At that time, I pleaded with the Lord: “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

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Though Moses is forbidden to cross the Jordan, he is permitted to gaze upon the valley from atop Pisgah. 

Wisdom literature

Biblical scholars often point out that Deuteronomy stands apart linguistically and stylistically from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. While the first four books of the Torah lean heavily into legal codes, historical chronicles, and narrative storytelling, Deuteronomy adopts the distinctive voice of wisdom literature. God’s commandments are not listed as arbitrary rules to obey under threat of punishment, but as the ultimate pathway to a flourishing, spiritual life.

Wisdom literature is concerned with internal disposition, moral character, and how a person processes experience. Deuteronomy repeatedly emphasizes the inner life—instructing the people to write the laws on their hearts, to watch themselves closely, and to consciously guard their memories against forgetfulness. Obedience is framed as an act of intellectual and spiritual alignment with the will of God. Deuteronomy 4:40 exhorts the Israelites:

Keep his statutes and his commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.

Moses understands the threat facing God’s people as they leave the protection and relative isolation of the desert. For forty years, they were totally dependent on God’s provisions. Military battles awaited, but so also does a settled life with more comforts and distractions than previously available in their encampments. The further they get from the miracles they witnessed in the desert and the more distance they gain from each other, the bigger the chance that it will all fade away from their hearts.

Moses warns the people to neither add to nor take away from the commandments. Obedience to their covenant will be a source of inspiration for the surrounding nations. Moses says:

You must observe them and perform them, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” (4:6)

Traditional commentators point out that the covenant does not call Israel to force its statutes upon neighboring empires. Instead, the nation is meant to serve as an example. The surrounding peoples will watch the Israelites and draw their own conclusions about the character of God and the wisdom of his laws simply by observing the stability, justice, and spiritual vitality of the Israelite community.

The nations will also be aroused to jealousy in seeing the caring concern of Yahweh for the covenant people. Moses asks: “For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him?” (4:7)

In the ancient world, deities were distant, capricious forces tied exclusively to temples and royal courts, accessible only to high elites. The Bible introduces the one true God who is accessible to every single person whenever they call upon him.

Joshua Takes the Mantle

God instructs Moses to commission Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan to inherit the land. Rather than sinking into bitterness or abandoning his post, Moses secures the future of the nation under their new leader. Moses possesses the hallmark of a true shepherd. He accepts that his own role must end so the mission can continue.

The text bypasses Moses’ sons, Gershom and Eliezer, whose descendants fade into the background of biblical history. Instead, authority is granted based on character and spiritual qualifications. Joshua earns the mantle because he spent decades as Moses’ faithful attendant. Joshua was entirely devoted to God’s vision even when the rest of the community faltered.

As Moses’ devoted attendant from his youth, Joshua constantly protected his mentor’s position and defended his authority. We see this fierce loyalty on display in Numbers 11 when Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. Joshua immediately jumped to his mentor’s defense, urging Moses to stop them out of protective jealousy for his leadership. As recorded in Numbers 13 and 14, Joshua served as one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. While ten spies returned with a terrifying report that crippled the morale of the entire nation, Joshua and Caleb stood alone against the panicked crowd. They tore their clothes and fiercely defended God’s promise, pleading with the rebellious Israelites not to rebel against the Lord or fear the inhabitants of the land.

Shema

This week’s Torah portion also includes the most important proclamation in all of Judaism. As Moses contemplates the preservation of the Israelite faith and how best parents can impress the teachings upon their children, he pronounces:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut. 6:4)

This verse is known in Hebrew as the Shema. It is considered the most critical piece of liturgy in all of Judaism, the great declaration of God’s oneness and his kingship. Jewish morning prayers and evening prayers include the Shema. The Shema is also part of the Shabbat prayers. On Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, the service climaxes with the communal recitation of the Shema.

According to tradition, if a Jewish person believes their death is imminent, they should recite the Shema so that it can be the last words on their lips. I have read stories of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces in wartime reciting the Shema together in their tanks and from their lookouts.

When the Shema is recited, individuals often cover their eyes with their right hand to encourage absolute concentration and focus on the divine unity. After World War II was over and the reality of the number six million began to take hold, rescue groups and rabbinic leaders tried to locate Jewish orphans who had been sheltered across Europe.

In many cases, these children had suppressed their identity for years to evade capture and were terrified to reveal their origins to outsiders. Rescuers would visit children at bedtime and softly recite the opening lines of the Shema. By instinct, hearing those familiar Hebrew words whispered at dusk, the Jewish children would respond by covering their eyes.

The most critical key to the long story of Jewish survival is memory, passing along the stories, teachings, and prayers to the young and keeping their memories alive even if they were not there as eyewitnesses to the miracles. Moses pleads in Deuteronomy 4:9:

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and to your children’s children.

The Jewish orphans shielding their eyes when they heard the Shema shows the power of Moses’s exhortation and the centuries it has been taken to heart.

Discussion Questions

1. The Burden of Leadership and Moses’ Prayer (Deuteronomy 3:23–29)

In this passage, Moses pleads with God to let him cross the Jordan, but God remains firm in His refusal, telling Moses, “Enough from you; do not speak to Me of this matter again.” Given Moses’ decades of faithful service, why do you think God’s response was so absolute? How does Moses’ transition of power to Joshua in this moment emphasize the idea that the covenant belongs to the community and God, rather than any single human leader?

2. The Interiority of the Law and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9)

The Shema is arguably the most famous declaration in the Hebrew Bible, commanding Israel to love God with all their heart, soul, and might. Verses 6–9 describe a faith that is deeply integrated into daily life—recited at home, on the road, when lying down, and when rising. How does this command shift the focus of “the law” from a set of external rules to an internal state of being? What are the practical implications of “binding them as a sign on your hand” for a modern reader?

3. Election, Love, and the “Holy People” (Deuteronomy 7:6–11)

Moses explains that God chose Israel not because they were numerous or powerful, but because He loved them and was keeping an oath made to their ancestors. How does this explanation of “election” (being a chosen people) challenge the idea of merit-based reward? In the context of the harsh commands regarding the surrounding nations (7:1–5), how does Deuteronomy balance the concept of God’s universal sovereignty with the specific, set-apart holiness required of Israel?

The post Va’etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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Our latest episode of The Red Alert Report features author Rabbi Reuven Travis discussing his book, Finding America in Exodus: Lessons from the Torah for Today’s America. As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, this conversation explores how the biblical book of Exodus shaped the American founding—and how its timeless lessons still speak to us today.

Rabbi Travis explains how early settlers and key American thinkers saw themselves in the Exodus story: a people fleeing tyranny, seeking freedom, and building a society grounded in law, justice, and faith. From the Pilgrims to Thomas Paine to George Washington, the narrative of Moses and the Hebrews provided a powerful framework for understanding liberty and responsibility.

We also discuss how Exodus teaches that true freedom requires righteous laws, how leadership transitions in the Torah mirror challenges in American civic life, and how faith played a foundational role in shaping the nation’s identity. These themes—liberty, law, leadership, and faith—remain deeply relevant as Americans reflect on their past and future.

Key Takeaways:

• The Exodus story helped shape America’s understanding of freedom.
• Liberty must be paired with just and moral laws to sustain a healthy society.
• Leadership in Exodus offers insights for today’s civic challenges.
• Faith and biblical principles influenced America’s founding values.

We invite you to listen to this thoughtful and timely conversation and consider how Scripture continues to illuminate the story of America—past, present, and future.

***This is the first of several episodes upcoming as we explore the entire suite of Rabbi Travis’ “Finding America” series: 

Sex in the Garden: Consensual Encounters Gone Bad

Finding America in Leviticus: Reflections on Nation Building in the Twenty-First Century

Finding America in Numbers: A Model of Political Leadership for the 21st Century

September Release: Finding America in Deuteronomy.

All his books are available on Amazon. 

The post Red Alert: Finding America in Exodus with Reuven Travis first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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This week our Torah portion covers Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22. The section is called Devarim, which means “words,” because the section starts out with “These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel” (1:1).

History Recap

The old generation of Israelites who Moses brought out of Egypt had passed during the wilderness wanderings, and now a new generation was prepared to “take possession of the land the Lord swore” to their fathers (1:8). Moses marveled at the nation’s size and strength. He said, “God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky” (1:10).

In his first speech, Moses takes the opportunity to recount all that has happened in the preceding four decades leading to this moment. He includes both the highs and the lows. Moses reminds the assembly about their departure from Mount Sinai. He recalls his appointment of judges and tribal leaders (1:9–18). He details the failed mission of the twelve spies (1:19–25) and the previous generation’s rebellion against God at Kadesh-Barnea (1:26–46). He reminds them that because of the first generation’s lack of faith, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years.

He urges them to trust God as they enter the promised land and take on new challenges. Their recent military victories are proof that God is faithful and fighting alongside them as they fulfill their calling. He reminds them how they defeated King Sihon of the Amorites (2:26–37) and King Og of Bashan (3:1–11), and that was before they even entered the land of Canaan. Moses says,

You have seen with your own eyes all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you. (3:21–22)

Sad Goodbye

Given the strength of Moses’s message, it seems the 120-year-old prophet had lost his original fear of speaking to the people. He is now a strong, wise, and experienced orator. And yet, sadness tinges the whole book. Moses, the people, and even the modern reader know that he is about to die. We have known he was going to die since Numbers 20. I did not discuss the action or punishment that led to this moment back when we were studying Numbers because I wanted to save it for Deuteronomy when the full consequence takes effect.

As you recall, Numbers is the book of movement and rebellion. As the years of wandering drag on, the people grow upset with Moses’s leadership. Although the real target of their anger is God, they put Moses in the hot seat. First, they grumble about the lack of food (Num. 11:1–3). Then they protest the lack of variety in God’s miraculous provision (Num. 11:4–6). When Korah challenges Moses’s leadership, the people do not defend Moses (Num. 16:1–3). By the time we reach Numbers 20, Moses has reached his breaking point. His sister Miriam had just died, and he and his brother Aaron were grieving the loss of their dear sister (20:1). This would have been the right moment to give Moses a little space, but instead they confronted him about their lack of water. In the most ungrateful tone possible, they quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!” (20:4).

God instructs Moses and Aaron to retrieve the special staff from the Holy of Holies. In the presence of the whole assembly, Moses was supposed to speak to the rock and tell it to produce water. Instead, Moses made a slight improvisation and struck the rock twice with the staff. As the water gushes out of the rock, and all the people, and even their animals, drank their fill, God condemns Moses for his action. In one of the Torah’s more chilling condemnations, God says to both brothers, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (20:12).

The episode is one of those moments in the Torah that theologians must wrestle with as they seek to discern God’s mercy and justice. Why would God require such a harsh punishment for what seems to be such a small offense? Also, how was striking the rock instead of speaking to it a denial of God’s holiness? It seems like such a small deviation.

Jacob Milgrom wrote the commentary on Numbers for the Jewish Publication Society. As a Torah expert, he does not accept that the punishment resulted from striking the rock. Instead, he argues that the true sin of Moses and Aaron was verbal. Right before he struck the rock, he told the people, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (20:10). By asking the people if “we” must bring water out of the rock, they claimed credit for the divine miracle.

By using the first-person plural, the brothers made it seem like the power came from them rather than from God. Milgrom explains the severity of this subtle shift in language. By word and act, Moses is thus appropriating to himself an act of God. Sure, it was a verbal misstep, but it was one that God could not accept. Moses had been their leader for so long that the community risked equating him with God. Milgrom concludes that the punishment was harsh but necessary. The Israelites were still learning to worship an invisible God. Any indication that Moses and Aaron were personally responsible for a miracle would mean that they were the ones to be worshiped, not God.

Moses viewpoint

We learn from Moses’ first speech in Deuteronomy that he had a slightly different understanding of his punishment than what was presented in Numbers 20. As is always the case, the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible. Moses reveals that after the incident of striking the rock, he had ten months to plead with God, hoping he would change his mind and allow him to enter into the Promised Land. God denied his request.

Moses blames the Israelites’ behavior for his punishment, more than any action on his part. Twice, in his farewell address, he reminded them of their hand in his rejection. They may miss him when he is gone, but they are not innocent. He is paying the price for their lack of faith.

Remembering the incident, he says, “Even with me the Lord was angry on your account, saying, ‘You also shall not enter there” (Deut. 1:37).

Later, he adds, “But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. The Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you! Never speak to me of this matter again!’” (Deut. 3:26)

It was the Israelites who put God to the test in demanding water, not Moses. They were the source of his frustration in that moment. Still, he was not innocent either, whether he was punished for failing to follow God’s instructions exactly or whether it was claiming the miracle as his own.

Lasting Legacy

Despite the tragic ending of the story of Moses, one moment of questioning did not forever tarnish Moses’ legacy. Moses is remembered as one of the most pivotal and celebrated biblical leaders throughout all Jewish history. Numbers describes Moses as the humblest man on the face of the earth (Num 12:3). In his epitaph in Deuteronomy 34, it is said “Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (34:10). It is a horrible depressing truth that Moses, our hero throughout four of the five books of the Torah, is denied entrance into the promised land. However, with an epitaph like that written by God himself, he clearly got a lot more right than he did wrong.

That’s it for this week. If you would like to get the study questions that go with the reading, please visit our website at www.thejerusalemconnection.us

Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai                   

Study Questions

1. Shared Consequences (Deuteronomy 1:37; 3:26)
   Moses reminds the new generation that God barred him from entering Canaan on their account. How does Moses use his personal punishment to teach the assembly about the severe cost of rebellion? What does this reveal about communal accountability?
2. Remembering Past Victories (Deuteronomy 2:26–3:11)
   Moses reviews the recent military triumphs over King Sihon and King Og. He highlights this history before the Israelites cross the Jordan River. How do these initial conquests build the faith of the new generation? Why is historical memory vital for their future success?
3. The Transition of Power (Deuteronomy 3:21–28)
   Moses commands Joshua not to fear the upcoming battles. He assures him that God will fight for them. How does this transfer of leadership prepare Joshua for the challenges ahead? What role does Moses play in equipping his successor?

The post Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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In today’s episode of The Red Alert Report, we highlight a powerful example of what it means to bless Israel in word and deed. Join me as I speak with Medi Baruh, Director of Resource Development and Partnerships at Social Delivery, an Israeli organization that embodies the biblical call to care for the vulnerable and to seek the land’s peace and welfare. This is just one more example that debunks the cynical and vitriolic lies about Israel and Israelis we hear in the news and see on social media feeds.

This conversation is a reminder that God’s love for Israel is expressed not only through prophecy and Scripture but also through practical acts of mercy carried out by His people. It is also a reminder that the people of Israel, as a society, reflect godly principles we all treasure and should seek to emulate.

An Outreach of Compassion in the Land of Israel

Social Delivery collects surplus goods from Israeli businesses and redistributes them to families and individuals in need. Their work reflects the biblical principles of:

• Stewardship — turning excess into provision
• Dignity — honoring the image of God in every person
• Community — strengthening the bonds that hold society together
• Mercy — meeting needs with compassion and respect

With partnerships across Israel and three logistical centers, Social Delivery ensures that high-quality goods reach those who need them most.

Serving Israel in Times of Crisis

Medi shares how Social Delivery responds when Israel faces emergencies — missile attacks, evacuations, and conflict. Their teams mobilize quickly to deliver clothing, bedding, furniture, and essentials to displaced families.

Their Northern Rehabilitation and Recovery Program is helping restore community spaces and support local businesses in areas deeply affected by war. It is a living picture of Isaiah’s call to “repair the breach” and “restore the streets to dwell in.”

A Heart for All People

Social Delivery serves all communities in Israel, regardless of background. I see their work reflecting the biblical truth that every person is created in God’s image and worthy of care, compassion, and dignity.

Social Delivery partners with nonprofits and municipalities to ensure aid is distributed wisely, respectfully, and effectively to those with legitimate need.

Why This Matters for Believers

This episode reminds us that supporting Israel is not only theological — it is practical. When we bless Israel, we participate in God’s ongoing work in the land and among His people.

Want to Learn More?

Read more about the program’s intake and distribution outcomes at:

Considering a donation? Go to JGive’s site: 
https://www.jgive.com/new/en/ils/donation-targets/164829

Follow the latest news on Social Delivery’s LinkedIn page:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/social-delivery-il

Listen & Share

We invite you to view or listen to this inspiring conversation and see how God is using Social Delivery to bring hope, dignity, and restoration across Israel.

Thank you for standing with us as we continue to tell the story of Israel — ancient and modern — and highlight the people who are living out God’s call to love, serve, and bless.

With gratitude, 

Amy Zewe 

Vice-President, The Jerusalem Connection International

Host, The Red Alert Report

The post Red Alert: How Social Delivery Is Transforming Lives in Israel first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: How Social Delivery Is Transforming Lives in Israel appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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Reuben and Gad

In Chapter 32, Moses maps out the boundaries of each tribe’s land inheritance. The people have not yet taken possession of any territory. The tribes of Reuben and Gad request permission to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan River, attracted by the fertile pasturelands. Both Reuben and Gad possessed large flocks. Moses initially reacts with fierce anger. He compares their request to the sin of the spies forty years earlier. He fears their desire to stay behind will discourage the rest of the nation.

Gad and Reuben negotiated with Moses to settle there. Moses agreed on the condition that they cross the Jordan as the military vanguard to help the other tribes conquer Canaan. They must fight alongside their kinsmen until the land is conquered. Only then can they return to their eastern holdings. The Levites did not receive a territorial allotment. The Bible notes that the Lord is their inheritance. As servants of the people, they would live in forty-eight towns scattered throughout the tribal territory.

Israel’s Travel Log

Now that the Israelites’ wanderings were almost over, Moses recaps the stages of their forty-year journey together. In a dry, inventory-like fashion, he lists the order of all their stopping points. At first glance, the chapter appears to be a repetitive list of geographical names. However, it functions as Israel’s official travel log, tracking forty-two encampments across a forty-year journey. The sequence moves from the liberation of leaving Egypt to the communal testing and discipline that occurred in the wilderness. Finally, the nation stood on the verge of claiming the Promised Land. The travel log demonstrates that the difficult, mundane, and painful stages of life are not random deviations; they are part of a deliberate process of preparation.

This is one of the few places where the Torah explicitly states that God commanded Moses to keep a written log. Verse 2 notes that Moses wrote down their starting points, stage by stage, at the Lord’s command.

In the ancient Near East, kings and military commanders recorded their itineraries and campaigns on stone monuments or papyrus logs. These documents were court-level reportage to validate their conquests and prove their sovereign claims over specific territories.

By commanding Moses to formally write down the starting points and stages of their journey, God created an official covenantal log for his people. Before the land is distributed by lot to the tribes in the next chapters, this itinerary serves as a legal brief. It proves that the nation did not simply stumble into the plains of Moab; they were systematically led there by God. Unlike the false gods of their neighbors, the God of Israel moved and acted in history, in places and time, and through a people. Every single step was known, numbered, and sustained by God before they ever crossed the Jordan River.

The final portion of the chapter shifts from looking backward to looking forward. God issues strict instructions that once they enter the Promised Land, they must eliminate Canaanite idols, dismantle high places, and divide the land by tribal lot.

Cities of Refuge

Amid this community planning, the text describes a unique institution. God instructs Moses to designate six of the forty-eight Levitical towns as cities of refuge. In cases of accidental manslaughter, the accused could take asylum in these cities. Three of these cities were located on the east side of the Jordan, and three were on the west.

Once the perpetrator claimed asylum, they stood trial before a tribunal. If the judges deemed the death inadvertent, the accidental killer returned to the city of refuge under protection. Without this protection, they risked death by a blood avenger—a retaliatory practice that still occurs in parts of the world today. The accidental killer remained in the city, receiving food and clothes from family members. According to priestly law, the perpetrator could only leave the city of refuge after the high priest died. The transition of the high priesthood signaled a new beginning.

Something strikes me as uniquely humane about this biblical code of law. It was an advanced moral calculus before they even had land or a settled society. Premeditated murder resulted in capital punishment. Accidental deaths were treated by a different standard. This system offered compassion for the perpetrator, recognizing that accidental death creates two distinct types of victims.

While ancient temples often offered temporary sanctuary, the biblical network of cities was an innovative judicial system. It replaced unchecked blood vengeance with a regulated legal process. Family members could no longer pursue justice entirely on their own terms.

Accidental deaths in modern times

In 2017, I read an article published in The New Yorker by Alice Gregory, titled “The Sorrow and Shame of the Accidental Killer.” The writer follows the real experiences of several individuals who had to navigate the heavy psychological and social aftermath of causing an unintentional death. In two cases, they accidentally struck a pedestrian with their vehicle, and in another case, a caregiver killed someone in their care through a brief moment of negligence.

Of course, the death is devastating to the family of the victim. However, the perpetrator also loses the life they formerly knew. Society provides a natural formula to comfort a grieving parent or a grieving spouse. It proves much more difficult to counsel the driver, babysitter, or grandparent responsible for an accidental killing. Gregory highlights the complete lack of self-help books or counseling services specializing in this area. These individuals occupy a tricky, isolated moral space.

After describing the shattered lives of these individuals, the author points to the brilliance of the biblical cities of refuge. One effective form of therapy for accidental killers is the company of others who share the same life-altering experience. A parent who accidentally kills a child struggles to look at their own remaining children without pain. No one can quite understand that unique form of grief except those who have walked through it. Cities of refuge offer group therapy where it was most needed.

Furthermore, the formal tribunal suggested in the biblical text would bring order to tragic chaos. Accidental killers often feel extreme shame because their outer lives remain unchanged, unlike the life of the deceased. Public acquittal and clear boundaries provide an important psychological framework. The refuge city was a prescriptive consequence to be endured. This boundary matches a common desire for accountability articulated by many accidental killers.

One individual in the article went into a deep depression after running over a small child. She said:

If I had been exiled to a city of refuge, I might not have needed exile from myself. That’s what I’m looking for—to live in the world with acceptance and with opportunity, but also with the acknowledgment that in running over this child something terrible happened and it deserves attention.

I was surprised to find a secular publication praising the wisdom of biblical law. However, this perfectly captures the beauty of God’s good design. The Israelites were about to enter a new territory that had been promised to them and upheld as the goal for decades. However, God also knew they would continue to live in a broken world where terrible accidents would happen.

He did not just promise that all their hardships would end when they crossed the Jordan River. Instead, God gave them a blueprint for a compassionate society. The cities of refuge prove that divine law is a safety net designed to catch us when we fall. The Bible provides sophisticated answers to difficult human problems. The purpose and intent of God’s way is always to provide a path to restoration both with each other and with him.

The post Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2–36:13) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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Why This Conversation Matters

Jim explains that many believers are wrestling with conflicting narratives about Israel, especially after the horrific events of October 7. His book was written to help Christians cut through misinformation and return to Scripture as the foundation for understanding Israel’s role in God’s plan.

A Biblical View of Modern Israel

Jim addresses the dangers of replacement theology and reminds us that God’s promises to Israel are eternal and unconditional. The modern rebirth of Israel in 1948 is not an accident of history — it is a powerful demonstration of God’s faithfulness.

Antisemitism as Spiritual Warfare

Jim also explores the spiritual dimension behind the rise in antisemitism. He notes that hostility toward Israel is not merely political; it is part of a deeper spiritual battle that Scripture has warned about for generations. Recognizing this helps believers respond with clarity, courage, and compassion.

A Call to Christians

Jim encourages Christians to:

• Ground themselves in biblical truth about Israel
• Recognize the spiritual nature of the attacks against the Jewish people
• Stand with Israel by countering misinformation and speaking truth in love

This conversation is an important resource for anyone seeking clarity in a confusing cultural moment.

Check out today’s episode and find Jim’s book at www.InGrace.us (audio version available on Amazon). Share this book with your Bible study, family, and friends who want a deeper understanding of Israel’s significance in God’s redemptive plan.

Thank you for standing with us as we continue to educate, inform, and activate believers to support Israel and the Jewish people.

The post Red Alert: The Spiritual War Against Israel with Jim Scudder Jr. first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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Pinchas/ Phinehas

The Torah portion picks up where the previous portion left off, with the prophet Balaam and the king of Moab dead set on breaking up the Israelite encampment. When Balaam tried but failed to curse the Israelites, he gave the king of Moab some advice: make them curse themselves by inducing them to sin.

They sent Moabite women into the Israelite camp, enticing the men into sexual relationships. The women were used as bait to draw the Israelite men into the worship of Baal. In Canaanite mythology, Baal was the god of the storm, rain, and fertility. Worship rites involved cultic prostitution and ritual sex.

Balaam and Balak’s plot worked. Numbers 25:1–3 states that the people “began to have illicit relations with the women of Moab,” who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. Numbers even states that Israel “yoke itself to Baal of Peor.” In Israel’s history, this is the first open, full-scale spiritual rebellion involving the Canaanite god Baal. After this incident, Baal becomes the ultimate spiritual and political thorn in Israel’s side for nearly the entire rest of the Hebrew Bible.

The apostasy triggered a devastating divine plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, came when Zimri—a leader from the tribe of Simeon—marched into the camp with a Midianite woman. The Bible notes the blatant nature of the act. He did it “before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all the congregation of the Israelites” (Num 25:6). Zimri’s action publicly challenged Moses’s authority. Moses, who was already 120 years old, seemed paralyzed by the sheer audacity of the rebellion. Someone had to step into the leadership vacuum, and that someone was Phinehas the priest.

Phinehas fell into a zealous rage and stabbed both Zimri and the woman when they were in the tent. What the modern reader might view as voluntary manslaughter, the Bible describes as being “zealous for the honor of his God” (Num 25:11).

To be sure, Phinehas was not upset because Zimri violated any laws against racial purity or tribal allegiance. Remember, Moses was married to a Midianite woman, Zipporah, who is loved and admired in biblical tradition. The problem was that the Israelite men were breaking their covenant with God by letting the pagan woman lure them into idolatrous practices.

Centuries later, the psalmist remembers Phinehas’s bravery and commitment in Psalm 106, retelling the story of Israel’s rebellions in the wilderness. The Psalm recounts:

Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead…Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, and the plague was stopped. And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever. (Psalm 106:28, 30–31)

The phrase “reckoned to him as righteousness” mirrors the same language used for Abraham’s faith.

Phinehas continued to play a major role in the national spiritual life of Israel for many years. In Numbers 31, before the people entered the land, God commanded Moses to wage a war of vengeance against the Midianites. When Moses mobilized the army—selecting a thousand men from each of the twelve tribes—he did not appoint a military general to lead them. Instead, he sent Phinehas, the Bible’s first General-Priest. The text notes that Phinehas went into battle carrying the “vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling” (Num 31:6). During the campaign, the Israelites defeated the Midianites and killed their five kings. Numbers 31:8 also notes that they killed Balaam with a sword.

Joshua 22

Although in the Torah Phinehas most often held a sword in his hand and righteous anger in his heart, by the time of Joshua, he acted more as a wise diplomat for the community. In Joshua 22, Phinehas served as a lead negotiator to prevent a catastrophic civil war.

The crisis occurred just after the conquest of Canaan concluded. The warrior men from the eastern tribes—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—had fulfilled their vow to fight alongside the western tribes until the Promised Land was secure. With the battles won, Joshua blessed them and sent them home to their families on the east bank of the Jordan River.

However, on their trek back, right at the border of the Jordan, these eastern tribes built a massive, imposing altar. Word quickly spread to the main assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh. Building an unauthorized altar looked like a blatant rebellion against God and a slide back into idolatry. The western tribes immediately mobilized an army, fully prepared to launch a devastating preemptive military strike to purge the sin before divine wrath struck the whole nation.

Before launching an assault, Israel sent a high-level diplomatic delegation to Gilead to confront the suspected rebels. Phinehas was chosen to lead the group, accompanied by ten tribal chiefs.

When Phinehas met the eastern leaders, he reminded them of what happened in the wilderness wanderings when the people worshipped Baal instead of the one true God. He asked:

Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! And are you now turning away from the Lord? (Joshua 22:17–18)

Showing priestly concern and a desire to prevent sin rather than just punish it, Phinehas even offered a material compromise. He told them that if they felt their land across the Jordan was somehow unclean or cut off, they should abandon it, cross back over the river, and take a share of the land where the Lord’s Tabernacle stood.

The eastern tribes did not respond with defiance; instead, they explained that the altar was never intended for sacrifices, burnt offerings, or any other form of worship. They built it out of anxiety for the future. They wanted their own altar, not as a place of ritual, but something that could be a visual witness proving to future generations that the tribes on both sides of the river served the exact same God.

Hearing this, Phinehas defused the situation. He acknowledged their faithfulness, stating:

Today we know that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. (Joshua 22:31)

The delegation returned to Shiloh with the report, and the war plans were dismantled. This  moment demonstrated that Phinehas was also a man of diplomacy and peace. When he used a weapon in the wilderness, it was because the rebellion was already going full throttle. In Joshua 22, when given the time and space to investigate, Phinehas chose dialogue and stopped the bloodshed.

Judges 20

In Judges 20, Phinehas appeared again at a critical turning point in Israel’s early history. This conflict erupted after the inhabitants of Gibeah, a Benjamite city, committed a horrific crime against a traveling Levite’s concubine. When the tribe of Benjamin refused to hand over the perpetrators, the other eleven tribes unified to launch a military campaign against their own kin.

Despite outnumbering the Benjamites, the unified tribes of Israel suffered unexpected, devastating losses. They marched into battle twice, and both times the Benjamites routed them, leaving 40,000 Israelite soldiers dead. Stunned, the entire assembly retreated to Bethel, where the Ark of the Covenant had been temporarily relocated from Shiloh. The people fasted, offered burnt offerings, and sought a deeper spiritual reckoning. They realized they had rushed into a fraternal war without truly seeking God’s direction or examining their own spiritual state.

Phinehas was then serving as High Priest. The narrative records that Phinehas ministered before the ark in those days, asking God if they should go out once more to battle against their kinsfolk the Benjaminites, or if they should stop.

In their first two attempts, the Israelites merely asked who should attack first, assuming the war itself was a foregone conclusion. Under Phinehas’s guidance, they resigned the outcome to the divine will.

Looking across his entire life, Judges 20 highlights the remarkable evolution of Phinehas as a leader. In the wilderness wanderings, he was a young zealot operating in a moment of complete structural collapse, using physical force to halt a crisis. In Joshua 22, he was a mature diplomat who used communication to prevent an unnecessary war among the eastern tribes. Finally, in Judges 20, he stands as the venerable High Priest of Israel, using the sacred space of the altar to heal a fractured nation and restore their broken covenantal relationship with God.

Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai

Study Questions

The Evolution of Zealotry and Leadership (Numbers 25; Joshua 22; Judges 20): In Numbers 25:11, God commends Pinchas for being “zealous for the honor of his God” during a moment of severe communal crisis. Considering his subsequent roles as a diplomat in Joshua 22 and as the elder High Priest in Judges 20, how does his later conduct reshape or expand our understanding of what biblical “zeal” truly means? How does a leader balance absolute commitment to a standard with the patience required for diplomacy?

The Legal and Spiritual Precedent of Inheritance (Numbers 27): The petition of the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 introduces a major legal shift regarding land inheritance when there are no male heirs. What does this narrative reveal about how the community handled justice, equity, and family legacy? Furthermore, what does Moses’s immediate response—bringing the case directly before God—teach us about the nature of biblical leadership and humility when facing an unprecedented social dilemma?

The Purpose of the Communal Calendar: The portion concludes with a highly detailed, repetitive itinerary of the daily, weekly, monthly, and festival offerings (Numbers 28–29). Why do you think this extensive liturgical manual is placed right here, immediately following a census of the new generation and the appointment of Joshua as Moses’s successor? How do these structured, cyclical rituals serve to stabilize and unite a vulnerable nation preparing to transition into a new homeland?

The post Bible Fiber: Phinehas (Num 25:10–30:1) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Bible Fiber: Phinehas (Num 25:10–30:1) appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

In this week’s Red Alert Report, Amy Zewe sits down with author, TV Host, and Israel advocate Risto Huvila to discuss one of the most urgent issues facing the Middle East today: the future of Jerusalem. Risto is the founder of the Pro-Jerusalem Alliance, a global initiative dedicated to preserving Jerusalem as the undivided, eternal capital of Israel.

Risto shares his powerful journey of faith, beginning with a life-changing encounter with Scripture in 2005 that opened his eyes to Israel’s central place in God’s plan. His research into biblical history, Jewish identity, and the modern political landscape led him to confront the widespread misrepresentation of Israel—especially at the United Nations.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Why Jerusalem is the spiritual and historical heart of both Judaism and Christianity
• How the Pro-Jerusalem Alliance counters anti-Israel narratives in global politics
• Why dividing Jerusalem would endanger Christian and Jewish holy sites
• How churches today shape the narrative—sometimes for good, sometimes for harm
• Why biblical literacy is essential for understanding Israel’s role in world events
• How US history helped establish Israel: The Miracle of Israel and President Truman: Mixing Religion and Politics, by Risto Huvila

Key Bible Verses About Jerusalem’s Eternal Significance

• Psalm 132:13–14 — “For the Lord hath chosen Zion… This is my rest forever.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:6 — “I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there.”
• Psalm 48:8 — “God will establish it for ever.”
• Isaiah 49:16 — “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”
• Zechariah 2:4–5 — “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls… and I will be a wall of fire round about.”
• Isaiah 62:6–7 — “Give Him no rest, till He establish… Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

These Scriptures underscore the biblical foundation for Jerusalem’s unity and the importance of defending it today.

Why This Matters

Risto explains how international bodies—especially the UN—have issued a disproportionate number of condemnations against Israel, often pushing for a two-state solution that would divide Jerusalem. He warns that such a move would jeopardize access to the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and countless other sacred sites.

His message is clear: A divided Jerusalem is a danger to history, faith, and freedom.

Learn More

• Explore Risto’s work and the Pro-Jerusalem Alliance: ProJerusalem.org.  
• Search The Miracle of Israel and President Truman: Mixing Religion and Politics, by Risto Huvila on Amazon to get the book.

Support Our Work

If this episode encouraged you, please like, subscribe, and share. Your engagement helps us spread truth, strengthen biblical understanding, and stand with Israel

The post Red Alert: The Battle for Jerusalem: Faith, History, and Truth with Risto Huvila first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: The Battle for Jerusalem: Faith, History, and Truth with Risto Huvila appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

Be sure to Follow Bible Fiber wherever you listen to your podcasts and subscribe on Youtube.

For thirty-eight years, the book of Numbers tracks an entire generation of adults dying out in the desert due to their rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. According to biblical law, encountering a corpse causes the highest level of ritual defilement. Because death was a daily occurrence in the camp, the entire nation had become ritually impure. They could not march into a land flowing with milk and honey while carrying the lingering ritual defilement of their wilderness judgment.

In Numbers 19, God instructs both Moses and Aaron on the law of the red heifer. The text says:

This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish and on which no yoke has ever been laid. (Num 19:2).

After slaughtering the perfect red heifer, its blood was to be sprinkled seven times near the Tabernacle. It was to be burned with cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson, and the ashes were carefully preserved. Every element of the ceremony was red, the color of blood. In the prophetic tradition, red later came to represent the stain of human transgression. Isaiah famously declared, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isa 1:18). The red heifer acted as a vessel absorbing the crimson stain of mortality and sin.

If anyone in the community encountered death, they were declared unclean for seven days. The only way to be purified was to go to the priest and be cleansed with the ashes of the red heifer on the third and seventh days. If the person did not abide by the law of the red heifer, they would defile the Tabernacle and be cut off from the community.

Much of the law in the Torah has obvious benefits for the welfare of the community or the individual. Yet certain laws make no rational sense. These are statutes with no explainable earthly purpose that completely defy human logic. Called chukkim, these laws are about pure obedience. The prohibitions against mixing milk and meat or blending wool and linen are classic examples. According to the rabbis, however, the law of the red heifer holds the crown as the most irrational of all the irrational statutes. Rabbinical sources note that even during the Roman occupation of Israel, the priests were teased by their overlords for this ritual, which the Romans viewed as primitive and superstitious.

In Temple times, the ashes of the red heifer were held in a stone urn called the qalal. To attain Temple access, the faithful had to be sprinkled with these ashes. Even today, without the ashes of the red heifer, Israel cannot reinstate Temple worship and ritual sacrifice. Without them, all Jews remain technically in a state of ritual impurity, defiled by contact with death. Because there has not been a Temple for two millennia, the issue of the red heifer was long considered irrelevant. However, with Israelis visiting the Temple Mount in increasing numbers, the topic is once again up for discussion.

According to the Chief Rabbinate in Israel, only at the end of the Messianic process can a new red heifer be found and prepared for sacrifice. Still, members of the Temple Mount movement actively hunt for a red heifer that checks off every biblical requirement. When I read Israeli news, part of me half-expects the headline: “Red Heifer Without Blemish Identified in the Galilee.” If the Roman overlords teased the Israelite priests for the heifer ritual, I can only imagine the global scrutiny Israel would face in 2026.

Balak

Before the Israelites are set to enter the Promised Land, they encamp in the plains of Moab. Rumors of their victories have spread across the land. This was their staging ground before crossing the Jordan River. They stayed in this area for the remainder of the book of Numbers, the entirety of Deuteronomy, and the opening of Joshua.

By the time they arrive, rumors of their decisive military victories over the Amorites have already spread across the land. The King of Moab, Balak, fears the coming Israelites. Before he risks a physical battle with them, he attempts to wage a spiritual one. He hires the seer Balaam to curse the Israelites. We know from Egyptian records from this same time period that hiring seers to compose poetic curses against enemies was a common practice. The story fits perfectly into this ancient Near Eastern context.

King Balak sends a distinguished delegation of Moabite and Midianite elders to Pethor, Balaam’s hometown. They carry the fees for divination in their hands. They implore the seer to return with them, look out over the massive Israelite encampment, and pronounce a curse. At first, Balaam tells the messengers to lodge for the night while he consults the Lord. That night, God gives Balaam an absolute answer: do not go with them, and do not curse the people, for they are blessed. The next morning, Balaam sends the elders away, stating that the Lord refuses to let him go.

King Balak does not accept this refusal. He sends a second, larger delegation filled with even higher-ranking officials. They offer Balaam wealth, promotion, and honor if he will just comply. Balaam tries to sound pious, declaring that even if Balak gave him a palace full of silver and gold, he could not go beyond the command of the Lord. Yet, instead of sending them away based on God’s first answer, Balaam invites them to stay the night again to see what else the Lord might say. This time, God permits him to go with them, but on one strict condition: Balaam can speak only the exact words God provides.

The next morning, Balaam saddles his donkey and sets out with the Moabite officials. Even though God had technically given him permission to go, the text notes that God’s anger flares up because Balaam is going with a heart full of compromised motives and greed. The angel of the Lord stands in the road as an adversary, brandishing a drawn sword. Balaam is completely blind to this spiritual reality, but his donkey sees the angel clearly. The donkey speaks, scolding Balaam for being blind to the warning angel. It’s more like an Aesop’s fable than something normal to the Bible.

The moral message is clear, though. Balaam, it seems, is not worthy of the divine message he carries. The fact that God uses a talking donkey to state the obvious to Balaam demonstrates that God can choose whatever vessel he likes to channel his message. \Just because Balaam had a divine encounter with the God of the Hebrews, so could a donkey. Balaam’s essential nature was not changed by the encounter. Later, Balaam will be responsible for collaborating with the Moabites in a plot to seduce the Israelite men. He is not an innocent seer, but the words he speaks on a hill overlooking the plain come directly from God.

When Balaam finally arrives, King Balak takes him up to three different mountaintops. At each location, Balak builds seven altars and offers expensive sacrifices and then asks Balaam to issue a curse. But God places a physical block on the seer. Balaam discovers that he is completely and physically incapable of pronouncing a curse against the Hebrews. The moment he opens his mouth, his own volition is overridden by the Spirit of God. Much to Balak’s absolute shock and fury, the mercenary prophet breaks into majestic, soaring poetry that actively blesses Israel. He forecasts their military dominance over neighboring kingdoms, and directly echoes the Abrahamic covenant, declaring that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse them will be cursed.

Each time Balaam tries to utter a curse, God hijacks his tongue. Instead of curses, blessings flow out. Even if Balaam is an opportunistic seer, God uses him to utter some of the most esteemed blessings ever spoken over the Hebrew people, oracles that endure for all time.

During his first oracle, Balaam utters one of the most famous verses in Jewish history: “For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; here is a people living alone, not reckoning itself among the nations” (Numbers 23:9). To this day, the nation of Israel still feels the sting and the comfort of this prophecy. They are indeed a people who dwell alone.

King Balak demands a second attempt, but Balaam explains his physical inability to curse what God has favored: “God is not a human, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not fulfill? See, I received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it” (Num 23:19–20).

Looking down at the orderly camp, Balaam gave his third oracle: “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters” (Num 24:5–6).

Balaam’s Today

Bible Fiber does not often venture into politics. That seems dangerous for Bible commentary. However, I was processing the weaknesses in the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding this week while studying the blessings of Balaam. The parallel struck me. Once again, we have countries trying to manipulate the divine voice.

Balak wanted to attack the Israelite encampment when it was most vulnerable. When pronouncing a curse over Israel did not work, the Moabites resorted to an elaborate plot to destroy the covenant relationship from within (Num 31:16).

While Israel was busy dealing with the logistical reality of their camp, God was operating behind the scenes on the mountaintops. When the enemies of Israel plotted and schemed, God saw it and intervened. God turned the curses of their enemies into declarations of favor.

I am not worried about Israel. God will ensure that his covenant people remain in the covenant land. My worry is for America to go the way of Balaam. Recently, we have heard the equivalent of curses coming from the mouths of our own leaders. I pray with all my heart that as we approach our 250th anniversary, we will have a talking donkey put in our way. We need a donkey to knock some sense into us before we go too far down this road.

That’s it for this week. If you would like to get the study questions that go with the reading, please visit our website at www.thejerusalemconnection.us

Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai

Discussion Questions

The Ritual and the Practical (Numbers 19)

In Numbers 19, God commands the use of the red heifer ritual to purify those who touch a dead body. Considering the decades of wilderness wandering, why would a specific ritual for managing death and defilement be so vital for the community’s survival and spiritual life at this specific moment?

Leadership Under Pressure (Numbers 20:1–13)

Look at the water crisis at Meribah in Numbers 20:1–13. God tells Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses strikes it twice instead while berating the assembly. Why do you think this specific act of disobedience was judged so severely that Moses was barred from entering the promised land? What does this reveal about the expectations placed on leadership?

The Danger of Compounding Failures (Numbers 21:4−9; 25:1−9)

Compare the story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:4–9 with the rebellion at Baal-peor in Numbers 25:1–9. In the first instance, the people look to a bronze serpent for healing after complaining. In the second, they actively participate in the worship of Midianite gods. How does the grumbling in the earlier chapters lay the groundwork for the total spiritual compromise seen at Baal-peor?

The post Chukat-Balak (Number 19:1–25:9) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Chukat-Balak (Number 19:1–25:9) appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

We invite you to listen to a remarkable new episode of The Red Alert Report—a conversation that reveals the courage, compassion, and unity at the heart of Israel’s emergency medical system.

This week’s guest is Gila Zarbiv, an emergency midwife with Magen David Adom, who brings life-saving maternal care into conflict zones, remote communities, and moments of crisis. Her firsthand stories offer a powerful glimpse into the resilience of Israeli families and the humanitarian spirit that defines Israel’s healthcare workers.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• The role of emergency midwives in Israel’s crisis-response system
• Real stories of life-saving interventions during rocket fire, in remote villages, and in homes without medical access
• How Israel’s healthcare teams—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Druze, Ethiopian, and more—serve together in unity
• The importance of continuity of care from pregnancy through postpartum recovery
• How compassionate medicine bridges cultural and religious divides
• The origins and growth of Magen David Adom’s emergency midwifery program
• How midwives and paramedics collaborate to save lives under extreme pressure
• Inspiring accounts of caring for women from Gaza, the West Bank, Africa, and beyond
• How these stories counter misinformation and reveal Israel’s true humanitarian character

This episode is a powerful reminder that even amid conflict, God is at work through those who bring life, healing, and hope.

We encourage you to watch or listen, share, and help amplify these firsthand accounts of compassion in God’s covenant land.

The post Red Alert: How Israeli Midwives Are Transforming Emergency Care first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: How Israeli Midwives Are Transforming Emergency Care appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.