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- [00:00]
Narrator
Previously on the Chosen People.
- [00:04]
Elijah
Gather the people. Every tribe, every elder, every priest. Meet me on Mount Carmel. Bring your your prophets of Baal, all 450 of them. We'll settle this right here, right now. Ah.
- [00:23]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Competition.
- [00:25]
Narrator
The mountain was packed. Thousands had gathered, pressing against the rocky slopes lin the ridges, standing shoulder to shoulder.
- [00:36]
Elijah
Answer me, Yahweh. Show them. Wake them. Drop them to their knees. Let them see with their own eyes. Let them know without a doubt that you alone are gone.
- [00:53]
Narrator
The sky ripped open. The heavens roared. Fire erupted, crashing down, blinding, consuming. In an instant, the flames consumed everything.
- [01:07]
Elijah
Seize them. For too long they perverted our minds with witchcraft. No longer. Not one escapes.
- [01:14]
Narrator
The crowd moved as one Bhaal's prophets tried to run. They were tackled, dragged and beaten, screaming to the river, to judgment. One by one, they fell. The water ran red. Jezebel stood by the window, watching the storm from below. So the Prophet of fire thinks he can toy with my kingdom? Mark my words, husband, by this time tomorrow, Elijah will be dead.
- [01:55]
Elijah
This is an Iheart podcast.
- [02:00]
Jill Simonian
Hello pray dot com. Jill Simonian here from Prageru Kids. I am so excited to share that we are now on Spotify. You can stream all of our kids shows filled with faith and wholesome pro American edutainment anytime, anywhere. Our popular playlist Bible Stories for Kids is now available. Perfect for kindergarten through third grade. Gideon King, King David, Daniel and the Lions, Noah's Ark, the Good Samaritan, and so many more. Search Prageru Kids on Spotify or head to pragerukids.com to start listening now.
- [02:34]
Yael Eckstein
Shalom, my friends. From here in the holy land of Israel, I'm Yael Eckstein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible stories filled with timeless lessons of faith, love and the meaning of life. Through Israel's story, we will find this truth that we are all chosen for something great. So take a moment today to follow the podcast. If you're feeling extra grateful for these stories, we would love it if you left us a review. I read every single one of them. And if you're interested in hearing more about the prophetic life saving work of the fellowship, you can visit ifcj.org let's begin.
- [03:22]
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- [03:40]
Elijah
It.
- [03:43]
Narrator
The morning after Mount Carmel was quiet. The hills stretched golden under the first breath of sunl soft and untroubled. Somewhere in the distance, birds chattered, indifferent to the struggles of men and kings. Elijah sat outside his home, cross legged, his fingers curled around a simple clay cup of watered wine. He drank slowly, savoring the way the warmth settled in his chest. This was a moment of peace, calm long overdue. For the first time in years, the tension in his body had begun to uncoil. He exhaled, stretching out his legs, letting the morning sink into him. He had spent too long fighting, running, carrying the weight of a prophet's call like a stone pressed into his ribs. But now, maybe, just maybe, he could allow himself to believe it had all meant something. The fire had fallen, the heavens opened, rain had come, and the people collapsed in worship to Yahweh. Even Ahab, that spineless fool, had been shaken. Maybe the war was over. Maybe Israel would finally return. Maybe Jezebel's grip had begun to slip. Elijah smirked, raising his cup slightly as if toasting the dawn.
- [05:23]
Elijah
Well, Lord, that was quite the spectacle, wasn't it? You got their attention. Now, I may be wrong, but it seems like perhaps you are enjoying yourself, huh? I know I was.
- [05:40]
Narrator
Elijah lifted the cup to his lips, but the quiet was interrupted by the sound of running. A shadow stumbled into view. A messenger. The boy skidded to a stop in front of Elijah, clutching his knees, gulping down air in sharp, ragged gasps. Elijah. A message from the palace. Elijah barely glanced up, still swirling the wine in his cup.
- [06:08]
Elijah
Let me guess. Ahab, sending his apologies? Or perhaps a summons, now that he's found his spine?
- [06:16]
Narrator
The boy didn't answer. His face was too pale, too drawn, eyes wide with something deeper than exhaustion. He swallowed, then reached into his robe, pulling out a tightly wound scroll and thrusting it toward Elijah with unsteady hands. Elijah took it without urgency, still half convinced this was the formal letter of surrender he had been waiting for. But when his fingers curled around the parchment, he hesitated. It was rough, not the usual soft scrolls of the palace scribes. This was cruder, thicker, like something torn from old skin rather than woven from reeds. And it was stained dark red. Elijah's pulse slowed and his contented smirk faded. He unrolled it. The letters were harsh, jagged, carved more than written, as though the hand that had scrawled them had been trembling, not with fear but with rage. Elijah's eyes traced the words.
- [07:29]
Jezebel (voice of threat)
Elijah of Tishbe Know this. By this time tomorrow, your blood will stain the earth. Your bones will lie unburied. Your flesh will be torn by the same vultures that feasted on my priests. The sun will set on your corpse, and when it does, I will smile. You will not die a hero. You will not die a martyr. You will die as a man, abandoned, screaming for a God who will not answer. And only the rats will mourn you. When you take your last breath, know this. Your name will be ash. And your God will. Will be forgotten.
- [08:22]
Narrator
Elijah's breath hitched. The parchment trembled in his grip. Why is it red? The boy swallowed. His voice, when it came, was barely more than a whisper. That's not ink, my Lord. What? The messenger's hands clenched into fists. His voice trembled. It's blood. The blood of the prophets of baal. Elijah went white. His stomach lurched. His legs felt suddenly hollow beneath him. His fingers slackened and the parchment drifted to the ground, curling slightly at the edges, like something still alive. He didn't think, didn't speak, didn't breathe. He just ran. The hills blurred past him, his body moving on something beyond instinct, beyond thought, something primal and urgent and stupid. Because running was useless, wasn't it? He could run across the whole world and still wake up with her voice echoing in his ears. He could cross the sea and hide in the cliffs of cloud, and still Jezebel would reach him. The fire of Carmel hadn't moved her to repentance. It had only stirred her to anger.
- [09:49]
Elijah
Fools.
- [09:50]
Narrator
The people saw the fire.
- [09:52]
Elijah
They saw the storm. They saw it all. And yet they still bow to Jezebel. What is wrong with these people?
- [09:58]
Narrator
His breath came in ragged bursts, his ribs aching with every step, his mind an unspooling tangle of rage and. And confusion. And something else, something deeper, something darker. Ahab had been a fool from the beginning, but he was weak. Jezebel was something else. She did not hesitate. She did not kneel. She did not fear. And the worst part was that maybe she was right. Maybe this was what the world really was. Maybe Yahweh could burn altars and split seas and call down plagues and people would still do what people always did.
- [10:46]
Elijah
What did Moses say? These people are stiff nets, as the word. Stiff necked, proud, blind. They have seen. They have seen everything and they still do not believe.
- [10:58]
Narrator
The Lord had warned them again and again. Through Moses, through the judges, through David, through Elijah himself. He had shown them. Yet still they rebelled.
- [11:11]
Elijah
Idiots. You claim Yahweh. When it's convenient. The second Jezebel speaks. You go back to your filth, back to your Asherah balls, back to your BAAL feasts, your orgies, your mindless, spineless, cowardly extra excuses for worship. How many times must the Lord prove himself to you?
- [11:32]
Narrator
His legs faltered. His knees hit the dirt. His lungs burned. His arms shook. A single lonely broom tree barely cast enough shade to soften the heat, but he crawled under it, burying his face in his hands, shouting now, wild roar, furious.
- [11:52]
Elijah
Enough. I can't do this anymore. Do you hear me, Lord? I can't do this.
- [11:59]
Narrator
His voice cracked, but he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop, not until he had said it all.
- [12:06]
Elijah
This is what you wanted, isn't it? This is why you called me? To waste my life on these people who don't care to watch them bend their knees one day and break their bows the next day? Was Moses wasting his time, too? Was Joshua? Were all of us? Did you know when you split the sea that they would still chase after every false God they could carve with their filthy little hands?
- [12:36]
Narrator
The wind hissed over the sand, carrying his words nowhere. Elijah's chest heaved in anger. He was wrong, of course. Obadiah and many others had remained faithful. But Elijah, in his grief, felt completely alone. He let himself collapse, dust and sweat streaking his face. Silence. And then a hand reached out and touched his shoulder. Warm, solid, reassuring.
- [13:10]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?
- [13:13]
Narrator
Elijah flinched so hard he nearly threw himself sideways. A man was kneeling next to him. No, not just a man. He was young. Or old. A stranger, yet familiar. His robes were plain. His face was knowing, amused, affectionate. The smirk at the edge of his mouth made something in Elijah's already frayed mind snap.
- [13:45]
Elijah
Who are you?
- [13:47]
Narrator
The man gestured lazily to a rock beside them. There was bread. Fresh, warm. Next to it, a jug of water.
- [13:57]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Eat, drink. A little food would do you well.
- [14:02]
Narrator
Elijah just stared. Go on.
- [14:05]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
You'll need your strength for all the flailing and whining you plan on doing later.
- [14:10]
Narrator
Elijah's mouth opened. Nothing came out. His mind was still reeling, still caught between his grief and his rage. He hesitated.
- [14:22]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
What, you think I poisoned it? Do you always act like this when.
- [14:26]
Narrator
Someone gives you food?
- [14:28]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
I sent the crows. You seem to get along with them just fine.
- [14:32]
Narrator
Elijah scowled, reaching for the bread without thinking it was soft. He ate. The warmth filled his stomach, slow and steady, the first real thing he had felt in days. He drank. It was pleasant, if only for a moment. The man watched him, grinning like he had been waiting for this exact moment.
- [14:58]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Better?
- [15:01]
Narrator
Maybe. Good. Now sleep.
- [15:05]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
You've got a long journey ahead of you.
- [15:12]
Narrator
For 40 days and 40 nights, Elijah had wandered through the wilderness, driven by hunger, fear, and something deeper, nameless, gnawing, pulling him forward. Mount Horeb loomed before him, dark against the endless sky. The air here was different, thicker, heavy with the weight of things, too ancient to name. This was no mere mountain. It was a graveyard of past revelations. This was where Moses had stood, where the Lord had split the heavens in thunder and glory. This was where the law had been carved into stone. Elijah approached a large cave, carved by the wind, somewhere between the base and its peak. He stepped inside, sat, and waited. Suddenly, in the stillness, a voice came.
- [16:13]
Yahweh / God
What are you doing here, Elijah?
- [16:17]
Narrator
Elijah exhaled sharply. His whole body tensed. The voice had been neither harsh nor condemning, just a question, simple and direct. But something in it unraveled him.
- [16:32]
Elijah
Why would you ask that? I thought you knew everything.
- [16:37]
Narrator
A flicker of shame curled in his chest. Had he just spoken to the Lord like that? He bit the inside of his cheek, glancing down, his hands loosening for half a breath. Irreverence burned on his tongue. Bitter, unworthy. But then he recalled all he had been through. His voice wavered, then rose hot, furious, undone.
- [17:04]
Elijah
My God, I have been very zealous for you. I fought for you, stood alone for you. And what has it gotten me? Israel has forsaken your covenant, tore down your altars, murdered your prophets. I am the last one left. And now they want me dead, too. You're asking me what I'm doing here, Lord? What are you doing here?
- [17:31]
Narrator
The words left his mouth before he could stop them. His voice cracked. His chest heaved. Elijah waited, wondering if this was the moment he would die. But his words were met with silence. Not fire, not brimstone. Just silence. Elijah's heart pounded against his ribs. His breath was sharp and steady. He braced himself. Suddenly, the Lord spoke.
- [18:02]
Yahweh / God
Go out and stand on the mountain before me. I have something I wish for. For you to see.
- [18:11]
Narrator
Elijah's breath hitched. His pulse stammered. He knew what this meant. He had read of Moses of Sinai. He had read of the cloud and the fire and the trembling of the earth when the presence of the Almighty moved. He had read of how even the great prophet had been forced to turn away, shielded in the cleft of the rock because to see Yahuwah was to die. His feet moved forward, slow, deliberate. He did not cower. He did not shield his face. Let it come. Let the wind split the sky. Let the fire consume him. Let the ground crack beneath his feet let Yahuwah take him. He stepped forward. The wind came first. It howled down the mountainside, a living thing, a force with teeth. It roared past him, tearing into the rock, ripping it apart. Stones cracked and shattered, debris flying in every direction. It screamed with a sound that did not belong to the earth, a sound that felt like it was ripping the world apart. Elijah staggered back, hands raised to shield his face, his heart pounding wildly. His breath hitched. His whole body was tense.
- [19:43]
Elijah
This is it. This is it. This is Moses. So here.
- [19:50]
Narrator
The wind shrieked. It raged. It broke the mountain. And then silence. And Yahuwah was not there. Elijah's stomach twisted. His hands dropped slowly. He swallowed hard. What? He barely had time to process the disappointment before the earthquake came. The ground beneath him lurched, cracked, and split. The whole mountain shook, the rocks beneath his feet rolling. He had to brace himself against the wall of the cave, his legs buckling, his breath stolen from him.
- [20:32]
Elijah
Yes. Yes. This is it. The fire, the. The smoke, the trembling of Siva. This is how you should receive. I am ready, Lord.
- [20:44]
Narrator
The quake rumbled, roared. And then it stopped. The dust settled. The mountain stood still. And Yahweh was not there. Elijah let out a sharp breath, his chest tight. He clenched his jaw.
- [21:04]
Elijah
Wasn't it all went like this? The sea split, the cloud of fire, the mountain in flames. Mortals need a spectacle to have faith, right? Without it, they run back to their idols like dogs to filth.
- [21:25]
Narrator
Where are you? And then the fire came, and it rose before him, searing, blinding, and pure. It licked at the air, twisting, raging. It was a consuming force. The heat alone should have killed him.
- [21:44]
Elijah
Yes. Yes, Lord. Here you are. I knew it. Thank me, Lord. I'm ready.
- [21:51]
Narrator
And then the fire faded. Yahweh was not there, and something inside Elijah broke. His fists clenched, his throat tightened. His heart hammered. But it wasn't in awe anymore. It was rage.
- [22:11]
Elijah
Where are you? Where is your voice? I've seen you send fire. I've seen you stop the rain. I've seen you strike down the prophets of BAAL and split the waters before Moses. Where are you?
- [22:26]
Narrator
There was a long stretch of silence. Then suddenly there was a breath, a hush, a whisper, a still, small voice.
- [22:45]
Yahweh / God
Elijah.
- [22:48]
Narrator
Elijah. Fl froze when the Lord said his name. It wasn't booming, it wasn't thundering, it wasn't consuming. But it was near. And in the stillness, in the quiet, in the absence of fury and spectacle, Elijah felt something he had not felt since he was a little boy. He felt the tenderness of God. He didn't feel like the renowned prophet of fire, he felt like a child wrapped in his father's embrace, being hushed to calm after a tantrum. Elijah's whole body, taut with anxiety and rage, began to loosen. His knees hit the earth, and then, in the silence, he felt it. His calloused heart began to soften. Tears stung the corners of Elijah's eyes.
- [23:52]
Yahweh / God
You are not alone, Elijah. You never have been.
- [23:58]
Narrator
Elijah thought about the ravens, the stream, the fire, and the widow's son. Of course, he'd never been alone. Elijah just pressed his forehead to the dirt and listened.
- [24:15]
Yahweh / God
Your mission is not over. Go. Anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, king over Israel. He will be my hand against the house of Ahab. He will strike them down, and not one of them shall escape.
- [24:40]
Narrator
The prophecy of judgment sent a flicker of something electric through Elijah's exhausted mind. Ahab, Jezebel, their stolen vineyard, their slaughtered prophets, their golden idols gleaming in the filth of Samaria. Elijah's. His breath hitched. He had thought it was over, thought he would die in a cave, bitter and forgotten. But here God was giving him hope that good could actually triumph over evil.
- [25:16]
Yahweh / God
Elisha, son of Shaphrat, shall be a prophet in your place.
- [25:24]
Elijah
So you. You aren't done burning things down yet?
- [25:32]
Yahweh / God
Not yet.
- [25:33]
Narrator
Elijah wiped his face. He stood. He turned toward the path ahead. And he walked. Elisha had always known the land. His father's fields stretched wide, their furrows deep, the soil dark and rich beneath his hands. It was a good life, a steady life, the kind of life most men dreamed of with its quiet certainties, oxen in their yoke, the slow rhythm of ploughing, the knowledge that seasons turned as they always had, as they always would. He had spent his youth with his hands in the dirt and his mind in the scrolls, learning the laws of Moses by lamplight, whispering the psalms under his breath while the oxen pulled forward. But the truth, the truth he had never said aloud was that the steady life had never quite fit him. The land was good, the work was good, but some restless thing inside him had never stopped looking toward the horizon. He had read of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and David, of the men who went. He had wondered what it would be like to be called to leave, to follow, to live a life where God's voice was not a story in the past but a presence in the present. The plough dug into the stone, the wooden yoke creaking under the strength of the 12 yoked oxen. Elisha squinted against the sun, dust curling in the dry wind. Another day, another field. Then suddenly he saw a tall, wild haired figure walking straight toward him from the horizon. Elisha blinked. The man did not slow, did not stop, did not announce himself. He just walked right up to Elisha without a word and unceremoniously threw a cloak onto him. It landed across his shoulders like a verdict. Elisha stared at it, then at the man.
- [28:03]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Hello there. May I help you?
- [28:06]
Narrator
The man, if he could even be called that, stared back at Elisha with eyes of fire. There was something unearthly about him, something almost elemental. The man tilted his head slightly. His beard was thick, his eyes sharp, his robes dust stained and travel worn.
- [28:29]
Elijah
No, no. I think it is you who will be helping me.
- [28:34]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Ah, of course. Naturally. A mysterious wild eyed man throws a cloak over me. And now I'm his assistant.
- [28:46]
Elijah
Apprentice, disciple, prophet in training. Herald of the empire's doom. Take your pick.
- [28:54]
Narrator
Elisha ran a hand down the fabric draped over him. It was rough, woven, heavy. There was something ancient about it, something that carried weight beyond its threads. A thought flickered in his mind, sharp and sudden. This was the mantle of a prophet. His chest tightened. His breath came short. And then it clicked. The wild eyes, the sun beaten face, the dust caked robes. The eyes of fire. He knew who this was.
- [29:31]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Elijah.
- [29:32]
Narrator
The name landed like a stone in his gut. This was Elijah the Tishbite. Elijah the prophet of fire. Elijah the slayer of Baal's priests. Elijah who called down flames from the heavens and rain from an empty sky. Elijah whom Ahab feared, whom Jezebel hated, whom Yahweh had chosen. Elisha straightened beneath the weight of the mantle, the weight of the moment. He swallowed hard, steadying himself.
- [30:11]
Elijah
Let me ask you this, Elisha. Does your blood not boil? See how Ahab ravages this land, How Jezebel paints her face and plays queen while Israel falls into ruin.
- [30:25]
Narrator
Elisha exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable, then tilted his head as if considering something.
- [30:33]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
I imagine it takes her longer to get ready in the morning than it does for Ahab to lose a battle.
- [30:39]
Narrator
Elijah blinked, then grinned a wild grin. I like you.
- [30:45]
Elijah
So, are you in?
- [30:48]
Narrator
Elisha only nodded, adjusting the cloak around his shoulders.
- [30:53]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
I wouldn't miss it for the world. I only ask. Let me go. Kiss my father and mother goodbye.
- [30:59]
Narrator
Then I will follow you. Elijah shrugged, the smirk still lingering at the corner of his mouth.
- [31:07]
Elijah
Sure, go ahead. Kiss whoever you want. What have I done to you?
- [31:11]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
That remains to be seen.
- [31:14]
Narrator
No.
- [31:15]
Elijah
You're quick. This will be fun.
- [31:20]
Narrator
Elisha had spent his whole life behind the plough. It was his father's before him and his father's before that. It was stability. It was tradition. It was the kind of thing that men were supposed to hold onto. Elisha burned it. He slaughtered the oxen, broke apart the plough and lit it all ablaze. The fire roared, snapping at the air, the scent of roasting meat rising with the smoke. The entire village gathered, the smell too inviting to ignore. They ate. They feasted. They watched as Elisha, son of Shaphat, walked away from his family's fields forever. Because there was no going back. Because Elisha knew when Yahweh called, you do not hesitate. Because a prophet's life was not a life of safety or comfort or return. It was a life of fire. And Elisha was ready. As Elisha and his new master walked away from the smoking fields, silence stretched between them. A good silence, the kind that meant something had shifted. A new hope was dawning in Israel. Yahweh was on the move. Elisha pulled the mantle tighter around his shoulders and turned to his master with a grin.
- [32:55]
Elijah's Companion / Elisha
Elijah and Eli Shah. Well, I'm sure that won't get confusing at all.
- [33:03]
Elijah
Good. You've got some wit in you. In this line of work, you'll need it.
- [33:12]
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- [33:32]
Yael Eckstein
If your faith has been kindled by this podcast and it has affected your life, we'd love it if you left a review. We read them and me personally, I cherish them. As you venture forth boldly and faithfully, I leave you with the biblical Blessing from Numbers 6. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace. Amen.
- [34:16]
Production Credits Narrator
You can listen to the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pre.com app today. This pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catena, Max Bard, Zach schellewager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avila 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 and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin Van Etten, Caleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. 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 with Yael Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.
- [35:29]
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- [36:33]
Elijah
This is an iHeart podcast.