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Narrator
This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Voice of the Martyrs Announcer
As a listener of the Chosen People Podcast, you know the power of God's Word. For Christians in more than 70 nations, access to the Bible is limited or even restricted. More than 850,000 Christians need Bibles right now. Through the Voice of the Martyrs Network of Frontline Workers, you have the opportunity to help place a Bible in the hands of every Christian in a hostile area or restricted nation. These workers are willing to risk arrest, imprisonment, beatings and even death to get Bibles to Christians who might never receive them otherwise. We know them by name and you can help learn more about VOM's Bible distribution at vom.org chosenbible Today, our brothers and sisters are asking for Bibles. You can help provide them by visiting vom.org chosenbible now.
Narrator
Previously on the Chosen People. Jochebed and Miriam hurried to the shore, their feet slipping on the wet reeds. The baby was nestled in the basket, his tiny face serene despite the danger that surrounded him. Jod's hands trembled as she placed the basket into the water, her heart breaking with each breath. My sweet boy. My child. I pray that our God will protect you. I fear I can't anymore. I have to believe there's something greater for you, my son. I have to believe. All the newborn sons in Goshen have been thrown into the Nile. Yet this boy remained. He is a gift, a symbol of victory. What will you name him? His name shall be Moses. Because I drew him out of the water,
Voice of God
I will strike down the oppressors. My chosen will know my hand and my heart. Now rise, Moses, for it is you that I have chosen to send.
Narrator
Who am I to do this task? I'm a rogue Egyptian and a former prince. They won't follow me. I'm no good for this. You're the wrong man, Ramses. This is not a request. Let my people go. Look at them. Look at the Egyptians. Hungry for your flesh. After this day, you will never see them again. Stand firm. Reject the fear gripping your hearts. Stand firm and behold the salvation of the Lord. He will fight for you. Moses opened his eyes, planted his foot firmly on the rock below, and raised his staff. The breath of God blew from behind his chosen people. The wind cut through the sea like a razor, dividing the waters into two great walls with dry land between them.
Voice of God
Run.
Narrator
Step into your freedom. Moses found that unbidden, as if drawn by some force, his gaze kept returning to the mountaintop that loomed before their camp. It was the mount that stood between their camp and the land of Canaan, Mount Nebo. Is it time? Lord? Have I done enough? The warm breeze of the morning again tickled Moses face. He closed his eyes, leaned into its touch again, and waited for the Lord's response.
Voice of God
Yes, yes, the time is drawing near. Moses.
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Joshua
Presence of participation may vary.
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Narrator
Moses Final song and blessings to the twelve tribes of Israel were still ringing in Joshua's ears as he watched the lone figure walk shore, steady toward the mountain. Joshua sat perched on a boulder just outside of the camp where the looming peak of Nebo invaded the entire expanse before him. His hands itched to grab his dagger and find something to carve, anything to keep his hands busy and his mind distracted from the foreboding grief straining to be released from from the depths of his soul. But he forced himself to keep his eyes fixed on what would be the last glimpse of his beloved friend and mentor. Joshua strained his eyes until they hurt to keep the diminishing speck on the horizon in view. But finally he had to admit defeat. Moses was gone. Long after Moses disappeared, Joshua stayed. The sun dipped below the horizon, hurling the world into darkness. Long shadows stretched and reached for Joshua on his perch, and the absence of the sun's rays brought a sharp late spring chill that sapped the strength from his bones. The grief that had been pressing against his resolve all day again threatened to break free from the careful restraints he had set up to keep his composure around the others. He should go back to the warmth of the fires and the comforting presence of his friends, but he could not bring himself to move. Instead, he embraced the sadness, the loneliness. He didn't want to hold back his emotions any longer. And it was only out there in solitude that he could truly feel the depths of of his pain. Tears held at bay fell freely now, and Joshua buried his head in his hands. Moses last public words to him reverberated in Joshua's mind over the sound of his gasping breath and sobs.
Voice of the Martyrs Announcer
Be strong and courageous, for you will
Narrator
go with this people into the land the Lord swore to give to their ancestors. You will enable them to take possession of it. The Lord is the one who will go before you.
Voice of the Martyrs Announcer
He will be with you.
Narrator
He will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. They were the words Moses knew Joshua needed to hear. He had found his identity in following Moses for many, many years. He must have known that without him, Joshua would feel lost. And so Moses reminded him that it was the Lord had always been the Lord who was going before them. Moses hadn't listed all of Joshua's accomplishments or all he had learned that would qualify him for this mantle. Only that he was to follow the Lord. And that Joshua could do. Joshua had spent his life being faithful to Moses mission and had no intention of setting it aside. He would not be afraid. He would not allow himself to be discouraged. Moses had spent his final hours with his sons, their wives and their children. Joshua imagined that Moses took solace in seeing Israel's bright future reflected in his grandchildren's faces. Joshua desired the vision that Moses had painted for the men and women of Israel, for all of their children, to be a holy nation, prospering, multiplying and thriving in the land their God had given them. Moses met with his counsel one final time before he departed for the mountain. He ensured that the law and all that he had spoken today to the crowd was recorded. And then that was it. He said farewell to each of them in turn. Joshua last of all. And then he left. Moses embraced him like a son and there was an understanding and profound love between them. There would always be more to say, more to do, but Moses mission was now complete. All that was left for him to do was to go to the mountain as the Lord instructed him. And there he would behold the land that was to become Israel's forever possession. Moses seemed at peace, almost excited to at last see the land they had all been dreaming about for the last 40 years. The crunch of approaching footsteps shook Joshua out of his memory. Before lifting his head, he had a feeling he knew who it was.
Caleb
You. You alright there, brother?
Narrator
Joshua nodded curtly to buy himself another moment to compose himself and did not meet his eyes. Caleb, loyal as ever, nodded in understanding, and Joshua felt him come to stand comfortingly by his side. After clearing his throat and wiping away the tears, Joshua finally looked at Caleb. In his arms were kindling for a fire and a wool blanket. The sun had fully set by now and the stars smiled down on them. It was almost as if they too were moved by this thoughtful gesture. Joshua rasped out his thanks, a little embarrassed by how weak his voice had been made from the tears.
Joshua
Thank you, Caleb.
Narrator
Caleb gave him a warm smile, weaker than his usual winsome grin. But they had never experienced a day quite like this before. Joshua was not sure of what to say or even what to talk about. He felt wrung out and exhausted. The weariness of grief so strangely familiar to the depletion one felt after a battle. But instead of the ravenous hunger that accompanied physical exertion, he felt empty. He felt hollow. But Caleb mercifully did not ask Joshua anything. He placed the blanket next to Joshua on the rock, a passive gesture. He was allowing Joshua the space to decide whether he wanted to accept this kindness or engage at all. He then set to wordlessly building a fire before them. The sparks quickly sprang to life under Caleb's deft and careful hands. Caleb took a step back when it was roaring and again stood at Joshua's side. The fire's light drew both men's gaze and they stared into its warmth for a while. Caleb sat heavily, sighing. After a few more moments of comfortable silence between two dear friends, Joshua spoke at last. He answered Caleb's unspoken question to the fire before them without looking up at him.
Joshua
I suppose I thought I would feel different. I felt our God in a way that I've never experienced before. When Moses laid his hand on me before the people. Even now, I feel an acute awareness of his presence within me. It is comforting.
Narrator
But Caleb waited patiently for Joshua to continue.
Joshua
But all the wisdom from heaven hasn't made this any easier. Even knowing this day would. Carmi. I've never known a grief like this.
Narrator
Caleb nodded in quiet solidarity. Though he didn't understand the full breadth of what Joshua meant, no one truly ever would. That was perhaps the most isolating realization of all. There was no one to share this mantle with. The Lord had tasked Joshua with this next mission, and Joshua alone, stepping into the colossal legacy Moses had left in his wake was overwhelming.
Caleb
None of us have known grief quite like this. To us, Moses was more myth than man. He was a relief to our bondage, an answer to our prayers. We are all that's left from that time. We, better than anyone else, understand the significance of what Moses did for us. And so God has tasked another to continue what Moses started. God has tasked you with this mission, to carry us into the next stage of this journey.
Narrator
Joshua nodded his head at Caleb's words and drew his legs into his chest. He felt the tears he thought were spent well up again. He kept his silver lined eyes fixed on the dancing flames before them.
Caleb
But that is tomorrow's task.
Voice of God
Today.
Caleb
Today we grieve. We grieve for the man, not the myth. For the Lord's mission will continue without Moses. Nothing can stop the will of God. But we would. We would be remiss if we didn't take the time to grieve his absence from our lives. I know you. You knew him better than most. You saw his unguarded moments. The man beyond the speeches and the miracles. He will be remembered for all of that and then some. But tell me. Tell me of the man that you knew.
Narrator
Joshua's throat tightened again with grief. He was grateful for Caleb's patient tactics of steering him back to acknowledging how truly deep this paternal loss was for Joshua. Another silence stretched between Joshua and Caleb. The fire crackled in the quiet and Caleb stood to place another log on it to keep feeding its hungry blaze. Caleb broke the Silence as he sat back down beside Joshua.
Caleb
You know what I keep thinking about? Whether or not I could accept not being allowed to enter Canaan. And I know Moses said he had, and I believe him. But more for myself could I accept it. We watched an entire generation perish before we even reached the shores of the borderlands of Canaan. Our faith was our salvation. But would our confidence be as strong if we didn't have that reassurance from God? How would I feel about the journey if I didn't have the promise of the reward at the end?
Joshua
This is surprisingly introspective of you, Caleb.
Caleb
Do I not have the capacity for doubt the same as any man I know? I know it was my faith that saved me. But I still wonder at the possibilities of what could have been if I'd allowed the fear of the others to rattle me. How different my life would have been for my wife. For my daughter.
Narrator
Joshua watched as Caleb shuddered at the thought. Caleb and his wife finally conceived a child after many, many years of barrenness. Born into this new wilderness generation, his daughter Aksar was the light of his life. She was her father's daughter in many ways irresistibly likable and clever. Joshua considered how to respond to his friend's heavy questions.
Joshua
Well, I suppose if we knew that there was a reward for keeping our faith, it wouldn't have required faith.
Caleb
True.
Joshua
And I suppose that acceptance is found in what you told me earlier. Moses told us in his speech today that God only gave him one command. Go before Pharaoh and lead his people out of Egypt. You and I may struggle with it, but it appears that Moses accepted that he was ultimately faithful to what God called him to do. 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.
Narrator
Caleb smiled at Joshua's wisdom. He then recited a different portion of Moses, the very part Joshua had been reflecting on before Caleb arrived and built the fire.
Caleb
The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or abandon you.
Narrator
A smile pulled at Joshua's lips and he finished Moses words.
Joshua
So do not be afraid or discouraged.
Narrator
Joshua and Caleb kept their somber vigil late into the night, sometimes talking, sometimes not, until the hesitant predawn sunlight began to gently outline the mighty mountains before them. They both watched as the pink orange hues steadily expanded into the sky, as if the mountain itself was the foothold of its ascent into the heavens.
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Narrator
Moses had paused to catch his breath on his long trek to the top of Mount Nebo. He was winded, but to his amazement, no more winded than he was when he climbed Mount Sinai or even Mount Hor, where he buried his brother Aaron. God had kept his mind, eyes and body sharp all these years, despite his advanced age. But Moses was tired. He was ready. He was at peace. But he had enough vigor to reach this mountain summit to behold Israel's future. Moses leaned into his staff and resumed his climb Just as the top of his head crested the last peak and the ground before him levelled out, the sun's light expand exploded into the eager morning sky. The timid rays had been steadily saturating his surroundings for the last few minutes, but now the sun had risen in earnest. Moses staff clunked as it hit the rocky clearing at the mountain's summit, a natural viewing platform for the land below. As Moses saw the land below, his mouth fell open and his heart soared at the panoramic view. In all their people's stories, the bards attempted to describe the beauty of Eden. Moses knew that humanity would pine and long for the beauty and purity of Eden from now until eternity. But Moses imagined that it may have looked something like this. A glimmering blue expanse on the horizon of dominated the furthest reaches of the landscape, the great sea. It seemed boundless. It stretched the length of the land before him. On and on and on. It seemed to go on forever. To Moses, left to the south, a rolling hill country gave way to the vast arid desert the Negev, the desert that contained all the Israelites were who wandering, suffering, refining and rebuilding their furnace and grinding stone. A place of many failures, but also where hope was forged through countless trials. To Moses, right to the north, a mountainous region was nestled between the great sea and a smaller body of water that fed the Jordan river, the Sea of Kinnereth. On the eastern banks of the Jordan stretched the highlands, the rugged terrain eventually giving way to distant mountains. On the northern horizon in the center of the land, what would be the heart of Israel, were gently rolling hills that created natural steps in the earth. Moses kept turning over his right shoulder to the east and what now lay behind him and saw fertile land the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh claimed as their inheritance above the Moabite plains. He could understand why they greedily wanted to claim it for themselves. The land was good, but they didn't grasp that waiting to enter the promised land would be worth it, for what awaited them was great. The rushing Jordan river out in front of Moses vantage point fed streams and watered the land in the valley, making it a vibrant, lush green that sustained the cities and towns below, teeming with the promise of abundance. A great walled city adorned with palm trees stood regally in the heart of the valley, just a short distance from the mighty river, the famed city of Jericho. The river divided the land from the plains of Moab, seeming to guard the promised land as its branches flowed north to the mountains and south to feed the salt sea. Moses staggered back to see the land of promise was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. He stretched out his arms in wonder, staff clattering to the ground, and stood, spun slowly in a circle, to marvel at all of it once more. In this moment of ecstasy at what awaited his people, the familiar and beloved voice of the Lord came to him.
Voice of God
This is the land I promised 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.
Voice of God
I am at a loss for words.
Narrator
Thank you. Thank you for granting me this request. Moses felt the Lord's compassionate and merciful acknowledgment. He then gently spoke again to this servant.
Voice of 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 wisdom. I have delivered my lord 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
The truth of the Lord's words are echoed in Moses heart like joints fitting together or yarns spun into a fine tapestry. This was always meant to be. Moses was so overwhelmed by the completeness, the rightness, the wholeness he was experiencing in the presence of his God that he found there was nothing left to say on this side of heaven, he released his grip on life and fell into the loving embrace of the God who had called him by name a lifetime ago. The words of his song, the song he sang before all of Israel on his last day, ran out over the mountain and were carried by the wind as it swept through the promised land. For I proclaim the name of the Lord, ascribe greatness to our God.
Voice of the Martyrs Announcer
He is the Rock, His Word is perfect for all his ways Are justice
Narrator
a God of truth and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
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this prey.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catena, Max Bard, Zach Shellavaga 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, Stephen 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. I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a Seatbelt it's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority. Buckle up every time. Hear the sound. Make it a habit. Paid for by NHTSA
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Host: Pray.com
Date: March 5, 2026
This emotionally resonant episode of The Chosen People centers on the final stage of Moses’ life as he prepares to die atop Mount Nebo. Listeners journey through the raw grief, reflection, and transition of leadership as told through the eyes of Joshua, Caleb, and Moses himself. Through vivid storytelling, the episode deeply explores themes of loss, faith, legacy, and courage at the threshold of entering the Promised Land. It simultaneously draws connections between biblical struggle and the dilemmas of faith encountered by listeners in the present day.
| Time | Segment Description | |----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:04 | Moses’ beginnings and deliverance from the Nile; transition to God’s call and the Exodus | | 06:24 | Joshua’s grief upon watching Moses depart to Mount Nebo | | 08:40 | Moses’ final encouragement to Joshua; God’s assurance for his leadership | | 13:46 | Joshua and Caleb’s dialogue: processing grief, legacy, and faith | | 17:24 | Caleb reflects on faith and what sustains confidence amidst uncertainty | | 19:14 | Joshua’s insight on the true nature of faith | | 20:04 | Passing on Moses’ words: God goes before you | | 23:50 | Moses’ ascent of Mount Nebo; detailed, awe-filled description of the Promised Land | | 28:28 | God affirms His promise and Moses’ mission ends | | 30:54 | Moses’ final song proclaims God’s justice and faithfulness |
In “Death of Moses,” The Chosen People crafts a powerful and emotional portrait of transition, memory, and faith. The episode underscores the enduring relevance of Moses’ story—not just as a legend, but as an example of human vulnerability, obedience, and hope. It explores grieving a beloved mentor, the loneliness and weight of inherited leadership, and the liberating acceptance of God’s sometimes mysterious will.
The episode is marked by rich narration, poignant interpersonal moments, and timeless scriptural wisdom. Listeners are left encouraged: the journey continues, the promise remains, and faith is often most vital when the road ahead is unknown.