as well. But he had secretly hoped to hear something more encouraging, some sort of guarantee of the people's faithfulness.
Caleb
Well, I suppose we should head back to camp. Otherwise the sound of my grumbling stomach will drown out any hope of further conversation.
Narrator
Both men chuckled at that as Caleb stood and kicked sand into the modest fire pit to douse the flames.
God
Go ahead. I'm gonna stay out just A bit longer.
Narrator
Caleb nodded and gave Joshua's shoulder a gentle squeeze before he gathered up the blanket he had brought and headed back toward camp. Joshua watched him go, but then turned instinctively toward the riverbank. A crisp breeze pushed urgently against his back, causing him to shiver. He looked back toward camp again. Perhaps he should not have let Caleb take that blanket with him. The breeze came again, pushing his face back toward the river. It was as if it was urging him to walk in its direction. As if in response. The breeze came again, more forcefully than the first two times, and it snatched at his cloak and rustled his hair. Joshua stood and stepped forward. The breeze practically sang in response. Its urgency was almost eager and jubilant. Joshua couldn't help but smile at its insistent prompting. Confidence and excitement steadily built in him as he moved toward the Jordan River. Joshua arrived at the river's edge and the breeze seemed to cut out entirely. The world around him stilled. He looked around, wondering if something had happened to his hearing. The churning, coursing river still rushed by, but was somehow muted. The chorus of birds and insects at the water's edge was suddenly silenced. Then he heard it.
God
Joshua.
Narrator
A voice that rushed into Joshua's mind like the coursing river. The Elohim, the creator of the heavens and the earth. His voice came from nowhere and everywhere inside Joshua's mind and reverberated in his very bones. Joshua fell to his knees and bowed before his God, awestruck and amazed by the all consuming, audible voice surrounding him.
God
Joshua, my appointed leader, Moses, my servant, is dead.
Narrator
Joshua's throat became thick and his eyes moistened as he pressed his forehead further into the cool grass on the riverbank. A warm, comforting breeze rushed to meet him where he was kneeling, slightly easing his crushing grief.
God
Now you and all the people will prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving you. Look up, Joshua. See the land before you.
Narrator
Across the river, Joshua obeyed the Lord, tears still brimming as he blinked them away to see the land before him. The rising sun cascaded over the plains, revealing the lush vegetation and distant palm trees.
God
I have given you every place where the soul of your foot will tread. Just as I promised Moses. No one will stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you nor abandon you.
Narrator
This was the assurance Joshua had been seeking. The stark isolation that accompanied the burden of leadership. The mantle Moses made bore for so long was perhaps Joshua's greatest fear. As if sensing his thoughts, the Lord continued.
God
Be strong and courageous. For you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors and give to them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction. My servant Moses commanded you, do not turn from it to the left or the right so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth. You are to meditate on it day and night, to carefully observe everything written in it, for then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Narrator
Joshua nodded and whispered the hushed confirmation of Moses last words to the crowds gathered around the tabernacle.
God
Yes, with all our heart, soul and strength. These are the words to be in our hearts.
Narrator
The breeze again swept up and surrounded him, infectious and energizing. He continued to remember Moses words when
God
we walk along the road, lie down and get up.
Narrator
There was so much to remind the people of such a legacy to uphold, so much to hold them accountable to. Without their integrity, they would surely fail unbidden. The list of things Joshua would need to do when he returned sprang into his mind. So much to do, so much to be to these people when he returned. But the Lord again responded to Joshua's mounting fears.
God
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Rakshasata, Hamas. Be strong and courageous.
Narrator
With that, the chatter in Joshua's anxious, racing thoughts ceased. The voice that felt everywhere and all consuming seemed to diminish but settle in the back of Joshua's mind. He found it strangely comforting. It was different than the wisdom and authority feeling that Moses had transferred to him. Instead, this was a peaceful presence that reassured him that he was not alone.
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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this
Jacob Goldstein
is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting. All linked and talking to each other. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com this
Bethenny Frankel
is Bethenny Frankel from Just Be with Bethenny Frankel. Let me be blunt. Most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to Biggie and Smalls. That is why they eat just food for dogs. It's real 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize. Not mystery pellets pretending to healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy. Dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing, you care about quality. You make an intentional choice to be healthy. So why are you gambling with your dog's health? So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfoodfordogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.
Narrator
Joshua returned to cat camp with a renewed sense of purpose. Though all of Israel mourned for Moses for 30 days, the beckoning call beyond the Jordan river was not forgotten. They were on the edge of what Moses had prepared them for all their lives. They had been forged in wandering the wilderness, and now their destiny lay before them. When the 30 days of mourning came to pass, the pangs of grief for Moses were still there. But the words of his God gave Joshua the strength he needed to rally the people and prepare them for this next stage of their journey. He gathered all of Israel to hear and bear witness to his instructions to the elders and officers.
God
Israel, within three days time we will cross the Jordan River. Together we will take take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving to you to inherit.
Narrator
The crowd let up a mighty cheer. At that they were ready. Joshua scanned the crowd and found who he was looking for immediately. The representatives of tribes Reuben and Gad, Nemuel and Abimael. Here on the brink of the start of their conquest. He reminded them before all of Israel, their promises made to Moses.
God
Remember what Moses, the Lord's servant, commanded you when he granted you this land east of Jordan as your inheritance. You will go out before our armies and fight for your brothers, and the entirety of the Promised Land is ours. You may return here to take up your possession. Do you remember your promise? Will you honor your oaths?
Narrator
The younger clan leader and the older son stood tall and proud before their brothers and answered their leader, yes, we
Caleb
are with you, Joshua, just as we were with Moses.
God
The Lord your God will be with you as he was with Moses.
Narrator
Joshua nodded at the men and then turned his attention back to the masses.
God
For all of you, for all of Israel, Will you honor the promise you've made before our God? Will you love him, obey him and remain faithful to him always?
Narrator
The crowd shouted in the affirmative.
God
Then you are ready for our God is with us. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. I tell you again, the Lord our God is with us. Remember above all, be strong and courageous.
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this pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catina, Max Bard, Zach Shellevaga and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Steven Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Leschinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more prey.com productions on the prey.com app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.
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Bethenny Frankel
is Bethenny Frankel from Just Be with Bethenny Frankel. Let me be blunt. Most dog food is junk. It just is. And I'm not feeding junk to Biggie and Smalls. That is why they eat just food for dogs. It's real, 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize, not mystery pellets pretending to be healthy. And once I switched, the difference was obvious. Better digestion, better skin, more energy. Dogs who actually feel good instead of just surviving dinner. Here's the thing. Do you care about quality? You make an intentional choice to be healthy. So why are you gambling with your dog's health? So let's think about our furry babies. Go to justfood for dogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code. Just try it. Because once you see the difference, you're not going back.
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Caleb
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Caleb
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God
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Narrator
in the next county.
Caleb
But they don't need to know that.
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Caleb
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Caleb
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Janice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We host the podcast Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.
Bethenny Frankel
We're back for season four to talk to some incredible small business owners.
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Narrator
This is an iHeart podcast.
God
Guaranteed Human.
In this powerful episode of "The Chosen People," listeners journey alongside Joshua at the pivotal moment when leadership of Israel transitions from Moses to him. The narrative explores themes of legacy, faith, and the weight of leadership as Joshua grapples with self-doubt, receives encouragement from Caleb, and ultimately hears God’s direct call: “Be strong and courageous.” The episode weaves scriptural dramatization with contemplative conversations to illuminate the personal and communal struggle to trust in God's promises as Israel stands at the threshold of the Promised Land.
| Time | Segment | Notes | |---------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| | 00:38 | God's promise and Moses' final vision | Moses passes the mantle to Joshua | | 05:48 | Joshua & Caleb at dawn | Confessions about faith, destiny | | 08:37 | Caleb on heritage and faith | “We choose our families and our faith...” | | 11:32 | Joshua voices doubts | Vulnerability and self-doubt | | 14:32 | Joshua hears God’s voice | Commissioning and “Be strong...” | | 16:34 | God’s instructions to Joshua | The heart of the episode’s message | | 18:12 | Divine reassurance continued | “Have I not commanded you?” | | 21:31 | Joshua prepares the people | Stepping into leadership | | 22:18 | Joshua’s rallying speech | “Within three days we cross...” | | 23:21 | Public affirmation of faith | Israel’s commitment | | 23:48 | Joshua repeats God’s charge to Israel | “Be strong and courageous” |
The episode combines contemplative dramatization with an intimate, almost poetic narrative style, rich in emotion and resonant faith-based messaging. Dialogue between characters feels personal and authentic, inviting listeners to share in the fears, struggles, and hopes that accompany weighty transitions—be it ancient or modern.
“Be Strong and Courageous” offers an emotionally resonant exploration of faith in leadership and the enduring call to trust in God even when faced with uncertainty. Through vivid storytelling, this installment of The Chosen People roots timeless biblical wisdom in relatable, human terms, providing both spiritual encouragement and thoughtful insight for any listener navigating change or responsibility.