The portions are getting shorter each week because we are also in the middle of the High Holidays on the Jewish calendar. In addition to reading through Deuteronomy in sequence, Jews are reading various holiday texts as part of their liturgical services for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

Rosh Hashanah has passed; Yom Kippur begins Sunday evening. After that, we are heading towards Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot begins September 25 and ends October 2.

Song of Moses

Deuteronomy 32 breaks in style and format with the rest of the covenant book. The chapter is a seventy-line poem that tradition holds Moses sang to the people on his last day. The song begins as a reminder to the Israelites of this generation to pass their story on to the next generation. They must tell their children and grandchildren about the miracles they witnessed in their deliverance from Egypt and their wanderings in the desert. Moses sings:

Remember the days of old; consider the years long past; ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. (32:7)

Moses reminds them of their chosenness and the responsibility that accompanies that gift:

When the Most High apportioned the nations, when he divided humankind, he fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods; the Lord’s own portion was his people, Jacob his allotted share. (32:8–9)

Moses goes on to assure them of their victory in battle as they ready their armies to conquer the land. When they settle the land, they must continue to follow God’s ways and stay faithful to him and not go after other gods. Moses warns them that after the wanderings and battles, they will settle in the land and enjoy the comforts that land possession affords: milk, meat, wine, cheese, oil, and wheat (32:13–14). The poem is a cautionary tale about how a full stomach can dull the desire for a relationship with their protector, God (32:15). Living in relative abundance of food, work, and shelter puts all of us at risk of forgetting God.

Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, is a sacred assembly built around the idea that the Jewish people are to strip themselves of material comforts each year so we may rely only on God. On Sukkot, the people are commanded each generation to take seven days and dwell in booths, the same temporary structures the Israelites called home during their forty years of wandering.

When Jews celebrate Sukkot, they build sukkahs in lots of different ways. The sukkah walls can be made from canvas, tarp, or any material that will not blow away. For the roof, they lay branches and sticks across the top. Families often like to decorate their sukkah. During the seven days of Sukkot, Jews eat all their meals and spend most of their time inside the sukkahs. Some families even sleep in them.

Sukkot is one of the most important Jewish holidays during the year, meant to be a celebration, not a fast or a time of mourning like some Biblical holidays. When I lived in Israel, I used to love taking night walks in my neighborhood and seeing all the sukkot built on the tops of buildings, squeezed onto apartment terraces, and taking over every inch of common green space.

I imagine it was like when Jesus went to Jerusalem during Sukkot to visit the Temple and taught in the Temple courts (John 7:2, 14). The Bible says, in the book of Zechariah, that when the Messiah reigns, the whole world will go to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot (Zech 14:16). As many of you know, more Christians from all over the world are going to the Feast of Tabernacles celebrations in Jerusalem.

Death of Moses and His Successor

After Moses recites the song, God instructs him to go up on the mountain so he can look out on all the land (Deut 32:48–52; Num 27:12–14). Then the Bible states, in a few words, that Moses was gathered to his people. He was 120 (Deut 31:2; Deut 34:5–7). This moment is the most desperate in the entire Torah. It makes the reader who has followed Moses from the burning bush to the rebellion of Korah scream out and beg God to reconsider. However, Moses, as a prophet, knew that it was time for a transition of authority.

The people needed a different leader for the next chapter in their long story. Moses had a particular vision for what kind of prophet they required. He asked the Lord:

Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd. (Num 27:16–17)

God was unequivocal. Joshua, son of Nun, was a man who had the spirit of God (Num 27:18). Moses was commanded to lay hands upon him in a public ceremony and transfer his authority so that the people would see him as their commissioned commander (Num 27:19–23; Deut 34:9).

The Israelite community was designed to have both priests and prophets. The priestly role was dynastic, passed from father to son. The prophetic role was spontaneous, driven by divine selection. The priestly line provided continuity. The prophetic line was discontinuous and ad hoc. The system of checks and balances among the priests, prophets, and judges was the key. We see that principle again after Joshua is appointed leader, when he is instructed to stand before the priests before making decisions (Num 27:21).

Moses and his wife Tziporrah had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer (Exod 18:3–4; 1 Chr 23:14–17). Given their father’s fame, we know little about the sons other than that they were not chosen as his successor.

However, we have many points on Joshua’s resume. Joshua was Moses’ faithful security chief from his youth (Num 11:28). According to Exodus 32:17, when Moses was on Mt. Sinai, Joshua waited at the foot of the mountain like a bodyguard. As Moses descended, Joshua reported to him about the golden calf. In Numbers 11:28, when God allowed the prophetic spirit to disseminate among the seventy elders, Joshua asked Moses to restrain them. He wanted to protect his authority. When the twelve spies were sent into the land, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who did not cower (Num 13:1–14:9). They believed the land was exceedingly good and worth the fight.

As the book of Joshua attests, Joshua was the Bible’s first General-Prophet. While Moses was tasked with delivering God’s people, Joshua was appointed to conquer God’s land. Deliverance and conquest are distinct tasks that require different leadership styles. This was exemplified at Rephidim when the Amalekites launched a surprise attack (Exod 17:8–13). Aaron and Moses stood on a hilltop with their arms raised to Heaven. Joshua battled it out with a sword alongside his rough-shod army and led them to an unlikely victory. Through the power of God, Moses performed signs and wonders that defied the laws of nature. The miracles God performed through Joshua were not going to be as obviously supernatural, but considering the long odds of the many military campaigns in the book of Joshua, they were no less miraculous.

Extra Sukkot Readings

In Jewish tradition, each High Holiday has a set of readings that fit its spirit and theme. Rosh Hashanah leans into stories of divine remembrance and unexpected births, like Sarah and Hannah. Because it is the Jewish New Year, all the readings are about a fresh start. Yom Kippur draws on the high priest’s sanctuary rituals in Leviticus and Jonah’s reluctant repentance. For Sukkot, the core liturgy starts with Leviticus 22 and 23, which spell out the practical ground rules for the feast: leave your home, move into a temporary leafy hut for seven days to remember the trek through the Sinai wilderness, and rejoice before God with the four species. Alongside that, Numbers 29 covers the massive roster of daily temple sacrifices. My personal favorite is that they read the entire book of Ecclesiastes—the book that takes a hard look at genuine joy and determines it is not about stacking up material security, but about receiving everyday life as a gift from God.

The prophetic Haftarah portions push that perspective even further. On the first day, the community reads Zechariah 14, a sweeping vision of the end of days in which every nation travels to Jerusalem year after year to keep the Feast of Tabernacles and pray for the winter rains. The following day turns back to history with 1 Kings 8, detailing Solomon’s dedication of the First Temple during this exact autumn festival. So, if you are feeling extra studious, feel free to add all of those readings to your weekly devotionals and get the full Sukkot effect!

Study Questions

The Song as a Witness: In Deuteronomy 31:19–21, God commands Moses to teach this poem to Israel because a spoken song endures in cultural memory longer than written prose. Why is a musical or poetic form particularly suited to function as a legal witness against future spiritual amnesia?

The Recurring Call to Joy: Despite its sharp assessment of life’s injustices, Ecclesiastes repeatedly pauses to urge the reader to eat, drink, and take pleasure in their daily labor (Eccl 2:24, 3:12–13, 5:18–20, 9:7–10). How does Ecclesiastes define true, godly joy in a world where lasting security is unattainable?

Redemption: How does the Feast of Sukkot trace the arc of God’s redemptive plan—moving from a memorial of Israel’s dependence in temporary wilderness shelters (Leviticus 23:42–43), to the dwelling of God’s presence in the Jerusalem Temple (1 Kings 8), to an eschatological gathering of all nations under divine sovereignty (Zechariah 14:16–19)? In what ways does the festival foreshadow the ultimate fulfillment of God “tabernacling” permanently among humanity?

The post Bible Fiber: Ha’azinu (Deuteronomy 32) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Bible Fiber: Ha’azinu (Deuteronomy 32) appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

In the past, I have done an entire series introducing and walking through the biblical feasts, and for those of you who want a foundational primer, I’ll link my previous episode, “Rosh Hashanah for the Goyim,” in the show notes.

But this year, I wanted to take advantage of this natural pause in our reading cycle to do something a little different and talk about the instruments and symbols associated with the Jewish High Holidays. Naturally, I thought we would start with the most unmistakable symbol of them all: the shofar.

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What is a shofar?

When you hear a shofar, you are hearing an instrument unlike any other. It is not made of hammered metal, crafted by human hands and refined through metallurgy, like the silver trumpets described in Numbers 10. Instead, the shofar is organic, taken directly from the natural world—almost always from the curved horn of a kosher ram. The shofar is intentionally unadorned. When air is forced through it, it does not produce a conventional melody; it produces an elemental cry. It’s a sound that is supposed to bypass human intellect and speak directly to the soul.

Mount Sinai

In Exodus 19, the children of Israel arrive in the desert and stand before the trembling mountain. On the morning of the third day, they heard thunder and saw flashes of lightning as a dense cloud enveloped the peak. At the same time, they heard the blast of a shofar so loud that every single person in the camp shook with fear. As Moses spoke and God answered, the sound of the horn did not fade away. Instead, the scripture says the sound grew louder and louder.

This was the acoustic presence of the Living God. It shattered Israel’s complacency, establishing a boundary between the profane and the holy, and announcing that heaven was delivering its eternal moral law into the hands of mortals. Centuries later, the author of Hebrews described the sound of the shofar as something that made the hearers beg that “no further word be spoken to them” (Heb 12:19).

Yet the shofar’s spiritual heartbeat is anchored even earlier in sacred history, in the drama of Genesis 22—the Binding of Isaac.

Abraham and Isaac

When Abraham climbed Mount Moriah out of obedience, and put his son upon the altar, at the final moment, the Angel of the Lord halted his hand. When Abraham looked up, he saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. The horns were the feature that entangled the animal, anchoring it in place until Abraham lifted his eyes.

The ram took the place of Isaac upon the altar. The horn therefore represents God’s unexpected grace—the divine principle that God Himself provides the ransom (Adonai Yireh) so that the human life is spared.

The rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud saw this moment as the foundation of the shofar as a ram’s horn. Technically, a shofar can be made from the horn of any kosher animal, but a ram’s horn is by far the most common. Because a ram’s horn points back to the near sacrifice of Isaac and God’s mercy in sparing Abraham from committing the act.

In the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Abbahu explained that the horn is blown on the New Year specifically to evoke this moment:

“The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: ‘Sound a ram’s horn before Me so that I may remember on your behalf the binding of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and I will account it to you as if you bound yourselves before Me.’”

Jericho

In the Bible, the ram’s horn was not just a symbol of God’s mercy, but also his judgment. For forty years, Israel had lived as nomadic wanderers under Moses. After Moses died on Mount Nebo, Joshua assumed command. When he led the camp past the Jordan River and into the promised land, Jericho was their first target. Jericho was an ancient walled oasis fed by a perennial freshwater spring. Anyone crossing the southern Jordan ford had to deal with Jericho; leaving a fortified hostile city at their rear would have cut off their supply lines and retreat route.

God gave an attack plan that defied military wisdom. According to God’s instructions, seven priests, carrying seven shofars, were to march before the Ark of the Covenant around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they marched seven times. And when the priests blew a long, piercing blast and all the people released a mighty shout, the stone walls would collapse flat. Jericho fell not because of battering rams or military prowess, but because the sound of the shofar declared God’s sovereign judgment and rightful ownership over the land.

Jubilee

In Leviticus 25, God laid out the stipulations for the Jubilee year. The Jubilee enacted three sweeping reforms designed to prevent the emergence of a permanently poor or enslaved class. If an Israelite fell into desperate poverty and was forced to sell their family land to survive, that sale was never permanent. In the 50th year, all agricultural land automatically reverted to its original family or tribal clan at no cost. In the Jubilee year, the enslaved were granted unconditional freedom to return home. Like the ordinary Sabbatical year, the soil was given complete rest. The people were forbidden to sow fields, prune vineyards, or harvest crops for commercial storage. They were to eat only what grew naturally of its own accord

The inauguration of the Jubilee Year was set in motion by a specific blast on the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 25:9 says:

Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

In the biblical period, the central High Court in Jerusalem sounded the shofar first. As soon as the shofar was sounded from the court, every individual throughout the towns, villages, and countryside who possessed a horn was commanded to sound it as well. Watchmen on hilltops caught the blast and passed it from valley to valley. Within moments, the entire land of Israel resounded with the overlapping, continuous blasts of rams’ horns.

When the blast reached every community, Hebrew laborers who had bound themselves into service because of poverty were instantly emancipated and returned to their families (Lev 25:10). All agricultural tracts sold over the previous 49 years reverted to their original clan allotments. Contracts were dissolved, deeds reset, and the original families regained their ancestral heritage.

Rosh Hashanah

This brings us to the holiday with which the shofar is most synonymous: Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah means in Hebrew, “Head of the Year.” It is observed on the first and second days of the autumn month of Tishrei, which usually falls in September. The name Rosh Hashanah never appears in the Old Testament. Instead, it is described as “The Day of the Horn Blast” (Num 29:1) and “A Memorial Proclaimed with Blasts” (Lev 23:24). Jewish tradition marks it as the anniversary of the creation of the world—specifically the creation of humanity on the sixth day—and the day on which God is re-enthroned as the Sovereign and Judge of all creation.

In the original biblical economy, the central communal holidays were the three agricultural pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh Regalim): Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. However, during the Second Temple and early rabbinic eras, the first ten days of the seventh month took on their own significance. Rosh Hashanah came to be understood not as an isolated event, but as the opening gate of the Ten Days of Repentance or Days ofAwe. This solemn season reaches its climax ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The sages taught that on Rosh Hashanah, the Heavenly Court convenes and opens three symbolic books before God: one for the wholly righteous, one for the wicked, and one for the intermediate majority whose fates hang in the balance. These individuals are granted the ten-day corridor between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to examine their lives through repentance, prayer, and acts of restorative justice or charity.

Still, despite its richer meaning developed over the centuries, Rosh Hashanah is, at its biblical essence, the day of the horn blast. The biblical text commands a horn blast but does not define the sound. The Talmudic rabbis introduced that tradition. They developed shofar liturgy. On Rosh Hashanah, the first blast is a single, long, steady blast representing clarity, wholeness, and royalty. The second time the shofar is blown it should be three broken, sighing blasts that sound like quiet groaning. The third shofar blow should include nine rapid, staccato notes, like frantic weeping or an urgent siren. The last blast goes for as long as the shofar blower has breath to give. Each pattern is sounded three times, creating the foundational thirty blasts required by Jewish law. Throughout the extended service, these sets are repeated until a total of one hundred blasts echo through the sanctuary.

The Shofar in the New Testament

In Matthew 24, when Jesus was describing the end of the age, he said, “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Jesus was calling back to Isaiah 27:13, which prophesied that on that day, a Great Shofar would sound to gather the scattered exiles back to the holy mountain.

The Apostle Paul takes this even further in his letters to the early churches. In his letter to the Corinthians about the end of the age, he said: “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor 15:51–52).

And in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul paints the definitive portrait of the Second Coming: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess 4:16).

When the New Testament speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus, the trumpet is not just a musical fanfare. It is an ontological command. Just as God spoke and creation sprang into being, and just as the shofar at Sinai caused the earth to quake, the “Trumpet of God” sounds as the cosmic instrument of resurrection. It pierces the grave, calling those who sleep in the dust to awaken into imperishable life.

In Revelation, seven trumpets herald the unfolding judgments of God. With the seventh trumpet blast, loud voices in heaven declare: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

As we conclude, the message of the shofar rings clear across thousands of years. It began as an animal horn tangled in a briar patch on Mount Moriah, pointing to God’s mercy. It sounded over a smoking mountain at Sinai, establishing his covenant. It brought down walls at Jericho, reminding us that salvation belongs to the Lord. It sounds each year at Rosh Hashanah to awaken souls from spiritual slumber. And according to the New Testament, it awaits that final, glorious blast—when the trumpet of God shall sound, the dead shall rise, and the King shall reign supreme.

That’s it for this week. Join me next week as we return to Deuteronomy for the shortest reading cycle for the year. Its all about Deuteronomy 32, what is also known as the Song of Moses.

Shabbat Shalom

The post Bible Fiber: Are shofars in the Bible? first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Bible Fiber: Are shofars in the Bible? appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

Paul explains how misinformation shapes global perceptions of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the difficulty of verifying casualty figures from Gaza, and the spiritual dimensions behind growing hostility toward Jews and Christians. Paul also shares his plans to speak in UK churches about living through rocket attacks in the Holy Land and the importance of grounding conversations about Israel in factual, biblical truth.

This episode offers a sobering yet hopeful look at faith, conflict, and the need for clarity in a world flooded with distorted narratives. To hear Paul’s full perspective—and to stay informed about the realities facing believers in Bethlehem and beyond—watch the latest episode of The Red Alert Report.

Find Paul’s publications: 

Bethlehem Voice podcast (Find it on YouTube) 

Paul Calvert’s articles published on AllIsraelNews.com

Paul’s Children’s Books on Amazon. The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree  (the first of three in a series)

Warmly, 

Amy Zewe 
Vice President, The Jerusalem Connection International

The post Red Alert: Paul Calvert on What’s Really Happening first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: Paul Calvert on What’s Really Happening appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

Although much of God’s covenant with his people was revolutionary, the literary framework in which Moses presented it was familiar to the Israelites. In fact, the covenant was arranged in a format that any nation in the ancient Near East would have recognized. This understanding, that the covenant is following a common format, is something relatively new to biblical historians. Only in the last century have we learned a great deal about bilateral covenant-making in the ancient Near East.

In 1906, archaeologists working in central Turkey unearthed the royal archives of the Hittite Empire. The archive contained over ten thousand clay cuneiform tablets dating to the Late Bronze Age. This is every archaeologist’s dream, total paydirt. As scholars began to study and classify different types of documents, they found numerous treaties and pacts between Hittite kings and their vassal states. In each case, imperial scribes followed a consistent six-part legal formula. Hittite treaties always opened with a preamble identifying the king by his formal name and titles. Next came the historical prologue, recounting every benevolent act the king had performed on behalf of the vassal. Then came the stipulations and obligations regarding tribute and border defense. Scribes included specific instructions to deposit the treaty text in a sacred temple and read it aloud publicly at regular intervals. Finally, the treaty summoned the gods as cosmic witnesses and closed with a stark catalog of blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion.

In 1954, biblical scholar George Mendenhall recognized that the same formula found in the Hittite treaties matched Deuteronomy’s structure. Deuteronomy reproduces the full six-part treaty model. Deuteronomy begins with a preamble (1:1–5). Moses gives a detailed historical prologue (1:6–4:49). The bulk of the book, from chapters 5 through 26, Moses lays out the covenant stipulations—all the laws covering family, religious, and civic life. Moses also includes explicit instructions to write these words on plaster-coated stones and read the entire Torah publicly before the assembled community (27:2–3; 31:10–11). He calls upon heaven and earth as perpetual witnesses (30:19; 32:1).

While Deuteronomy adopted this Hittite legal structure, God completely subverted its purpose. What was revolutionary about the treaty between God and his covenant people was the idea of reciprocity in a covenant between God and man. God chose these specific people, yet they had to choose God as well. Coercion could not be a piece of the puzzle, even if we are talking about the creator of the universe. The covenant is mutually beneficial if the people stay faithful. If they break the covenant and follow other gods, they can return, but only with repentant hearts. God can only ask that they come to him and commit to his ways out of their own free will. He will not force that relationship.

In contrast, Hittite treaties were transactional. They were not about a mutual relationship. Instead, their sole aim was extracting revenue, food supplies, and military conscripts for the empire. The common people were collateral subjects on the fringes of power.

In Deuteronomy, God bypassed the royal courts and elite ruling classes entirely. He entered a direct covenant with every single citizen of Israel. In Deuteronomy 29:10–12, Moses looks out over the crowd:

You stand assembled today, all of you, before the LORD your God—the leaders of your tribes, your elders, and your officials, even all the men of Israel, your children, your women, and the aliens who are in your camp, both those who cut your wood and those who draw your water—to enter into the sworn covenant of the LORD your God.

The other difference between the Mosaic covenant and the Hittite treaties is that pagan kings demanded fearful submission. God demanded heartfelt love. In Deuteronomy 6:4–5, Moses declares the central pulse of the Torah: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” No pagan emperor ever asked a conquered vassal to love him.

The Nearness of the Covenant

In his farewell speech, Moses also reminds the people that what God has laid out for them is not an impossible standard. What God has revealed about himself and his character is not an unattainable mystery.

Moses says:

Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. (Deut 30:11–14)

The Hebrew phrase translated “not too hard” (lo-niflet hi) means not beyond human grasp, incomprehensible, or wondrously impossible. In ancient Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Egypt, the divine will was considered hidden, unpredictable, and capricious. They relied on omens, divination, astrology, and priestly classes to discover what the gods required. This was the religious culture in Egypt, and they would also encounter it in Canaan. Moses wanted to dismantle that worldview. He was telling them that the one true God’s will does not require an ascent to the heavens or a hazardous journey across the sea. The real revelation at Sinai brought divine wisdom down to earth in clear, human language.

God did not deliver an abstract philosophical puzzle or an impossible ascetic regimen. The Torah’s demands are practical and doable in everyday life.Israel cannot claim that God’s standards were too distant to find or too complex to understand. Because the covenant is accessible to every level of society, the responsibility to choose life and walk in obedience rests squarely with the people.

Moses knows and understands that once they enter the land and grow comfortable, they will be tempted to look for God elsewhere rather than in the covenant faith of their forefathers. They will be tempted by the idols of the Canaanites. In exile, many will admire the glamour of the Babylonian empire. In the Second Temple period, Hellenism and its culture and lifestyle will be so tempting that it will split the people. Only the word of God, constantly put before them, can remind them of who they are as a people committed to him. Their God is accessible, having made himself known to them, their ancestors, and their children. But God leaves the choice of obedience with them.

This is why in the last part of the treaty, Moses calls heaven and earth his witnesses. He tells the people:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live. (Deut 30:19)

Unlike the Hittite treaties with vassal states, God was inviting his people into a life-giving relationship. The king of heaven did not demand taxes or armies; he asked for wholehearted love, justice in the gates, and mercy for the vulnerable.

Pagan treaties, if broken, promised total annihilation for the rebellious vassal. Moses already understood in Deuteronomy that a day would come when they would break the covenant, and God would have to punish them with exile. However, unlike the Hittite treaties, God’s covenant included the opportunity to repent and return. They could choose life again and again and God would be there to receive them back.

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.

Study Questions

1. In Deuteronomy 29:10–12, Moses gathers the entire community—leaders, elders, children, women, resident aliens, woodcutters, and water carriers—to enter into the sworn covenant with God. How does this universal inclusion contrast with ancient Near Eastern Hittite treaties that were made only between emperors and elite puppet kings, and what does this reveal about how God views the dignity and accountability of everyday individuals?

2. Moses emphasizes in Deuteronomy 30:11–14 that God’s word is not impossibly far away in heaven or across the sea, but is near: “in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” The apostle Paul quotes these exact verses in Romans 10:6–10, applying them directly to faith in Jesus. How does the incarnation and message of Jesus fulfill Moses’ declaration that God’s righteousness and presence are accessible to everyday believers rather than distant or unattainable?

3. In Deuteronomy 30:6 and 31:16–21, God reveals that despite the law being clear and attainable, Israel will succumb to spiritual amnesia and unfaithfulness, ultimately needing God himself to “circumcise your heart.” How does Jesus address this inner condition in the Gospels (such as his teachings on the heart in Matthew 15:18–20 and the promised work of the Holy Spirit), and why is inward spiritual transformation necessary to sustain the call to “choose life”?

The post Bible Fiber: Nitzavim−Vayelech (Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Bible Fiber: Nitzavim−Vayelech (Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30) appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

“Seeing them so soon after an attack… expanded my world in a really huge way.” Meeting survivors and witnessing the aftermath firsthand reshaped her understanding of Israel’s story and strengthened her faith.

A year and a half later, Ruby returned—not to tour, but to serve. She volunteered at a kibbutz near Gaza, helping prepare homes for displaced families returning after the conflict. “It really touched them that these Christians were coming… They thanked us a lot.” Her work restored not only physical spaces but also hope within the community.

Now, Ruby is preparing to begin her studies at Hebrew University, choosing Israel over American higher education because she longs for clarity, truth, and immersion in the culture she has grown to love. “I was kind of becoming disillusioned with the American higher education…” Her commitment to learning, serving, and building bridges makes her an extraordinary representative of our mission.

Ruby’s story reminds us of the power of empathy, connection, and standing with Israel’s people—both ancient and modern. To hear her full journey, watch the latest episode of the Red Alert Report.

As Ruby prepares for this next chapter, we invite you to partner with her. Your support of our Hebrew University Scholarship Fund directly helps Ruby with tuition and living expenses as she studies in Jerusalem. You can give by writing “Ruby” or “Hebrew University” on your check or remittance slip, or by donating online here.

Thank you for standing with us—and with Ruby—as we invest in the next generation of Christian advocates for Israel.

Many Blessings,

Amy Zewe

Vice President and Red Alert Report Host

The post Red Alert: Ruby’s Path to Hebrew University first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: Ruby’s Path to Hebrew University appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

This week’s Torah portion covers Deuteronomy 26:1 to 29:8. It takes its name, Ki Tavo, from its opening Hebrew words, which mean “When you come” or “When you enter.” The commandments that follow are for when Israel crosses the Jordan River, takes possession of the land, and settles into its new national life. Before Moses hands the people off to their new leader, Joshua, he reminds them of the laws and teachings they received at Sinai. The new generation did not witness, or was too young to remember, God descending upon Sinai with the rumble of thunder and flash of lightning. They did not smell the thick smoke or feel the ground shaking beneath them. Of course, they heard the stories from their parents and believed the witness of the tribal leaders. However, they needed their own Sinai moment, led by their appointed leader with the full participation of the rising generation. They needed their own founding story.

Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim

Moses lays out the procedural details for the covenant ceremony. He and the elders of Israel instructed:

Keep the entire commandment that I am commanding you today. On the day that you cross over the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and cover them with plaster. You shall write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over, to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

So when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, about which I am commanding you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall cover them with plaster. And you shall build an altar there to the LORD your God, an altar of stones on which you have not used an iron tool. You must build the altar of the LORD your God of unhewn stones. On it you shall offer burnt offerings to the LORD your God, make sacrifices of well-being, and eat them there, rejoicing before the LORD your God. You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very clearly. (Deut 27:1–8)

The ceremony of blessings and curses is a liturgical act, a wedding ceremony, in a sense, between the twelve tribes and their one true God. God wants the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali to gather on Mount Ebal. The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin should gather at Mount Gerizim. No explanation is given for the specific makeup of the groups. The Levites were responsible for announcing each curse. Those on Mount Gerizim were to pronounce blessings. After each curse and each blessing, the people shouted, “Amen!”

The Blessings for Obedience are the most beautiful portion (Deut 28:1–14). God promises that if they do not turn aside from his commands, he will open the heavens and give them bounty. God will open their wombs, their harvests, and their baskets. If the Israelites remember the past and stay true to the teachings, they will live and thrive in the land.

On the opposite note, however, if they turn away from him, God will close their wombs and curse their fields and livestock (Deut 28:15–68). If they forget how God delivered them from Egypt, if they ignore the voice of the Lord, and if they break the holy laws and are unfaithful to their God, they will lose the land. It will be a reverse Exodus, with God taking them from the land of their freedom back into slavery.

When you read the blessings and curses, it seems as if it bears a little heavier on the curses than the blessings. However, none of the curses is permanent. All the people have to do is repent, turn back to God, and they are reunited with the blessings.

The covenant ceremony did not take place until Joshua emerged victorious after the battle of Ai. In Joshua 8, we see that Joshua followed Moses’s instructions to the letter. He built a stone altar on Mount Ebal to make sacrifices to the Lord. Joshua then took plastered white stones and inscribed the Torah on them. Joshua assembled the people and read out the blessings and curses, just as they were written in the Book of the Law.

Ebal and Gerizim

Geographically and historically, Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim are the two prominent mountain ridges that flank the valley of Shechem. When Abraham first entered Canaan, he stopped at Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. There, God appeared to him and promised the land to his descendants (Gen 12:6–7). Many generations later, Jacob bought a parcel of land where he pitched his tent and built an altar (Gen 33:18–20). God did not choose Shechem arbitrarily as the place for the covenant ceremony. He intentionally designed it so they would return to the holy ground where God first made a promise to their ancestor Abraham and where their ancestor Jacob acquired the first plot.

Despite the biblical importance of the site, modern tour groups and mainstream pilgrimage itineraries routinely bypass Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. The two mountains flank the Palestinian city of Nablus. Nablus is designated as Area A under the defunct Oslo Accords. That places it under complete civil and security control of the Palestinian Authority. Israeli law forbids Israeli citizens from entering Area A. That includes standard licensed Israeli tour guides and bus drivers.

For the lucky ones, however, there is an archaeological site on Mount Ebal, which features a mysterious Iron Age stone structure. The late Israeli archaeologist Adam Zertal discovered the site in 1980 during the comprehensive survey of the hill country of Manasseh. Between 1982 and 1989, Zertal conducted eight seasons of excavations. Zertal began the survey as a secular scholar with a minimalist view of early Israelite history. But by the time he was done, he was certain that the altar he found was indeed Joshua’s altar (Josh 8:30–35; Deut 27:4–8).

Adam Zertal’s excavations at Mount Ebal revealed that the altar complex developed across two distinct construction phases; either could be Joshua’s altar, depending on one’s date of the Conquest. The earliest altar (1230–1200 BCE) was a modest circular stone altar built directly on the natural bedrock. During the second phase (1200–1150 BCE), builders encased this primary circular installation beneath a monumental, rectangular altar made of unhewn fieldstones. This major expansion introduced a wide, inclined stone ramp, paved courtyards, and a surrounding enclosure wall. This structural evolution indicates that the site began as a localized sacrificial installation and later expanded into a prominent sanctuary.

In December 2019, an archaeological team led by Scott Stripling of the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) went to Mount Ebal to sift the discarded dump material left behind by Zertal’s excavations. To their surprise, the team recovered a small, folded lead sheet known as a curse tablet. Measuring roughly two by two centimeters and only a few millimeters thick, the tablet was folded in half. What they didn’t know is if it had an internal inscription. Because the ancient metal was too brittle to unfold without breaking, the researchers sent it to a laboratory in Prague for specialized 3D X-ray scanning. These scans allowed scientists to look between the folded layers without opening the object.

Inside the fold, the language experts identified very early alphabetic letters that form an ancient curse formula. Their translation of the short text warns:

You are cursed by the god yhw, cursed.
You will die cursed.
Cursed you will surely die.
Cursed by yhw—cursed.

The tablet appears to use a short, three-letter version of God’s name (YHW). If correct, it would be the oldest written reference to the God of Israel ever found in the region. The find almost felt too good to be true. They found a curse inscription on the very mountain God designated as the place to pronounce curses for breaking the covenant.

The good news is that for determined travelers, it is not entirely off-limits. With military coordination, an armed convoy, and a bit of rugged hiking, you can still reach the archaeological site at Mount Ebal and see Joshua’s altar with your own eyes.

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.

Study Questions

1. Personalizing the Story (Deut 26:1–11) When offering the first fruits, every Israelite recited the historical confession beginning with “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor.” Why was it crucial for each individual farmer to rehearse the Exodus story when presenting their personal harvest? How does intentionally remembering where God brought your family or community from guard against spiritual complacency in seasons of abundance?

2. The Call to Hidden Integrity (Deut 27:11–26) The twelve curses proclaimed from Mount Ebal focus heavily on covert sins committed out of public view—such as secret idolatry, mistreating vulnerable people, moving boundary stones, or taking bribes. Why do you think the national covenant ceremony placed such strong emphasis on private integrity rather than visible, public crimes? What does this teach us about the true foundation of community trust and faithfulness to God?

3. Choosing Life in the Land (Deut 28:1–19; 29:1–8) The blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 mirror each other directly (“blessed in the city / cursed in the city”), framing covenant life as an active, daily choice with real outcomes. Considering that this assembly was about to cross into Canaan without Moses, why was it essential for them to ratify this covenant for themselves rather than relying on their parents’ experience at Sinai? How do we actively take personal ownership of our faith rather than simply inheriting it?

The post Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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Yael’s journey reflects a growing struggle for Jewish students nationwide and invites both Jews and Christians to consider how we support those facing hostility, misinformation, and isolation.

Growing Up Without Anti-Semitism

Yael grew up in a religious community where anti-Semitism was virtually unknown. “I grew up in a very religious community, had never had any real problems with antisemitism, which was, of course, such a blessing.” College, however, brought a stark awakening.

A Campus Without a Jewish Home

In rural Ohio, Jewish life was nearly invisible. Hillel existed—but barely. Her attempt to start a Jewish or Israel club was rejected under the guise of “inclusivity.”

“I asked, can we start a Jewish club, an Israel club? We can make challah, we can teach about Israel. But the chaplain said we can’t have something like that because we want to be open to everyone.”

October 7th: A Turning Point

While studying abroad in England, Yael learned of the horrific attacks in Israel. Returning to campus, she found a painful contrast: The Students for Justice in Palestine club received institutional support, while Hillel remained silent.

“They didn’t acknowledge October 7th… until the one-year anniversary when they posted something about a family Shabbat.”

Courage in the Face of Hostility

Determined to speak for the hostages, Yael printed hundreds of posters and put them up at night for her own safety.

“People would take them down within seconds. I would put them up when no one was around.”

Her story is one of resilience—choosing identity over fear, truth over silence.

A New Chapter of Hope in Washington, DC

Amid these challenges, Yael found renewal and encouragement through Pepperdine’s Washington, DC program and her work with the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism. In DC, she finally experienced what had been missing on her Ohio campus:

• A vibrant, open, and accepting community
• Professors and peers who respected her identity
• Space to speak openly about Israel
• A supportive environment where her Star of David felt safe to wear

This season reminded her that Jewish identity can flourish—and that strong allies stand ready to support her.

Why This Conversation Matters

Yael’s experience is not isolated. It highlights the growing challenges Jewish students face and the courage needed to stand firm in hostile environments.

Her testimony echoes a biblical truth shared by Jews and Christians: “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid.” (Joshua 1:9)

For a deeper understanding of Yael’s journey—and the broader challenges facing Jewish students today—watch the full episode of the Red Alert Report.

Blessings,

Amy Zewe 

The Jerusalem Connection International

The post Red Alert: A Young Woman’s Journey Through Anti-Semitism first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: A Young Woman’s Journey Through Anti-Semitism appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The long list of laws jumps from wartime rules to family inheritance to animal rights to marriage laws. A significant percentage of the laws address the upstart nation’s public health policies, agricultural standards, and financial guidelines. The sheer volume of laws demonstrates how faith must permeate every aspect of life. Admittedly, plenty of them leave modern readers scratching their heads. Like, what does mixing wool and linen have to do with faithfulness to God. However, some laws clearly call the Israelite nation to a higher ethical order than any other ancient people. Many laws focus on defending people who lacked societal power. The Israelites had to care for the marginalized.

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In Deuteronomy 24, God commands:

Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. (24:14−15).

In the Bible’s most violent moments of destruction, the main offense against God is society’s oppression of the weak. This pattern appears in the stories of Noah’s flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the events preceding the Babylonian exile. God brings his most severe punishments when the outcry of the vulnerable reaches his ears, and he intervenes on their behalf. Every time, this divine intervention is dramatic.

God hears our cries

The Hebrew word used here for “cry” is qara. It is the same word used in certain Psalms of Ascent when the pilgrims cry out to God. For example, Psalm 120:1 says, “In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me.” Psalm 130:1 says, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” Both verses use forms of qara. The concept of the poor, oppressed, or marginalized crying out to God is a major theological theme throughout Scripture. God promises to hear their cry.

In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, for example, the outcries of the weak reach a desperate pitch. The Bible has a more severe word for cry out than qara. It is tsa’aq. Nahum Sarna, author of Understanding Genesis, defines the Hebrew tsa’aq as “the anguished cry of the oppressed, the agonized plea of the victim for help in some great injustice.” This is an example of when the English translation undermines the Hebrew text. The word outcry hardly carries the same moral outrage as tsa’aq.

Anytime the outcry of the vulnerable—the poor, the orphan, the widow, or the foreigner—reaches God’s ears, he is compelled to radical action. The prophet Ezekiel explains Sodom’s punishment: “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease but did not aid the poor and needy” (16:49). God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah when the outcry against them became too great.

Once slaves in Egypt

In the Book of Exodus, a new unnamed pharaoh came to power. This ruler did not remember Joseph or the Hebrews’ past loyalty. As the Israelite population rapidly grew, the pharaoh became deeply anxious about national security. He feared the Hebrews would ally with Egypt’s enemies in the event of a war. Driven by this paranoia, he enslaved them. He forced the Hebrew people to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses, and he eventually escalated his oppression by ordering the death of their male infants.

Exodus records, “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob” (Ex. 2:23).

This moment of God’s intervention on behalf of his suffering people is the entire climax of the Torah, the pivot point that the prophets always refer to. When God instructs the covenant people to treat the foreigner and vulnerable with compassion, he reminds them to recall their own history of being abused slaves in Egypt. In Deuteronomy, Moses warns them that they will soon be the landowners and nation-builders. Power will be in their hands, and they must not abuse it. They must act differently than the Egyptians or other heartless and godless empires. God warns that if they fail to protect the weak among them and the outcries of the poor reach his ears, his anger will blaze forth (Ex. 22:22).

The prophet’s echo

The prophetic books cite social injustice as a primary reason for the destruction of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon. The prophets condemn the oppression of the vulnerable just as often as they condemn idolatry. In fact, God rebukes the nation for their lack of justice far more than he rebukes them for ritual or sacrificial failures. Religious ceremonies meant nothing to God if the worshippers exploit the poor.

Isaiah ministered in the eighth century BCE. In his fifth chapter, he delivers a devastating message. He pronounces:

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
    are his cherished garden;
he expected justice
    but saw bloodshed;
righteousness
    but heard a cry!(Isa. 5:7).

The lack of compassion in society ultimately provokes God’s divine wrath and punishment.

God does not just demand justice in the abstract. God gives practical ways that the Israelites can care for the poor. Moses promises that if the people follow these laws, the outcry of the vulnerable will cease. According to Deuteronomy 24:19, the Israelites must not overharvest their wheat fields. Instead, they must leave forgotten sheaves for the poor to glean. Deuteronomy 24:20 instructs them not to overpick their olive trees. They must leave the remaining fruit for the hungry to share. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 24:17 commands that a creditor must never take the cloak of a widow in pledge. The creditor must have compassion on her plight.

If the nation upholds this standard of justice, the qara or the tsa’aq will not reach the ears of God. God will not be compelled to dramatic action and consequences. Instead, as Deuteronomy 24:19 promises, the Lord will bless the work of their hands. The Israelites will live and thrive in the land. All will be well with them.

Justice in the New Testament

What Deuteronomy 24 is to the Old Testament, James 5 is to the New Testament. More than any other epistle, James focuses heavily on ethical daily conduct and moral discipline. As the brother of Jesus, James drew from the moral core of Jesus’s ministry, teaching the new band of believers how to live according to the ethical worldview he heard preached many times by his brother.

In the final chapter of his letter, James issues a severe warning to wealthy landowners. He says, “Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you” (5:1). Then he points directly back to the labor laws of Moses. James 5:4 explains exactly why God is angry: “Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.”

New Testament scholars often debate if these landowners were Christians or just affluent outsiders. But James is writing to a church. He already rebuked the congregation in the second chapter for favoring the rich. It is highly likely that some of these oppressors were part of the local assembly. They claimed to follow Jesus, yet they built their wealth by exploiting vulnerable workers. James calls out this hypocrisy.

He contrasts their lavish lifestyle with the suffering of those laborers: “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” (5:5).

The cries of these harvesters in first-century Israel are the same outcry we see in the books of Moses. James reminds his readers that God is the Lord of hosts. When the wealthy exploit the poor, the outcry still reaches his ears, and God will intervene. True faith must produce tangible justice. And when we do offer compassion, mercy, and justice, Jesus sees it the same as if we had acted compassionately directly to him.

I’ll let the words of Jesus end this Bible Fiber. No one could say it better.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me. (Matthew 25:35–40)

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

Study Questions

1. The Scope of Holiness This Torah portion contains seventy-four commandments. They address ordinary parts of daily life. These include building a roof parapet, caring for animals, and returning lost items. Why does God care about such minor details of society? How does this extensive list change your view on what it means to live a holy life?

2. Economic Justice and the Vulnerable In Deuteronomy 24, Moses commands the Israelites to leave leftover crops for the poor. He also instructs them to pay workers before sunset. How do these ancient agricultural laws challenge our modern views on wealth and charity? What are some practical ways we can care for the marginalized in our own community?

3. The New Testament Echo The New Testament strongly echoes the justice laws of Moses. James 5 warns wealthy landowners that the cries of their workers have reached the Lord of hosts. Read James 5:1–6 next to Deuteronomy 24:14–15. How does James apply the Torah to the early church? What warning does this hold for Christians today?

The post Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19) appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

Doron shares how his own journey — from studying electronics to becoming a historian — was transformed by a teacher who taught history not as dates, but as people, choices, and moral crossroads. That approach led him to examine not only what happened, but how different communities remember the same events in profoundly different ways.

With all four grandparents born in Poland, Doron’s connection to Polish-Jewish history is deeply personal. He describes returning to Poland with his father, confronting painful memories, and discovering that Poles and Jews often stand in the same historical places yet see different stories. Rather than rejecting one narrative for another, Doron argues that understanding multiple perspectives enriches our grasp of truth.

His insights echo a biblical principle shared by Jews and Christians alike: “The discerning heart seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 15:14)

Doron reminds us that acknowledging another community’s suffering does not diminish our own. Instead, it opens the door to empathy, dialogue, and reconciliation — values at the heart of both Jewish and Christian faith.

In this episode, we explore:

• How identity and upbringing shape historical interpretation
• Why nations remember the same events differently
• The importance of listening to multiple narratives without erasing our own
• Doron’s personal journey through Polish-Jewish memory
• How honest dialogue builds bridges between communities

This conversation invites us to reflect on the stories we inherited, the assumptions we carry, and the humility required to seek truth beyond our own perspective.

Please watch the full episode and share it with others who care about history, memory, and the hope of reconciliation.

Blessings, 

Amy Zewe 

Vice President and Red Alert Report Host

The Jerusalem Connection International

The post Red Alert: How Identity and Education Influence Historical Interpretation with Doron Sapir first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The post Red Alert: How Identity and Education Influence Historical Interpretation with Doron Sapir appeared first on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

The portion outlines the shared and separate responsibilities of Israel’s future leaders: judges, priests, prophets, and kings. These are the four authority structures intended to govern the covenant nation.

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Judges and Priests

First, Moses describes Israel’s ideal judicial system. He instructs, “You shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes, in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall render just decisions for the people” (16:18). He forbids the judges from taking bribes or showing partiality.

Deuteronomy 16 reinforces the judicial system that had already been established during the wilderness wanderings. In the beginning of that period, Moses was the only leader who adjudicated cases among the people. If you recall, when Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, visited the encampment, he saw that Moses risked total burnout (Exod. 18). Jethro, a leader himself of the Midianites, advised Moses to delegate responsibilities to other tribal leaders. The leaders had to be righteous and integrous. Under this framework, lower-tier judges could resolve everyday civil and interpersonal disputes. Complex or unprecedented cases would escalate up the chain to Moses.

Until this moment, Moses has served the people as their judge and prophet, but he will not be there to shepherd them through the formation of the new state. The judicial system set up by Jethro in the wilderness will sustain them when they settle in the land.

Of course, Moses understood that times would arise when a judge would feel incapable of making a ruling on his own. In those cases, the people were to go to the political and spiritual capital of the nation, what Deuteronomy calls the place of God’s choosing. There, the parties will consult with both a judge and priest who will come to a final decision (17:9).

The Torah’s delineation of spheres of power is a precursor to our own system of government, which divides authority between separate branches so that no single office holds absolute control. Rabbi Reuven Travis has a series of books pointing to this commonality between American governance and the Torah. Rabbi Travis argues that the structural and philosophical foundations of American constitutional democracy were heavily influenced by the Founders’ reading of the Hebrew Bible. Jethro’s advice to divide judicial and administrative burdens among officers created a tiered judiciary and a system of delegated, decentralized authority. American thinkers viewed the ancient Israelite system of governance as a proto-democratic model for preventing tyranny and diffusing political power.

One example of how early Americans drew from the Bible is evident in a speech by Samuel Langdon in 1788. Langdon was a Congregationalist preacher and the thirteenth president of Harvard College. He preached that ancient Israel offered a far superior blueprint for the newly formed American states than Greco-Roman models or Enlightenment philosophy. In one sermon, he pointed directly to our text in Deuteronomy 16 about judges:

To complete the establishment of civil government, courts were to be appointed in every walled city, after their settlement in Canaan, and elders most distinguished for wisdom and integrity were to be made judges, ready always to sit and decide the common controversies within their respective jurisdictions. The people had a right likewise to appoint such other officers as they might think necessary for the more effectual execution of justice, according to that order given in Deuteronomy 16.

Prophets

Just as the judicial structure was designed to endure beyond Moses, the spiritual guidance of the nation required a continuing institution. From the time of the Exodus until his speeches on the plains of Moab, Moses served as God’s direct mouthpiece to the people. He was a prophet greater than any other, speaking with God face to face (34:10–12). Moses promises the people that after he is gone, God will raise up another prophet. God assures them, “I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command” (18:18).

The most immediate successor to Moses is Joshua, but the prophetic line neither culminates nor stops with him. After Joshua’s death, Israel entered a decentralized era where divine guidance was raised up on an as-needed basis.

During the centuries of the Judges, figures like Deborah demonstrated that the prophetic voice remained active. Unnamed prophets also emerged at key moments to confront Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness, such as the anonymous messenger sent before Gideon’s calling or the man of God who announced judgment upon the house of Eli. These individuals were non-writing, oral prophets.

Samuel was the first major prophet who transitioned Israel out of the period of the judges and into the reign of kings. Samuel organized communities known as the benei hanevi’im—the sons of the prophets or schools of the prophets. Located in places such as Ramah, Bethel, and Jericho, these bands of prophets lived, worshiped, and trained together. This movement ensured that a continuous, trained body of divine spokespersons existed outside the royal court and the priesthood.

From these prophetic traditions came figures like Nathan and Gad during the reign of David, and later Elijah and Elisha in the Northern Kingdom. These prophets did not leave behind written books of their own, but they played a vital constitutional role. Acting as an independent moral check on executive power, they confronted kings over abuses of authority, economic injustice, and idolatry. Their authority rested not on royal appointment or hereditary lineage, but on their ability to declare thus says the Lord.

By the eighth century BCE, as regional empires threatened Israel and Judah, the prophetic office underwent its final major transformation into the era of the literary prophets. Prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah began committing their oracles to writing. While earlier prophets focused primarily on immediate national events and court advice, the classical prophets addressed the entire nation and surrounding empires.

Kings

At this point in the narrative, the people are familiar with the offices of judges, priests, and prophets. Across their forty years in the desert, all three institutions have served as a critical guide to the civil order of the camp. What makes this portion of Deuteronomy unusual is the introduction of kingship. The text predicts that when the people take possession of the land, they will eventually hanker for a king. Moses says, “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me’” (17:14).

While Israel will eventually be ruled by a monarchy, it takes centuries to happen. From Joshua to Samuel, Israel navigates the period of the judges without a king.

God does not endorse kingship. The Bible remains lukewarm to the idea at best. When the people ask Samuel to appoint a king so they can be like all the other nations, Samuel balks. But God tells him, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Sam. 8:7). God allows them to choose a king even though they should be relying on his divine authority alone. Instituting a monarchy is one of the few instances where God does not explicitly forbid the people from copying the practices of their neighbors.

The compromise suggests an early democratic ideal where the people of Israel choose their own form of government. Driven by a lack of foresight and a desire for security against burgeoning empires, they choose kingship over a federation of judges, asking Samuel for someone to fight their battles and lead an army.

As the Torah portion outlines the political makeup of a settled Israel, it sets strict guidelines for the monarchy. Israel’s king will not mirror the dynasties of Egypt or the future empires of Babylon. Deuteronomy forbids the king from accruing many wives, great numbers of horses, or massive stashes of gold and silver (17:16). Deuteronomy demands humility, insisting that the king is not to consider himself better than his brothers. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes that the idea of a humble king is one of the genuine revolutions Judaism brought to the history of spirituality. Genuine Jewish leadership is defined by service and humility. Sacks observes, “Humility is the essence of royalty, because to lead is to serve. The greater your success, the harder you have to work to remember that you are there to serve others; they are not there to serve you.” Colossal statues of pharaohs in Egypt and kings in Mesopotamia show no such humility. Not even Greek thinkers considered humility a virtue.

The king of Israel is a servant to the people and to God. He cannot claim divinity like the pharaohs, nor should he lust for empire like the Babylonians. His power is not infinite. The king is also commanded to keep the biblical writings with him and read them all the days of his life. The Torah functions as the governing constitution of the land, holding a higher position of authority than the king himself.

Israel’s future kings will struggle with these principles and frequently succumb to the temptations of power. However, the ideal of a servant leader reaches its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. He took the paradoxical call for a humble king and embodied it completely. Rejecting the power of earthly empires, Jesus turned worldly hierarchy on its head, teaching his followers that “whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). In Jesus’s own mission statement, he declared, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In his divinity and in his personhood, he was the prophet greater than Moses, the judge of the living and the dead, the high priest who serves in the heavenly sanctuary, and the king who marched under the banner of radical humility.

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

Study Questions

1. The Administration of Justice (Deuteronomy 16:18–20)

Moses commands Israel to appoint judges and officers across all their towns, commanding: “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue.” What does the repetition of the word justice imply about the human tendency regarding the legal system? How does the strict prohibition against bribes and partiality protect the vulnerable in a community?

2. The Limits of Human Authority: Kingship (Deuteronomy 17:14–20)

The Torah outlines strict rules for an eventual king, forbidding him from accumulating excessive horses, wives, or wealth. Why do you think these specific limitations were placed on the highest office of executive power? The king was commanded to write his own personal copy of the Torah and read it every day. How does this requirement establish the rule of law over the rule of man?

3. Prophetic Authority and the Future (Deuteronomy 18:15–22)

Moses promises that God will raise up a prophet like him from among the people. Based on the historical evolution from Moses to the oral prophets and literary prophets, how did God continue to provide spiritual oversight to the nation? What criteria does Deuteronomy give to help the community distinguish between a true message from God and a false prophet?

The post Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9) first appeared on The Jerusalem Connection Report.

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