Living the Covenant
One of the primary texts for understanding the Mosaic Covenant is Deuteronomy. It’s fair to ask: what about the rest of the Torah—Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers? These books are foundational, detailing the giving of the Law, the building of the tabernacle, the priesthood, and Israel’s wilderness journey. Deuteronomy, however, serves a unique purpose. It is Moses’ final speech, a covenant renewal before Israel enters the land. It recaps and reframes the previous books, emphasizing not just what God commanded, but why. More than legal repetition, Deuteronomy presents the heart of the covenant—the call to love, obey, and return to God. It captures Israel’s story and projects it prophetically into the future, making it a vital lens for understanding the rest of Scripture, including the New Testament.
“The Law” is Misunderstood by Most Christians and Impacts Our Perception of Israel
Many Christians have grown up with the assumption that ancient Israel was a nation of legalists—people who believed they could earn God’s favor by meticulously keeping a burdensome set of laws. The narrative often taught is this: the Law was given to show people they couldn’t keep it, Israel failed miserably trying to obey it, and so God replaced the Law with grace through Jesus. As a result, Israel is said to have “missed the point,” and the Church becomes the new people of God.
But is that really what the Bible teaches?
This interpretation has less to do with the biblical text and more to do with theological traditions, particularly those that emerged after the early Jewish context of the New Testament was eclipsed by Greco-Roman and later Protestant thought. The notion that Israel tried to "earn salvation through works" misrepresents both the Torah and Israel’s covenant relationship with God. It casts the Law as a trap rather than a gift, and it projects a false dichotomy between law and grace that the Hebrew Scriptures—and even the apostles—do not uphold.
From the beginning, the Law (Torah) was never presented as a ladder to climb into heaven. It was given after God had already redeemed Israel from Egypt—a rescued people, not a people striving to be rescued. The Torah was not a means of salvation but a response to salvation. It was the covenantal framework by which Israel could live out their identity as God's holy nation and kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5–6). The obedience God desired was not mechanical rule-following, but covenantal faithfulness—a heartfelt, relational commitment to walk in His ways.
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, Israel’s problem is not that the Law was too hard or inherently flawed. Rather, it’s that the people lacked the consistency and desire to remain faithful to it. This is why the prophets don't denounce the Law—they denounce hypocrisy, idolatry, and injustice. Their call is always to return to the Law, not to abandon it. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah all envision a future when Israel will once again walk in God's statutes, empowered by a transformed heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:27).
“The Law was never the problem Israel needed rescue from; the real issue was the human condition—the hearts of the people, fully capable of choosing righteousness, yet prone to self-deception and rebellion.”
Israel’s repeated failure to uphold the covenant does not stem from a flaw in the Torah itself. As Moses says in Deuteronomy 30:11, “This commandment… is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.” The problem, then, is not external but internal: the human condition rooted in the Garden of Eden.
In Genesis 2–3, humanity is presented with a choice—to trust God’s instruction or to reach for autonomy by defining good and evil on their own terms. This moment in Eden introduces the fundamental tension that runs through all of Scripture: the human heart is capable of choosing righteousness, but also prone to self-deception and rebellion. The sages would later describe this as the struggle between the yetzer ha-tov (good inclination) and the yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination). These are not absolute forces of depravity or virtue, but aspects of human nature—desires, impulses, and tendencies that must be shaped by love for God and submission to His instruction.
The Torah assumes this struggle. It is not a manual for the perfect, but a covenantal framework for real human beings—called to holiness, yet fully capable of falling short. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, God’s concern is not that people break an impossible standard, but that they fail to love, to seek justice, and to walk humbly. The prophets do not reject the Law; rather, they call Israel back to it. Their rebukes are not against law-keeping, but against law-breaking that masquerades as piety—rituals without justice, sacrifices without compassion.
This is why the prophetic hope is not for the Law to be abolished, but for it to be written on transformed hearts. Jeremiah 31:33 envisions a day when “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” Ezekiel 36:27 promises that God will put His Spirit within His people and “cause [them] to walk in [His] statutes and be careful to obey [His] rules.” These are not calls to abandon Torah—but to finally live it fully, from a place of inward renewal.
Israel’s journey, then, mirrors the human journey. The covenant reveals the divine will; the human heart reveals the struggle. But far from dismissing the Torah, this tension underscores its enduring necessity. It shows us what is good (Micah 6:8), and calls us to walk in it—not as slaves to a harsh code, but as covenant partners wrestling with God (Israel) in pursuit of righteousness.
And yet, many modern Christians assume Israel was entirely legalistic, obsessed with works-righteousness. This caricature distorts our understanding of the Jewish people and opens the door for Replacement Theology—the belief that Israel has been set aside and that the Church is now the “new Israel.” But this view not only contradicts Paul's argument in Romans 11, where he warns Gentiles not to boast against the natural branches, but it also misunderstands the Law itself.
The Law is not antithetical to grace. In fact, the giving of the Torah was an act of grace. As Moses reminded the people:
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:7–8)
God’s nearness and His commandments were signs of blessing, not bondage.
“The Law is not the opposite of grace. In fact, the giving of the Torah was an act of grace.”
Moreover, it’s important to recognize that Yeshua (Jesus) was born into this covenantal context. He upheld the Torah, taught it rightly, and warned against annulling even “the least of these commandments” (Matthew 5:17–19). He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it—meaning to rightly interpret, embody, and bring it to its full meaning. He critiques legalism, not the Law itself.
In truth, the idea that Israel was primarily a legalistic failure serves a theological agenda rather than biblical clarity. It allows some to view the Church as spiritually superior, detaching God’s redemptive plan from the people to whom He first gave it. But Scripture does not permit this detachment. As Paul states:
“To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.” (Romans 9:4)
Notice the present tense: belong. Not “used to belong.” Israel’s relationship to the Law is not about earning salvation—it’s about living as a faithful firstborn son, reflecting God’s heart to the nations.
One of the most misunderstood aspects of Paul’s writings is the belief that the Torah was intended to offer eternal life—and that its failure to do so is why it was “replaced” by Christ. But Paul himself never teaches that the Law was given as a means of entering the age to come. Rather, he explains that the Torah was given to govern life in this present age—to form Israel as a holy people, a just society, and a visible representation of God’s character on the earth.
In Galatians 3:21, Paul asks:
“Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.”
This passage reveals Paul’s conviction that the Law was never meant to give eternal life—not because it was defective, but because eternal life has always been a matter of promise, grounded in faith and covenant, not legal code. The Torah was not designed to resurrect the dead or inaugurate the new heavens and earth. It was meant to teach, train, and preserve a people in righteousness, justice, and worship within the framework of this current age.
“The Law is not flawed or burdensome; rather, it is God’s instruction for Israel to live as a holy and just society. It was designed to shape Israel’s national identity, not to grant immortality. Eternal life has always been rooted in God’s promises and grace, not in legal performance.”
This is exactly why Yeshua’s (Jesus’) sacrifice is necessary—not to destroy or invalidate the Law, but to provide atonement and resurrection hope that the Law was never intended to accomplish on its own. His death and resurrection address the universal human condition: the reality of sin and death that transcends covenant obedience. His sacrifice points forward to the age to come, when sin is fully judged, death is defeated, and immortality is granted—not through Law, but through the grace of God in Messiah.
Yeshua’s (Jesus’) atonement on the cross serves as the blood of the New Covenant—a covenant foretold by the prophets and still awaiting its full realization. Just as the covenant at Sinai was ratified with blood (Exodus 24:8), so too the New Covenant appears to require a blood offering. Yeshua declared at the Last Supper, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). His death does not replace or cancel the Torah but provides the atoning sacrifice necessary to prepare for the future restoration promised in the prophets—a time when Israel will walk in God's statutes with a renewed heart and the nations will come to know the God of Israel.
While the fullness of the New Covenant has not yet come—Israel has not yet returned fully in faith, the Torah is not yet written on every heart, and universal peace has not yet dawned—God has demonstrated His faithfulness through the death and resurrection of Yeshua. His sacrifice stands as evidence that God is keeping His word and preparing to bring about the promised redemption. The giving of the Holy Spirit does not fulfill the New Covenant, but functions as a sign and assurance—a down payment that points forward to what God will yet do (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13–14).
This is precisely why Yeshua’s sacrifice is necessary—not to abolish the Torah, but to make atonement for the sin and death that the Torah was never intended to remove on its own. His death addresses the universal human condition—the inclination toward sin and the reality of death that began in Eden. The Torah teaches God’s way and preserves covenant faithfulness in this age, but it is only through God’s mercy and the sacrifice of Messiah that the greater promises—resurrection, renewal, and the age to come—will be realized.
What many Christians misunderstand is this: Yeshua’s atonement was never meant to free people from the Torah, but from the consequences of sin and death. The Torah was never the problem—it was never intended to grant eternal life. Rather, it was God’s instruction for how His people were to live as a holy nation in this age. Yeshua’s death solves the deeper problem of exile, estrangement, and mortality, pointing to the future fulfillment of the covenants—not as replacements for Israel or Torah, but as their ultimate vindication.
The death of Messiah does not render the Torah obsolete, because the Torah was never designed to secure eternal life in the first place. It served to guide covenant living in this world, preparing Israel to be a light to the nations. The misunderstanding arises when Christians treat Messiah’s atonement as solving the "problem" of the Law—when in reality, it solves the problem of death and exile, bringing about the final stage of redemption promised in the covenants.
Messiah’s faithfulness fulfills what the Torah anticipated but could not complete: resurrection into the new creation. The Torah instructs how to live as the people of God now, while Messiah brings the final hope of the redeemed—life in the age to come.
“Yeshua’s death is not a rejection of the Torah but a necessary step toward the promised redemption. His sacrifice addresses sin and death, not as a replacement of Torah, but as its vindication. Through Him, the pathway to the age to come is opened, while the Torah continues to guide faithful covenant living today.”
The Giving of the Law and the Establishment of the Covenant with Israel
Exodus 19-24 tells the story of the covenant made at Mount Sinai. Israel’s obligations to the covenant are spelled out very clearly in several places in the Torah. In Exodus 19, Israel arrives at the base of Mount Sinai, and God calls Moses up to the mountain. God speaks to Moses and tells him to convey a message to the people:
“While Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” (Exodus 19:3-6, ESV Bible)
In Exodus 20:2, just before the Ten Commandments are given, God introduces Himself as "the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." This acts as both a preamble and a part of a historical prologue, identifying the suzerain (God) and recalling the liberation from Egypt, which sets the stage for the obligations that follow:
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, (Exodus 20:2-5, ESV Bible)
Israel is obligated to obey God and keep the terms of the covenant. What are the terms? The laws of Torah. The laws given at Sinai, starting with the Ten Commandments and extending through the various civil, moral, and ceremonial laws detailed throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, serve as the stipulations of the covenant. These laws dictate how Israel is to live as God’s people, covering every aspect of life from worship to social justice.
What should become immediately clear is that these laws were given directly by God—they were not human inventions or religious attempts by Israel to climb their way to heaven. These commandments were not man-made efforts to earn salvation or to manipulate divine favor. Rather, they were the terms of a covenant initiated by God Himself, given to a redeemed people after He had already rescued them from Egypt. This alone dismantles the notion that Israel was trying to "earn salvation." The Law was never about earning eternal life—it was about living in faithful relationship with the God who had already chosen and redeemed them.
Moses writes down all the words of the LORD (Exodus 24:4) and later, these laws are to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant (Deuteronomy 31:26):
And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” (Exodus 24:4-7, ESV Bible)
Moreover, these laws were to be read publicly every seven years to remind the Israelites of their covenant obligations (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).
The covenant itself is not the laws. The covenant is the agreement to keep those laws:
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:1, ESV Bible)
“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. (Deuteronomy 28:15, ESV Bible)
“If” they will do these things (stipulations of the covenant)… all is contingent on Israel’s faithfulness and obedience. Israel is often portrayed as legalistic, but what we frequently misunderstand is that following God’s commandments was not legalism—it was covenantal faithfulness. Obedience to the Torah was what they were commanded to do as part of their relationship with God at Sinai. Their commitment to the Law was not an attempt to earn salvation, but a response to the covenant they had entered into with the God who had already redeemed them. They understood, as the Scriptures clearly state, that there are blessings tied to obedience and consequences tied to unfaithfulness. Far from being legalistic, their obedience was a demonstration of loyalty, love, and trust in the God who called them His own.
The blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience are outlined in detail in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. These chapters vividly describe the prosperity that would come with obedience and the disaster that would follow disobedience.
While God Himself is the primary witness to the covenant, the ceremony at Sinai is witnessed by the assembled nation of Israel. Later texts suggest that heaven and earth are also invoked as witnesses to the covenant (Deuteronomy 30:19):
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, (Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV Bible)
The sign of the covenant is the Sabbath:
And the LORD said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:12-17, ESV Bible)
After the six days of creating, God rested, the first ever recorded Sabbath. At Mount Sinai, God makes keeping the Sabbath obligatory for Israel, and He established it as a perpetual sign of His covenant with Israel.
But Why Give the Laws at all?
After the first three chapters of Deuteronomy, which recap much of what happens in Numbers, chapter four provides a summary of the whole book. It focuses on the covenant God is making with Israel and the law He is giving them, which they are meant to follow as they enter the promised land. This vision is forward-looking, meant to guide their future. For instance, Deuteronomy 4:1 says:
"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and rules I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you." (Deuteronomy 4:1)
The heart of the book is really about their well-being and flourishing—that’s why these rules are being given, to ensure their life and success in the land.
The Covenant Desires Israel to Live in the Land and Live for God
In Deuteronomy the laws are much more focused on the land, particularly Jerusalem, compared to Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. While Leviticus is heavily centered on Jerusalem because of the temple, Deuteronomy takes this further by assuming that the people will be living and functioning in the land as a sovereign nation. The laws are framed around the idea that they’ll be structuring their society according to these commands.
Take the example of the Sabbath. In Israel, observing the Sabbath wasn’t an issue—it was simply the law of the land, something everyone, Jew or Gentile, adhered to. But once you move outside of Israel, into the diaspora (dispersion of the Jewish people outside their ancestral homeland of Israel), things became more complicated. In the Roman world, most people didn’t even recognize a seven-day week, let alone observe the Sabbath. This created an awkward tension for Jews trying to figure out how to live according to God's laws while navigating a completely different cultural framework.
Deuteronomy assumes an ideal scenario where the people are living in the land and walking in God’s ways. It’s important to recognize this, as it helps us understand why some of the legalistic interpretations miss the point. If you realize that the laws are intended for life in the land, a lot of the confusion clears up.
God’s Laws for Israel is an Expression of His Grace
One of the most important concepts introduced right at the beginning of Deuteronomy is often overlooked. In Deuteronomy 1, this theme is significant because people often think of the book as just a list of laws—God giving Israel a set of rules and saying, "Here, follow these." It’s easy to fall into the mindset that the laws were impossibly hard, as if the message was, "Good luck—you’ll fail, and that’s why you need to look forward to Jesus." But right from the start, Deuteronomy presents a very different picture. In Deuteronomy 1:30-31, it says:
The Lord your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as He did in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way you traveled until you reached this place. (Deuteronomy 1:30-31, ESV Bible)
This is not a cold, legalistic list of instructions. Instead, it's an expression of divine grace. God frames Israel's deliverance from the wilderness and His guidance into the promised land as acts of kindness and grace.
This is the true essence of Deuteronomy—it’s not about legalistic observance, which is often how Christian tradition has mistakenly interpreted it. The whole concept of "law versus grace" is really an anachronism, a false dichotomy that arose much later. From the beginning, Israel’s deliverance and God’s relationship with them are depicted as expressions of His grace, benevolence, and generosity. This is how we should view Deuteronomy: not as a burden of laws, but as a testament to God's grace throughout Israel’s history.
We will see the father-son analogy appear multiple times throughout Deuteronomy. Often, the book is viewed as a set of strict rules for the nation, with statutes and commands being very prominent. But the deeper spirit of Deuteronomy is more akin to how parents set rules for their children—not just for the sake of rules, but because we want them to grow into healthy, well-adjusted individuals who can form positive relationships and thrive in society. That same tone runs through Deuteronomy.
Covenant, Law, and Land
The three key themes—covenant, law, and land—are emphasized repeatedly throughout Deuteronomy. The covenant refers to the binding relationship between God and Israel. The law is the framework for how Israel is to live within that covenant. The land is the physical space where the covenant is to be lived out-God’s promised inheritance to Israel.
These form the foundation that later prophetic traditions build upon. The prophets develop these ideas to address Israel’s failures and future hope—warning of judgment and promising a return to covenant faithfulness, law observance, and restoration of the land. Later Jewish writings—like Daniel, 1 Enoch, or even Revelation—move into apocalyptic territory, which means they look ahead to God’s final intervention in history. But even as they describe big cosmic events—resurrection, judgment, the Day of the Lord—they are still rooted in those original themes of covenant, law, and land. Over time, apocalyptic literature assumes these three elements as fundamental truths.
When these ideas are removed from their Jewish context, it often disconnects apocalyptic hope from its foundation. Christians might still talk about the resurrection or the Day of the Lord, but without the covenant, the law, and the land, the vision gets distorted or abstracted. In Second Temple Judaism (during the time of Jesus), these three realities were at the heart of how apocalyptic events were understood.
The prophetic and apocalyptic traditions continuously develop around the covenant, the law, and the land, taking them as foundational truths. If we lose sight of Deuteronomy as the starting point for these themes, we miss the essential context through which the future vision was understood by the Jews of the first century.
It’s not that covenant, law, and land aren’t discussed earlier in the Torah, but Deuteronomy frames them in a way that later prophetic and apocalyptic traditions really pick up on. This makes Deuteronomy crucial to understanding these concepts.
There’s a section at the end of chapter 4 that really projects this forward into the future. In Deuteronomy 4:25, it says:
"When you have children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image or doing evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him, He will call heaven and earth as witnesses against you, and you will perish from the land." (Deuteronomy 4:25)
This is talking about exile. Then in verse 27:
"The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you’ll be left few in number, serving other gods." (Deuteronomy 4:27)
But in verse 29, it says:
"From there, you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search with all your heart and soul. When you are in distress (tribulation), and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey His voice." (Deuteronomy 4:29-30)
So right here, at the start of the book, Deuteronomy 4 is already projecting a future scenario that gets picked up in the prophetic tradition, by the apostles, and even Jesus in Second Temple literature. This forms the foundation of apocalyptic eschatology.
Today, especially in the Christian tradition, we take that for granted. Every prophecy teacher and commentary on Matthew 24 assumes this, but it all starts here. When Jesus talks about the "great tribulation," He’s not just pulling that out of nowhere. He’s referencing Deuteronomy—specifically, Deuteronomy 4:30.
The Law Written on the Heart
In Deuteronomy chapter six, we see the transition into the well-known Shema and the exhortation Moses gives regarding the Ten Commandments and the laws and statutes, which many people are familiar with. In verse 4, it says:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Moses places great emphasis on making these commandments an integral part of life—written on the heart. This theme appears repeatedly throughout Deuteronomy, with references to the laws and statutes being written on the heart over 30 times. We also see the concept of the circumcision of the heart in chapter 10, and later in chapter 30, the focus on internal transformation is even more pronounced.
This internal focus challenges the common misconception that Deuteronomy is just a collection of legalistic rules with an outward emphasis. The book is far more concerned with the inward reality of the heart and relationship with God.
When Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizes the heart, we often think He’s introducing something new. But the Torah, and specifically Deuteronomy, already makes it clear that this is a heart reality. Jesus isn’t innovating by saying, "It used to be about legalistic observance, and now it’s about the heart." No, instead, Deuteronomy from the very beginning focuses on the heart.
While there may have been some legalistic Jews at the time—particularly within the Pharisaical movement—who practiced an outward form of religion, focused on hypocrisy, pride, and pretense, Jesus’ critique was directed at those attitudes. The way we understand Deuteronomy shapes how we view Jesus. We either see Him as a revivalist, calling people back to the true heart of the law, or as a revolutionary, introducing something entirely new. If Deuteronomy is already pressing for an inward heart reality as an expression of divine grace, then Jesus is a revivalist, contrasting what was happening in Judaism at the time. However, many in Christian theological tradition see Jesus as revolutionizing the Jewish faith, which is the more dominant view.
Israel’s Chosenness Is Rooted in Covenant, Not Merit
Deuteronomy 8–9 makes it abundantly clear: God did not choose Israel because they were better or more righteous than the other nations. In fact, Moses reminds them they were often rebellious. Yet God remained faithful, not because of them, but because of His oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 9:4–5). This establishes that Israel’s election is covenantal, not conditional — it rests on God’s promise, not Israel’s performance.
Deuteronomy chapters 8 through 11—reflect on Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness, continuing Deuteronomy's role of framing Israel’s history from the Exodus onward. In chapter 8, Moses becomes particularly intentional, urging the people to reflect on their history and consider its meaning for the future. He’s essentially saying, "Think about it. What does this history tell you as you move forward?" Chapters 8 and 9 contain some familiar passages, especially because Jesus references these in the wilderness during His 40 days of fasting.
For example, in chapter 8, starting in verse 2, it says:
"You shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these 40 years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2)
This theme of God testing their hearts to see if they were truly obedient is significant. Later on, during the farewell and commissioning of Joshua, the Lord even says to Moses and Joshua, "I already know what's in their hearts." Moving on in chapter 8, it continues:
"He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers knew, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these 40 years. Know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God was disciplining you." (Deuteronomy 8:3-5)
Moses is essentially reminding them that, yes, they faced hunger and challenges, but it wasn’t because God lacked the power to provide. Instead, God was teaching them a lesson, proving a point—that they were not yet prepared for long-term obedience. He wanted them to understand that their survival and prosperity depended on more than just physical sustenance; it depended on their obedience to God's word. In a way, Moses is urging them to take their lives and their relationship with God more seriously, as a father disciplines his child to train them in the ways of righteousness.
There are so many themes from Deuteronomy that Jesus picks up during His 40 days of fasting, but these are often misinterpreted. People commonly say, "Jesus is fulfilling Israel’s history and, in doing so, invalidating it." In reality, Jesus is identifying with that history. He’s reinforcing and confirming the ideas in Deuteronomy as Israel’s Messiah, showing how they are being projected toward their ultimate fulfillment. By resisting the temptations in the wilderness, Jesus is demonstrating His trust in God to bring about this fulfillment.
When Satan challenges Him with, "If you are the Son of God, turn these stones to bread," Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8. The point isn’t that He’s fulfilling or replacing Israel’s story, but rather that He’s echoing the same message God gave to the Israelites: trust in God to carry you through. Jesus is saying to Satan, "I trust in God to anoint me on the day of the Lord"—as seen in Psalm 110 and Psalm 2, where God declares, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." Jesus believes God will anoint Him to judge the living and the dead.
This theme continues in Deuteronomy 8, where, after the people enter the land, Moses warns them in verses 16-18 not to say in their hearts, "My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth." Instead, they are to remember that it was God who gave them the ability to gain wealth, to humble and test them, and to do them good in the end.
The message in Deuteronomy is the same one Jesus draws from: God’s faithfulness to His covenant people, His provision, and the future He has planned for them. Jesus isn’t introducing something new but is drawing these truths into their ultimate apocalyptic context, affirming the covenant and God’s ongoing plan for Israel. The book of Matthew seems especially focused on identifying Jesus with Israel. Jesus Himself was deeply concerned with this identification. In Deuteronomy, Moses is telling the people that the Lord led them through the wilderness to teach them that man can only truly live by the promises of God—by the words that come from His mouth. This is exactly what Jesus echoes in His response to temptation.
In chapter 9 it says:
Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (Deuteronomy 9:4-5, ESV Bible)
This emphasizes a key theme: God is not acting because of Israel's greatness or their righteousness. First, He is removing the nations due to their wickedness, and second, He is fulfilling the promise He made to the patriarchs. It’s a reminder that Israel’s role isn’t based on their merit but on God's faithfulness and love for the fathers.
These themes are strongly reflected in Paul’s writings, especially when discussing righteousness in the context of the coming judgment. Paul often points back to the idea that "the gifts and promises are irrevocable." God has always operated this way—Romans 4 highlights this. It’s not by your own righteousness that you were delivered from slavery, and similarly, it’s not by your own righteousness that you are saved from the wrath to come.
Israel is Chosen to be a Nation Set Apart
Deuteronomy chapters 12 through 26 make up the largest and most detailed portion of the book. When most people think of Deuteronomy, this is often the section that comes to mind, as it contains a wide range of instructions and laws. These chapters outline how Israel is to function as a nation—how to remain loyal to God, honor Him in worship, and govern justly through its leaders. In essence, God is laying the cultural, legal, and moral foundation for Israel’s life in the land He is giving them. This section is deeply concerned with national identity and covenant faithfulness within a real and sovereign society.
The dominant theme throughout is life in the land—not exile. These laws are designed for a functioning Israelite society rooted in the land of promise. They are not abstract spiritual ideals or private religious practices; they form a comprehensive legal code for how Israel is to live as God's covenant people. For example, chapters 17 and 18 address the roles of kings and prophets—figures who wielded immense power in the ancient world.
In surrounding cultures, the power of kings and prophets often went unchecked. Kings were law unto themselves, and prophets or diviners served as manipulators of the divine. But Deuteronomy breaks radically from this model. It places strict limits on the authority of even the highest leaders. The king, for instance, must write out his own copy of the Torah, approved by the Levitical priests, and read it daily. He is commanded to remain humble and obedient, so that his heart does not exalt itself above his fellow Israelites (Deut. 17:18–20) This law makes it clear: no one is above God's word—not even the king.
"When you enter the land and have a king, he must write for himself a copy of the law, approved by the Levitical priests. He shall keep it with him and read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord by keeping all the words of the law and its statutes, and so that his heart may not be lifted above his brothers." (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)
This ensures the king remains humble and does not stray from God's commands. It’s about leveling the playing field, making even the king accountable to the law.
The same applies to prophets. Though they may speak with great authority and be feared by the people, their words must be tested against God’s commands. Deuteronomy teaches that God alone is to be feared, and His Torah is the ultimate standard by which all leadership and revelation are measured.
This entire section of Deuteronomy forms a kind of constitution for Israel. It shows how a nation chosen by God should function—not through raw power or human wisdom, but through justice, accountability, and covenantal obedience. It’s a stark contrast to many systems of law and governance, both ancient and modern. In many parts of the world—then and now—law is flexible, subject to the will of elites or powerful rulers. But in Israel, law is divine, immutable, and binding on all people in some form or fashion.
That concept—God governing His people through law—is central to understanding Israel’s chosenness. These laws are not arbitrary burdens but gracious instructions meant to shape Israel into a just and holy nation. They reveal the kind of people God has called Israel to be: distinct from the nations, guided by divine wisdom, and a light to the world.
We must remember that this entire legal section of Deuteronomy is central to God’s plan of setting Israel apart from the nations—making them distinct. These laws concerning worship, leadership, justice, and daily life are not burdensome impositions; they are acts of grace, shaping Israel into a holy nation with a unique identity. Through this identity, Israel is meant to reflect God’s character and become a blessing to the world.
These commandments are not simply a test of Israel’s obedience. Their deeper purpose is to enable the people to dwell in the land and live out their covenantal calling. This legal code is God's gracious gift—meant to form a society that reflects His righteousness, mercy, and justice.
Yet, when we look back on the Torah today, many of us struggle to understand it in its proper context. Instead of viewing it as a national constitution for a covenant people living in their land, we tend to approach it as a set of religious rules, often shaped by later theological categories—especially those that emerged in Christian Europe. For example, Martin Luther interpreted Judaism primarily as a religion based on legalism, where the commandments were seen as attempts to earn salvation or reach God through works. But this is a misreading of what was actually happening in ancient Israel.
To put it in everyday terms, we don’t accuse modern societies of being legalistic simply because they have laws—no one says you're trying to "earn salvation" by obeying speed limits or paying taxes. Similarly, the Torah was never about ritualistic attempts to get closer to God; it was about building a just and holy society under God’s kingship. By Luther’s time, however, Judaism had long been displaced from the land and was functioning as a religion among the nations. Without a national framework, it was misunderstood—especially in the context of a Christianized Roman world that defined "religion" in very narrow terms.
Following God’s Law is Not Impossible
Because of this misunderstanding, Deuteronomy has often been misinterpreted as a kind of trap—a system of commandments given by God only to demonstrate human failure and pave the way for justification by faith. But this is a deeply problematic reading. If that were the case, then we’re left to believe that God gave His people a law He knew they couldn’t keep, sent curses, famines, oppression, and exile—leading to the suffering and death of millions—just to make a theological point for future Gentile believers. Surely, there is a better way to reveal human weakness than through centuries of anguish and destruction.
Thankfully, this mistaken interpretation is explicitly corrected in Deuteronomy 30. As we’ll see later, the very text of the Torah affirms that God’s commandments are not beyond reach. In fact, Paul himself draws on Deuteronomy 30 in Romans 10 to make the opposite point: the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
The common refrain that “the law is too hard” and that God used Israel’s failure to teach later Christians about grace is not only unsound—it’s unbiblical. It misrepresents God’s character and misunderstands the role of the Torah in Israel’s life. Instead of freeing us from the Law, Yeshua calls us to uphold it in truth—without hypocrisy, without pride, and with hearts that reflect the same covenant faithfulness that God has shown to Israel.
But starting in verse 11, Deuteronomy 30 says:
"This commandment that I give you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, so we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11)
I mean, you can’t get more explicit than Deuteronomy itself, saying that the Torah—the law—is not too hard to follow. And if those words sound familiar, they’re from Romans 10. So if it seems like Romans 10 is saying the opposite of what we just read, there’s a good chance you’ve misunderstood Romans 10. Paul’s argument against Torah observance for Gentiles often gets misapplied as a broad critique of the entire law, and that’s where the confusion happens. The idea that Deuteronomy was given to prove we can’t keep the law is simply wrong. The entire Sermon on the Mount is Jesus saying, "Keep the law in truth, as Deuteronomy instructs, without hypocrisy or pretense."
Blessings, Curses, and the Unbreakable Covenant
As we turn to Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28, we encounter one of the most pivotal sections in the book: the blessings and curses tied to Israel’s covenant obedience. While Deuteronomy 28 is particularly well-known for its detailed articulation of these blessings and curses, chapter 27—centered on the events at Mount Ebal—sets the stage for what follows. Together, these chapters carry deep immediate relevance for Israel as they prepare to enter the land, and they also shape major eschatological themes that reverberate throughout the rest of Scripture.
This section powerfully reinforces Israel’s continued chosenness by showing that even in the face of covenant disobedience, exile, and national failure, God’s commitment to Israel remains unbroken. In fact, Deuteronomy 27–31 provides the theological framework for understanding both the discipline and the restoration of Israel. The blessings and curses are not a sign of rejection—but a confirmation of covenant relationship. God disciplines His people (Deut. 8:5), and Deuteronomy 30 makes it clear that after exile, He will bring them back.
The covenant framework here is unmistakably rooted in ancient Near Eastern treaty patterns, where loyalty to a sovereign brought blessing, and rebellion brought curse. In Deuteronomy 28:1–2, the terms are clear:
"If you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God."
But in verse 15, the contrast is equally stark:
"But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God... then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you."
As the chapter progresses, these curses escalate, culminating in a vivid and painful theme—exile:
"The Lord will scatter you among all the peoples, from one end of the earth to the other..." (Deut. 28:64)
This idea becomes a recurring motif in the prophetic books and is central to the biblical understanding of divine discipline. For example, in Daniel 9, the prophet reflects on the Babylonian exile and explicitly links it to Deuteronomy’s warnings:
“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord…” (Daniel 9:13)
Far from being abstract theology, the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy form the framework for Israel’s national history, covenant identity, and eschatological hope. These chapters echo throughout the Prophets and the New Testament, shaping the way Israel understands both judgment and restoration.
As we move beyond chapter 28, we transition into what is often called the Covenant Renewal section. While that title may not fully capture what’s happening, it’s clear that the narrative begins to shift. In chapters 27 and 28, the blessings and curses are presented as possibilities—conditional outcomes based on Israel’s response. But by chapter 30, the tone changes. The text speaks not in hypothetical terms but in certainty.
Deuteronomy 30 opens with this powerful reflection:
"When all these things have happened to you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you..." (Deut. 30:1)
Now, exile and return are treated not as if, but when. Israel will disobey. They will experience the consequences. But that’s not the end of the story. In the very next verses, the hope of restoration shines through:
"Even if your exiles are at the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back..." (v. 4)
And then a remarkable promise:
"The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants..." (v. 6)
This is not merely a call to greater obedience—it’s a promise of divine intervention. Earlier, in Deuteronomy 10:16, Israel was commanded to "circumcise your own hearts," a call to personal responsibility. But here in chapter 30, God Himself will do the work. He will remove the internal barriers that prevent faithfulness. This shift foreshadows the New Covenant language of Jeremiah 31, where God promises to write His law on the hearts of His people.
This movement continues into chapter 31. Joshua is commissioned, but the tone has changed. What began as possibility and moved into certainty now becomes inevitable. God tells Moses plainly:
“This people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.” (Deut. 31:16)
This heartbreaking inevitability becomes the backdrop for the entire prophetic and apocalyptic tradition. The breaking of the covenant, the scattering of the people, and the devastation of the land are not the end—they are part of a larger, unfolding plan. A plan that leads to repentance, renewal, and ultimately, restoration in the age to come.
Just like the Abrahamic covenant, the Sinai covenant is ongoing. Covenants do not conflict with each other but work together and build on top of one another. When Israel breaks the covenant at Sinai, it did not end God’s relationship with Israel. In their disobedience God fell back upon and continued to keep covenants He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In Leviticus 26, it tells us that this is how the Sinai covenant is supposed to work:
“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.” These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai. (Leviticus 26:40-46, ESV Bible)
The Torah tells us that when the Sinai covenant is breached, God will still redeem His people and keep His covenant with them on the basis of the covenant He made with Abraham.
Many of the blessings associated with the Sinai Covenant are conditional, based on Israel's obedience to God's laws. Texts like Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 outline blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, suggesting that the continuation and benefits of the covenant are contingent upon Israel's compliance with the covenant's terms.
Deuteronomy 28 lists blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. At the end of Chapter 29 it mentions how when they disobey the curses will come upon them. They will be uprooted from the land and will experience fury and wrath. Chapter 30 says “and when all these things come upon you…”If they return to God, and obey his voice, then God will restore their fortunes.
The Song of Moses: A Prophetic Witness to Israel’s Future
In the final section of Deuteronomy, it concludes with the death of Moses—a moment he clearly did not write himself—and the final blessing over the tribes of Israel. While we could spend more time unpacking the significance of this final blessing, our current aim is to outline the structure of the book. One of the most important elements in this final section is chapter 32, which contains the Song of Moses.
The song is introduced in chapter 31, where God informs Moses that after his death, the people will break the covenant:
“You will rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering.” (Deut. 31:16)
Then in verse 21, God explains the purpose of the song:
“When many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are inclined to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them.” (Deut. 31:21)
That very day, Moses wrote the song and taught it to the people. What’s remarkable is that the Song of Moses is not primarily for their present moment—it’s intended as a prophetic witness for the future. Like Deuteronomy as a whole, the song is a retelling of Israel’s story that not only recalls the past but projects forward into cycles of disobedience, judgment, and eventual restoration.
In just one chapter, the Song of Moses captures Israel’s history, their covenant failures, divine discipline, and God’s ultimate plan for restoration. It even contains hints of resurrection and final redemption, themes picked up by the prophets and later echoed in the apostolic writings.
To truly understand the apostles, you must understand Jesus. To understand Jesus, you must know the prophets. But you cannot understand the prophets without Deuteronomy—and Deuteronomy 32 is the key.
Another essential theme in this final section is divine foreknowledge—but not as a cold theological proof or abstract concept. Rather, God's foreknowledge here is covenantal and pastoral. God knows Israel will break the covenant, but He does not reject them. Instead, He provides the song as a tool of remembrance, accountability, and ultimately, hope. His foreknowledge doesn’t undermine the covenant; it reinforces it by anticipating Israel’s disobedience and preparing the way for their eventual return.
Deuteronomy ends not with rejection, but with an unshakable affirmation: God has chosen Israel, and He will bring them back. Even in the face of failure, the covenant remains.
Final Thoughts on the Mosaic Law to Remember
The Conditional Nature of the Mosaic Covenant Is Not a Flaw — It’s a Mirror
The Sinai covenant reveals human inability to fulfill righteousness on our own (Rom. 3:20).
It shows the depth of sin and the need for a circumcised heart (Deut. 10:16, 30:6).
It prepares the people too long for the New Covenant, where obedience would flow from the inside out. Think of it like this:
The Mosaic Covenant exposes the problem.
The New Covenant solves it.
Paul calls the Law a “guardian” (Gal. 3:24) — not because it was bad, but because it held Israel until the fullness of time, pointing them to something greater.
An Everlasting Covenant
The concept of God's covenants with Israel is central to understanding the Bible's narrative and its implications for Israel and the broader Christian faith. Understanding the eternal nature of God's covenants with Israel is essential for grasping the continuity and significance of Israel's role in God's redemptive plan. One important point to clarify when looking at the covenants God has made with Israel is that these are everlasting, eternal covenants that reflect God's unchanging nature and commitment to His people.
In Psalm 105:8-10, we see a song of praise and thanksgiving that recounts the history of God's relationship with the people of Israel, from the covenant with Abraham to their eventual settlement in the Promised Land. The context of this psalm is in the greater narrative of God's faithfulness to His chosen people:
"He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant," (Psalm 105:8-10, ESV Bible)
In these verses, the psalmist reflects on the enduring nature of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We see a similar idea in Isaiah 54:10. Isaiah 54 contains a message of hope and restoration for Israel. Even in turmoil, God's love and covenant with His people will remain steadfast and unchanging. It serves as a reassurance of God's eternal faithfulness and His commitment to bringing restoration and blessings to His chosen people:
"For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10, ESV Bible)
Even the Mosaic covenant that is often accused of being canceled by Christians is described in a way that suggests permanence or eternality:
“Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever…” (Exodus 31:16-17)
The Sabbath is part of the covenant and is explicitly called a “perpetual” (olam) covenant. The Hebrew word עוֹלָם (olam) can mean eternal, everlasting, or for a long duration, depending on context.
“Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.” (Leviticus 24:8)
This refers to the bread of the Presence, another Mosaic ritual described as everlasting.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)
This verse emphasizes perpetual obligation to the Torah (Law).
“The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” (Psalms 111:7-8)
God's commands (interpreted as Torah/Mosaic Law) are declared to last forever and ever.
“Remember the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” (Malachi 4:4)
The last prophetic word in the Hebrew Bible reiterates ongoing obligation to the Mosaic Law.
Covenants Build Upon Each Other
Covenants in the Bible, build upon each other, they do not cancel one another out. Each covenant often addresses and expands upon the promises and responsibilities established in prior agreements, adapting and extending them to new contexts and generations. Paul points out that even though God made later covenants with Israel, a later covenant does not set aside an early covenant:
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. (Galatians 3:15-17, ESV Bible)
A later covenant does not annul an earlier covenant! This concept is fundamental to understanding the Bible. Even in the New Testament, we can see evidence of God's eternal choosing of Israel.
Bridging Deuteronomy to the Prophets and the New Testament
Deuteronomy is not simply the conclusion of the Torah—it is the theological backbone of the rest of the Hebrew Bible. It outlines the covenant terms, anticipates Israel’s failures, and foretells their eventual exile and return. In fact, the entire pattern of Israel’s story—from disobedience to judgment, and ultimately to restoration—is pre-scripted in Deuteronomy. This prophetic pattern becomes the lens through which the rest of Scripture must be read.
The prophets do not introduce new ideas. Instead, they act as covenant prosecutors, invoking the blessings and curses laid out in Deuteronomy as they call Israel to repentance. When Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others denounce Israel’s sin, warn of exile, or speak of future restoration, they are drawing directly from the covenantal framework of Deuteronomy. Their words are not innovations—they are applications of what Moses already said would happen.
Even in the New Testament, the influence of Deuteronomy is undeniable. The rejection of Messiah by many in Israel, the destruction of the Temple, and the scattering of the Jewish people are not unexpected detours in God’s plan. They are covenantal consequences—realities Moses foresaw and warned about (Deut. 31:16–18). The cutting off of branches, as described by Paul in Romans 11, is not a replacement of Israel, but a continuation of Deuteronomy’s covenant logic: disobedience leads to discipline, but the root remains holy, and grafting back in is always possible.
Understanding Deuteronomy helps us resist misreadings of Israel’s story—especially the mistaken belief that their failure somehow nullifies God’s covenant or transfers their calling to another people. Instead, Deuteronomy affirms that Israel’s chosenness is not based on flawless obedience but on God’s unbreakable promises. The discipline of exile is painful, but it is not the end. It is the pathway to renewal.
Before we turn to the prophetic books and the apostolic writings, the reader must grasp this: Deuteronomy is the theological key that unlocks Israel’s past, present, and future. The pattern of covenant, failure, exile, repentance, and restoration echoes throughout all Scripture, culminating not in replacement, but in redemption—when Israel, through the mercy of God, fulfills her calling, and the nations are brought into blessing.
Section 6: The Prophets Constantly Reaffirm God’s Enduring Covenant Despite Israel’s Sin & Struggles
Understanding the ongoing nature of the Mosaic Covenant, even in light of Israel's historical and ongoing struggles to fully comply with its stipulations, involves recognizing the depth of God's commitment to His covenants, regardless of human failure. This perspective emphasizes that God's promises and His covenant relationships are sustained by His grace and sovereignty, not merely by human fidelity.
The prophets are not innovators of new religion—they are covenant enforcers. They speak in the language of the Torah, particularly Deuteronomy, reminding Israel of the blessings and curses tied to their obedience or disobedience. Their role is not to nullify the covenant, but to call Israel back to it.
As we travel through the story of Israel and the prophets, we will follow a chronological outline as illustrated here:
Chronological Teaching Flow of Historical and Prophetic Books
1. Conquest and Settlement
Book of Joshua – Covenant Fulfillment and Renewal
God fulfills His promises to the patriarchs; covenant renewed at Shechem.
2. Judges Period (Pre-Monarchy)
Book of Judges – Covenant Violation and Divine Mercy
Book of Ruth – Set during the time of the Judges; a story of covenant loyalty and hope for the Davidic line.
3. United Monarchy
1 Samuel – Rise of the monarchy; warnings about covenant faithfulness
2 Samuel – David’s reign; covenant with David (2 Samuel 7)
1 Kings 1–11 – Solomon’s reign: glory and downfall
4. Divided Kingdom (North and South)
1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 17 – Division and decline of Israel and Judah
Pre-Exile Prophets to Northern Kingdom (Israel) – before fall in 722 BCE:
Amos
Hosea
Pre-Exile Prophets to Southern Kingdom (Judah):
Isaiah 1–39
Micah
Obadiah (possibly post-586, but some date it earlier)
5. Fall of Israel (722 BCE) and Judah’s Decline
2 Kings 18–25 – Fall of Israel is complete; Judah heads toward exile
Judah’s Prophets Before and During the Exile:
Zephaniah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Jeremiah – Leading up to and during Jerusalem’s destruction
6. Babylonian Exile (586 BCE and after)
Ezekiel – In exile, prophesying to Judah
Daniel – In Babylonian and Persian courts; apocalyptic visions
7. Return from Exile and Restoration (after 538 BCE)
Ezra 1–6 – Return and rebuilding of the temple
Haggai – Rebuilding the temple
Zechariah – Future hope and temple encouragement
Isaiah 40–66 – Comfort and future restoration (likely exilic or post-exilic)
Esther – Set during Persian period, post-exile diaspora
Ezra 7–10 – Further reforms under Ezra
Nehemiah – Rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and community reform
Malachi – Final prophetic voice, calling for covenant faithfulness
8. Summary and Retelling
1 & 2 Chronicles – Retelling of Israel’s history with a priestly and restoration focus
Joel – Likely post-exilic; themes of repentance and future renewal
With this chronological roadmap in mind, we now turn our attention to the beginning of Israel's life in the Promised Land. The journey out of Egypt and the wilderness wanderings brought the people to the edge of Canaan, but it is in the Book of Joshua that we see the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham begin to take tangible shape. Far from being just a military conquest, Joshua is a theological statement about covenant faithfulness—both God's and Israel's. As we explore this foundational book, we will see how Hashem’s commitment to His promises unfolds, and how the people are called to respond in loyalty and obedience. Joshua sets the stage for everything that follows, both in triumph and in failure.
1. Conquest and Settlement
Book of Joshua: Covenant Fulfillment and Renewal
The Hebrew name for the book of Joshua is יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua), meaning “Hashem is salvation.” Traditionally attributed to Joshua himself—with later editorial additions, possibly from the monarchy period—this book serves as a vital bridge between the Torah and the Prophets, connecting especially well with the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Judges. Joshua chronicles Israel’s transition from a wandering people to a settled nation, fulfilling the promises that Hashem made to the patriarchs.
Reaffirming Covenant Identity Through Circumcision
Chapters 1–5 focus on entry and preparation, including Joshua’s commissioning as Moses’ successor, the sending of the spies to Jericho, the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, and the re-establishment of covenantal signs such as circumcision and the celebration of Passover in the land.
2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness… until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not obey the voice of the Lord… 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. 9 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” (Joshua 5:2-9, ESV)
After crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land for the first time, Joshua is commanded by Hashem to circumcise the entire generation of men who had not been circumcised in the wilderness.
Covenant Identity Had to Be Reaffirmed Before Inheriting the Promise. Israel was entering the land promised to Abraham, but covenantal inheritance requires covenantal obedience.
Circumcision (Genesis 17) and Passover (Exodus 12) were physical and communal signs of belonging to the covenant.
Circumcision was first commanded to Abraham in Genesis 17 as the perpetual sign of the covenant God made with him and his descendants. In that covenant, God promised to give Abraham:
A people ("I will make you exceedingly fruitful" – Gen. 17:6),
A land ("I will give to you and your offspring... all the land of Canaan" – Gen. 17:8),
A relationship ("I will be their God" – Gen. 17:8).
By circumcising the new generation in Joshua 5 (Joshua 5:2–9), Israel was formally identifying themselves as Abraham’s covenant descendants, renewing their connection to the promises of land and divine relationship. Only a circumcised people could rightly inherit the land (see Genesis 17:14 — uncircumcision meant breaking the covenant).
The generation that came out of Egypt had died in the wilderness (Joshua 5:4–6), and the new generation had not been circumcised, likely due to the disobedience and wandering. Before receiving the blessings of the land, Israel had to be reaffirmed as the covenant people of God.
God says after the circumcision, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:9), signaling a new beginning—a people now free from the shame of their past.
Reaffirming Covenant Identity Through Passover
10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month… in the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land… 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. (Joshua 5:10-12, ESV)
Passover commemorated the Exodus, which was the birth of Israel as a covenant nation. The Exodus was not just deliverance from slavery, but the foundation for the covenant at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19–24), where God made Israel His treasured possession and gave them His Torah.
The command to celebrate Passover was enshrined in the Torah and meant to be a lasting ordinance (Exodus 12:24–27). By celebrating Passover in the land for the first time, Israel was affirming their covenantal relationship with Hashem based on the events of the Exodus and Sinai, and acknowledging that their freedom had a purpose: to serve God in the land.
Connecting the Land to the Covenants
The Abrahamic covenant promised the land. The Sinai covenant established how to live in the land as a holy nation.
In Joshua 5, Israel crosses the Jordan (symbolizing entry into the promise), gets circumcised (renewing Abraham’s covenant), and celebrates Passover (recalling the Exodus and affirming the Mosaic covenant). These acts show that Israel is not just an army or ethnic group—but a covenant people, bound to God by history, promise, and calling.
From Abraham to Joshua, the people move from promise to possession. From Sinai to Shechem, they move from law-giving to land-living.
A Note on Shechem:
Shechem is situated in the tribal territory of Ephraim (a son of Joseph), centrally located in the land of Israel. It lies between Mount Gerizim (the mount of blessing) and Mount Ebal (the mount of curse) (Deut. 11:29, Josh. 8:33).
Abraham first stopped at Shechem when he entered the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:6–7). There, God promised to give the land to his offspring, and Abraham built an altar to the LORD—making Shechem the first site in the land where a covenantal promise was confirmed.
Jacob returned to Shechem after leaving Laban and before going to Bethel (Genesis 33:18–20). He bought land, pitched his tent, and built an altar to El-Elohe-Israel (God, the God of Israel), acknowledging God's faithfulness.
At the end of his life, Joshua gathered all the tribes at Shechem (Joshua 24) to renew the covenant. He recounted Israel's history, God’s faithfulness, and called the people to choose whom they would serve: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). The people reaffirmed their loyalty to Hashem, and Joshua set up a stone of witness under a terebinth tree by the sanctuary of the LORD.
Chapters 6 through 12 of the Book of Joshua chronicle Israel’s conquest of Canaan, portraying these military campaigns not as secular or nationalistic ventures, but as covenantal events rooted in the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These chapters reveal that Israel’s success or failure in battle is not determined by military strategy or strength, but by their obedience—or disobedience—to the covenant established with them.
In chapter 6, the fall of Jericho is the first major conquest and a powerful demonstration that the land is given by God, not taken by force. Israel follows a strange and counterintuitive strategy commanded by Hashem: marching around the city for seven days with priests blowing trumpets, culminating in a miraculous collapse of the city walls. This victory comes as a result of complete obedience to divine instruction. The story of Rahab, the Canaanite woman who hides the Israelite spies and acknowledges the God of Israel, reminds us that covenantal blessings extend to anyone who turns to Hashem, even from among the nations. She and her family are spared, showing the inclusiveness of the covenant when faith is expressed.
However, chapter 7 quickly reminds the reader that covenant disobedience brings defeat. After the battle at Jericho, a man named Achan takes items that were placed under the ban (cherem), violating God's command. As a result, Israel is defeated in their next battle at Ai. Joshua seeks God, and it is revealed that Achan’s secret sin has brought guilt on the entire nation. This underscores a central truth of the covenant: Israel stands as one people, and the sin of one man affects the community as a whole. Only after Achan is judged and removed does God restore His favor to Israel.
Chapter 8 details the renewed victory over Ai, this time following God's direction. More importantly, after the battle, Israel renews the covenant at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Why? It is a deliberate, covenantal act rooted in prior instructions from Moses in Deuteronomy 11:29–30 and 27:1–26, where Moses commanded that upon entering the Promised Land, Israel must assemble at these two mountains near Shechem to reaffirm the covenant. The distinction between Mount Gerizim (blessing) and Mount Ebal (curse) originates in Deuteronomy 11:29:
“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.” (Deuteronomy 11:29, ESV)
The distinction between Mount Gerizim (blessing) and Mount Ebal (curse) is explained more fully in Deuteronomy 27–28:
4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them. 6 You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God, 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. 8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly. (Deuteronomy 27:4–8, ESV Bible)
12 When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. (Deuteronomy 27:12–13, ESV Bible)
The reasoning is both geographical and theological, serving a profound covenantal purpose. The distance between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim is roughly 1 to 1.5 miles (1.5 to 2.5 km) across the valley—very close geographically and easily visible from one to the other. Shechem is nestled in the valley between the two mountains. Mount Gerizim represents blessing because it symbolizes obedience to God’s covenant—when Israel walks in God’s ways, they experience His favor, protection, and abundance (Deut. 28:1–14).
Mount Ebal represents curse because it symbolizes the consequences of disobedience—when Israel turns away, they invite judgment, exile, and suffering (Deut. 28:15–68). Mount Gerizim is slightly more fertile and lush, while Mount Ebal is barer and rockier—symbolizing the outcomes of obedience versus disobedience. This contrast is central to the covenant structure of Deuteronomy, which lays out a treaty-style agreement between God and Israel, complete with stipulations, witnesses, blessings, and curses (like ancient Near Eastern covenants).
Interestingly, God commanded that the altar for sacrifice be built on Mount Ebal, the mountain of cursing (Deut. 27:4–8; Josh. 8:30–31). This may seem paradoxical—but it points to a powerful theological truth: The place of curse is also the place of sacrifice, showing that atonement is available even in the face of failure. God provides a way back for the disobedient—through repentance, renewal, and sacrifice. This sets the stage for the future hope of redemption, and it ultimately points forward to the Messiah, who would bear the curse on behalf of His people (Galatians 3:13), offering a path to covenant restoration.
In full obedience to Deuteronomy 27–28, Joshua builds an altar, offers sacrifices, and reads aloud the blessings and curses of the Torah in front of the entire assembly—including women, children, and sojourners. This moment of covenant reaffirmation is pivotal, showing that their conquest must remain tethered to their identity as a covenant people.
30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33 And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them. (Joshua 8:30-35, ESV)
Joshua 8 is the explicit fulfillment of these instructions from Moses. It shows that Israel understood their military victories were not ends in themselves—covenant loyalty to Hashem was the real issue. Life in the land is to be lived in submission to God’s covenant.
Deceived but Bound: The Weight of a Covenant Oath
In chapter 9, the Gibeonites deceive Israel into making a peace treaty, pretending to be from a distant land. The key failure here is that Israel “did not ask counsel from the Lord.” Though deceived, Israel honors their oath, reinforcing the seriousness of covenant obligations even when made under false pretenses. This episode reveals both Israel’s vulnerability when they rely on human judgment and their integrity in upholding covenant commitments.
Covenant Lessons Learned from the Peace Treaty with the Gibeonites
We have established how God relates to His people through a covenantal relationship. But how do these covenants relate to each other?
When Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan, they were instructed by God to conquer the land and not to make treaties with the inhabitants.
However, the Gibeonites, who were one of the Canaanite peoples, devised a plan to avoid destruction. They dressed themselves in worn-out clothes and carried old sacks and wine skins to appear as if they had traveled from a distant land. They approached Joshua and the Israelites at their camp at Gilgal and claimed to be from a far-away region. They asked for a treaty of peace with the Israelites, presenting their worn gear and moldy food as evidence of their long journey.
Joshua and the leaders of Israel were deceived by this ruse. They did not consult the Lord but relied on their own judgment and observations. Believing the Gibeonites' story, they entered into a covenant of peace with them, swearing by the name of the Lord that they would not harm them.
Three days after making the covenant, Joshua learned that the Gibeonites were actually local inhabitants. However, because the leaders of Israel had sworn an oath to them, they decided to let them live to avoid the wrath of God for breaking their oath. Instead, the Gibeonites were made woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord, a status that placed them in perpetual servitude to the Israelites.
In Joshua 9, we read the story:
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. (Joshua 9:3-15, ESV Bible)
Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose. (Joshua 9:22-27, ESV Bible)
So the Gibeonites fool Joshua into making a covenant. There was nothing that Joshua and Israel could do about this. They had made a covenant and they were bound to keep their obligations to the covenant.
Generations later, King Saul decides not to keep a covenant that Joshua made so long ago (several centuries later; 300-400 years later). King Saul sends his army and put many of the men of Gideon to the sword. It looks like he gets away with breaking a covenant. But nobody gets away with breaking a covenant.
In the days of King David, a devastating drought hits Israel. King David goes to the prophets and says, “why is God punishing us, what can we do?” God revealed to David that the famine was a punishment because Saul had put some Gibeonites to death, in violation of the covenant that Joshua and the Israelites had made with them centuries earlier. This act of Saul was not detailed earlier in the biblical texts but is referenced here as having violated the sacred oath made in the name of the Lord:
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?” The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” And the king said, “I will give them.” (2 Samuel 21:1-6, ESV Bible)
The Gibeonites killed the seven sons of King Saul and hung them on a hilltop. The Torah forbids leaving a hanging body out overnight. But the Gibeonites did not follow the Torah. King David allowed the bodies to remain.
They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. (2 Samuel 21:9-14, ESV Bible)
According to the biblical account in 2 Samuel 21, they were left hanging on the hill before the Lord from the beginning of barley harvest until water dropped on them from the heavens, which suggests the onset of the rainy season. The beginning of their barley harvest is in April. The rains don’t come all summer long, usually until November.
This is a tragic story but it underscores the seriousness with which oaths made before God are to be taken. Even many years after the original covenant was made, the breach of this promise had severe consequences. Covenants are unbreakable and intergenerational. Breaking a covenant has dire consequences and breaking a covenant requires some form of atonement. A covenant’s unbreakable nature is a foundation of our faith.
Obedience Leads to Victory
Joshua Chapter 10 records a dramatic southern campaign in which five Amorite kings attack Gibeon for allying with Israel. Joshua leads Israel to defend Gibeon, and God responds with miraculous signs—the sun stands still in the sky and hailstones fall on Israel’s enemies. The text emphasizes that Hashem fought for Israel, just as He promised in the Torah: “One of you shall chase a thousand” (Deut. 32:30). Obedience once again brings supernatural intervention.
Joshua 11 marks the climax of Israel’s northern campaign as Joshua leads the nation against a powerful alliance of Canaanite kings led by Jabin, king of Hazor. This coalition—comprising numerous city-states with horses and chariots (symbols of overwhelming military strength)—presents the greatest external threat Israel has faced thus far in the conquest. Yet the outcome, like the battles before it, is not decided by military might, clever strategy, or the size of Israel’s army. It is decided by one thing: obedience to the covenantal commands given by Hashem through Moses. Verse 15 is the theological hinge of the chapter:
“Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:15, ESV)
This verse ties Joshua’s leadership directly to the authority and legacy of Moses. The battles are not autonomous national ventures; they are executions of divine instruction tied to covenant fulfillment. Joshua is not acting on his own initiative—he is faithfully carrying out the plan laid out by Hashem through Moses in the Torah (especially Deuteronomy 7 and 20, which gave instructions on driving out the nations, destroying idols, and avoiding treaties with those under judgment).
Another key detail is found in verse 20, which provides a divine perspective:
“For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:20, ESV)
This difficult but important verse emphasizes that even the resistance of Israel’s enemies was part of Hashem’s sovereign plan—again linking everything to the covenantal terms previously set forth. The phrase “devoted to destruction” (Hebrew herem) connects directly to the commands in Deuteronomy 7:2 and 20:16–18, which called for the complete removal of idolatrous nations to preserve Israel’s faithfulness.
In summary, Joshua 11 showcases obedience as the true source of victory. Joshua’s success is not portrayed as the result of brilliant tactics or superior weapons, but of his unwavering commitment to follow God’s instructions through Moses. This reinforces the central message of the book: the conquest of the land is not a national triumph, but the fulfillment of a divine covenant—realized through trust, obedience, and faithfulness.
Finally, chapter 12 offers a summary of all the kings defeated by Israel—both those conquered under Moses east of the Jordan and those defeated under Joshua in Canaan. This catalog of conquests signals that God is indeed fulfilling His promise to give Israel the land. What was foretold to Abraham in Genesis 15 and reaffirmed through the covenant at Sinai is now coming to pass.
Altogether, these chapters present a theological message rather than a mere military history. Israel’s progress in the land is determined by their covenantal relationship with Hashem. When they obey, God gives them victory. When they disobey, they suffer defeat. The conquest of Canaan thus serves as a real-time demonstration of the blessings and curses described in Deuteronomy, with Israel’s faithfulness to the Torah determining their fate in the land promised to their ancestors.
Distributing the Land to the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Chapters 13–21 of the Book of Joshua transition from warfare to inheritance, as the narrative shifts to the distribution of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes of Israel. Though the major military campaigns have ended, the text notes that much land remains unconquered (Joshua 13:1), emphasizing that Israel's possession of the land is still an unfolding process. Hashem commands Joshua to begin dividing the land nonetheless—signaling that possession is not solely based on conquest, but also on divine promise. The act of allotting the land is itself an act of faith in God's word to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When Israel entered Canaan under Joshua, Hashem led them to set up the Tabernacle at Shiloh:
“The whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.(Joshua 18:1, ESV)
This event marks Shiloh as the first place where the Tabernacle remained for an extended period—functioning as the interim fulfillment of Deuteronomy 12 until Hashem would later choose Jerusalem as the permanent location. It is at Shiloh that the people cast lots for remaining land inheritance (Joshua 18–19) and celebrate festivals (Judges 21:19–21).
The Historical Role of Shiloh
Shiloh continued to serve as the religious center during the period of the Judges. Judges 21 and 1 Samuel 1–3 all depict it as the location of the Ark, priesthood, and major festivals. Its significance is further affirmed when the prophets refer to Shiloh as the first chosen location of Hashem’s Name:
“Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first…” (Jeremiah 7:12, ESV)
This explicitly ties Shiloh to Deuteronomy’s concept of the place Hashem will choose to make His Name dwell. By placing the tabernacle at Shiloh, it sets the framework for one central place of worship. Joshua 18 identifies Shiloh as that place in Israel’s early settled period. It served as the temporary fulfillment of Deuteronomy 12 until Hashem chose Jerusalem in David’s time (2 Samuel 7; 1 Kings 8). The narrative confirms that Israel rightly understood Shiloh as the divinely approved center for covenantal worship—until the Ark was taken (1 Samuel 4) and the site fell out of favor due to priestly corruption.
Each tribe receives a specific inheritance, marked by detailed boundary descriptions. These chapters might seem administrative on the surface, but they are deeply theological. The land divisions affirm that each tribe has a unique role and portion within God’s covenantal plan. Importantly, the Levites, the priestly tribe, receive no territorial inheritance; instead, they are given Levitical cities scattered among the other tribes (Joshua 21:1–42). This reinforces their distinct role as ministers of the tabernacle and custodians of the covenant, living among the people rather than apart from them.
Additionally, six cities of refuge are established (Joshua 20:1–9), in accordance with Torah commands (Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 19). These cities provide asylum for those who commit unintentional manslaughter, safeguarding justice while preventing cycles of blood vengeance. Their inclusion shows that the land is not just being divided, but structured in a way that reflects Hashem’s holiness, justice, and mercy.
The conclusion of this section (Joshua 21:43–45) powerfully summarizes the theological weight of these chapters:
“Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45, ESV).
The allotment of the land is not a bureaucratic exercise—it is the tangible fulfillment of covenantal promises, reinforcing that Hashem is faithful, and Israel’s identity is rooted in receiving, dwelling in, and stewarding the land He has given.
Covenant Renewal and the Call to Lasting Faithfulness
Chapters 22–24 of Joshua bring the conquest narrative to a theological climax by focusing not on warfare, but on worship, unity, and covenantal recommitment. After years of fighting, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—who had settled on the eastern side of the Jordan—are released to return home (Joshua 22). Before departing, Joshua blesses them and exhorts them to remain faithful to the Torah of Moses. However, a misunderstanding quickly arises: the eastern tribes build a large altar by the Jordan, prompting fears of rebellion or unauthorized worship. The western tribes prepare for war, thinking this altar signifies a breach of covenant loyalty.
The crisis is defused when the eastern tribes explain that the altar was not for sacrifices but as a witness (Hebrew: ed) between them and the western tribes—a memorial to affirm their shared identity in Hashem’s covenant, even though separated by the Jordan. This moment powerfully highlights Israel’s deep concern for covenant faithfulness and the ever-present danger of disunity or syncretism, especially now that military goals have been accomplished. Unity in covenantal worship—not just territorial possession—is what truly defines the people of God.
Chapters 23 and 24 then record Joshua’s final words—his farewell address to the people of Israel, similar in tone and purpose to Moses’ final instructions in Deuteronomy. In chapter 23, Joshua reminds the people that their future blessings in the land depend entirely on their ongoing faithfulness to the covenant. He warns them that if they turn away, intermarry with the nations, or worship other gods, they will lose the land that was given to them—not because God failed, but because they violated the terms of the covenant. His tone is sober and urgent: the land is a gift, but it comes with conditions.
Chapter 24 centers on a formal covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, a location of deep historical significance. It was here that God first promised the land to Abraham (Genesis 12:6–7), and it is here that Jacob buried foreign gods and reaffirmed his household’s allegiance to Hashem (Genesis 35:1–4). At Shechem, Joshua recounts Israel’s history from Abraham through the Exodus and conquest, clearly framing their national story as a story of divine election, mercy, and covenant loyalty. He famously challenges the people:
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, ESV)
The people respond with a collective affirmation of loyalty. Joshua sets up a covenant stone as a witness and records the renewal in the Book of the Law of God (Joshua 24:26–27).
"And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, 'Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that He spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.'" (Joshua 24:26–27, ESV)
This moment is not merely symbolic; it is a legal reaffirmation of the national identity. This action affirms the continuity of Joshua’s leadership with that of Moses and anchors this renewed commitment within the larger framework of covenantal history. It's not a new covenant, but a reaffirmation of the existing one, showing Israel’s willingness to stand accountable to the terms of Deuteronomy. Though the land has been possessed, the true inheritance is covenantal faithfulness to Hashem.
The stone serves as a visible, enduring witness. In ancient Near Eastern culture, physical objects like stones, altars, or monuments were often used as tangible signs or memorials of agreements or divine encounters (e.g., Genesis 28:18, 31:45–52). Joshua’s stone, placed under a terebinth near the sanctuary of the Lord, becomes a symbolic and spiritual sentinel—something unmovable that silently “testifies” to Israel’s commitment.
The End of an Era
The book concludes with the death and burial of Joshua, Eleazar the priest, and the bones of Joseph—each burial serving as a reminder of promises fulfilled and a challenge to the next generation to remain faithful.
Joshua’s burial in the land of his inheritance marks the completion of his mission. He, like Moses, is called a “servant of the Lord”—a title of great honor. His burial in the Promised Land affirms that God’s word has come to pass. It also reminds the people that even faithful leaders die, and covenant responsibility now rests with the nation. They must choose to follow Hashem without Joshua’s leadership.
"And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of his son Phinehas..." (Joshua 24:33, ESV)
Eleazar represents the priestly lineage and the spiritual leadership of Israel. His death closes the era of those who directly served with Moses and Joshua. With his passing, the burden of maintaining covenant worship and Torah instruction passes to the next generation of priests. His burial, like Joshua’s, signifies a generational shift and a sacred challenge: will Israel uphold the holiness and justice demanded by the covenant?
"As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem..." (Joshua 24:32, ESV)
This burial fulfills Genesis 50:25, where Joseph made the Israelites swear to carry his bones back to the land of promise. It is a powerful act of faith vindicated—Joseph believed God would bring Israel home, and now that promise is fulfilled. The location—Shechem—is where Abraham first received the promise (Genesis 12:6–7) and where Joshua renewed the covenant (Joshua 24). Joseph’s burial there forms a theological arc: from promise, to exodus, to return and inheritance.
With the deaths of their leaders and the fulfillment of promises, Israel stands at a crossroads of obedience. The emphasis on covenant renewal at the end of Joshua makes it clear: Israel’s future depends not on land, kings, or armies, but on obedience to the covenant they swore to uphold.
2. Judges Period (Pre-Monarchy)
The Book of Judges: Covenant Failure and Divine Mercy
The Book of Judges continues the narrative after the death of Joshua and the elders who served with him. It documents a tragic and cyclical pattern that emerges when Israel fails to fully drive out the nations from the land and abandons its covenant obligations. Judges is not merely a history of leaders—it is a covenantal commentary revealing what happens when a people called to faithfulness walk in disobedience. The book stands as a theological mirror, exposing the consequences of neglecting the Torah and turning from Hashem.
Judges opens with a partial continuation of conquest efforts (Judges 1), but quickly moves into failure: “they did not drive out the Canaanites…” (Judges 1:27–36). This disobedience is a breach of the covenant terms laid out in Deuteronomy, where God warned that compromising with the nations would lead to idolatry and judgment. Indeed, in Judges 2, Hashem responds:
Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? (Judges 2:1-2, ESV Bible)
This sets the stage for the repeating cycle that defines the book:
Israel sins and falls into idolatry.
God gives them over to oppression by surrounding nations.
Israel cries out in distress.
Hashem raises up a deliverer—a judge.
The judge brings temporary peace, but upon their death, the people revert to sin, often worse than before.
16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. (Judges 2:16-23, ESV Bible)
This pattern shows Israel’s corporate failure to uphold the covenant, yet simultaneously reveals Hashem’s enduring mercy. Though Israel does not deserve deliverance, God acts out of compassion and loyalty to His covenantal promises. Judges 2:18 encapsulates this:
“Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them... For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.” (Judges 2:18, ESV)
The First Judges, Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar, arise in response to Israel’s oppression. Othniel delivers Israel from Mesopotamia; Ehud from Moab; Shamgar from the Philistines. Each deliverance is a temporary restoration of peace, driven by God’s mercy rather than Israel’s merit.
In chapters 4 and 5, Deborah, a prophetess, and Barak lead a successful campaign against the Canaanite king Jabin and his general Sisera. Chapter 5 is the “Song of Deborah,” a poetic celebration of God’s covenantal deliverance, highlighting tribal cooperation (or lack thereof) and giving glory to Hashem.
From Fear to Victory to Idolatry: The Gideon Narrative
In chapters 6-8, we read about Gideon. The story of Gideon begins during a time when Israel is suffering severe oppression at the hands of the Midianites, who, like locusts, would swarm the land and destroy crops, leaving the Israelites impoverished and fearful. This suffering is a direct consequence of Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness, as they had once again turned to idolatry after the death of previous judges.
In response to Israel’s cries for help, Hashem calls Gideon, a man from the weak clan of Manasseh, to be the next deliverer. Yet Gideon’s initial reaction is not one of bold obedience; it is one of doubt and hesitation. He asks for multiple signs to confirm God's calling: first a miraculous consumption of an offering by fire (Judges 6:21), then two tests involving dew and a fleece (Judges 6:36–40). These repeated requests reveal Gideon’s fragile faith, but Hashem responds patiently and graciously, affirming His presence and power.
As Gideon prepares to confront the Midianite army, God does something unexpected—He reduces Gideon’s army from 32,000 to just 300 men (Judges 7:1–7). This is not a strategic military decision; it is a covenantal lesson. God declares that Israel must not think “My own hand has saved me” (Judges 7:2). Victory will come by divine power, not human might. With this tiny band of men armed only with trumpets, jars, and torches, Gideon surrounds the Midianite camp at night. In a moment of divinely induced panic and confusion, the enemy turns on itself and flees. The victory is complete, and the message is clear: Hashem alone is the deliverer of Israel.
However, the story takes a darker turn after the victory. Despite his initial humility, Gideon’s actions begin to reflect pride and compromise. Though he refuses the people’s offer to become king (Judges 8:22–23), he requests gold from the plunder and constructs a golden ephod, a ceremonial garment reserved for the high priest (Judges 8:24–27). This ephod, placed in his hometown of Ophrah, becomes a snare—an object of worship that leads Israel back into idolatry.
The tragedy is stark: the one whom God raised up to call Israel back to covenant faithfulness inadvertently leads them astray. After Gideon’s death, the people quickly revert to worshiping the Baals and forget both Hashem and the deliverance He provided (Judges 8:33–35).
The story of Gideon serves as a powerful reminder that covenant faithfulness requires not only deliverance from enemies, but ongoing allegiance to Hashem’s commands. Even great victories can become spiritual setbacks if pride and compromise take root.
Bloodshed and Vows: Leadership without Covenant Anchoring
In chapter 9, the narrative takes a dark turn with Abimelech, one of Gideon’s sons by a concubine, who forcefully claims kingship over Shechem. In a brutal power grab, he murders seventy of his brothers to secure his rule—a clear departure from covenant values and a distortion of leadership in Israel. Unlike the judges whom God raised up, Abimelech is self-appointed and power-hungry. His reign is marked by treachery, violence, and ultimately divine judgment, as his life ends in disgrace when a woman fatally wounds him with a millstone during a siege.
Chapters 10–12 present a mixture of brief leadership and deepening spiritual and social disintegration. Tola and Jair are mentioned briefly, suggesting a time of relative calm or insignificant impact. Then comes Jephthah, a marginalized figure who becomes Israel’s deliverer against the Ammonites. However, his leadership is marred by a rash and tragic vow that results in the death of his only daughter—an act that echoes the pagan influences corrupting Israel’s understanding of God and covenant worship. The internal strife continues as Jephthah engages in a civil conflict with the tribe of Ephraim, reflecting the fragmentation of Israelite identity and the growing erosion of covenantal unity. These chapters collectively reveal the cost of Israel's spiritual drift: moral confusion, internal division, and the loss of godly leadership.
From Strength to Scandal: The Final Descent of Israel in Judges
Chapters 13–16 introduce Samson, perhaps the most complex and controversial of the judges. Chosen from birth to be a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-21) and empowered by the Spirit of God, Samson is set apart to begin delivering Israel from Philistine oppression. Despite his divine calling and supernatural strength, his life is riddled with personal compromise, lust, impulsiveness, and disobedience. He consistently violates Nazirite vows and Torah standards, marrying Philistine women, engaging with prostitutes, and using his strength for personal vengeance rather than covenantal leadership. His relationship with Delilah becomes his downfall; she deceives him, cuts his hair—the symbol of his consecration—and hands him over to the Philistines. Yet even in his humiliation and blindness, Samson calls upon Hashem, and his final act—bringing down the Philistine temple upon his enemies and himself—demonstrates that God can still work through flawed individuals to accomplish divine purposes. Samson’s story is a sobering reflection of Israel’s own spiritual condition: chosen and empowered, yet consistently compromised.
Chapters 17–18 shift from national judges to personal and tribal narratives, exposing the widespread spiritual confusion plaguing Israel. A man named Micah builds a private shrine, makes household idols, and hires a wandering Levite to act as his personal priest. This directly violates the commands of the Torah, which forbade idol worship (see Exodus 20:3–5, Deuteronomy 5:7–9) and required that sacrificial worship be centralized at the Tabernacle (see Leviticus 17:1–9, Deuteronomy 12:5–14). The story takes a darker turn as the tribe of Dan, seeking territory, steals both the idols and the Levite priest to establish their own center of worship in the north—further legitimizing idolatry and fracturing the religious unity of Israel. These events demonstrate the extent to which even the priesthood had become corrupted, and how far Israel had strayed from covenant fidelity.
Chapters 19–21 present one of the darkest episodes in all of Scripture. A Levite and his concubine travel through the territory of Benjamin and spend the night in Gibeah. There, the men of the city commit horrific sexual violence, leading to the woman’s death. In response, the Levite dismembers her body and sends pieces to all the tribes of Israel, inciting national outrage. This gruesome act is intended as a shocking call to national repentance and justice. By distributing her dismembered body, the Levite is making a visual and unforgettable accusation: “Look at what has happened in Israel! This cannot be ignored.” It’s a graphic protest against the moral decay, lawlessness, and violation of covenant ethics within the nation.
The result is national outrage. All the tribes of Israel assemble to confront the tribe of Benjamin, demanding they hand over the perpetrators in Gibeah. When Benjamin refuses, it sparks a civil war (Judges 20), leading to massive loss of life and further disintegration of tribal unity.
This event is deeply symbolic as it exposes the moral collapse of Israel. It echoes covenant language, as the nation is supposed to function as one body, united under Hashem’s Torah. It shows that when the covenant is ignored, not only does justice fail, but society itself unravels.
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25, ESV)
The stories of the judges are not tales of ideal heroes, but illustrations of God using imperfect instruments to preserve His covenant people. The increasing moral decay of both leaders and nation highlights the desperate need for righteous kingship and true spiritual renewal.
This haunting conclusion of Judges reflects more than a political observation—it is a theological indictment. It shows what happens when Israel forgets Hashem and forsakes His Torah. Yet even in judgment, God continues to raise up deliverers, revealing His enduring mercy and the unbreakable nature of His covenant commitment.
Without faithfulness to the covenant and leadership that upholds Torah, chaos ensues. Yet the darkness of Judges sets the stage for the need of righteous rule—anticipating the Davidic covenant and, ultimately, the Messianic hope.
Book of Ruth
Though small in size, the Book of Ruth carries profound theological and redemptive meaning. It presents a counter-narrative to the chaos and moral decline of the Judges period and centers on themes of covenant loyalty (chesed), God’s providence, redemption, and the preservation of the Davidic line.
The story opens “in the days when the judges ruled,” setting the backdrop of national instability. A famine forces Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons to leave Bethlehem and settle in Moab. Elimelech dies, and later both sons die after marrying Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, leaving all three women widowed.
Naomi, now bitter and feeling abandoned by God, prepares to return to Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Orpah leaves, but Ruth clings to Naomi, making a famous covenantal vow of loyalty:
“For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16, ESV)
This statement is covenant language. Ruth, a Moabite, chooses faithfulness (chesed) not only to Naomi but to the God of Israel. This marks a turning point and sets her apart as a righteous Gentile grafted into Israel’s story.
Back in Bethlehem, Ruth gleans in the fields to provide for Naomi. She “happens” to glean in the field of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech. Boaz shows her kindness, protects her, and allows her to gather freely.
Boaz praises Ruth for her devotion to Naomi and to God, saying:
“The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” (Ruth 2:12, ESV)
Here, Boaz becomes a type of redeemer—a foreshadowing of the role he will play and a picture of God’s own providence and care. God's hand is subtly present throughout, guiding the events toward redemption.
Naomi devises a plan to secure a more permanent future for Ruth. Ruth visits Boaz at the threshing floor at night and symbolically asks him to “spread his wings” (garment) over her—an idiom for marriage and covenantal protection:
“Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
(Ruth 3:9, ESV)
This is not an act of seduction, but a bold appeal to the laws of levirate and kinsman-redeemer (go'el) obligations in the Torah (cf. Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5–10). Boaz praises her virtue, agrees, and promises to act, pending consultation with a nearer kinsman.
Boaz meets the nearer kinsman and conducts the legal transaction to redeem Elimelech’s land and marry Ruth. The elders affirm the redemption, invoking the blessings of Rachel, Leah, and Tamar.
Gentiles who abandoned idolatry and joined Israel, accepting Israel’s God and covenant, could marry into the community. Ruth is not just a Moabite by ethnicity; she becomes part of Israel by allegiance and faith, which is why Boaz can marry her without violating Torah.
Ruth bears a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David:
“And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17, ESV)
This ending ties Ruth into the Davidic covenant and, ultimately, into the Messianic line. Her story becomes a pivotal link in God’s redemptive plan—showing that a Gentile woman, through faith and covenant loyalty, can play a central role in Israel’s destiny.
Gentiles and Covenant Inclusion Beyond Israel
The story of Ruth the Moabitess is not an isolated case but part of a broader biblical pattern showing that God's covenant people include those who, though not ethnically Israelite, turn to Him in faith and loyalty. Ruth’s declaration—“Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16)—echoes earlier themes seen in the Exodus itself, where a “mixed multitude” left Egypt alongside the Israelites (Exodus 12:38). The Torah made provision for foreigners to join the covenant community, stating that “there shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you” (Exodus 12:49).
Similarly, Rahab, a Canaanite woman in Jericho, expressed her belief in the God of Israel and acted to protect His people, resulting in her family being spared and included in Israel (Joshua 2; 6:22–25). Her faith, like Ruth’s, not only granted her inclusion but placed her in the lineage of King David and, according to the Gospel of Matthew, in the Messianic line.
The prophets also affirm this inclusive vision. Isaiah speaks of foreigners who “join themselves to the LORD” and “hold fast my covenant,” promising they will be brought to God’s “holy mountain” (Isaiah 56:3–7). Even Naaman the Syrian, after being healed by Elisha, confesses that there is no God but the God of Israel (2 Kings 5:15).
The Tanakh consistently shows that God’s covenant is open to all who turn to Him in faith and loyalty, regardless of their ethnic background. These stories serve as early signs of the universal scope of God’s redemptive plan, while still affirming the unique role of Israel as the covenantal nation through whom this plan is revealed and fulfilled.
3. United monarchy
Book of 1 Samuel:
The book of 1 Samuel marks a pivotal transition in Israel's covenant history, moving from the period of the Judges—when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25, ESV)—to the establishment of monarchy under divine oversight. This book carries immense covenantal significance, showing how Hashem continues to work through flawed human agents while advancing His redemptive purposes through Israel.
Hannah’s Vow and the Birth of Samuel
In the time of the judges, we are introduced to Elkanah, a Levite from Ramathaim-Zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His household reflects a recurring biblical tension: he has two wives—Peninnah, who has children, and Hannah, who is barren. The Torah's narrative arc often features barren women (Sarah in Genesis 11:30; Rachel in Genesis 29:31) whose eventual conception by divine intervention signals the beginning of something covenantally significant. Hannah’s story is no exception.
Year after year, Elkanah journeys with his family to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stands and where the Ark of the Covenant resides—a temporary resting place of Hashem’s Name before the construction of the Temple (Deuteronomy 12:5). During one such pilgrimage, Hannah, grieved by Peninnah’s provocations and her own sense of reproach, prays silently before Hashem. Her request is not merely for personal fulfillment but carries a deep vow: “O Hashem of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant… and give to your servant a son, then I will give him to Hashem all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head” (1 Samuel 1:11, ESV). This vow references the Nazirite dedication (Numbers 6), setting Samuel apart not merely as a priestly figure, but as one wholly consecrated for lifelong service to Hashem.
Eli, the high priest, misinterprets her silent, heartfelt prayer as drunkenness—a reflection of the spiritual dullness even within the priesthood. Upon realizing her sincerity, Eli blesses her: “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him” (1 Samuel 1:17, ESV). The response from Hashem is swift and merciful: “And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked for him from Hashem’” (1 Samuel 1:20, ESV). The name "Samuel" (שְׁמוּאֵל) carries the dual meaning of “Heard by God” or “Name of God,” reflecting both answered prayer and divine appointment.
True to her vow, Hannah returns to Shiloh after the child is weaned and presents Samuel to Hashem, saying, “For this child I prayed, and Hashem has granted me my petition… Therefore I have lent him to Hashem. As long as he lives, he is lent to Hashem” (1 Samuel 1:27–28, ESV). This act of faith and obedience is more than personal devotion—it is a covenantal offering in a time when the priesthood is corrupt and Israel is spiritually compromised.
Hannah's story introduces Samuel not only as a miraculous child but as a divinely chosen instrument for covenant restoration. Her prophetic insight, priestly faithfulness, and maternal obedience set the stage for a transition from the chaotic period of the judges to the prophetic and royal leadership that will follow. Through her, Hashem initiates a new phase of redemptive history, one rooted in Torah obedience and prophetic calling, and one that foreshadows the role of faithful Israel—humble, consecrated, and expectant of Hashem’s salvation.
The Exalted Reversal: Hannah’s Prophetic Prayer
Following the dedication of her son to the service of Hashem, Hannah utters a prayer that is both deeply personal and theologically profound. This song, often compared to the later Magnificat of Miriam (Mary) in Luke 1:46–55, stands as one of the most important poetic declarations of Hashem’s covenantal justice in the Hebrew Scriptures.
“Hashem makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.”
(1 Samuel 2:7, ESV)
Hannah’s prayer reflects the theology of Deuteronomy 27–28, where Hashem promises blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. These chapters define covenantal justice not as abstract fairness, but as divine responses to Israel’s faithfulness or rebellion.
“Blessed shall you be in the city… the fruit of your womb… the increase of your herds…” (Deuteronomy 28:3–4, ESV)
“Cursed shall you be… The heavens over your head shall be bronze…”
(Deuteronomy 28:16, 23, ESV)
Hannah’s language parallels these covenant terms. Her prayer proclaims that Hashem actively reverses human conditions—not arbitrarily, but based on His covenant dealings. The lowly who trust in Him are lifted; the proud who rebel are brought down. This is covenant enforcement in action.
The reversal theme in Hannah’s prayer reflects recurring Torah patterns where Hashem lifts up the humble and opposes the proud. Her prayer emphasizes the reversal of human expectations—the lowly are lifted, the proud are humbled. It exalts Hashem’s absolute sovereignty over life, death, history, and leadership:
“Hashem will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:10, ESV)
Hannah’s declaration anticipates prophetic language found later in Scripture, where prophets, as covenant enforcers, echo this theology:
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low…”
(Isaiah 40:4, ESV)“Hashem enters into judgment with the elders… It is you who have devoured the vineyard…” (Isaiah 3:14, ESV)
Isaiah, like Hannah, speaks of divine reversals grounded in Hashem’s commitment to justice—particularly within His covenant with Israel. Her song reflects Israel’s core theological conviction: Hashem governs history through covenant, exalting the humble who revere Him and judging the proud who violate His commands.
Within 1 Samuel itself, Hannah’s words are prophetic: Hashem does bring low the house of Eli (chapters 2–4) and exaltsSamuel and, later, David—two figures of covenantal faithfulness. Her prayer anticipates the divine outcomes of covenant blessing and curse, reinforcing her statement as theological truth, not poetic flourish.
First Use of “His Anointed” (מְשִׁיחוֹ, Meshicho)
This final verse of Hannah’s prayer is especially significant—it contains the first explicit mention of Hashem’s anointed (מְשִׁיחוֹ, meshicho) in the Tanakh, foreshadowing the Messianic hope:
“Hashem will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:10, ESV)
Though Israel has no king at this point, Hannah anticipates that Hashem will raise one up. The root mashach (מָשַׁח) means “to anoint,” and Meshicho (“His anointed”) refers to one whom Hashem has set apart and empowered for a special role—typically kingship or priesthood.
Here, Hannah prophetically declares that Hashem will exalt the horn (symbol of strength and authority) of His anointed one, despite the fact that no king exists in Israel at this time. This is an extraordinary theological insight.
Hannah’s reference to Hashem’s anointed is not an innovation, nor is it a deviation from Torah. It is grounded in a progressive revelation of Hashem’s covenant promises:
Genesis 3:15 – The Seed of the Woman
In the earliest Messianic prophecy, Hashem declares enmity between the serpent and the woman, and that her seed will crush the serpent’s head. This seed is not just a general offspring, but a specific deliverer who will reverse the effects of sin.
“He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, ESV)
This establishes a redemptive expectation that will unfold through Israel’s history.
Genesis 49:10 – The Scepter of Judah
Jacob, speaking prophetically over his sons, declares:
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Genesis 49:10, ESV)
This is a royal prophecy, establishing Judah as the line of kingship, and hinting at a universal ruler. Though Saul would come from the tribe of Benjamin, the true enduring kingship would belong to David, of the tribe of Judah—and from his line, the ultimate Meshiach.
Numbers 24:17 – A Star and Scepter from Israel
The Gentile prophet Balaam, in a remarkable vision, sees:
“A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel…”
(Numbers 24:17, ESV)
Though not fully developed, this points toward a future king-deliverer, affirming that Hashem’s redemptive rule will manifest through a chosen Israelite leader.
Hannah, speaking by the Spirit of Hashem, draws on these deep covenantal strands:
She knows the Torah promises.
She discerns that Hashem’s justice includes raising up a king to bring righteous rule.
She recognizes that this king will not be like the kings of the nations, but one anointed by Hashem to rule in covenant faithfulness.
Her words prophetically prepare the way for:
David, the immediate fulfillment.
The future Messianic King, who will fulfill the fullness of these promises.
This trajectory is affirmed in Messianic expectation and the New Testament:
“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…” (Luke 1:69, ESV)
In immediate context, Hannah, a faithful daughter of Israel, articulates the theological vision that will define the rise of Samuel, the fall of Saul, and the exaltation of David.
The Calling of Samuel: A Time of Silence
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to Hashem in the presence of Eli. And the word of Hashem was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” (1 Samuel 3:1, ESV)
This opening verse sets the spiritual tone of the chapter. The “word of Hashem”—the prophetic voice—had become rare. This wasn’t due to Hashem's withdrawal from His covenant but a judgment on Israel's unfaithfulness, particularly the corruption of its priesthood (cf. 1 Samuel 2:12–17). The silence recalls the warning of Deuteronomy 31:17–18, where Hashem says He will hide His face when Israel turns to other gods.
“Hiding His Face”
The “hiding of Hashem’s face” (hester panim, הסתר פנים) in Deuteronomy 31:17–18 is a profound concept, and while it is directly connected to idolatry in that passage, the broader biblical usage and theology show that it encompasses all forms of covenant disloyalty—not just the worship of other gods.
In Deuteronomy 31, Hashem prepares Moses for his death and warns that Israel will break the covenant:
“Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them… because they have turned to other gods.” (Deuteronomy 31:17, ESV)
This is the primary cause in this context—turning to other gods is a direct violation of the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3), and thus represents the most blatant form of covenantal betrayal.
Yet, in the wider Deuteronomic theology, Hashem’s face is associated with both blessing and favor or judgment and absence, depending on obedience:
The Aaronic Blessing asks:
“Hashem make his face to shine upon you…”
(Numbers 6:25, ESV)
This signals blessing, protection, and relational closeness.In contrast, the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28 promise that disobedience—including injustice, bloodshed, oppression, and arrogance—will result in Hashem’s disfellowship, even if not explicitly described as hiding His face.
So, while idolatry is the most emphasized cause, any prolonged national sin—such as injustice, oppression of the poor, failure to uphold the Torah—can also lead to Hashem’s withdrawal of presence and blessing.
Later, in the prophets, they use the theme of Hashem hiding His face in contexts that include—but are not limited to—idolatry:
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Here, “sins” are plural and general—this includes violence, lying, and injustice (see Isaiah 59:3–8). It’s not just about idol worship; it’s about a lifestyle of rebellion.
“Then they will cry to Hashem, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.” (Micah 3:4)
Again, the reason is general evil deeds, especially in corrupt leadership and the abuse of justice.
The Psalms frequently cry out for Hashem not to hide His face (e.g., Psalm 13:1; Psalm 27:9). These often reflect not theological punishment but relational distance, sometimes due to sin, other times as a test or mystery. The lament of Lamentations 3:43–44 combines wrath and distance:
“You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us… You have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.” (Lamentations 3:43-44)
The departure of Hashem’s presence from the Temple due to Israel’s disobedience is a major prophetic theme, especially in the book of Ezekiel. It is one of the most sobering demonstrations of covenantal consequence in the Tanakh.
The clearest and most dramatic account is found in Ezekiel 8–11, where the prophet is given a vision of abominations occurring in the Temple, leading to Hashem’s glory (כָּבוֹד) progressively leaving the Temple.
In Ezekiel 8, we are shown detestable practices in the Temple—idolatry, uncleanness, and violence:
“Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary?” (Ezekiel 8:6, ESV)
This confirms that covenant violation drives Hashem's presence away.
In Ezekiel 9, judgment begins in the Temple. In chapter 10, the cherubim and the glory of Hashem begin moving out:
“Then the glory of Hashem went out from the threshold of the house…”
(Ezekiel 10:18, ESV)
This marks a progressive withdrawal—a sign that Hashem is abandoning the sanctuary due to the people's sins.
“And the glory of Hashem went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.”
(Ezekiel 11:23, ESV)
This is the final movement—Hashem’s presence leaves the Temple and Jerusalem altogether. The Mount of Olives (east of the city) becomes the last place His glory rests before departing.
The departure of Hashem’s presence is a covenantal act of discipline, not abandonment. It is directly tied to the curses of Deuteronomy 28 and the warning of Deuteronomy 31:17–18. Israel had defiled the place of His Name (Deuteronomy 12), and thus lost the right to His manifest presence.
This is not merely emotional distance—it’s a legal covenantal judgment, resulting in exile, as spelled out in:
“Because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done… Therefore I will withdraw; my eye will not spare…” (Ezekiel 5:9–11, ESV)
But Ezekiel’s vision does not end in despair. Hashem promises to return:
“And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east… and the glory of Hashem filled the temple.”
(Ezekiel 43:2, 5, ESV)
This anticipates a renewed covenant, a restored priesthood, and a rebuilt relationship—with Hashem once again dwelling among His people.
The hiding of Hashem’s face is a metaphor for the withdrawal of covenantal favor, guidance, and protection. While it is most directly linked with idolatry, it extends to any systemic, willful disobedience that violates the heart of the Torah—whether through religious unfaithfulness, social injustice, or moral corruption.
However—and this is crucial—Hashem’s hiding is never final. The Torah itself promises:
“But if from there you seek Hashem your God, you will find him…”
(Deuteronomy 4:29, ESV)
The promise of return (teshuvah) and restoration remains open.
Corruption of the Priesthood
The house of Eli—meaning Eli the high priest and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas—committed multiple grave violations of the Mosaic Covenant, especially in their priestly responsibilities. Their sins were not just personal failings; they were covenantal breaches that defiled the sanctuary, corrupted worship, and endangered Israel’s relationship with Hashem.
“The sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know Hashem.” (1 Samuel 2:12, ESV)
This statement alone is damning. As priests, they were supposed to mediate holiness (Leviticus 10:10–11). Instead:
They took the meat from worshippers’ sacrifices by force—even before the fat was burned on the altar, which was forbidden.
They demanded raw meat so they could roast it themselves, rather than following the Torah-prescribed portions(Leviticus 3:3–5; 7:31–34).
“Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of Hashem, for the men treated the offering of Hashem with contempt.” (1 Samuel 2:17, ESV)
This wasn’t just ritual sloppiness—it was sacrilege, and it violated key sections of Levitical law regarding sacrifices, especially the burning of the fat, which was to be offered entirely to Hashem (Leviticus 3:16).
“Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” (1 Samuel 2:22)
This is an abomination in every sense. It echoes the sins of the Canaanites and the cultic prostitution associated with pagan worship (cf. Deuteronomy 23:17–18). Such acts:
Defiled the holiness of the Tabernacle (Leviticus 15:31).
Turned Hashem’s house into something resembling idolatrous temples.
Violated the Torah’s sexual ethics (Leviticus 18).
Eli rebukes his sons verbally but does not remove them from priestly office, even after repeated reports and clear evidence. The Torah commands that those who profane the sanctuary must be cut off (Leviticus 10; Numbers 15:30–31).
“Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings… If someone sins against man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against Hashem, who can intercede for him?” (1 Samuel 2:23–25, ESV)
Though Eli understands the seriousness, his inaction makes him complicit in their sin.
A “man of God” comes and delivers a prophetic rebuke:
Hashem had chosen Eli’s house to serve as priests, but now declares:
“Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Samuel 2:30, ESV)
The house of Eli will suffer:
Premature death among his descendants.
Loss of priestly privilege.
A sign: both Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day (fulfilled in 1 Samuel 4).
The sins of Eli’s house violated multiple covenant principles:
Holiness in leadership (Leviticus 10; Deuteronomy 17:12–13).
Faithful stewardship of worship (Deuteronomy 12; Leviticus 6–7).
Protection of the sanctuary from defilement (Numbers 18).
Their failure led to the departure of Hashem’s presence (1 Samuel 4:21–22, “Ichabod”) and the loss of national blessing, underscoring that leadership failure has covenantal consequences for the whole people.
Hashem Speaks: A Prophetic Call at Night
Samuel, though still a boy, is shown faithfully serving “before Hashem” in the sanctuary. The Hebrew suggests a progression: though young and not yet initiated into prophetic office, Samuel is already set apart as a faithful vessel in contrast to Eli's sons.
"At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place." (1 Samuel 3:2, ESV)
This verse places Eli’s declining vision in the context of Samuel’s calling by Hashem at Shiloh. The Hebrew phrase used for Eli’s condition implies not sudden but gradual blindness—"his eyes had begun to grow dim." Eli's physical blindness mirrors his spiritual dullness and the dimming of priestly faithfulness in Israel at the time. As the high priest, Eli's inability to see is both literal and symbolic. Eli's blindness begins before Samuel's prophetic ministry and marks the transition from a priestly house in decline to a new era of prophetic leadership under Samuel—an agent of covenant renewal.
In a deeply symbolic moment, Hashem calls Samuel in the darkness, both literal and spiritual. The narrative builds with repetition—Samuel hears his name called three times and assumes Eli is summoning him. This repetition emphasizes Samuel’s readiness to serve but also the novelty of true revelation in a time of spiritual famine:
“Now Samuel did not yet know Hashem, and the word of Hashem had not yet been revealed to him.” (1 Samuel 3:7, ESV)
The phrase “did not yet know Hashem” should not be misunderstood as unbelief or disobedience. It echoes the language of Exodus 1:8 (“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph”), indicating a lack of revealed relationship or office. Samuel had not yet been brought into the prophetic dimension of covenant knowledge.
Once Eli discerns that it is Hashem calling the boy, he instructs him to respond:
“Speak, Hashem, for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:9, ESV)
This marks the moment of prophetic initiation. Samuel listens—not just with his ears, but with the posture of a servant—a model for prophetic obedience rooted in Torah (Deuteronomy 18:15–19).
In Deuteronomy 18:15–19, Hashem says:
“Hashem your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen... I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
(Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, ESV)
Samuel becomes the first prophet after Moses who publicly functions according to this pattern:
He receives Hashem’s words directly.
He speaks those words without alteration or fear.
He is recognized and obeyed by Israel.
He calls the people (and leaders like Saul and David) back to Torah obedience.
In short, Samuel embodies what the Torah describes as a true covenantal prophet—not one who invents new teachings, but one who hears from Hashem and faithfully relays His word to call Israel back to the covenant.
Covenant Judgement
Hashem's message is one of covenant judgment:
“Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle…” (1 Samuel 3:11, ESV)
This language relates to prophetic judgments in later texts (e.g., 2 Kings 21:12; Jeremiah 19:3), indicating divine action of terrifying magnitude.
Hashem reaffirms the word spoken in chapter 2: Eli’s house will be cut off because of the iniquity of his sons and his failure to restrain them. Notably, the judgment includes this severe statement:
“The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.” (1 Samuel 3:14, ESV)
This is a Torah-level indictment (cf. Numbers 15:30–31) where high-handed sin (b’zadon) cannot be atoned for through sacrifice. The sons of Eli have defiled the very instruments of atonement—therefore, no atonement remains.
Samuel’s Obedience and Israel’s Recognition
Though afraid, Samuel faithfully delivers Hashem’s word to Eli. Eli, to his credit, receives it with resignation:
“It is Hashem. Let him do what seems good to him.”
(1 Samuel 3:18, ESV)
This acknowledgment, while humble, contrasts sharply with his earlier inaction. The prophetic word is confirmed.
The chapter closes with Samuel’s emergence as a recognized prophet:
“And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of Hashem.” (1 Samuel 3:20, ESV)
The phrase “Dan to Beersheba” signifies all twelve tribes, indicating that Samuel is now a national figure. This confirms the restoration of prophetic revelation and covenantal accountability:
“And Hashem appeared again at Shiloh, for Hashem revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of Hashem.” (1 Samuel 3:21, ESV)
Hashem’s presence and Word are restored—not through the priesthood of Eli, but through the prophetic office of Samuel. In this, we see a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:18, where Hashem promised to raise up a prophet to speak His words.
The Ark Captured: Israel Goes to Battle without Repentance
Chapter 4 begins with:
“Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines… and the Philistines drew up in line against Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated…” (1 Samuel 4:1–2, ESV)
This battle marks the beginning of a national crisis, but it is important to see that Israel enters the conflict without prophetic guidance, national repentance, or divine instruction. There is no inquiry of Hashem, no cry of distress, only the assumption that Hashem must be on their side. The result is disaster: four thousand men are killed.
This reflects a deeper spiritual issue—Israel is in covenantal disrepair, yet still expects divine blessing. This presumption violates the heart of the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Deuteronomy 28:25–26). Israel’s military success, prosperity, and even Hashem’s presence among them were contingent upon faithful obedience to Torah—not merely possession of sacred objects or rituals.
“Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Hashem here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”
(1 Samuel 4:3, ESV)
Instead of seeking Hashem’s will, Israel treats the Ark of the Covenant as a magical object—an ancient form of idolatry. This act reflects the belief that they can control Hashem’s presence, rather than submit to His covenant.
This violates the core principle of Deuteronomy 12: Hashem chooses where and how His name dwells. The Ark is holy, not because of its wood and gold, but because of Hashem’s covenantal presence. Treating it as a talisman is a sacrilege, not a safeguard.
Hophni and Phinehas accompany the Ark—defiled priests carrying the holy object. The people shout in celebration, but it is hollow. The external symbols of covenant are present, but the internal faithfulness is absent.
“So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled… and the Ark of God was captured.” (1 Samuel 4:10–11, ESV)
The result is catastrophic: 30,000 Israelite soldiers die. Hophni and Phinehas are killed, fulfilling the prophetic word (1 Samuel 2:34). The Ark is captured, symbolizing the withdrawal of Hashem’s manifest presence.
This is the fulfillment of covenantal warnings from Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28—specifically, that disobedience would lead to military defeat, the loss of sacred places, and divine withdrawal:
“I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies…” (Leviticus 26:17)
“Hashem will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them… And your dead body shall be food for all birds of the air…” (Deuteronomy 28:25–26, ESV)
The Philistines tremble at first, acknowledging that a mighty God has come into the camp (4:7–8), but ultimately they prevail—because Hashem has allowed judgment to fall on His own people.
When Eli hears the news that the Ark has been captured, he falls backward and dies:
“As soon as he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell over backward… and his neck was broken and he died.” (1 Samuel 4:18, ESV)
Eli’s death is not primarily caused by grief over his sons—but over the loss of the Ark. This shows he did value Hashem’s presence, but his earlier inaction sealed his house’s fate. His death marks the end of the corrupt priestly era, preparing the way for Samuel’s prophetic leadership.
“And she named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel!’” (1 Samuel 4:21, ESV)
Phinehas’s wife dies giving birth, and in her final words names her son Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד), meaning “no glory” or “the glory has departed.”
This is the theological core of the chapter: Hashem’s kavod (glory)—His covenantal, manifest presence—has left Israel. Not because He is weak, but because His holiness cannot dwell among an unholy people (cf. Leviticus 10:3; Ezekiel 8–11).
Ichabod is a living prophecy: Israel, though still possessing the Tabernacle, sacrifices, and priests, is without glory—a people cut off from Hashem’s favor.
The Humbling of Dagon and the Plague of Ashdod
After Israel’s defeat in battle and the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4), chapter 5 begins a dramatic sequence where Hashem defends His own holiness without Israel’s military or priestly involvement. The narrative is a theologically rich and ironic reversal: though Israel is under judgment, Hashem’s sovereignty is not bound by national defeat.
"When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon." (1 Samuel 5:1–2, ESV)
Ashdod was a major Philistine city, and Dagon was one of their principal deities. Placing the Ark in Dagon’s temple was a symbolic act of conquest—declaring Hashem as subservient to Dagon. This echoes the ancient Near Eastern idea that war was not only between nations but between their gods.
However, the Torah had already warned that Hashem alone is God (Deuteronomy 4:35), and His presence cannot be manipulated or confined (cf. Exodus 25:22; 1 Kings 8:27).
"And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord." (5:3)
In a striking act of divine irony, Dagon is found prostrate before the Ark, as if worshipping Hashem. After setting him upright, the next day they find him broken: head and hands cut off (5:4), an ancient symbol of defeat and impotence.
The phrase “only the trunk of Dagon was left” (Hebrew: Dagon alone was left to him) emphasizes that he is reduced to nothing. The Philistines interpret this as a sacred warning, leading them to never again step on the threshold (5:5), ironically giving reverence to the place where their god fell.
"The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod..." (5:6)
The phrase “hand of Hashem” contrasts with the severed hands of Dagon. Hashem’s active presence brings a plague on Ashdod and then on Gath and Ekron as the Ark is moved.
The Hebrew term translated “tumors” (ophalim) has been understood by many scholars as referring to painful swellings, possibly associated with bubonic plague—especially given the mention of rats later in 6:5. This aligns with covenantal warnings in the Torah, where disease and panic accompany disobedience or defilement of holy things (Deuteronomy 28:27).
The Return of the Ark and Recognition of Hashem’s Power
After enduring divine judgment, the Philistines realize they cannot contain or manipulate the Ark of Hashem. Chapter 6 recounts their efforts to return the Ark to Israel while attempting to appease Israel’s God. This chapter emphasizes Hashem’s holiness, the dangers of treating sacred things lightly, and the witness to His power even among the Gentiles.
"Then the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, 'What shall we do with the ark of the Lord?'" (1 Samuel 6:2)
Seven months of suffering prompts the Philistines to seek religious advice. Their pagan priests recognize that Hashem must be appeased. They recommend sending a guilt offering—five golden tumors and five golden mice—representing both the plague’s symptoms and the Philistine cities:
"And they said, 'What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?' They answered, 'Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.'" (1 Samuel 6:4, ESV)
The “five lords” refer to the rulers of the five main Philistine city-states: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. Each receives its own representation in the offering, emphasizing the widespread nature of the plague and their collective guilt.
This act is deeply symbolic. Though they do not fully understand Torah, they acknowledge Hashem's unique power and attempt restitution. The golden images serve both as a confession and a form of atonement, albeit outside the Mosaic Covenant.
Their advisers point to Egypt’s example (1 Samuel 6:6): “Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?”—referencing Exodus 7–12. Even the Philistines know the Exodus account, confirming Hashem's reputation among the nations (cf. Joshua 2:10).
Rahab in Jericho: “We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea…” (Joshua 2:10, ESV)
The Song of Moses: "The peoples have heard; they tremble...the chiefs of Edom are dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab" (Exodus 15:14–15).
The Philistines devise a test of divine intent: they place the Ark on a new cart, drawn by two untrained cows separated from their calves. If the cows go directly to Israelite territory (Beth-shemesh), they will interpret it as a clear sign that Hashem had sent the plague to them.
Miraculously, the cows head straight to Beth-shemesh, lowing all the way, despite maternal instinct. This divine guidance confirms the plague came from Hashem—not chance.
This event mirrors episodes in the Torah where Hashem reveals His will through signs (e.g., Numbers 17, Gideon in Judges 6). It also echoes the ark’s mobility guided by Hashem in the wilderness (Numbers 10:33–36).
"And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord." (1 Samuel 6:19)
Though the return of the Ark brings rejoicing, some Israelites violate sacred protocol by looking upon or into the Ark (exact meaning debated). This irreverent handling results in a deadly judgment—over 70 men perish.
The incident recalls warnings in the Torah: only the Levites were to handle or even look upon the holy things, and only in specific ways (Numbers 4:15–20). Hashem’s holiness demands reverent obedience, even among His covenant people.
The people cry out, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” (1 Samuel 6:20)—a rhetorical echo of Israel’s fear at Sinai (Exodus 20:18–21) and a precursor to David’s struggle with the Ark’s holiness (2 Samuel 6).
Covenant Renewal and Victory at Mizpah
Chapter 7 marks a turning point in Israel’s spiritual history. After years of apostasy, defeat, and the Ark’s exile, Israel repents and recommits to Hashem under Samuel’s leadership. The result is both spiritual revival and military deliverance. The chapter is a classic example of the covenantal pattern: repentance, intercession, divine intervention, and restoration.
“And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab… and they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark.” (1 Samuel 7:1, ESV)
After the tragedy at Beth-shemesh (1 Samuel 6:19), the Ark is moved to Kiriath-jearim, a Gibeonite city in the territory of Judah. It stays there for twenty years. This period is marked by national mourning—“all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:2), implying a spiritual longing and recognition of their condition.
Notably, the Ark is not returned to the tabernacle (which was in Shiloh), likely because Shiloh had been destroyed (cf. Psalm 78:60; Jeremiah 7:12–14). This signals a spiritual dislocation, and Israel’s need for renewal.
“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth…” (1 Samuel 7:3, ESV)
Samuel issues a covenantal call to repentance, echoing Deuteronomy 6:5—returning to Hashem with “all your heart.” He demands they renounce idolatry (Baal and Ashtaroth worship), a key element of covenant unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 11:16–17).
Baal and Ashtaroth Worship in Israel’s History
The call to “put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth” in 1 Samuel 7:3–4 points to Israel’s deep compromise with Canaanite religion, especially the worship of Baal and Ashtaroth. These two deities were central to the Canaanite pantheon and represented a direct theological and covenantal challenge to the worship of Hashem, the One true God of Israel.
Baal means “lord” or “master” in Semitic languages. In Canaanite religion, Baal was the god of:
Storms and rain
Agricultural fertility
Victory in battle
Baal was often depicted with a thunderbolt or club, controlling rain and storms—an area where Hashem also revealed His power (e.g., 1 Samuel 7:10, Psalm 29). His worship was especially tempting in an agrarian society like Israel, where rain and crop fertility were crucial.
Temples to Baal included rituals such as:
Cultic prostitution (symbolizing fertility)
Animal—and sometimes child—sacrifice (cf. Jeremiah 19:5)
Seasonal festivals tied to agricultural cycles
Ashtaroth is the plural form of Ashtoreth, the Hebrew rendering of the Canaanite goddess Astarte (equivalent to the Mesopotamian Ishtar). Ashtoreth was associated with:
Sexuality and fertility
Love and sensuality
War and chaos
She was often worshipped through ritual prostitution and erotic rites, designed to ensure agricultural and human fertility. Her symbols often included the moon and female sexual imagery. The plural form “Ashtaroth” may refer either to multiple idols or to her cultic manifestations.
The Torah and prophets consistently condemn Baal and Ashtaroth worship as spiritual adultery (Hosea 2:13, Jeremiah 2:23). Such idolatry invokes the curses of the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:15–68), including drought—ironically countering Baal’s supposed power.
In Judges 2:11–13, Israel is said to have repeatedly turned to Baal and the Ashtaroth, leading to cycles of oppression. Samuel’s call in 1 Samuel 7 is part of this recurring theme: repentance requires rejecting idolatry and returning to exclusive covenant loyalty.
Chapter 7 marks the first time Samuel appears as a national leader and judge. His role as a prophet and covenant enforcer is modeled after Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 18:18), calling Israel back to faithfulness.
Israel obeys: they fast, confess their sins, and gather at Mizpah (a central location for tribal assemblies). Pouring water before Hashem (1 Samuel 7:6) likely symbolizes repentance and purification, akin to mourning rituals (cf. 2 Samuel 14:14).
When the Philistines hear of Israel’s gathering, they assume a military threat and prepare to attack. Israel, however, does not trust in military strength—they plead with Samuel: “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us” (1 Samuel 7:8).
Samuel offers a lamb as a whole burnt offering, and Hashem responds with thunder—a symbol of divine warfare (cf. Exodus 9:23; Psalm 18:13). The thunder throws the Philistines into panic, and Israel routs them.
This victory is different from earlier failures (1 Samuel 4): here, it comes after repentance and intercession, not presumption. It demonstrates the covenant principle of victory through obedience (Leviticus 26:7–8; Deuteronomy 28:7).
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up… and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the Lord has helped us.’” (1 Samuel 7:12, ESV)
This stone of remembrance, Even ha-Ezer ("stone of help"), functions like the stones at Gilgal (Joshua 4)—a tangible sign of covenantal faithfulness and divine deliverance. It stands in contrast to the earlier defeat at Ebenezer (1 Samuel 4:1), now redeemed by obedience.
The chapter ends with peace restored and Samuel judging Israel. He travels annually between Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, and Ramah, ensuring justice and covenant oversight across the land. This itinerant ministry shows the role of the judge as a spiritual shepherd, not merely a military leader.
Israel Demands a King
Chapter 8 marks a major turning point in Israel’s covenant history. The people demand a king “like all the nations,” which grieves Samuel and displeases Hashem. While kingship itself was foreseen in the Torah, Israel’s motivation—rejecting Hashem’s direct rule—reveals a deeper spiritual crisis. This chapter sets in motion the monarchy, but it also begins with a profound warning.
As Samuel grows old, he appoints his sons as judges over Israel. However, unlike their father, Joel and Abijah are corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice. This echoes the earlier failure of Eli’s sons in 1 Samuel 2, showing that the issue of unrighteous leadership remains.
The elders of Israel gather and demand, “Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). While their concern about corruption is valid, their solution betrays a desire for worldly conformity rather than covenantal renewal.
Their request goes against the unique identity given to Israel in Exodus 19:5–6—to be a holy nation set apart. Wanting to be "like all the nations" contradicts Hashem’s design for His people.
Samuel is displeased, and he prays to Hashem. Hashem tells him, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). This is the central theological indictment.
This rejection is not new—it’s the pattern “from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day” (verse 8). Though kingship is not inherently wrong (see Deuteronomy 17:14–20), Israel’s demand is rooted in rebellion, not righteousness.
Samuel is told to obey their voice but to solemnly warn them about the nature of kingship. This aligns with the covenantal principle that Hashem may grant Israel what they want, even if it brings hardship (Psalm 106:15).
Samuel outlines what a human king will do:
He will take their sons for military service (verse 11)
He will take their daughters for labor (verse 13)
He will take the best of their fields and flocks (verses 14, 17)
Ultimately, “you shall be his slaves” (verse 17)
This is a powerful reversal of the Exodus: Israel, freed from Egyptian slavery, is now warned they will place themselves under another form of servitude—through their own choosing. The word “take” appears repeatedly, showing the consuming nature of royal authority.
Hashem’s warning reflects Deuteronomy 17, which envisioned a king who would not exalt himself or enrich himself at the people’s expense. Israel, however, seeks a king not to uphold Torah, but to lead them in battle and resemble the surrounding nations.
Despite the solemn warning, the people refuse to listen. “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations” (verse 19–20). Their desire for a human leader over divine rule is clear. They want someone to “go out before us and fight our battles,” forgetting that Hashem had always done this (Exodus 14:14; Joshua 10:14).
Hashem instructs Samuel to grant their request. This moment is both tragic and strategic: it sets up the monarchy which will ultimately lead to David—and eventually the Messiah—but it begins with human stubbornness, not divine initiative.
There Shall be a King Over Us
Israel's desire for a king in 1 Samuel 8 is tragically ironic because they already had a king—Hashem Himself. His kingship was declared from the beginning of the covenant at Sinai: “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Hashem led them in battle, provided laws, granted land, and dwelled among them in the Ark. Yet they rejected this invisible, holy King for a visible, fallible one.
Their cry—“that we may be like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:20)—is ironic not only because it forsakes their calling, but because Hashem’s ultimate plan was always to give them a king—but in His time, and His way. He had already spoken of kingship in Deuteronomy 17, and the promise of a royal line from Judah was embedded in Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 49:10). The irony deepens when we realize:
They asked for a king to fight their battles, but Hashem had always fought for them.
They wanted a king to unify and secure them, yet it was their own covenant-breaking that had brought division and instability.
The longing for a king "like the nations" leads to Saul, a king chosen according to external appearance and human desire. But Saul’s reign ultimately fails because it is not rooted in Torah obedience.
By contrast, Hashem chooses David, a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), through whom He makes an everlasting covenant (2 Samuel 7). This covenant anticipates the coming of Messiah, the true anointed King who will:
Rule in righteousness and justice (Isaiah 9:6–7)
Bring the nations under Hashem’s rule (Psalm 2, Zechariah 14)
Restore Israel’s obedience and identity (Ezekiel 37:24–28)
Fulfill both the roles of Divine King and Son of David
The irony is divine in scope. What Israel demanded in rebellion, Hashem purposed in redemption. The very office they sought for the wrong reasons becomes the channel through which Hashem will one day reign over all, not just Israel, but the entire world—through His Messiah.
In this, the story moves from human kingship that fails, to divine kingship incarnated, ultimately restoring what was lost through faithless desire.
The Anointing of Saul: A King Chosen by Providence
Chapter 9 introduces Saul, Israel’s first king. It appears at first to be a simple story about lost donkeys and a servant’s suggestion, but the narrative unfolds to show Hashem’s hidden hand orchestrating every detail. Saul is chosen not because of personal merit or spiritual maturity, but to fulfill the people’s request for a king. The contrast between human appearance and divine purpose begins to take shape.
Saul is introduced as a Benjamite, the son of Kish, “a man of wealth.” He is described as “a handsome young man,” taller than anyone else—a fitting image for a king “like the nations” (1 Samuel 8:20). His tribe, Benjamin, was once nearly destroyed due to civil war (Judges 20–21), making his rise unexpected.
Saul is sent by his father to look for lost donkeys—a humble, mundane task. The irony is rich: while Israel is searching for a king, Saul is searching for donkeys. His journey takes him across multiple tribal territories, indicating both his effort and the geographic unity about to be symbolized through his kingship.
Saul’s servant suggests they consult “the man of God” in a nearby town, which turns out to be Samuel. Saul’s ignorance of Samuel’s identity (verse 6) and lack of initiative hint at his spiritual immaturity. Still, their steps are guided by divine providence—what appears accidental is actually orchestrated.
As they approach, young women direct them to Samuel, emphasizing community awareness of the prophet, in contrast to Saul’s ignorance. This reinforces that spiritual leadership was already active in Israel, even before the monarchy.
The text pulls back the curtain: Hashem had already told Samuel, “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin…” (verse 16). This divine timing underscores that Saul’s arrival is no coincidence—Hashem is sovereignly fulfilling the people’s request.
Hashem identifies Saul as the one who will “save my people from the hand of the Philistines,” showing that even in their flawed desire, Hashem intends to bring deliverance. Yet He also calls Israel “my people”—indicating that His covenant faithfulness endures, even in their rebellion.
When Saul meets Samuel, the prophet immediately tells him: “I am the seer” and invites him to a sacrificial feast. Samuel seats Saul at the head of the table and gives him the choice portion of meat—symbols of honor, election, and destiny.
This public gesture contrasts Saul’s lowly self-perception: “Am I not a Benjamite… the least of the tribes?” (verse 21). This humility may seem noble, but it may also reflect insecurity and unpreparedness—traits that will emerge later in Saul’s reign.
The chapter closes with Samuel preparing to anoint Saul privately the next morning. He sends the servant ahead, signaling a moment of intimacy and divine appointment. Saul is unaware, but he is being drawn into a calling far greater than he understands.
The Anointing of Saul and the Beginning of His Kingship
In chapter 10, Samuel takes a flask of oil and anoints Saul, kissing him and saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel?” This act is rich in biblical meaning:
Anointing (Hebrew: mashach) designates one as specially chosen by Hashem—often for kingship or priesthood (cf. Exodus 28:41, 1 Kings 1:39).
Samuel calls Saul a “prince” (nagid) rather than “king” (melek)—possibly indicating that Saul’s authority is delegated, not absolute. He is a ruler under Hashem, not in place of Him.
This moment reflects Hashem’s grace: though Israel asked wrongly for a king, Hashem still anoints a leader through His prophet, showing that divine order remains intact.
Samuel gives Saul three prophetic signs that will occur as he returns home—each confirming that Hashem is with him:
Meeting Two Men at Rachel’s Tomb (verse 2): They will tell Saul the donkeys are found, and his father is now worried about him. This roots Saul’s identity in Benjamin’s history—Rachel’s tomb connects to the tribe’s matriarch and foreshadows the weight of legacy.
Receiving Loaves from Three Men (verse 3–4): This provision from strangers suggests divine favor and provision—a reminder that Hashem will supply what Saul needs for leadership.
Prophesying Among Prophets (verse 5–6): Saul will be “turned into another man,” and the Spirit of Hashem will come upon him. This dramatic transformation echoes Numbers 11:25 and looks ahead to the empowering of kings and prophets through the Spirit (Isaiah 11:2).
Samuel concludes, “Do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you” (verse 7)—a declaration that Saul is now being equipped and authorized to act in leadership.
As Saul turns to leave, “God gave him another heart,” and all the signs come to pass. The Spirit of Hashem comes upon him, and he prophesies. This event sparks amazement and confusion among the people: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
This moment raises questions about identity and calling. Saul is outwardly transformed, but the narrative hints at the fragile nature of that transformation. The phrase becomes a proverb—both a marvel and a subtle question about the depth of Saul’s change.
When Saul returns, his uncle asks about the prophet’s message. Saul mentions the donkeys but hides the matter of the kingdom. This could reflect humility, fear, or confusion. Either way, his silence contrasts with the clarity of Samuel’s calling—and foreshadows Saul’s insecurity and reluctance in leadership.
Samuel calls Israel together at Mizpah and reminds them that, despite Hashem delivering them from Egypt, they have rejected Him by demanding a king (verse 19). He proceeds to cast lots by tribe, clan, and family—mirroring the process used in Joshua 7 to uncover sin. The lot falls on Saul.
Yet Saul is nowhere to be found—he is hiding among the baggage (verse 22). This is another moment of irony and concern: the man chosen by Hashem hides when it is time to lead. Nevertheless, he is brought forward and acclaimed because of his appearance: “There is none like him among all the people” (verse 24).
This acclaim reveals Israel’s values: they rejoice in Saul’s stature, not his spiritual qualities. Their judgment remains rooted in external appearance—a recurring theme that will later contrast sharply with David (1 Samuel 16:7).
Samuel explains “the rights and duties of the kingship” (likely referring to Deuteronomy 17:14–20) and writes them in a book. Saul returns home, and while some valiant men follow him, others despise him, saying, “How can this man save us?” These “worthless fellows” (benei belial) mirror the earlier corrupt sons of Eli and highlight that Saul’s kingship is already contested and unstable.
Saul’s Deliverance of Jabesh-Gilead and the Covenant Renewal at Gilgal
The chapter begins with a dire threat: Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-Gilead, demanding a humiliating covenant—he will gouge out the right eye of every man (1 Samuel 11:2). This threat is not merely military; it's symbolic of subjugation and disgrace, aiming to make Israel an object of reproach. The men of Jabesh, still leaderless and desperate, request seven days to find deliverance—a sign of Israel’s vulnerability and fragmentation in the early days of Saul’s reign.
This event recalls the covenantal warning of what would happen if Israel broke faith with Hashem: “The enemy shall besiege you in your towns” (Deuteronomy 28:52). But this chapter offers a picture of redemption from that judgment through a Spirit-empowered deliverer.
When the news reaches Gibeah, Saul is returning from the field—still functioning as a private citizen. Upon hearing the plight of Jabesh, “the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul” (1 Samuel 11:6, ESV). This echoes the judges of old, especially Gideon and Jephthah, through whom Hashem brought temporary deliverance (Judges 6:34; 11:29).
Saul’s response is decisive and covenantal. He cuts up oxen and sends the pieces throughout Israel, a symbolic gesture that evokes the covenantal curse of Genesis 15:10–18 and later civil implications (Judges 19:29–30). It results in unified fear and obedience: “Then the dread of Hashem fell upon the people, and they came out as one man” (1 Samuel 11:7, ESV).
Saul's military leadership leads to complete victory over the Ammonites. The deliverance mirrors the pattern of Judges, but here it's transitional—Israel is moving from tribal leadership to centralized kingship under divine guidance.
After the victory, the people suggest executing those who questioned Saul’s kingship (1 Samuel 10:27). Saul’s response is both gracious and theological: “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today Hashem has worked salvation in Israel” (1 Samuel 11:13, ESV). This affirms that the deliverance was not Saul’s doing, but Hashem’s—restoring proper covenantal focus.
The chapter concludes with a covenant renewal ceremony at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:14–15), a site of deep theological significance. Gilgal was the first camp of Israel after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:19), the site of their circumcision and Passover observance in the land (Joshua 5). Returning here signifies a reaffirmation of national identity and covenant obedience under Saul’s kingship.
Covenant Renewal and the Prophetic Warning of Kingship
Chapter 12 begins with Samuel’s public farewell as Israel’s judge and prophet, now that Saul has been confirmed as king. Samuel first clears himself of any corruption: “Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken?” (1 Samuel 12:3, ESV). This mirrors Moses’ own defense of integrity in leadership (Numbers 16:15), and it underscores that Samuel, like Moses, is a covenant mediator, not a political ruler.
The people affirm his righteousness (1 Samuel 12:4–5), making this moment a solemn covenantal transition. Samuel’s blamelessness heightens the gravity of what follows: Israel’s demand for a king is not a rejection of Samuel, but of Hashem (cf. 1 Samuel 8:7).
Samuel then rehearses Israel’s history, beginning with the Exodus—“Hashem appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Samuel 12:6, ESV). This is a classic covenant lawsuit format (riv, רִיב)—a prophetic form in which Israel is reminded of Hashem’s faithful acts and their repeated cycles of forgetting Him.
He lists their deliverance through judges like Jerubbaal (Gideon), Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel himself (v. 11). But when Nahash the Ammonite came, instead of trusting Hashem to deliver them, Israel demanded a king “when Hashem your God was your king” (v. 12). This is the theological heart of the chapter: the people traded covenantal trust for visible kingship.
Samuel makes clear that kingship does not annul the Mosaic Covenant—instead, it heightens responsibility:
14 If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:14-15, ESV Bible)
This is rooted in Deuteronomy 17:14–20, which permits kingship but under Torah authority. Kingship is not an alternative to covenant; it is accountable to it. The king is under the same law and blessing-curse structure of Deuteronomy 27–28.
14 “When you come to the land that Hashem your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom Hashem your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since Hashem has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Hashem his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
To seal the seriousness of their sin, Samuel calls on Hashem to send a thunderstorm during the wheat harvest—a supernatural sign of divine displeasure (1 Samuel 12:17–18). Rain at this time would threaten the harvest, and so this sign evokes the covenantal curse of agricultural disruption (Deuteronomy 28:24). The people respond in fear and repentance, acknowledging their sin in asking for a king (v. 19).
Samuel does not leave the people in despair. His words in verses 20–22 are rich in covenant mercy:
“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following Hashem… For Hashem will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased Hashem to make you a people for Himself” (1 Samuel 12:20, 22, ESV).
This reflects Exodus 32–34—where despite Israel’s sin with the golden calf, Hashem’s faithfulness to His name and His covenant remains. The promise endures, not because Israel is righteous, but because Hashem is faithful (cf. Deuteronomy 7:7–9).
Finally, Samuel promises to intercede for the people:
“Far be it from me that I should sin against Hashem by ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23, ESV).
Though Saul is now king, the prophet remains the spiritual guardian of the covenant, just as Moses did under the leadership of Joshua. This underscores that Israel’s true stability lies in covenant obedience, not political structures.
Saul’s Impatience and the Violation of Covenant Authority
Chapter 13 opens with Saul taking initiative against the Philistines: Jonathan, the son of King Saul, strikes the Philistine garrison at Geba (1 Samuel 13:3), igniting open conflict. The Philistines respond with overwhelming force: “thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen” (v. 5), an army far superior to Israel’s. This provokes fear among the Israelites, many of whom hide or flee—highlighting Israel’s military vulnerability and the need for covenantal trust in Hashem rather than numbers (cf. Deuteronomy 20:1–4).
The central event occurs at Gilgal, the very place where covenant renewal occurred in chapter 11. Here, Saul was told to wait seven days for Samuel to arrive and offer sacrifices (1 Samuel 10:8). But when Samuel delays, and the people begin scattering, Saul takes matters into his own hands and offers the burnt offering himself (v. 9).
This act is not merely ritual error—it is covenantal disobedience. Only a prophet or priest may officiate sacrifices (Leviticus 1:5–9), and Saul’s violation reflects a rejection of Hashem’s order and authority. The king was to submit to Torah and prophetic leadership (Deuteronomy 17:18–20). By presuming the priestly role, Saul steps outside his divinely sanctioned bounds.
Samuel arrives immediately after Saul finishes the offering—intentionally highlighting Saul’s failure of faith and patience. Samuel says:
“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of Hashem your God… For then Hashem would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue” (1 Samuel 13:13–14, ESV).
This is the first prophetic declaration of Saul’s rejection. It introduces a crucial covenantal principle: disobedience to Hashem’s command nullifies dynastic continuity. Saul was offered a secure legacy, but forfeited it through covenantal infidelity.
Samuel’s statement that “Hashem has sought out a man after his own heart” (v. 14) prefigures David, whose heart reflects covenant fidelity, despite later sins. The standard is not moral perfection but trust and submission to Hashem’s word.
The chapter closes by detailing Israel’s military weakness: no blacksmiths in Israel due to Philistine oppression (v. 19–22). Only Saul and Jonathan have weapons. This dire situation recalls the oppression of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 1:11–14) and shows that the deliverance they need must come from Hashem, not military strength.
Jonathan’s Faith, Saul’s Rashness, and the Contrast of Covenant Leadership
Chapter 14 begins with Jonathan acting in covenantal faith:
“It may be that Hashem will work for us, for nothing can hinder Hashem from saving by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6, ESV).
This statement mirrors the theology of the Torah and Judges—salvation comes by Hashem’s hand, not by numbers (cf. Deuteronomy 20:1; Judges 7:2–7). Jonathan acts in trust, not presumption, and his armor-bearer joins him in loyal support. Their plan, confirmed by a sign (vv. 8–10), leads to a surprise attack that causes panic in the Philistine camp—a divine intervention.
This reflects a consistent pattern: when Israel acts in trust, Hashem responds with deliverance (cf. Exodus 14:13–14; Joshua 10:11). Jonathan is behaving more like a judge-anointed leader than Saul himself.
As the Philistine army turns on itself in confusion, the earth quakes—“a very great panic” (v. 15), similar to Hashem’s intervention at Jericho (Joshua 6:20) and against the Canaanite kings (Judges 4:15). Saul notices the turmoil and inquires of the priest (likely Ahijah, wearing the ephod), but interrupts the process hastily—another example of Saul’s impulsiveness and disregard for sacred order (v. 19).
Israelite defectors and those hiding in fear rejoin the battle, suggesting that Jonathan’s faith and Hashem’s victory inspire renewed national courage.
Saul makes a reckless vow:
“Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies” (1 Samuel 14:24, ESV).
This oath is not grounded in Torah but in personal vengeance. It leads to physical weakening of the troops and nearly results in Jonathan’s death—who, unaware of the vow, eats honey and is revived (v. 27). When Saul discovers Jonathan’s violation, he is prepared to execute him, even though Jonathan was the instrument of Hashem’s salvation (v. 44).
This incident highlights Saul’s inversion of covenant priorities:
He seeks to uphold a rash human vow over divine justice and mercy.
He misjudges the true nature of spiritual authority and faithfulness.
He is more concerned with image and control than covenantal discernment.
The people intercede and rescue Jonathan, saying:
“Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it!” (v. 45, ESV).
This echoes earlier covenant deliverers like Gideon and Jephthah and again shows Jonathan’s alignment with Hashem’s purposes.
The chapter ends with a summary of Saul’s military campaigns and family. While Saul leads many battles and shows outward strength, the deeper theme is already clear: his spiritual fitness is declining. His actions are marked by presumption, fear, and rashness rather than covenant obedience and reliance on Hashem.
Saul’s Disobedience and the Covenant Judgment of Kingship
Chapter 15 begins with Samuel relaying a direct and solemn command from Hashem:
“Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them…” (1 Samuel 15:3, ESV).
This command is rooted in Exodus 17:14–16 and Deuteronomy 25:17–19, where Hashem vows to blot out Amalek for attacking Israel from behind during the Exodus. The directive to devote Amalek to ḥerem—total destruction—is not arbitrary violence but covenantal justice. Amalek, representing ongoing enmity against Hashem’s purposes, is singled out for judgment.
Saul attacks Amalek but spares King Agag and the best of the livestock (1 Samuel 15:8–9). This violates the command of ḥerem, where all was to be destroyed (cf. Deuteronomy 20:16–18). Partial obedience here equals covenant breach.
Hashem tells Samuel:
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments” (1 Samuel 15:11, ESV).
The word "regret" (Hebrew: נִחַם, nicham) reflects divine sorrow, not fickleness. It shows the relational dimension of Hashem’s covenant: Saul’s disobedience breaks more than a rule—it grieves the covenant relationship.
Samuel mourns all night, emphasizing his role as a prophet who both loves the people and enforces covenant truth (cf. Exodus 32:11–14, where Moses similarly intercedes).
When Samuel confronts Saul, Saul begins with a false claim: “I have performed the commandment of Hashem” (1 Samuel 15:13, ESV). But Samuel replies, “What then is this bleating of the sheep…?” (v. 14). This rhetorical question is cutting: the animals spared in disobedience become witnesses against Saul, undermining his claim. It’s a prophetic technique—exposing sin not with accusation alone but with visible, undeniable evidence. This scene mirrors Moses confronting Aaron after the golden calf incident:
“What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” (Exodus 32:21, ESV)
Aaron replies with a deflection:
“They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” (Exodus 32:24)
Both Saul and Aaron do the same:
They deny personal responsibility.
They blame the people (1 Samuel 15:15, “The people spared the best…”).
They minimize the sin, trying to wrap it in religious language (“to sacrifice to Hashem”).
These confrontations show how covenant leadership demands truth and accountability, not excuses. Both cases illustrate the danger of masking rebellion in religious terms—offering sacrifices while rejecting the command.
Saul blames the people and rationalizes that the animals were spared “to sacrifice to Hashem.” But Samuel delivers a foundational covenant principle:
“Has Hashem as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Hashem? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV).
This is central in covenant theology: ritual without obedience is empty (cf. Hosea 6:6; Isaiah 1:11–17; Micah 6:6–8). Saul’s failure is not ritual error—it is rebellion against Hashem’s voice.
Samuel then delivers the covenant verdict:
“Because you have rejected the word of Hashem, He has also rejected you from being king”. .. “Hashem has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day…”. (1 Samuel 15:23,28 ESV)
Just as Hashem gave Saul the kingdom conditionally (1 Samuel 10:24; 12:14), He now removes it. The symbolic tearing of Saul’s garment reinforces this decree.
Yet Samuel still honors the public office, accompanying Saul to worship. This shows a distinction between Saul’s personal disobedience and the national dignity of kingship—though judgment is inevitable.
Samuel himself finishes the judgment by killing Agag (v. 33), fulfilling what Saul failed to do. After this, “Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death” (v. 35), marking a prophetic severing.
To Obey Is Better than Sacrifice: Covenant Misunderstood
“To Obey Is Better than Sacrifice” is often misused in Christian teaching to suggest that the entire sacrificial system was inherently flawed or superseded. But the Hebrew Scriptures, especially within covenantal theology, make a far more nuanced and profound point: sacrifice was never meant to replace obedience—it was meant to express it.
1 Samuel 15:22 is just one of several examples often quoted as if to say, “See, God doesn’t really care about sacrifices.” But this misreads both the immediate context and the wider covenantal structure of Torah.
“Has Hashem as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Hashem? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)
This is not a denunciation of sacrifice itself—it’s a denunciation of sacrifice divorced from obedience. Saul uses sacrifice as a cover for rebellion, much like Adam used fig leaves to hide disobedience.
The Torah establishes the sacrificial system not as an alternative to righteousness, but as part of a relational covenant between Hashem and Israel:
Leviticus 1–7: Sacrifices regulate worship, atonement, thanksgiving, and fellowship—not as mere rituals, but as ways of walking with Hashem.
Deuteronomy 10:12–13: “What does Hashem your God require of you, but to fear Hashem… to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve… and to keep the commandments.”
Sacrifice flows from obedience—it’s not a replacement for it.
The prophets consistently call Israel back to covenant faithfulness, not to reject sacrifice per se, but to reject the hypocrisy of unrepentant ritual:
Hosea 6:6: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
→ This is a rebuke of heartless offerings, not the sacrificial system.Isaiah 1:11–17: Hashem says He is weary of sacrifices—why? “Your hands are full of blood.” (v. 15)
→ The offerings are defiled because the people’s hearts and actions are corrupt.Micah 6:6–8: Micah parodies ritual excess (“rivers of oil”), but ends with the covenant core: “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.”
In each case, the prophetic message affirms the continuity of the covenant and calls Israel back to its heart: faithfulness and obedience.
Many Christian interpretations wrongly oppose “obedience” and “sacrifice” by treating the Tanakh as legalistic and the New Testament as grace-based. But this distorts the unity of Scripture:
Yeshua upheld the Torah (Matthew 5:17–19) and celebrated Passover (Luke 22:15–20), never dismissing sacrifice but embodying its true meaning.
The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33–34 centers not on discarding the Torah, but on writing it on the heart.
When Saul uses sacrifice to justify rebellion, Samuel’s rebuke is not anti-sacrificial—it’s a return to Deuteronomic obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1–2).
David Anointed: Hashem Chooses the Heart
Chapter 16 opens with Hashem addressing Samuel’s prolonged mourning for Saul:
“How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 16:1, ESV)
This echoes Hashem’s earlier regret (1 Samuel 15:11) and shows that while human leaders may fail, Hashem’s covenant purposes continue. Samuel is commanded to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons—a task done under divine direction and secrecy, since Saul remains on the throne.
Theological Insight: This transition recalls earlier covenantal shifts (e.g., from Eli’s house to Samuel). Though judgment falls on the unfaithful, Hashem raises up new leaders to fulfill His promises (Deuteronomy 18:15–18; cf. Isaiah 11:1).
As Samuel reviews Jesse’s sons, he is drawn to Eliab, but Hashem corrects him:
“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature… For Hashem sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but Hashem looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)
This is the theological core of the chapter. Hashem’s covenant leadership is not based on external qualifications but inner disposition toward Him. David, the youngest and least expected, is chosen.
This recalls other “unlikely” covenant figures—Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Moses hidden in a basket. It also anticipates Messianic expectation: the true King will come in humility, not in grandeur (cf. Isaiah 53:2–3).
When Samuel anoints David, “the Spirit of Hashem rushed upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13, ESV). This echoes earlier Spirit-anointings (Judges 3:10; 11:29; 1 Samuel 10:6) but here it signals a permanent empowerment for covenant kingship. The Spirit validates David as Hashem’s chosen, even though his kingship will remain hidden for years.
Simultaneously, “the Spirit of Hashem departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from Hashem tormented him” (v. 14). This marks a crucial theological transition: David is now Hashem’s anointed, and Saul’s spiritual authority is being withdrawn.
The chapter ends with David entering Saul’s service as a harp player to soothe Saul’s torment. Ironically, the rejected king is unknowingly being ministered to by his successor.
This introduces the theme of Hashem’s hidden providence: though David is anointed, he does not seize power; instead, he serves, waits, and learns. The future king begins his ascent not with conquest, but with humility and healing.
David and Goliath: Covenant Faith Against a Defiant Enemy
chapter 17 starts with the Philistines gathering for war at Socoh, and their champion Goliath issuing a bold challenge to Israel. He taunts the armies of Hashem, calling for single combat to determine the outcome (1 Samuel 17:8–10). For forty days, Israel cowers—failing to act, even with Saul as their appointed king.
Goliath is described in exaggerated military terms: immense stature, bronze armor, iron weapons. This sets him up as the epitome of human power, contrasting with the biblical theme that deliverance does not come by sword or spear, but by Hashem’s power (cf. Psalm 20:7).
David enters the scene sent by his father Jesse—not as a soldier, but as a servant bringing food to his brothers. Yet when David hears Goliath’s defiance, his reaction is theological:
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26, ESV)
David speaks not as a presumptuous youth, but as a covenant witness. He calls Goliath uncircumcised—a direct reference to the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:10–14). The real issue is not military strength, but that Goliath is outside the covenant and defying Hashem’s people.
This is a striking contrast to Saul and the army, who see a giant; David sees a covenant violation and an opportunity for Hashem’s name to be glorified.
When brought before Saul, David offers his personal testimony: as a shepherd, he fought lions and bears, and declares:
“Hashem, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37, ESV).
This is pure Deuteronomic theology: deliverance comes from Hashem, not from weapons (Deuteronomy 20:1–4). Saul’s offer of armor fails, symbolizing again that David cannot fight with worldly tools, but must act in faith.
David chooses five smooth stones, not as magic or strategy, but as a humble symbol of faith meeting challenge.
As Goliath mocks David, David responds with one of the most powerful covenant affirmations in the Tanakh:
“You come to me with a sword and with a spear… but I come to you in the name of Hashem of hosts… This day Hashem will deliver you into my hand… that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that Hashem saves not with sword and spear.” (1 Samuel 17:45–47, ESV)
David’s declaration affirms:
The name of Hashem as his source of authority.
Hashem’s covenant with Israel as the basis of battle.
Salvation as belonging to Hashem alone (cf. Exodus 14:13–14).
With one stone, David strikes Goliath and kills him—then takes his sword and finishes the task. The Philistines flee, and Israel routs them.
This chapter introduces David not only as a warrior, but as the true spiritual leader of Israel—the one who understands Hashem’s covenant, trusts in His name, and acts for His glory.
Unlike Saul, who fears men and seeks control, David acts out of covenantal trust and brings victory not through might but through faith. This moment confirms that David is already leading Israel in spirit, even before being crowned.
Love, Jealousy, and the Fracturing of Covenant Order
From the very moment David finishes speaking with Saul, a bond of covenantal love forms between David and Jonathan. Scripture tells us in chapter 18:
“The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1, ESV).
Rather than competing as royal rivals, Jonathan recognizes Hashem’s anointing on David and initiates a covenant (1 Samuel 18:3).
“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe… and gave it to David…” (1 Samuel 18:3-4)
He strips himself of his robe, armor, sword, and belt—symbols of royal identity—and gives them to David. This act is profound: Jonathan, the crown prince, humbles himself before Hashem’s chosen one. This covenant is a selfless affirmation of Hashem’s will, not a political alliance.
Covenantal Insight: This moment models true covenant loyalty (chesed). Jonathan’s actions recall Abraham’s covenantal generosity (Genesis 14) and foreshadow the Messianic ethic of laying down one’s rights for another (John 15:13).
David begins rising in prominence, sent by Saul on military missions—and “he had success in all his undertakings, for Hashem was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14, ESV). His fame grows, and so does the people’s love for him. The women’s song—“Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7)—sparks jealousy in Saul’s heart.
Though David remains loyal, Saul sees him as a threat. The king who once hid in the baggage (1 Samuel 10:22) is now unraveling—rejecting Hashem’s choice while clinging to his own image.
Saul’s emotional spiral reflects a covenant fracture:
He envies Hashem’s anointed.
He fears the Spirit-empowered success of David.
He tries to kill David with his spear (1 Samuel 18:11), while David continues to serve him with music and military faithfulness.
Twice Saul offers David one of his daughters—first Merab, then Michal. Each time, his intent is deceptive:
“Let the hand of the Philistines be against him” (1 Samuel 18:17, 21).
Yet David’s response is one of humility:
“Who am I… that I should be son-in-law to the king?” (1 Samuel 18:18)
Even when Saul sets a deadly bridal price—100 Philistine foreskins—David fulfills it, not just surviving but exceeding the requirement. Again, Scripture emphasizes:
“David had success in all his undertakings, for Hashem was with him” (v. 14)
The War for the Anointed: Covenant Loyalty Amid Royal Persecution
The tension in Saul’s house explodes as he openly commands Jonathan and his servants to kill David (1 Samuel 19:1). What was once veiled suspicion is now declared rebellion against Hashem’s anointed. But Saul’s house is no longer unified—Jonathan, his own son, stands in opposition.
Jonathan intervenes, urging Saul to reconsider:
“Let not the king sin against his servant David… for he has not sinned against you” (1 Samuel 19:4, ESV).
His appeal is covenantal—not only to David, but to Hashem’s justice. Jonathan reminds his father of David’s faithfulness, his victory over Goliath, and how Hashem “worked a great salvation for all Israel” through him (1 Samuel 19:5). Saul temporarily relents, swearing not to kill David. But this peace is fragile and deceptive.
Soon after, as David plays the lyre to soothe Saul, the king again tries to kill him with a spear (1 Samuel 19:10). David escapes and flees home to Michal—his wife, Saul’s daughter, and another unexpected covenant ally. Michal deceives her father’s messengers and helps David escape through a window (1 Samuel 19:12), then uses household idols and a goat’s hair disguise to delay capture.
Though Michal’s tactics include deception, her action is fundamentally one of loyalty to Hashem’s chosen over her father’s corrupted authority. Like Jonathan, Michal chooses covenant righteousness over blood loyalty.
David flees to Samuel at Ramah—returning to the prophet who anointed him. There, David finds not only protection but spiritual confirmation. When Saul sends men to capture David, they are overcome by the Spirit of Hashem and begin prophesying. It happens again with more messengers—and finally to Saul himself:
“And the Spirit of God came upon him also… and he too prophesied before Samuel” (1 Samuel 19:23, ESV)
The king who has rejected Hashem’s word is involuntarily caught up in His Spirit, disarmed by divine power. He lies naked all day and night, disgraced and spiritually exposed (1 Samuel 19:24).
This echoes the original anointing scene (1 Samuel 10:10–12), where Saul also prophesied. But now it is not a sign of calling—it is a divine humbling, showing that Hashem controls even the king’s spirit.
The Covenant Tested in the Shadow of Death
David flees from Naioth in Ramah and comes secretly to Jonathan. The anointed king of Israel—chosen by Hashem, empowered by the Spirit—is now a hunted man. He pleads with Jonathan:
“What have I done? What is my guilt? What is my sin before your father…?” (1 Samuel 20:1, ESV)
David’s lament echoes the psalms of the innocent sufferer (cf. Psalm 7; Psalm 59), and it underscores the disconnect between divine election and human recognition. David has done nothing wrong, but Saul’s jealousy transforms covenant leadership into a campaign of fear.
Jonathan, still hoping for peace, insists that Saul wouldn’t act without informing him (1 Samuel 20:2), but David presses the reality: Saul knows their covenant bond, and hides his plans.
Here the covenant between David and Jonathan deepens and matures:
13 But should it please my father to do you harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die; 15 and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. (1 Samuel 20:13–17, ESV)
This is not mere friendship—it is covenantal love (chesed) rooted in Hashem’s name and promises. Jonathan acknowledges David’s future kingship (1 Samuel 20:15), and rather than resist it, he submits to Hashem’s will. He even invokes divine judgment upon himself if he fails in this loyalty (1 Samuel 20:16–17).
In a reversal of expectations, the heir to the throne pledges himself to the one who will take his place. This is covenant humility in action.
Jonathan devises a plan to test Saul’s intentions during the New Moon feast. David hides in the field, and Jonathan watches his father’s reactions. At the feast, Saul’s anger explodes:
“You son of a perverse, rebellious woman… For as long as the son of Jesse lives… you and your kingdom shall not be established.” (1 Samuel 20:30–31, ESV)
Here Saul confirms what Jonathan already knew: the dynasty is slipping from his hands, and he is willing to kill his own son’s friend to preserve it. In attacking David, Saul resists Hashem’s decree.
Jonathan, now fully aware, leaves the table in grief and rage (1 Samuel 20:34)—not for his loss of power, but for the betrayal of covenant and truth.
He returns to the field and signals David with the arranged arrows, confirming the danger. Their final meeting is marked by weeping, affection, and covenantal grief:
“Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of Hashem, saying, ‘Hashem shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” (1 Samuel 20:42, ESV)
The Anointed One in Exile: Holy Bread and Holy Fear
David, now a fugitive, arrives at Nob, a priestly city, and meets Ahimelech the priest. His presence there echoes an earlier pattern: like Moses fleeing to Midian or Jacob fleeing Esau, David seeks refuge among the spiritually faithfulwhile evading unjust wrath.
1 Samuel 21:1 identifies Nob as the location of the tabernacle priests, where Ahimelech is serving. Later, 1 Samuel 22:11 confirms this, calling Ahimelech “the priest of Hashem in Nob” and listing other priests there—suggesting Nob is a functioning priestly center. Yeshua refers to Nob as “the house of God” in Matthew 12:4, implying it was understood as a legitimate worship site, including sacred vessels like the Bread of the Presence.
As a side note, the Ark of the Covenant was likely not at Nob at this time. The Ark had been taken by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 4, then returned and placed in Kiriath-Jearim (1 Samuel 7:1–2), where it remained “for many days” (a period of about 20 years or more). David later brings the Ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6), so it seems that during David’s time as a fugitive, the Ark was not with the tabernacle.
This creates a unique situation in Israel’s history: The tabernacle (tent of meeting) and the priests are at Nob (and later at Gibeon in 1 Chronicles 16:39–40). The Ark is elsewhere, isolated at Kiriath-Jearim. This means that the sacrificial system and priestly service continued, even without the Ark. Nob likely housed sacred objects like the Bread of the Presence, the ephod, and possibly the altar of incense and other elements from the Mishkan.
Ahimelech trembles when he sees David—likely sensing both the political tension and the spiritual weight of David’s presence. David deceives the priest, claiming he’s on a secret mission from Saul (1 Samuel 21:2). While this deception is not directly sanctioned, the narrative does not focus on its morality; rather, it emphasizes the provision of holy things for Hashem’s anointed.
When David comes to Ahimelech in Nob, he asks for bread—but there is no ordinary bread available. What the priest offers is the Bread of the Presence (Hebrew: lechem panim), which sat continually before Hashem in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:30). According to Leviticus 24:5–9, this bread was holy and reserved for the priests alone, to be eaten in a sacred place. In ordinary circumstances, this bread was not to be handled or consumed by laypeople, even Israelites of standing.
Yet Ahimelech gives it to David, conditionally:
“If the young men have kept themselves from women...” (1 Samuel 21:4)
This question concerns ritual purity, particularly as it relates to physical readiness for encountering sacred things (cf. Exodus 19:15). David affirms that his men are ritually clean, and Ahimelech gives the bread. The priest does not abandon Torah, but navigates within it, guided by the principle of preserving life and honoring the Lord’s anointed.
This act reflects a deeper truth about the Torah: ritual law is not an end in itself—it exists to uphold life, holiness, and covenant relationship. Hashem’s commandments are given that Israel might “live and multiply” (Deuteronomy 30:19–20), not die under the weight of technicalities.
Here, Ahimelech shows that the purpose of Torah is not to trap the righteous but to sustain them, especially when they are acting in faith and obedience. David, the anointed of Hashem, fleeing unjust persecution, is not defiled by receiving sacred bread—he is preserved by it.
Yeshua directly appeals to this episode when He and His disciples are accused of breaking Sabbath laws by plucking grain (Matthew 12:1–7). His defense:
“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him… how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence…?” (Matthew 12:3–4, ESV)
Yeshua is not diminishing Torah—He is affirming its proper interpretation. He continues:
“If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” (Matthew 12:7, citing Hosea 6:6)
This prophetic quote shows that ritual observance divorced from covenant mercy becomes false worship. David’s situation, like that of Yeshua and His disciples, reveals a Torah rightly understood: it is rooted in justice, mercy, and faithfulness (cf. Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23).
David also asks for a weapon, and Ahimelech presents the sword of Goliath, kept behind the ephod as a memorial:
“There is none like that; give it to me.” (1 Samuel 21:9, ESV)
This moment is symbolic in that David is again clothed with Hashem’s past deliverance. The sword, a trophy of trust and covenant victory, becomes his only weapon as he flees—reminding him that true strength comes not from arms but from Hashem’s hand (1 Samuel 17:45).
David flees to Achish king of Gath, seeking asylum among the enemies of Israel. But the servants of Achish recognize him—ironically, by quoting the song Saul once hated (1 Samuel 21:11).
In fear, David feigns madness—scratching walls, drooling down his beard—and is cast out (1 Samuel 21:13). This humiliating moment shows that even Hashem’s anointed can be brought low—a theme echoed in the psalms David likely wrote during this time (cf. Psalm 34; Psalm 56). David’s survival is not self-preservation, but divine mercy. Though reduced to desperation, Hashem preserves his life.
The Gathering of the Discontented and the Slaughter of the Priests: Kingdom Formation and Covenant Judgment
David, now a fugitive, takes refuge in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). There, a surprising group gathers around him:
“Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul…” (1 Samuel 22:2, ESV)
This is not just a band of warriors—it is the beginnings of a new kingdom community. These men are socially and spiritually dislocated, seeking justice and identity. Like Moses in the wilderness or Yeshua gathering the weary and burdened (Matthew 11:28), David becomes captain over the broken.
This group prefigures the messianic kingdom: composed not of elites, but of those seeking righteousness and refuge in Hashem’s anointed.
David sends his parents to Moab for protection (1 Samuel 22:3–4), an intriguing detail. His great-grandmother Ruth was a Moabitess (Ruth 1:4; 4:13–22), and this connection may have opened diplomatic access. The prophet Gad soon tells David to leave the stronghold and return to Judah—showing that even in exile, David is being led prophetically.
Hashem does not want David hiding forever—his kingdom must emerge in the land of promise, not the margins.
Back in Gibeah, Saul’s paranoia turns deadly. He laments that his own tribe (Benjamin) is not loyal, and accuses his servants of conspiracy (1 Samuel 22:7–8). When he hears that Ahimelech aided David, Saul unleashes horrifying violence.
Doeg the Edomite, a foreigner present at Nob (cf. 1 Samuel 21:7), reports David’s visit. Saul orders the death of the priests, but his own guards refuse—a striking act of covenant conscience. Yet Doeg obeys, slaughtering eighty-five priests and destroying the entire city of Nob (1 Samuel 22:18–19).
This massacre is a covenantal turning point: The king of Israel destroys Hashem’s priestly city—a reversal of everything the monarchy was supposed to uphold (cf. Deuteronomy 17:19–20). Saul now resembles Pharaoh or the Canaanite kings—oppressors of Hashem’s people. The use of an Edomite agent evokes Esau’s ancient rivalry with Jacob (Genesis 25–27) and represents the danger of foreign influence within covenant structures.
Only one priest survives: Abiathar, son of Ahimelech. He flees to David and becomes a crucial figure. He brings the ephod, maintaining priestly access to Hashem (1 Samuel 23:6). David receives him with repentance and protection:
“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” (1 Samuel 22:23, ESV)
This moment mirrors the Davidic-Messianic pattern: the anointed one becomes a refuge for the righteous remnant, especially the priestly line. David, even in exile, functions as protector of covenant faithfulness.
The Shepherd Delivers and the King Pursues: Providence, Betrayal, and Covenant Protection
News reaches David that the Philistines are attacking Keilah, a town in Judah, and plundering its threshing floors (1 Samuel 23:1). David, though a fugitive with no formal authority, inquires of Hashem whether he should go and save the town.
“David inquired of Hashem… And Hashem said to David, ‘Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.’” (1 Samuel 23:2, ESV)
David’s leadership already reflects the heart of a covenant shepherd—he risks his life to protect the vulnerable. Like Moses defending the Hebrew slave (Exodus 2:11–12) or the Messiah laying down His life for the sheep (John 10:11), David acts not for gain but out of covenant responsibility.
His men fear the risk, but David inquires again—and Hashem confirms the command. This shows David’s humility and dependence on divine guidance, especially as he carries the responsibility of the anointed.
David defeats the Philistines and saves Keilah. In response, Abiathar the priest brings the ephod, a vital instrument for seeking Hashem’s will (1 Samuel 23:6). But David soon learns that Saul is coming—not to help Judah, but to destroy David. Saul, deluded, even claims:
“God has given him into my hand…” (1 Samuel 23:7)
This is spiritual blindness—Saul uses covenant language to justify his rebellion, revealing how misusing holy words can cloak evil intentions.
David again inquires of Hashem through Abiathar:
“Will the men of Keilah surrender me?” Hashem replies, “They will surrender you.” (1 Samuel 23:11–12)
Even those David just saved will turn him over. This bitter reality shows the fragility of human loyalty—but David continues to entrust himself to Hashem.
David flees to the wilderness of Ziph, and in a stunning moment, Jonathan comes to him:
“Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David… and strengthened his hand in God.” (1 Samuel 23:16, ESV)
Jonathan speaks words of prophetic faith:
“You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.” (1 Samuel 23:17)
They reaffirm their covenant before Hashem (1 Samuel 23:18), reminding us that true covenant bonds transcend politics and fear. Jonathan’s loyalty mirrors Abraham’s intercession, Ruth’s devotion, and the Messianic pattern of serving Hashem’s will above self-preservation.
The Ziphites, unlike Jonathan, betray David, informing Saul of his location (1 Samuel 23:19–23). Saul praises them—again misusing Hashem’s name for wicked ends:
“May you be blessed by Hashem, for you have had compassion on me.” (1 Samuel 23:21)
This chilling irony shows how far Saul has fallen: he calls evil good, and good evil (cf. Isaiah 5:20).
As Saul nearly encircles David on a mountain in the Wilderness of Maon, David's situation becomes dire. The Hebrew text emphasizes the dramatic tension:
“Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them” (1 Samuel 23:26, ESV Bible).
At that precise moment, a messenger arrives to inform Saul that the Philistines are raiding the land (1 Samuel 23:27). Saul breaks off the pursuit to respond to this external threat, and David is saved.
This interruption is not coincidence—it is an act of divine sovereignty. Hashem intervenes by orchestrating circumstances (Philistine aggression) to rescue David. Theologically, this affirms Hashem’s faithfulness to protect His anointed one, just as He had protected Israel in earlier deliverances (Exodus 14, Judges 7).
David then names the place Sela-ha-Machlekot, meaning “the Rock of Escape” or “the Rock of Divisions” (1 Samuel 23:28). This naming acts as a memorial, in line with biblical tradition (see Genesis 28:18–22, Joshua 4:6–7), where significant locations are marked to remember Hashem’s acts of deliverance and covenant faithfulness.
David Spares Saul: Covenant Restraint in the Wilderness
This chapter unfolds in the caves of En Gedi, a rugged, desolate region near the Dead Sea—an ideal hiding place for David and his men who were fleeing Saul’s unjust pursuit. The narrative dramatizes a profound theological and moral tension: David’s opportunity to kill Saul, the anointed king, yet his refusal to violate Hashem’s covenantal order.
As Saul pursues David with 3,000 chosen men (1 Samuel 24:2), he enters a cave to relieve himself, unaware that David and his men are hidden within. David’s men interpret this as divine providence: “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you...” (1 Samuel 24:4, ESV Bible). Yet, David does not act in vengeance. Instead, he secretly cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe—symbolic both of authority and covenantal office (compare with Numbers 15:38–39).
In the Torah, Hashem commands the Israelites to wear tassels (tzitzit) on the corners (kanaf) of their garments:
“Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments... and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner” (Numbers 15:38, ESV Bible).
These tassels were a visible sign of covenant loyalty—reminders to obey Hashem’s commandments and not follow one's own heart (Numbers 15:39). Thus, the corner of a garment (Hebrew kanaf) came to symbolize both identity and one’s position under Hashem’s covenantal rule.
David’s heart strikes him for this act (1 Samuel 24:5), not because of physical harm, but due to the symbolic violation against Hashem’s anointed. His conscience reflects a deep covenantal reverence:
“The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed...” (1 Samuel 24:6, ESV Bible).
David’s refusal to harm Saul—even when Saul is unjust and pursuing him without cause—demonstrates a profound covenantal reverence for the divine institution of kingship. David recognizes that Saul, despite his failures, was placed in authority by Hashem, and thus his position must be respected until Hashem Himself removes him.
David, though already anointed by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13), refuses to seize kingship by human strength or violence. By only cutting the corner, he honors Hashem’s timeline, not grasping for power but awaiting divine appointment. This restraint not only shows personal humility but also a covenantal obedience—David lives as one who remembers the tzitzit, obeying Hashem's commands rather than acting on human impulse.
In this way, David reflects the Torah’s heart ethic: even symbolic defiance against Hashem’s order weighs heavily on the righteous. His action—and immediate remorse—elevate him as a leader after Hashem’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
David’s reverence for Saul as Mashiach Hashem sets the tone for how the Davidic line—and eventually the Messiah—is to be understood: not as a position seized through ambition, but conferred by Hashem’s choice and confirmed by righteousness. David’s restraint foreshadows the Messiah, who would also suffer wrongfully, entrusting justice to Hashem (Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23).
In short, David’s conscience reveals that true kingship under Hashem is rooted not in power but in covenantal obedience, submission to Hashem’s will, and respect for His anointed structures—even in tension or persecution.
After Saul leaves the cave, David calls out and bows before him, demonstrating humility and covenantal honor (1 Samuel 24:8). David pleads his innocence:
“I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10, ESV Bible).
He contrasts his righteousness with Saul’s baseless hostility, invoking Hashem as Judge:
“May the LORD judge between me and you” (1 Samuel 24:12, ESV Bible).
His refusal to avenge himself aligns with Torah’s call to leave vengeance to Hashem (Deuteronomy 32:35) and prefigures Messiah’s meekness (Isaiah 53:7).
David even references a proverb: “Out of the wicked comes wickedness” (1 Samuel 24:13, ESV Bible), distancing himself from unrighteous conduct. This establishes David as a king-in-waiting who honors Hashem’s covenant and timing, unlike Saul, whose kingship has already been torn from him (1 Samuel 15:28).
Saul’s response is one of temporary repentance and emotional vulnerability:
“You are more righteous than I... For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe?” (1 Samuel 24:17–19, ESV Bible).
He acknowledges David’s future kingship, echoing Samuel’s prophecy (1 Samuel 15:28) and Jonathan’s loyalty (1 Samuel 23:17). Saul even appeals to David to swear not to cut off his descendants (1 Samuel 24:21)—a request reflecting ancient Near Eastern dynastic fears, but also revealing Saul’s insecurity.
David swears the oath, again showing covenantal fidelity and restraint, aligning with Torah principles that protect the innocent and preserve life (Exodus 23:7, Numbers 35:33–34).
Abigail’s Wisdom and David’s Restraint
Chapter 25 transitions from the caves of En Gedi to the wilderness of Paran, where David encounters two key figures: Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man, and Abigail, his discerning wife. This narrative stands between two critical restraint moments—David sparing Saul in chapter 24 and again in chapter 26—serving as a test of David’s ability to govern not just with might, but with wisdom and restraint.
The chapter begins with the death of Samuel, the prophet and judge who had anointed both Saul and David (1 Samuel 25:1). His passing marks a theological shift—David must now rely more directly on Hashem without Samuel’s prophetic guidance. All Israel mourns him, a testimony to Samuel’s covenantal role (1 Samuel 3:20, 1 Samuel 7:15–17). His death casts a shadow over the chapter, hinting at a transitional moment in Israel's leadership narrative.
David sends messengers to Nabal requesting provisions in exchange for the protection his men had provided Nabal’s shepherds. Nabal, whose name means “fool” (1 Samuel 25:25), responds with arrogant dismissal:
“Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?” (1 Samuel 25:10, ESV Bible).
Nabal's insult not only dishonors David, but violates ancient norms of hospitality and justice (Genesis 18:1–8, Deuteronomy 23:4). His refusal is not merely personal; it is a rejection of David’s rising role as Hashem’s chosen servant.
David’s response is swift and fierce—he prepares to destroy Nabal and all his males (1 Samuel 25:13, 22). This is a critical moment: will David act in vengeance, or will he remember his earlier restraint with Saul?
Abigail enters as the narrative’s turning point. She is described as “discerning and beautiful” (1 Samuel 25:3, ESV Bible)—a woman of both wisdom and godly insight. She intercedes without her husband’s knowledge, bringing a generous offering and humbling herself before David.
Her speech (1 Samuel 25:23–31) is one of the most theologically rich in the book. She acknowledges David’s anointing and future kingship: “The LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house” (1 Samuel 25:28, ESV Bible)—anticipating the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7). She calls him to rise above bloodguilt: “... so that you shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause” (1 Samuel 25:31, ESV Bible). She invokes Hashem’s sovereignty: “The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God” (1 Samuel 25:29, ESV Bible), a poetic affirmation of divine preservation.
Abigail here functions as a covenant mediator, appealing to David’s higher calling and drawing him back from sin. Her intercession prefigures the righteous wisdom that should characterize a king under Torah (Deuteronomy 17:18–20).
David blesses Hashem for sending Abigail:
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!” (1 Samuel 25:32, ESV Bible).
He recognizes that she has kept him from “working salvation with [his] own hand” (1 Samuel 25:33, ESV Bible)—a powerful echo of his earlier restraint with Saul (1 Samuel 24:12). David is learning to entrust justice to Hashem.
When Abigail tells Nabal what happened, “his heart died within him, and he became as a stone” (1 Samuel 25:37, ESV Bible). Ten days later, Hashem strikes Nabal and he dies (1 Samuel 25:38). David responds:
“Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received...” (1 Samuel 25:39, ESV Bible).
The judgment is divine, not David’s—a critical confirmation that vengeance belongs to Hashem (Deuteronomy 32:35). Justice is achieved through providence, not personal violence.
David then takes Abigail as his wife (1 Samuel 25:40–42), bringing her wisdom and prophetic discernment into his household. This union is both personal and theological: David allies himself with a woman of covenant insight, a stark contrast to his subsequent marriage to Ahinoam and ongoing tension with Michal.
David Spares Saul Again at the Hill of Hachilah
1 Samuel 26 revisits a familiar theme from chapter 24—David is again given the opportunity to kill Saul, and again he refuses. While some scholars see this as a duplicate tradition, the narrative differences are deliberate and theological. This second event, occurring at the hill of Hachilah, deepens the portrait of David as a covenant-keeping, Spirit-led leader, whose kingship is marked not by ambition but by submission to Hashem.
The Ziphites, previously betrayers of David in 1 Samuel 23, again inform Saul of David’s location (1 Samuel 26:1). Saul, despite his earlier tearful confession that David would become king (1 Samuel 24:20), resumes his pursuit. His spiritual instability and jealousy are highlighted here, showing how disobedience fractures even good intentions.
David, learning of Saul’s approach, sends scouts and then personally spies on Saul’s camp. He sees Saul asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head—an image symbolizing royal authority and vulnerability (1 Samuel 26:7).
Accompanied by Abishai, David infiltrates the camp under cover of night. Abishai urges David to kill Saul, but David again refuses:
“Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” (1 Samuel 26:9, ESV Bible).
David invokes Hashem’s sovereignty:
“As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish” (1 Samuel 26:10, ESV Bible).
This echoes Torah themes—Hashem is the righteous Judge, and no man should usurp divine timing (Deuteronomy 32:35; Ecclesiastes 3:1–2).
Instead of taking Saul’s life, David takes his spear and water jar—symbols of power and sustenance—demonstrating that he had the upper hand but chose mercy.
David calls to Abner, Saul’s commander, rebuking him for failing to protect the king (1 Samuel 26:14–16). Then he addresses Saul directly, again referring to him as “my lord the king” and questioning Saul’s motives:
“What have I done? What evil is on my hands?” (1 Samuel 26:18, ESV Bible).
David offers theological insight: if Hashem incited Saul, let Him accept an offering; but if men did, they are cursed for driving David “away from the heritage of the LORD” (1 Samuel 26:19)—a reference to being forced into exile from the land and from covenant worship (Deuteronomy 12:5–14).
David’s grief reveals his covenantal longing for the presence of Hashem, not merely his own survival.
Saul once again confesses his sin and blesses David:
“I have acted foolishly and have made a great mistake” (1 Samuel 26:21, ESV Bible).
He acknowledges David’s righteousness:
“Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them” (1 Samuel 26:25, ESV Bible).
Yet David does not return to Saul. He knows Saul’s instability and does not mistake temporary emotion for lasting repentance. The chapter ends with a peaceful departure—David goes his way, and Saul returns home.
David Dwells Among the Philistines
Following his second act of mercy toward Saul, David reaches a breaking point. Despite Saul’s emotional repentance in chapter 26, David does not trust him. Chapter 27 describes David’s strategic yet morally ambiguous decision to flee to Philistine territory. This chapter, while brief, carries weighty theological and covenantal implications.
David says in his heart:
“Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 27:1, ESV Bible).
This statement reflects a moment of emotional exhaustion and spiritual doubt. Although Hashem has preserved David again and again, David now reasons without invoking divine deliverance. This lack of prayer or prophetic consultation is notable. He no longer waits passively in Israel but takes survival into his own hands by entering enemy territory.
David and his six hundred men flee to Achish, king of Gath, one of the five Philistine lords (1 Samuel 27:2). This is the same city David had fled to earlier in 1 Samuel 21, pretending madness. Now, however, he comes as a recognized warlord with his own militia.
Achish, perhaps seeing David as a useful defector from Saul, grants him the town of Ziklag (1 Samuel 27:6). This city, previously allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:31), becomes a semi-permanent base for David for a year and four months (1 Samuel 27:7). This is a theological irony: the anointed king of Israel now dwells in exile among Israel’s enemies, echoing Abraham’s sojourns in foreign lands (Genesis 12, 20) and foreshadowing Messiah’s hiddenness (Matthew 2:13–15). Yeshua, like David, had to dwell outside the expected place of kingship. He lived in obscurity, rejection, and spiritual exile, though He was the true King of Israel.
This irony teaches us that Hashem’s anointed often appears in weakness before glory. True kingship in the biblical narrative is not marked by early dominance but by suffering, exile, and hiddenness. The pattern of exile before enthronement is a divine strategy to shape a heart of humility and dependence. David, in Philistine lands, is training for kingship, just as Messiah’s hidden years prepared Him for redemption.
From Ziklag, David raids various peoples—the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites—ancient enemies of Israel (1 Samuel 27:8). These actions are militarily justified in Torah terms (Exodus 17:14–16; Deuteronomy 25:17–19), especially the destruction of Amalekites. However, David tells Achish that he is raiding Judah, Simeonites, or other allies (1 Samuel 27:10), thus maintaining the illusion that he is betraying Israel.
To sustain this deception, David leaves no survivors:
“David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive...” (1 Samuel 27:9, ESV Bible).
This raises ethical questions, though it fits the ban (herem) warfare concept seen in Deuteronomy 20:16–18:
“But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes... that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices...” (Deuteronomy 20:16–18, ESV Bible).
Herem refers to the ban—the complete destruction of a people, city, or objects set apart for divine judgment. This practice was primarily applied to the Canaanite nations occupying the Promised Land, especially wicked peoples like the Amalekites, who attacked Israel during the Exodus (Exodus 17:14–16; Deuteronomy 25:17–19). These groups had long been designated for judgment and removal under Hashem’s covenantal commands. In that sense, David’s actions align with longstanding Torah directives, even though his methods are veiled in secrecy and strategy.
This tension reveals something important about David’s wilderness period: it is a time of testing and formation. Though he is a man after Hashem’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14), David is not without flaws or moral complexity. His choices reflect a careful balance between faithfulness to Israel’s covenant mission and the pragmatic survival tactics required during his exile among enemies.
Achish believes David has “made himself an utter stench to his people Israel” and trusts him completely (1 Samuel 27:12). Thus, David secures safety through a web of deception while biding time until Hashem opens a path back into Israel.
Saul and the Medium of Endor – A Kingdom Cut Off from Prophetic Light
Chapter 28 marks a sharp theological and narrative contrast: while David is hiding among the Philistines (1 Samuel 27), Saul is facing his final descent into spiritual darkness. In this chapter, Saul, abandoned by Hashem due to his disobedience, seeks a word not from prophets or priests, but from a medium—a necromancer at Endor. The tragic irony is heavy: the king who expelled mediums now seeks one, revealing his full alienation from the covenantal life of Israel.
As the Philistines prepare for battle, Saul gathers his army and is terrified when he sees their size (1 Samuel 28:5). In this fear, he inquires of Hashem, but receives no answer—not through dreams, Urim, or prophets (1 Samuel 28:6). This silence is covenantal: Saul has rejected Hashem's word repeatedly (1 Samuel 15), and now Hashem fulfills His own warning:
“Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.” (Proverbs 1:28)
“And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD did not listen to your voice or give ear to you.” (Deuteronomy 1:45)
This silence is not cruelty—it is judicial silence. Hashem’s covenant presence departs from Saul, and he experiences what the prophets call divine hiding (Isaiah 59:2; Micah 3:4).
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
“Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.” (Micah 3:4)
In direct violation of Torah law (Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:10–12), Saul seeks out a woman with a familiar spirit, despite having previously driven such practices out of Israel (1 Samuel 28:3, 9).
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)
“There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
He disguises himself and visits her at night—a symbolic descent into spiritual darkness (1 Samuel 28:8). The woman agrees reluctantly, fearing the king's own ban.
When she conjures the spirit, Samuel appears—a unique and sobering moment. The woman cries out in fear, realizing her client is Saul himself (1 Samuel 28:12). Whether Samuel’s appearance is a divine act, a psychological vision, or a permitted intervention, the text treats the encounter seriously: the prophet of Hashem speaks with finality.
Samuel’s message is chilling and direct:
“Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?” (1 Samuel 28:16, ESV Bible).
He confirms Saul’s rejection as king—“The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David” (1 Samuel 28:17, ESV Bible), echoing his original rebuke in 1 Samuel 15:28.
Samuel prophesies that Israel will be defeated by the Philistines. Saul and his sons will die the next day (1 Samuel 28:19).
This final word seals Saul’s fate—not only as a failed king but as one who sought guidance outside Hashem’s covenantal channels, thus incurring judgment.
Upon hearing the message, Saul falls “full length on the ground,” filled with fear and without strength (1 Samuel 28:20). The medium, surprisingly, becomes a figure of compassion, urging Saul to eat and regain strength. She prepares a meal reminiscent of hospitality (Genesis 18:6–8), but the contrast is stark—this is not covenantal feasting, but a funeral meal before death.
1 Samuel 28 reveals the final unraveling of Saul’s kingship—a man once chosen but now cut off, seeking light in darkness. His story becomes a sobering warning: disobedience hardens into desperation, and rejection of Hashem’s word leads to silence, fear, and judgment. Yet this chapter also sets the stage for David’s rise—a king who, though flawed, would wait on Hashem rather than turn to forbidden paths. The narrative cries out for a king who listens, obeys, and remains in the light—a yearning fulfilled only in the faithful Son of David (Matthew 17:5).
David Sent Away from the Battle – Providence through Rejection
Chapter 29 narrates a moment of divine intervention through unexpected rejection. While Saul is spiraling toward judgment (1 Samuel 28), David is embedded among the Philistines, dangerously close to fighting against his own people. Yet Hashem providentially delivers David by the objections of Philistine commanders, preventing him from participating in the battle where Saul will fall.
David, living in Ziklag under the protection of Achish, king of Gath (1 Samuel 27), joins the Philistines at Aphek as they prepare to attack Israel. Achish trusts David and believes he has severed ties with Israel:
“He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant” (1 Samuel 27:12, ESV Bible; echoed in 29:3).
David and his men are placed at the rear with Achish, suggesting a position of trust—but also ambiguity. David has not revealed his true loyalty. Whether he intended to fight against Israel or betray the Philistines from within is not stated, creating deliberate narrative tension.
The other Philistine commanders, unlike Achish, distrust David:
“What are these Hebrews doing here?” (1 Samuel 29:3, ESV Bible).
They recall David’s fame as a warrior against Philistines:
“Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 29:5, ESV Bible).
They fear that David might turn on them in battle to regain Saul’s favor. Their concern is valid: David’s loyalty to Israel, though hidden from Achish, remains intact.
Though reluctant, Achish yields to his commanders and tells David he must return to Ziklag:
“Go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 29:7, ESV Bible).
David responds with apparent confusion and loyalty to Achish (29:8), but this may be rhetorical. The narrative remains intentionally ambiguous, keeping David’s inner motives veiled. Regardless, he obeys and departs early the next morning (1 Samuel 29:11).
Though David’s motives remain shaded, the outcome is clear: Hashem protects His anointed from participating in the downfall of Saul, preserving David’s innocence and preparing him for righteous kingship. This chapter demonstrates that even in exile, even among enemies, Hashem governs the movements of kings and commanders to bring about His redemptive plan. David’s rejection becomes his rescue, a pattern echoed ultimately in Messiah, who was rejected by men yet chosen by Hashem (1 Peter 2:4).
David at Ziklag – Restoration through Faith and Justice
While David is being sent away from the Philistine battlefront (1 Samuel 29), he returns to find Ziklag plundered and burned by the Amalekites. This chapter becomes a pivotal moment in David’s leadership—it reveals his faith in Hashem, his mercy toward the weak, and his justice toward enemies. It is a narrative of loss and restoration, and the theological center of David’s preparation for kingship.
When David and his men return to Ziklag on the third day, they discover the city destroyed and their families taken captive (1 Samuel 30:1–3). The attackers are Amalekites, the ancient enemy that Saul had failed to destroy (1 Samuel 15). This reemphasizes the unfinished judgment Saul left behind—David must now do what Saul could not.
David and his men weep until they have no strength left (1 Samuel 30:4). The grief turns to bitterness, and the people speak of stoning David (1 Samuel 30:6). This moment marks the lowest point of David’s wilderness years.
Unlike Saul, who sought guidance from a medium (1 Samuel 28), David responds by turning to Hashem:
“But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6, ESV Bible).
This is a critical covenantal response—David does not take action in panic or despair. He calls for Abiathar the priest and consults the ephod, seeking Hashem’s direction (1 Samuel 30:7–8). Hashem responds affirmatively:
“Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue” (1 Samuel 30:8, ESV Bible).
This moment contrasts sharply with Saul, who was cut off from prophetic counsel. David, though in exile, remains in intimate covenant communication with Hashem.
David pursues the Amalekites with 600 men but 200 are too exhausted and remain behind (1 Samuel 30:10). Along the way, they find an Egyptian servant, abandoned by the Amalekites, who guides David to their camp (1 Samuel 30:11–15). This again reveals Hashem’s providence—deliverance comes through a foreign servant, showing that Hashem’s hand is not limited by Israelite means.
David attacks and defeats the Amalekites, recovering all that was taken—wives, children, possessions (1 Samuel 30:16–20). This total recovery affirms Hashem’s word and David’s role as a faithful shepherd of the people.
When they return, some of the men who fought refuse to share the spoil with those who stayed behind. But David rebukes them:
“You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us” (1 Samuel 30:23, ESV Bible).
He institutes a lasting ordinance: those who stay behind to guard the camp share equally in the spoil (1 Samuel 30:24–25). This reflects Torah’s spirit of justice and unity (Numbers 31:27; Deuteronomy 10:17–19).
“And divide the plunder into two parts between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.” (Numbers 31:27, ESV Bible)
David then sends portions of the spoil as gifts to the elders of Judah, emphasizing his covenantal identity with his tribe (1 Samuel 30:26–31). This act is both generous and politically wise—it signals that David, though living in exile, is preparing to return and reign.
David’s leadership under pressure proves him worthy of the crown soon to come. His ability to seek Hashem, restore the broken, and unify the people anticipates the true anointed One, who would rescue the captives, rebuild the house of David, and reign in justice forever (Amos 9:11; Luke 4:18).
The Death of Saul – The Fall of the First King
The final chapter of 1 Samuel brings the arc of Saul’s kingship to a devastating end. His death on Mount Gilboa, along with the deaths of his sons, including Jonathan, marks the collapse of his dynasty. It is a deeply tragic chapter, loaded with covenantal consequences, prophetic fulfillment, and profound contrasts between the man Saul was anointed to be and the man he became.
The Philistines fight Israel and defeat them thoroughly. Saul’s sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua—are slain (1 Samuel 31:2). Jonathan’s death in particular is poignant: he was faithful, courageous, and loyal to David, the next anointed king. His loss marks the end of a covenantal friendship and a noble line of succession.
Saul is badly wounded by archers (1 Samuel 31:3). Fearing abuse or mockery by the Philistines, he begs his armor-bearer to kill him. When the armor-bearer refuses, Saul falls on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:4), and the armor-bearer follows suit. Their deaths represent a tragic conclusion to a kingship that began with hope but ended in disobedience, isolation, and despair.
The Philistines occupy the surrounding cities, and the people flee (1 Samuel 31:7). The next day, the Philistines find Saul’s body, behead him, and fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:9–10). They place his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, mocking Israel and glorifying their gods—a scene that recalls the desecration of the Ark in 1 Samuel 5.
This is a theological tragedy: the king of Hashem’s people is desecrated in the temple of a false deity. It reflects the profound spiritual collapse that Saul’s disobedience has wrought.
In a final act of honor, the men of Jabesh-Gilead retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons by night, burn them (likely due to mutilation), and bury the bones respectfully (1 Samuel 31:11–13). This act recalls Saul’s first heroic deed—his rescue of Jabesh-Gilead from the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11). Their response is one of covenantal gratitude, even after Saul’s fall.
1 Samuel ends not with triumph, but with tragedy. The book opened with hope for Israel’s future—a king to unify and lead—but closes with that king defeated, disgraced, and dead. Yet even in this darkness, the way is opening for the true king, David, whose rise will dominate 2 Samuel. Saul’s fall warns of covenant unfaithfulness, but also prepares the ground for the promise of a better kingship—one fulfilled ultimately in the Messianic Son of David, who will reign in justice, mercy, and eternal righteousness (2 Samuel 7; Luke 1:32–33).
Books of 2 Samuel:
Book of 1 Kings 1-11:
4. Divided Kingdom
Book of 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 17
Pre-exile Prophets to Northern Kingdom (Israel) before its fall in 722 BCE
Book of Amos
Book of Hosea
Pre-exile Prophets to Southern Kingdom (Judah)
Book of Isaiah 1-39
Book of Micah
Book of Obadiah
5. Fall of Israel (722 BCE) and Judah’s Decline
Books of 2 Kings 18-25
Judah’s Prophets Before and During Exile:
Book of Zephaniah
Book of Nahum
Book of Habakkuk
Book of Jeremiah
6. During the Babylonian Exile Prophets (586 BCE):
Book of Ezekiel
Book of Daniel
7. After the Exile Prophets (after 538 BCE return under Cyrus)
Book of Ezra 1-6
Book of Haggai
Book of Zechariah
Book of Isaiah 40–66
Book of Esther
Book of Ezra 7-10
Book of Nehemiah
Book of Malachi
8. Summary and Retelling
Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles
Book of Joel
The Mashiach as Covenant Fulfillment, Not Replacement
From the beginning, Hashem's covenants with Israel—especially with Abraham, Moses, and David—contain the seeds of Messianic hope:
Abrahamic Covenant:
Through Abraham’s seed, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, cf. Genesis 22:18). This seed is later identified not just corporately as Israel, but ultimately in one individual (cf. Galatians 3:16).Mosaic Covenant:
The Torah anticipated a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15–19), a figure who would mediate Hashem’s words and rule in covenant faithfulness. The blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 27–28 hinge on obedience to this covenant.Davidic Covenant:
Hashem promises David, “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13, ESV). This eternal kingship points toward a Messianic son of David—an anointed one who will reign in righteousness and restore Israel.
The Mashiach represents faithful Israel condensed into one person:
He is the obedient Son (cf. Isaiah 49:3–6), succeeding where national Israel stumbled.
He is the righteous King (Jeremiah 23:5–6), enacting justice and Torah-centered governance.
He is the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53), bearing covenant curses to restore covenant blessings.
The Messianic hope is therefore not a "Plan B" but Hashem’s way of being faithful to His covenant promises—despite Israel's repeated unfaithfulness.
The prophetic literature of the Hebrew Scriptures consistently emphasizes that Hashem’s covenant with Israel is irrevocable, even when Israel fails to uphold it. What the prophets call for is not replacement or annulment, but renewal—a return to Torah, repentance, and the embrace of a future restoration led by a righteous, faithful Anointed One(Mashiach).
In Jeremiah 33:20–21, Hashem makes a striking comparison:
“Thus says Hashem: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken…” (Jeremiah 33:20–21, ESV)
This metaphor—equating the endurance of Hashem’s covenant with the fixed patterns of creation (day and night)—reinforces the permanence of His covenantal promises. The Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7) and, by extension, His covenant with Israel, are as unchangeable as the cosmic order. The Hebrew prophets understood Hashem’s loyalty (chesed) as the bedrock of Israel’s future, even amid judgment.
As we will see as we continue looking through the books of the prophets, the prophets do not bring new theology; they enforce Torah. Throughout the prophetic books, the consistent message is: return to Hashem, and He will restore you.
“Return, O Israel, to Hashem your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity…” (Hosea 14:1, ESV)
“Yet even now, declares Hashem, return to me with all your heart… for he is gracious and merciful…” (Joel 2:12–13, ESV)
This is not a call to abandon the covenant but to re-engage it through repentance and obedience. The goal is covenant renewal, a theme that Deuteronomy 30 had already anticipated:
“Then Hashem your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you…” (Deuteronomy 30:3, ESV)
As Israel fails again and again, the prophets begin to reveal that restoration will come not merely through national repentance, but through a righteous individual—a servant, a king, a redeemer—who will embody Israel's obedience and carry its covenantal mission forward:
Isaiah 11 speaks of a coming shoot from the stump of Jesse, filled with the Spirit of Hashem, who will bring justice and gather the exiles.
Jeremiah 23:5–6 declares:
“I will raise up for David a righteous Branch… and this is the name by which he will be called: ‘Hashem is our righteousness.’”
This Anointed One does not replace the covenant but fulfills it—He is both the agent of restoration and the embodiment of covenant faithfulness.
Nowhere in the Tanakh do the prophets declare that Hashem has abandoned His covenant with Israel. Even in exile, the hope remains:
“For I will not make a full end of you… but I will discipline you in just measure…”
(Jeremiah 30:11, ESV)
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent… until her righteousness goes forth as brightness…”
(Isaiah 62:1, ESV)
These promises are rooted in Hashem’s eternal covenant love (chesed olam, cf. Isaiah 54:8–10) and His zeal to glorify His Name through Israel (Ezekiel 36:22–27). The prophetic message is clear: Israel’s covenantal relationship with Hashem remains intact—not because of Israel’s perfection, but because of Hashem’s faithfulness. The path forward is repentance (teshuvah) and trust in the coming Anointed One, who will mediate the full renewal of the covenant and bring justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).
Isaiah explicitly names the Servant of Hashem as the covenant itself:
“I will give you as a covenant for the people…” (Isaiah 42:6; 49:8, ESV)
This means the Mashiach embodies Hashem’s covenantal purpose: not abolishing Torah, but fulfilling it (cf. Matthew 5:17), not replacing Israel, but restoring her.
The idea of the Mashiach becomes Hashem’s plan to fulfill His covenant faithfulness to Israel. It is the thread that ties Genesis to Malachi, the Torah to the Prophets, and Israel’s calling to the redemption of the nations (Isaiah 49:6; Exodus 12:48–49). The Mashiach comes not to abandon Hashem’s covenants, but to ensure their completion—for Israel first, and then through Israel, to the world.
35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37 Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31: 35-37, ESV Bible)
16 The word of the LORD came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. 18 So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. 33 “Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. 34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35 And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. 37 “Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:16-37, ESV Bible)
14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:14-16, ESV Bible)
The narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures repeatedly shows that while Israel often failed to live up to the covenant's requirements, God's response was discipline mingled with mercy, rather than outright abandonment. Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, while acknowledging Israel's failures, spoke of God's intent to ultimately restore and renew His covenant people (Jeremiah 30:11, Ezekiel 34:16). This restoration is based not on Israel's righteousness but on God's faithfulness and His commitment to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
11 For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. (Jeremiah 30:11, ESV Bible)
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. 17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (Exekiel 34:15-24, ESV Bible)
The first half of Ezekiel 34 (vv. 1–10) condemns the "shepherds of Israel" — that is, Israel’s corrupt leaders and kings — for abusing their authority and neglecting the people.
But then, in verses 11–31, God declares that He Himself will become Israel’s shepherd and bring about justice, restoration, and peace.
The prophets not only warned of judgment due to disobedience but also foretold a time of renewal and heart transformation. For instance, Ezekiel 36:26-27 promises a new heart and a new spirit to enable the people to follow God's decrees and be careful to keep His laws. This promise suggests a transformative work of God that enables covenant adherence, not a replacement of the covenant itself.
The Remnant
A cursory examination of the Bible reveals a pattern of consistent shortcomings by Israel and the Jewish people. The Old Testament chronicles a series of disobediences, depicting Israel frequently straying from God. This cycle of deviation leads to exile and the suffering of curses as outlined in the Sinai Covenant, followed by periods of repentance and temporary adherence to God's commands, only to relapse into former misdeeds. In the New Testament, the rejection of Jesus by segments of the Jewish population is also evident, a theme that extends into contemporary times where Jews are often globally perceived as rejecting Jesus. This complex issue will be addressed in further discussions. However, the focus here is on Israel's apparent inability to fulfill their covenantal obligations. Despite these repeated failures, how are the covenants preserved? This question underscores the exploration of divine grace and the mechanisms through which these sacred agreements are sustained.
The concept of a "remnant" in the narrative of Israel within the Hebrew Scriptures is a significant and recurring theme. This idea highlights the theological understanding that while the broader community may face judgment or fall into apostasy, a faithful subset—the remnant—is preserved by God to continue the covenantal legacy and to uphold the divine mission. This remnant theme serves both as a symbol of hope and a theological explanation for how God sustains His covenantal promises through history, despite widespread unfaithfulness.
Throughout the history of Israel, the concept of a remnant—plays a critical role in maintaining the continuity of the Mosaic Covenant. This remnant is seen as a seed through which the covenantal relationship is preserved, even in times of widespread apostasy (Isaiah 10:21-22). The existence of this remnant underscores the idea that the covenant is not nullified by general unfaithfulness.
The Prophets and the Restoration of Israel
Many prophets speak of end-time restoration of the nation—politically, spiritually, and physically. We will explore some prophetic passages that are essential pillars in the argument that Israel’s chosenness is not just a thing of the past but is ongoing, irrevocable, and central to God's redemptive plan. Each of these sections strongly refutes the idea that Israel has been replaced or cast off, and they build a prophetic case for Israel’s restoration, renewal, and future glory.
Jeremiah 30–33: The Book of Consolation
This section is often called the “Book of Consolation” because it delivers a message of hope and restoration after the judgment of exile. God promises full restoration, a new covenant with Israel and Judah, and affirms their nationhood is eternal. Israel’s chosenness is irrevocable and will be spiritually renewed.
JEREMIAH 30 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.” 4 These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning iIsrael and Judah: 5 “Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. 6 Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? 7 Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. 8 “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 10 “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. 11 For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. 12 “For thus says the LORD: Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous. 13 There is none to uphold your cause, no medicine for your wound, no healing for you. 14 All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant. 15 Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you. 16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a prey. 17 For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’ 18 “Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be. 19 Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. 20 Their children shall be as they were of old, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. 21 Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the LORD. 22 And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” 23 Behold the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this. (Jeremiah 30:1-24, ESV Bible)
In Jeremiah 30, we find a powerful prophecy of the future restoration of both Israel and Judah (v. 3). This is significant—God is not merely speaking to a remnant or a symbolic "spiritual Israel," but to the entire nation, encompassing both the northern and southern kingdoms. In Jeremiah 31, the remnant is the faithful among them from all the tribes of Israel. The full restoration of all twelve tribes is in view.
Before this restoration unfolds, there will be a period of intense suffering known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (v. 7). It will be a season of great distress for the nation, but God promises that He will ultimately deliver them from it.
Despite the coming hardship, God declares that He will regather His people (v. 10) and restore them to serve “David their king”—a clear Messianic reference to Yeshua (Jesus)—who will be raised up for them (v. 9). This king is not a foreign savior imposed upon Israel, but one of their own, a Jew from among them (v. 21), reaffirming God's faithfulness to His covenant and promises.
Finally, God assures His people that anyone who opposes them will be dealt with directly. He Himself will act in judgment against their adversaries, underscoring that Israel is not forgotten, nor will they be left unprotected.
In Jeremiah 31, it continues:
JEREMIAH 31 “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.” 2 Thus says the LORD: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. 6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’” 7 For thus says the LORD: “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ 8 Behold, I will bring themfrom the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. 9 With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. 10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ 11 For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from ahands too strong for him. 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. 13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.” 15 Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” 16 Thus says the LORD: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country. 18 I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God. 19 For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD. 21 “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities. 22 How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.” 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: “‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!’ 24 And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. 25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” 26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me. 27 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. 29 In those days they shall no longer say: “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” 35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— bthe LORD of hosts is his name: 36 c“If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37[†] Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, dthen I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.” 38[†] e“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD ffrom the Tower of Hananel to gthe Corner Gate. 39 hAnd the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 iThe whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the jbrook Kidron, to the corner of kthe Horse Gate toward the east, lshall be sacred to the LORD. mIt shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”
God explicitly ties Israel’s continued existence to the natural order of creation (Jer. 31:35–36). This is a direct rebuttal to replacement theology.
The New Covenant is not made with the Church as a separate entity — it's made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It doesn’t abolish God’s relationship with Israel; it deepens and internalizes it:
“I will write my law on their hearts... and they shall all know me.”
This is not a covenant of replacement but of renewal and fulfillment.
JEREMIAH 32 [†]The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD nin the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, owhich was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2[†]At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet pwas shut up in qthe court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. 3For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: rBehold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; 4 sZedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, rbut shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. 5And the shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. uThough you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?” 6[†]Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, v‘Buy my field that is at wAnathoth, xfor the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8[†]Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in qthe court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at wAnathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. 9[†]“And I bought the field at wAnathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and yweighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10[†] zI signed the deed, asealed it, bgot witnesses, and yweighed the money on scales. 11[†]Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions conditions and the open copy. 12[†]And I gave the deed of purchase to cBaruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of dthe witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in qthe court of the guard. 13[†]I charged cBaruch in their presence, saying, 14‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. 15[†]For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and efields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’ 16“After I had given the deed of purchase to fBaruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: 17[†]‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is gyou who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by hyour outstretched arm! iNothing is too hard for you. 18[†] jYou show steadfast love to thousands, jbut you repay the guilt of fathers kto their children after them, O great and lmighty God, whose name is the mLORD of hosts, 19[†] ngreat in counsel and omighty in deed, pwhose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, qrewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 20[^][†]You have shown rsigns and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, sand have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 tYou brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and uoutstretched arm, tand with great terror. 22And you gave them this land, vwhich you swore to their fathers to give them, va land flowing with milk and honey. 23And they entered and took possession of it. wBut they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 24[†]Behold, xthe siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and ybecause of sword and famine and pestilence zthe city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25[†]Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, a“Buy the field for money band get witnesses”—though zthe city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’” 26[†]The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27“Behold, I am the LORD, cthe God of all flesh. dIs anything too hard for me? 28[†]Therefore, thus says the LORD: eBehold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. 29The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city fshall come and set this city on fire and burn it, gwith the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal gand drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, hto provoke me to anger. 30For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight ifrom their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but hprovoke me to anger jby the work of their hands, declares the LORD. 31[†]This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, kso that I will remove it from my sight 32because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger— ltheir kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33[†] mThey have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them npersistently, they have not listened oto receive instruction. 34[†]They set up ptheir abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35[†]They built the high places of Baal qin the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, rto offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, sthough I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do pthis abomination, tto cause Judah to sin. 36[†]“Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, u‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37[†] vBehold, I will gather them from all the countries wto which I drove them in xmy anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, yand I will make them dwell in safety. 38[†] zAnd they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39[†] aI will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, bfor their own good and the good of their children after them. 40[^][†] cI will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. dAnd I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 eI will rejoice in doing them good, fand I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. 42[†]“For thus says the LORD: gJust as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. 43[†] hFields shall be bought in this land iof which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; jit is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ 44[†]Fields shall be bought for money, and kdeeds shall be signed and ksealed and kwitnessed, lin the land of Benjamin, lin the places about Jerusalem, land in the cities of Judah, lin the cities of the hill country, lin the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for mI will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”
JEREMIAH 33 [†]The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still nshut up in the court of the guard: 2[†]“Thus says othe LORD who made the earth, [1] the LORD who formed it to establish it— pthe LORD is his name: 3[†] qCall to me and I will answer you, rand will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 4[†]For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against sthe siege mounds and against the sword: 5[†]They are coming in tto fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them [2] with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down uin my anger and my wrath, vfor I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. 6[†] wBehold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 xI will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, yand rebuild them as they were zat first. 8[^] aI will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, band I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9[†] cAnd this city [3] shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall dfear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. 10[†]“Thus says the LORD: In this place eof which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 fthe voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring gthank offerings to the house of the LORD: h“‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’ xFor I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD. 12[†]“Thus says the LORD of hosts: iIn this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be jhabitations of shepherds kresting their flocks. 13 lIn the cities of the hill country, lin the cities of the Shephelah, land in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, lthe places about Jerusalem, land in the cities of Judah, mflocks shall again pass under the hands nof the one who counts them, says the LORD. 14 o“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when pI will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15[^][†]In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous qBranch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16[†]In those days Judah will be saved, rand Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: s‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ 17[†]“For thus says the LORD: tDavid shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18[†] uand the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.” 19[†]The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 v“Thus says the LORD: wIf you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, xso that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21 ythen also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. 22[†]As zthe host of heaven cannot be numbered and zthe sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.” 23The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24[†]“Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25[†]Thus says the LORD: aIf I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. bFor I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jeremiah 30-33, ESV Bible)
Ezekiel 36–37: Restoration, Regathering, and Resurrection
These chapters are some of the most powerful in all of Scripture concerning Israel’s future restoration. God restores Israel not because of merit but His name; promises to give them a new heart, regather them, and resurrect their nation. Israel is still central to God’s redemptive plan and will be revived as a people.
EZEKIEL 36 [†]“And you, ison of man, prophesy to jthe mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2[†]Thus says the Lord GOD: Because kthe enemy said of you, l‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient mheights have become our possession,’ 3[†]therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Precisely because nthey made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and oyou became the talk and evil gossip of the people, 4therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD to pthe mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, qthe desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which have become ra prey and derision to the rest of the nations all around, 5[†]therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Surely I have spoken in smy hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and tagainst all Edom, who ugave my land to themselves as a possession vwith wholehearted joy and wutter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. 6Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to jthe mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord GOD: xBehold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered ythe reproach of the nations. 7Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: zI swear that the nations that are all around you yshall themselves suffer reproach. 8[†]“But you, O mountains of Israel, ashall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for bthey will soon come home. 9For cbehold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and dyou shall be tilled and sown. 10[^]And eI will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. fThe cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. 11And I will multiply on you gman and beast, and hthey shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in iyour former times, and jwill do more good to you than ever before. kThen you will know that I am the LORD. 12I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. lAnd they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer mbereave them of children. 13[†]Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, n‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’ 14therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord GOD. 15[†]And I will not let you hear anymore ythe reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD.” 16[†]The word of the LORD came to me: 17 o“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, pthey defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were qlike the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. 18So rI poured out my wrath upon them sfor the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols twith which they had defiled it. 19 uI scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. vIn accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, wthey profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21But I had concern xfor my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. 22[^][†]“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: yIt is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, wwhich you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 zAnd I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. aAnd the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24[†] bI will take you cfrom the nations and gather you from all the countries and dbring you into your own land. 25[^] eI will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from fall your uncleannesses, and gfrom all your idols hI will cleanse you. 26[†]And I will give you ia new heart, and ia new spirit I will put within you. iAnd I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27[^] jAnd I will put my Spirit within you, iand cause you to walk in my statutes and kbe careful to obey my rules. [1] 28[†] lYou shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and myou shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29And nI will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And oI will summon the grain and make it abundant and play no famine upon you. 30 qI will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, othat you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31[†]Then ryou will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 yIt is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. 33[†]“Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that sI cleanse you from all your iniquities, tI will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. 34And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like uthe garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36Then vthe nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and wreplanted that which was desolate. xI am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. 37[†]“Thus says the Lord GOD: This also yI will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: zto increase their people like aa flock. 38Like the flock for sacrifices, [2] blike the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so tshall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. cThen they will know that I am the LORD.”
In Chapter 36 we are told God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel is not based on their merit, but on His own character and promises (Ezek. 36:22). This removes any argument that Israel’s unfaithfulness nullifies the covenant.
The Heart of Stone Replaced with a Heart of Flesh (Ezek. 36:27). This parallels Jeremiah’s New Covenant. God is promising a spiritual transformation within Israel, not outside of it.
EZEKIEL 37 [†] dThe hand of the LORD was upon me, and ehe brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; [1] it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3[†]And he said to me, f“Son of man, gcan these bones live?” And hI answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” 4[†]Then he said to me, i“Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, jO dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5[^]Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause kbreath [2] to enter you, and you shall live. 6 lAnd I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and lcover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, mand you shall know that I am the LORD.” 7So I prophesied nas I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, oa rattling, [3] and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8[†]And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But pthere was no breath in them. 9[†]Then he said to me, i“Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, fson of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from qthe four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied nas he commanded me, and rthe breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11Then he said to me, f“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and sour hope is lost; twe are indeed cut off.’ 12[†]Therefore iprophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, uI will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And vI will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And wyou shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14[†]And xI will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; yI have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” 15[†]The word of the LORD came to me: 16[†] z“Son of man, atake a stick [4] and write on it, ‘For bJudah, and cthe people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For bJoseph (the stick of dEphraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17And ejoin them one to another into one stick, that fthey may become gone in your hand. 18And when hyour people say to you, i‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19[†]say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take jthe stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the jstick of Judah, [5] and kmake them one stick, gthat they may be one in my hand. 20When the sticks on which you write are in your hand lbefore their eyes, 21[†]then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, mI will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and mbring them to their own land. 22And nI will make them one nation in the land, on othe mountains of Israel. And pone king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer qtwo nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23[†] rThey shall not sdefile themselves anymore twith their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But uI will save them from all the backslidings [6] in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and vthey shall be my people, and I will be their God. 24[^][†]“My servant wDavid xshall be king over them, and they shall all have yone shepherd. zThey shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 aThey shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there bforever, and David my servant shall be their prince cforever. 26[†] dI will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be ean everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land [7] and fmultiply them, and will gset my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27[†] hMy dwelling place shall be with them, vand I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28Then ithe nations will know that jI am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when gmy sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” (Ezekiel 36-37, ESV Bible)
A prophetic metaphor of national resurrection — Israel is dead in exile, but God will revive and regather them. The bones become a living army, and God breathes His Spirit into them.
There will be One King Over One Nation (Ezek. 37:24). This points to a Messianic restoration and reunification of Israel. The Messiah (the new David) rules a literal, renewed Israel, not a redefined “spiritual Israel.”
Zechariah 8–14: Messianic and Eschatological Restoration
These chapters prophesy about the end times, the Messiah, and the ultimate fate of Israel. We see that Israel is the centerpiece of the Messianic age; Gentiles join Israel, not replace them; national repentance and cleansing will occur. God’s reign will center in Jerusalem, with Israel restored and exalted.
ZECHARIAH 8 [†]And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts: sI am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3[^][†]Thus says the LORD: tI have returned to Zion and uwill dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, vand Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, wand the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. 4[†]Thus says the LORD of hosts: xOld men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6[†]Thus says the LORD of hosts: yIf it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, zshould it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? 7[†]Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, aI will save my people bfrom the east country and from the west country, 8[†]and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. cAnd they shall be my people, and I will be their God, din faithfulness and in righteousness.” 9[†]Thus says the LORD of hosts: e“Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of fthe prophets who were present on gthe day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10For before those days hthere was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11[^]But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. 12[†] iFor there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, jand the heavens shall give their dew. kAnd I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13And as lyou have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, mso will I save you, and nyou shall be a blessing. oFear not, but elet your hands be strong.” 14For thus says the LORD of hosts: p“As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, 15[†]so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; ofear not. 16These are the things that you shall do: qSpeak the truth to one another; rrender in your gates judgments sthat are true and make for peace; 17 tdo not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and ulove no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” 18And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19[†]“Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the vfourth month and the fast of the wfifth and the fast of the xseventh and the fast of the ytenth shall be to the house of Judah zseasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love atruth and peace. 20[†]“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, b‘Let us go at once cto entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22[^] bMany peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and cto entreat the favor of the LORD. 23[†]Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days dten men efrom the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for fwe have heard that God is with you.’”
God has a jealous love for Zion (Zech. 8:2–3). God reaffirms His passionate commitment to Jerusalem and Judah.
Many Nations Will Join the LORD — But Not Replace Israel (Zech. 8:23). The Gentiles are drawn to Israel, not placed over or instead of Israel. This aligns with the concept explained by Paul of Gentiles being grafted in (Rom. 11), not replacing the root.
ZECHARIAH 9 [†] The oracle of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and gDamascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel, [1] 2 hand on Hamath also, which borders on it, iTyre and iSidon, though jthey are very wise. 3 Tyre has built herself ka rampart and lheaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets. 4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down mher power on the sea, and nshe shall be devoured by fire. 5 oAshkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; 6 pa mixed people [2] shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia. 7 I will take away qits blood from its mouth, and rits abominations from between its teeth; sit too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like ta clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites. 8[†] Then uI will encamp at my house as a guard, vso that none shall march to and fro; wno oppressor shall again march over them, xfor now I see with my own eyes. 9[^][†] yRejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! zBehold, ayour king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, bhumble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10[†] cI will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and dthe war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and ehe shall speak peace to the nations; fhis rule shall be from sea to sea, and from gthe River [3] to the ends of the earth. 11[†] As for you also, because of hthe blood of my covenant with you, iI will set your prisoners free from jthe waterless pit. 12[†] Return to your stronghold, O kprisoners of hope; today I declare that lI will restore to you double. 13[†] For mI have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, nO Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. 14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and ohis arrow will go forth like lightning; pthe Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in qthe whirlwinds rof the south. 15[†] The LORD of hosts swill protect them, and tthey shall devour, uand tread down the sling stones, and vthey shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched wlike the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as xthe flock of his people; for ylike the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. 17 zFor how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! aGrain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.
ZECHARIAH 10 [†] Ask rain bfrom the LORD in the season of cthe spring rain, from the LORD dwho makes the storm clouds, and ehe will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. 2[†] For fthe household gods gutter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; hthey tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore ithe people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd. 3[†] j“My anger is hot against the shepherds, and kI will punish the leaders; [1] for lthe LORD of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. 4[†] From him shall come mthe cornerstone, from him nthe tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler— oall of them together. 5 They shall be like mighty men in battle, ptrampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the LORD is with them, and they shall put to shame qthe riders on horses. 6[†] r“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and sI will save the house of Joseph. tI will bring them back ubecause I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for vI am the LORD their God and I will answer them. 7[†] Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and wtheir hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. 8[†] x“I will whistle for them and ygather them in, for I have redeemed them, and zthey shall be as many as they were before. 9[^] aThough I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries bthey shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. 10 cI will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and dI will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, etill there is no room for them. 11 fHe shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, gand all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and hthe scepter of Egypt shall depart. 12 iI will make them strong in the LORD, and jthey shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD.
ZECHARIAH 11 [†] Open your doors, kO Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars! 2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, for the glorious trees are ruined! Wail, koaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has been felled! 3 The sound of lthe wail of lthe shepherds, for their glory is ruined! The sound of the roar of mthe lions, nfor the thicket of the Jordan is ruined! 4[†]Thus said the LORD my God: o“Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. 5 pThose who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, qI have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6For rI will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the LORD. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.” 7[†] sSo I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named uFavor, the other I named vUnion. sAnd I tended the sheep. 8[†]In one month wI destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. 9[†]So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. xWhat is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” 10[^][†]And I took ymy staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. 11So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12[^][†]Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages zthirty pieces silver. 13Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— athe lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the zthirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter. 14[†]Then I broke bmy second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of ca foolish shepherd. 16For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd dwho does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but edevours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. 17[†] f“Woe to my worthless shepherd, gwho deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and hhis right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”
ZECHARIAH 12 [†] iThe oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, jwho stretched out the heavens and kfounded the earth and jformed the spirit of man within him: 2[†]“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem la cup of staggering to mall the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem nwill also be against Judah. 3[†] oOn that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. pAll who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And mall the nations of the earth will gather against it. 4[†] oOn that day, declares the LORD, qI will strike every horse rwith panic, and its rider rwith madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples rwith blindness. 5[†]Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the LORD of hosts, their God.’ 6 o“On that day I will make the clans of Judah slike a blazing pot in the midst of wood, like a flaming torch among sheaves. And tthey shall devour to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while uJerusalem shall again be inhabited in its place, in Jerusalem. 7[†]“And the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah. 8[†] oOn that day vthe LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that wthe feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, xlike the angel of the LORD, going before them. 9[†] oAnd on that day yI will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10[^][†]“And zI will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and zpleas for mercy, so that, awhen they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, bthey shall mourn for him, cas one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 oOn that day dthe mourning in Jerusalem will be as great eas the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12The land shall mourn, feach family [1] by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of gNathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of hthe Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.
Israel will look upon the pierced one and there will be national mourning (Zech. 12:10). This speaks of a future national repentance of Israel toward the Messiah. It implies a future reconciliation, not rejection.
ZECHARIAH 13 [†] i“On that day there shall be ja fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. 2“And ion that day, declares the LORD of hosts, kI will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that lthey shall be remembered no more. And also mI will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. 3And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, n‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. 4“On that day oevery prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, 5but he will say, p‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ [1] 6And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ [2] he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’ 7[^][†] “Awake, O sword, against qmy shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the LORD of hosts. r“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, sand one third shall be left alive. 9 And tI will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. uThey will call upon my name, and vI will answer them. wI will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
There will be cleansing for the House of David (Zech. 13:1). This further affirms a future atonement for Israel, not their abandonment.
ZECHARIAH 14 [†]Behold, xa day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2[†]For yI will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and zthe city shall be taken aand the houses plundered band the women raped. cHalf of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 dThen the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4[†] eOn that day his feet shall stand fon gthe Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and gthe Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by ha very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5[†]And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from ithe earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [1] 6[†] eOn that day jthere shall be jno light, cold, or frost. [2] 7[†] kAnd there shall be a unique [3] day, lwhich is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but mat evening time there shall be light. 8[^][†] eOn that day nliving waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to othe eastern sea [4] and half of them to othe western sea. [5] pIt shall continue in summer as in winter. 9[†]And qthe LORD will be king over all the earth. rOn that day the LORD will be sone and this name one. 10[†] uThe whole land shall be turned into a plain from vGeba to wRimmon south of Jerusalem. But xJerusalem shall remain aloft yon its site from zthe Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to athe Corner Gate, and from bthe Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11[†]And it shall be inhabited, for cthere shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. [6] dJerusalem shall dwell in security. 12[†]And this shall be ethe plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13And fon that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that geach will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14Even hJudah will fight at Jerusalem. [7] And ithe wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15[†]And ja plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps. 16[†]Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem kshall go up year after year to worship lthe King, the LORD of hosts, and mto keep nthe Feast of Booths. 17[†]And if oany of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship lthe King, the LORD of hosts, pthere will be no rain on them. 18[†]And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; [8] there shall be jthe plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up mto keep the Feast of Booths. 19This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up mto keep the Feast of Booths. 20[^][†]And qon that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, r“Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls before the altar. 21[†]And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be rholy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And sthere shall no longer be ta trader [9] in the house of the LORD of hosts qon that day (Zachariah 8-14, ESV Bible)
Last, in chapter 14, we see that the Lord will reign as King over all the Earth (Zech. 14:3, 9). Jerusalem becomes the center of God’s reign — not Rome, not any other system. The feasts are celebrated again (Zech. 14:16) — in Jerusalem, by both Israel and the nations.
The Significance of Modern Israel’s Restoration
Passages like Jeremiah 30–33, Ezekiel 36–37, and Zechariah 8–14 clearly prophesy a physical regathering of the people of Israel from the nations, restoration to the land, and renewal of the covenant relationship with God.
While we do not see the entire prophetic picture fulfilled yet, the regathering of Jews to the land — particularly after the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948 — does mirror many of the biblical themes of return and restoration. Many theologians and Bible students (including in Jewish tradition) acknowledge that this regathering may be happening in stages — first physical, then spiritual.
This is a major sticking point, especially among those who deny any prophetic significance to modern Israel. The modern state:
Is not led by Messiah.
Has a secular government.
Faces internal divisions and sins — just like any nation.
But here’s the important point:
The prophets never portrayed Israel’s restoration as the result of their righteousness — it’s always God's initiative.
Zechariah 12–14 in particular supports the idea that being in the land is part of the divine setup for national repentance and messianic revelation — not its result.:
Israel is in the land.
Surrounded by nations.
Only then do they “look upon the one they have pierced” (Zech. 12:10).
A fountain of cleansing is opened (Zech. 13:1).
Messiah reigns from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:9).
When talking about modern Israel, we should avoid two extremes:
❌ Over-idealization
Claiming that modern Israel is the full fulfillment of every prophecy is premature.
The reign of Messiah, national repentance, and universal Torah observance are not yet visible.
❌ Total Dismissal
Denying any prophetic significance to the regathering contradicts the plain reading of many prophecies.
It also fails to recognize the miracle of Israel’s survival and return after 2,000 years of exile — unprecedented in human history.
Modern Israel is the beginning of God’s faithfulness being played out in real time — a stage on which the next great act of redemption will unfold.
The current nation of Israel may not yet walk in covenantal obedience or be led by Messiah, but their presence in the land, their survival, and their growing return is a signpost that God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive.
The New Covenant is Made with Israel
We have already seen glimpses of this when looking at how the prophets speak of end-time restoration of the nation—politically, spiritually, and physically. One of those passages we looked at was Jeremiah 31:
31[^][†] o“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make pa new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32[†]not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when qI took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, rthough I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33[†] sFor this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: sI will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts. uAnd I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34[†]And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ vfor they shall all know me, wfrom the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For xI will forgive their iniquity, and yI will remember their sin no more.” 35[†] Thus says the LORD, who zgives the sun for light by day and athe fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— bthe LORD of hosts is his name: 36 c“If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37[†] Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, dthen I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:31-37, ESV Bible)
This is not metaphorical or symbolic language. God clearly says He is making this new covenant with the same peopleHe made the previous covenants with:
The house of Israel (northern kingdom, dispersed)
The house of Judah (southern kingdom, exiled to Babylon)
The term “new” (chadashah in Hebrew) implies renewal, restoration, or reinvigoration, not abolition. The Torah (God’s instruction) is not discarded — it is written on their hearts (Jer. 31:33). This covenant is consistent with the covenants of Abraham, Moses, and David — it builds on them, fulfills them, and brings about their internal realization through the Spirit.
Many Christian traditions teach that the Church has replaced Israel as the recipient of the New Covenant — but that interpretation ignores the plain wording of the text.
God never says, “I will make a covenant with the Church.”
He doesn’t say, “I am done with Israel.”
Instead, He affirms His ongoing commitment to the same people He’s always worked through.
If the New Covenant was meant to erase Israel’s identity, this verse would say so — but it says the opposite.
This means Gentiles who enter the New Covenant through Yeshua are not replacing Israel — they are being grafted into Israel’s covenantal relationship with God.
Jeremiah 31 demonstrates:
God's covenantal focus remains on Israel and Judah.
God's redemptive plan always involves Israel, not apart from them.
Affirms the continuity of God’s faithfulness — He doesn't abandon or shift His promises to another people group.
The New Covenant is Proof of Continued Relationship with Israel
Another verse that highlights God's covenant with the chosen people of Israel and demonstrates the eternal nature of that covenant is in Jeremiah 31:31-34. In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, delivering a promise of a new covenant with the people of Israel. The context revolves around the idea that the previous covenant, often called the Mosaic Covenant, had been broken due to the people's disobedience. Here, we see God promise to make a new covenant. A close look will show that this covenant is made only with the house of Israel and Judah:
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34, ESV Bible)
Contrary to popular belief, this new covenant is not with Christ's followers or the "church." Unfortunately, when the New Covenant is alluded to in the New Testament, it is typically read in a way that appears to be applied only to believers in Jesus, and Israel has somehow been excluded. Let's look at a few verses that illustrate how the New Covenant appears to only apply to believers in Jesus. In Luke 22:20, we see Jesus having a final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. This verse is where we see the institution of the Lord's Supper or Communion:
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke22:14-20, ESV Bible)
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, we see Paul addressing the Corinthian church regarding practicing the Lord's Supper. Paul reminds them of the significance of the bread and the cup in the context of the Lord's Supper and its connection to the new covenant:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, ESV Bible)
Paul continues to address the Corinthians about his ministry and the nature of the new covenant in Jesus in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6. Paul speaks about how he and other apostles are ministers of the new covenant, highlighting the transformative power of the Spirit in contrast to the letter of the law:
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, ESV Bible)
In Hebrews 8:6-13, the author writes about the superiority of Jesus' priesthood and the new covenant that He inaugurated:
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:6-13, ESV Bible)
Another verse is in Hebrews 9:15, where the author compares the old covenant's sacrificial system with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus:
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15, ESV Bible)
Last, in Hebrews 12:24, the author connects Jesus' blood to the new covenant, highlighting once again the superior nature of this covenant compared to the old one:
"And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." (Hebrews 12:24, ESV Bible)
Let's look at other verses that shed more light on the relationship between God and Israel. In Exodus 3:15, we see God reveal Himself to Moses through the burning bush, commissioning Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. God instructs Moses to inform Israel of His identity and to use the name of God (Yehovah) as a way of referring to Him:
God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'The LORD (YHVH; Yehovah), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (Exodus 3:15, ESV Bible)
The Hebrew word translated as "forever" is the word le-olam. Le-olam means the universe. If something is "le-olam," it is for the universe's continued existence. In other words, this will be true as long as the world continues to exist. Here is another example of "forever":
Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever (olam). (Exodus 31:16, ESV Bible)
Once again, we see olam, or "for the continued existence of the universe." This use of "olam" is fascinating on two levels. First, it implies that the Sabbath is to be observed for the universe's existence. Second, it is interesting because the popular Christian church doctrine suggests that the Saturday (Jewish 7th day) Sabbath of the Old Testament was canceled and replaced with the Sabbath on Sunday. Is there a contradiction with God or the interpretation? Let's hope for the latter. In addition, the verse goes on to say:
It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:17, ESV Bible)
It is a sign of the continued existence of the universe. By denying this truth, verse 17 would imply that you deny God as the creator of the universe as well. And that brings us to Jeremiah 31:35-36:
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name: "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever (olam)." (Jeremiah 31:35-36, ESV Bible)
As long as the physical universe continues to exist and the sun, stars, and moon exist, these are signs in the heavens that the covenant with Israel will continue to stand. It still stands today! Jesus himself confirms this truth in his own words:
"For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:18, ESV Bible)
As long the heavens and earth exist (olam), this word revealed by Moses shall not pass away. The call on Israel as God's chosen people is olam, forever!
The First Followers of Jesus Were All Jewish
Jesus was and is the Jewish Messiah. He came for Israel and ultimately this calling is also why Gentiles from all nations can now have a relationship with the one true God. Every believer within the gospels were Jewish. Jesus’ ministry was within Jewish communities, among the Jewish people, and within a Jewish context.
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24)
Jesus’ core followers—the twelve disciples—were all Jewish.
Jesus and the 12 Tribes
28“You are those who have stayed with me win my trials, 29[†]and xI assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30[†] ythat you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and zsit on thrones judging athe twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 22:28-30, ESV Bible)
Spoken by Yeshua at the Last Supper, this promise to His disciples is future-oriented, pointing to the Messianic Kingdom (cf. Luke 22:16–18). It’s an incredibly Jewish vision:
The Kingdom is not abstract or spiritualized; it includes Israel, thrones, judgment, and restoration.
The twelve tribes are still in view, and the apostles’ role is tied to leadership over those tribes, not the “Church” as a replacement community.
This supports the idea that Israel’s national identity remains in the age to come, and that God's promises to the twelve tribes continue.
28[†]Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, [2] zwhen the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me awill also sit on twelve thrones, bjudging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29[†] cAnd everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold [3] and will dinherit eternal life. 30[†]But emany who are ffirst will be last, and the last first. (Matthew 19:28-30, ESV Bible)
This is a parallel passage to Luke 22 and reinforces several truths:
It speaks of the “new world” or regeneration (palingenesia in Greek), referring to the restoration of all things(cf. Acts 3:21).
The disciples' future role is explicitly tied to Israel, not a new or redefined entity.
The reference to “judging” the twelve tribes echoes traditional Jewish eschatology, where righteous leaders govern restored Israel under Messiah.
This is not symbolic language—Jesus is affirming a literal, physical, covenantal future for Israel.
9[†]Then came xone of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of ythe seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you zthe Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10[†]And ahe carried me away in the Spirit to ba great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming coming down out of heaven from God, 11[†] chaving the glory of God, dits radiance elike a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12[†]It had a great, high wall, fwith twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city had twelve gfoundations, and hon them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:9-14, ESV Bible)
This is the description of the New Jerusalem, the eternal city in the age to come. And what’s engraved into its very architecture?
The names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Not the names of “churches” or “denominations,” but the patriarchal tribal names from Genesis and Exodus.
That’s huge. It signals that Israel’s identity is not dissolved or replaced, even in the eternal state. Instead, Israel is honored, memorialized, and central in the final dwelling of God with His people.
These three verses demonstrate that:
Israel’s tribal structure is not obsolete.
The apostles are linked to Israel’s restoration, not its replacement.
The Kingdom of God is built on Israel’s foundation, even as Gentiles are welcomed in.
If Jesus affirms the twelve tribes as the recipients of apostolic leadership in the Kingdom, and if the eternal city itself bears their names, then it is theologically impossible to claim that Israel has been replaced.
Jesus’ Recognition of Jewish Authority Confirms Israel’s Continuity
It is of note that even Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, recognized the Sanhedrin as the proper adjudicating body of Jewish law even though he also criticized the hypocrisy and misguided practices of the religious leaders:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice." (Matthew 23:1-3, ESV Bible)
Even as Jesus rebuked these leaders of the Jews as failing to live up to the same standards to which they held everyone else, Jesus commands his followers to obey the rulings of the Sanhedrin because they sit in the "seat of Moses," alluding to how Moses commanded the Israelites to obey the directives of the Levitical priests and judges in Jerusalem. "Moses' seat" refers to the judicial authority to interpret and apply the Torah — a role originally given to the Levitical priests and judges (Deuteronomy 17:8–13).
Jesus acknowledges that the current religious leadership in Israel still occupies this role, even if they are corrupt in practice. He instructs His disciples to obey the rulings that come from that authority — not because the leaders are righteous, but because the structure itself is divinely ordained. Jesus was not forming a new religion or replacing Jewish authority — He was calling Israel back to faithfulness within the existing framework.
There is no Protestant equivalent to Jewish "case law." We often cannot get around the fact that God commanded the Jewish people to obey the decisions of the judges and priests. We must accept that God delegates and that spiritual authority, in this case, exists outside the text of the Bible, though it draws its legitimacy directly from the Bible.
Jesus words affirm the ongoing role of Israel by affirming the legitimacy of Jewish authority under the Mosaic covenant. It recognizes that God delegates authority within Israel’s covenantal structure. It demonstrates that Jesus upheld the Law and its institutions, even while calling out hypocrisy — just as the prophets did before Him. It implies that Israel is still under God’s governance, not abandoned, and not replaced.
The command to listen to those who "sit in Moses' seat" would be meaningless if God had rejected Israel or transferred covenantal authority to a new entity.
What is Going on with Israel in the New Testament?
As previously noted, in the New Testament, certain segments of the Jewish population did reject Jesus. This has often been interpreted by the church to signify that God has abandoned the Jewish people, with the Church now assuming the role of the "new Israel," a concept known as "Replacement Theology." However, this interpretation conflicts with the overarching narrative of the Bible. It overlooks the enduring covenant relationship that God maintains with Israel, as well as the dynamic of blessings and curses detailed in the Sinai Covenant. Furthermore, this view neglects significant portions of the Old Testament. Frankly, such a perspective reveals a misunderstanding of the Bible's continuous narrative and a lack of comprehensive biblical knowledge.
The New Testament Does Not Replace Israel—It Confirms Covenant Continuity
A close reading of Paul demonstrates that He fully understood the reality of the situation in which some of the Jews rejected Jesus. In Romans 11 he says:
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, (Romans 11:25-26, ESV Bible)
The Apostle Paul addresses the hardening of part of Israel as a strategic divine act that coincides with the outreach to the Gentiles. This is not indicative of covenant annulment but rather a demonstration of God’s expansive grace—extending salvation beyond the ethnic boundaries of Israel to include the Gentiles, which was intended to provoke Israel to emulation and ultimately to faith.
Paul's statements in Romans 11 explicitly affirm that Israel's rejection is partial and temporary, not final. Emphasizing that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26) is the climactic expression of God’s irrevocable calling (Rom. 11:29). To fully understand this, we must connect Paul's language to Deuteronomy 32, which reinforces that the dynamic of jealousy and restoration as always part of God's plan.
Blindness, Jealousy, and Hardening is Part of the Ongoing Covenant
The covenant at Sinai encompassed both blessings and curses. Thus, the evidence of God's faithfulness to the covenant is manifested through both these blessings and curses. What then would annulling the covenant look like? Would it involve curses? No. Annulment would look like apathy—complete disengagement, an abandonment of any involvement. However, this is not what has occurred.
This concept of “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” is from Deuteronomy 31 and 32. Deuteronomy 31-32 includes Moses’ final words to Israel before his death, along with the Song of Moses, a poetic summary of Israel’s covenant relationship with God and a prophetic look at their future disobedience and eventual reconciliation.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods. (Deuteronomy 31:16-18, ESV Bible)
These verses indicate that God will respond to Israel's idolatry and faithlessness by hiding His face— a metaphor for withdrawing His protection and blessing. Yet, God also hints at provoking Israel to jealousy through the success of another “nation,” traditionally interpreted as a reference to the Gentiles, which parallels Paul's discussion in Romans:
And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. (Deuteronomy 32:20-21, ESV Bible)
This verse is God's direct response to Israel's idolatry. Because they have turned to false gods and provoked Him, He, in turn, will provoke them—not with another set of idols, but with a nation "not a people" and "foolish", a clear reference to a non-Israelite group.
The characterization of Israel as a "perverse generation" and "children who are unfaithful" underscores the deep disappointment and moral condemnation from God towards their actions. It highlights the cycle of rebellion and faithlessness that has marked Israel's history with God.
God’s emotional response to Israel's idolatry—He is "made jealous" by their worship of non-gods and "angered" by their idols—emphasizes the covenantal nature of His relationship with Israel. Just as marital infidelity would provoke jealousy and anger in a spouse, Israel's spiritual infidelity provokes God because of His deep, covenantal commitment to them.
In an ironic twist of justice, God declares that He will provoke Israel to jealousy by favoring "those who are not a people" and a "nation that has no understanding." This refers to the Gentiles, traditionally not chosen or recognized as God’s people. This statement prophetically alludes to the eventual inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s salvific plan, as later developed in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of Paul.
Paul explicitly references this verse in Romans 10:19, where he says:
"But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’" (Romans 10:19)
So the key link is:
Deuteronomy 32:21 – God proclaims He will provoke Israel to jealousy with another nation.
Romans 10:19 & Romans 11:11 – Paul interprets this as part of God's redemptive plan involving the Gentiles.
Both passages reflect the theme of using other nations to provoke Israel to faithfulness. In Deuteronomy, God speaks of using a non-Israelite nation to provoke Israel to jealousy, while in Romans, Paul explains that the salvation of the Gentiles serves both to fulfill God’s mercy and to provoke Israel back to faithfulness.
Both texts suggest that despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God’s covenant promises remain intact. In Deuteronomy, despite predicting punishment, the song ends with a promise of vengeance against Israel's enemies and atonement for His land and people (Deut. 32:43). In Romans, Paul concludes that all Israel will be saved, reaffirming God’s enduring commitment to the covenant made with the patriarchs.
In both scriptures, there is an element of divine withdrawal—either as hardening or hiding the face—as a response to disobedience. Yet, this withdrawal is not final but serves a corrective purpose within the framework of covenantal fidelity and redemptive history.
Hardening of Israel in Isaiah and Matthew
The New Testament is not the only time Israel has been hardened. Isaiah 6:9-11 presents a poignant and crucial moment in the prophetic mission of Isaiah. In this passage, immediately following Isaiah's dramatic call to prophecy in the year of King Uzziah's death, God gives Isaiah a message that emphasizes the hard-heartedness and spiritual blindness of the people of Israel:
And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, (Isaiah 6:9-11, ESV Bible)
The directive given to Isaiah—to make the people's heart calloused, and their ears dull, and to close their eyes—is paradoxical and reflects a judicial hardening. It's important to note that Isaiah is not being commanded to actively prevent people from understanding; rather, the message he is to proclaim is one that the people will not heed due to their already hardened hearts. This type of prophetic ministry is intended to highlight the existing spiritual condition of the people.
Matthew 13:10-16 occurs in the context of Jesus' use of parables:
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew 13:10-16, ESV Bible)
The disciples ask Jesus why He speaks to the people in parables, and He explains that His use of parables fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, specifically referring to Isaiah 6:9-10. Jesus states that the parables reveal truths to those who are "insiders" while keeping these truths hidden from those who are not receptive. Like in Isaiah, this reflects a form of judicial hardening—a response to the people's closed hearts.
The themes of hardening and spiritual blindness described in Isaiah 6:9-11 and Matthew 13:10-16 can indeed be viewed in light of the covenantal curses outlined in Deuteronomy, particularly as they relate to the consequences of Israel’s disobedience. This relationship underscores the consistency with which the Bible handles themes of covenantal blessing and curse, divine justice, and human responsibility. Among the curses in Deuteronomy, there are also warnings about the resulting spiritual consequences—hardening, blindness, and a lack of understanding—much like what Isaiah and Jesus describe. In Deuteronomy 28:28, it is said:
"The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind." (Deuteronomy 28:28)
While this primarily refers to physical afflictions and disorientation, it can also be understood in a spiritual sense. The "blindness" and "confusion" can extend to an inability to perceive spiritual truths, which is echoed in the messages given to Isaiah and Jesus.
The hardening described in Isaiah and the use of parables in Matthew as a means to both reveal and conceal truth can be seen as a form of judicial hardening. This is a divine response to prolonged disobedience, as outlined in the covenant curses. The people's failure to heed continuous prophetic warnings and adhere to the covenant results in a state where even direct messages from God no longer penetrate their hardened hearts.
Understanding this hardening and spiritual blindness as part of the covenantal curses helps to frame the narratives in Isaiah and Matthew within the broader theological context of the Bible. It shows that God's actions are consistent with His character and the stipulations He laid out at the beginning of His covenant relationship with Israel. It also highlights the serious nature of covenantal commitment and the real consequences of collective and individual disobedience.
Thus, the hardening and blindness are not arbitrary but are deeply rooted in the covenantal framework established in Deuteronomy. They serve as sober reminders of the importance of faithfulness and the dangers of turning away from God’s commandments.
The Inclusion of Gentiles Is Covenant Fulfillment, Not Covenant Replacement
In the New Testament, we see that God's covenant with Israel, is not annulled but being played out through the inclusion of the Gentiles in the plan of salvation. This perspective offers a rich, covenantal understanding of how the events of Israel's history, including their failures and transgressions, play a crucial role in the broader divine narrative of redemption.
The concept of a "righteous remnant" is fundamental in the Hebrew Scriptures and is carried forward into the New Testament understanding of God's salvific work. The remnant refers to those within Israel who remain faithful to God’s covenant despite the larger context of disobedience or apostasy. This remnant is seen as pivotal for continuing the covenantal promises across generations. Under the "messianic head," Jesus Christ, this remnant is envisioned to govern and administer righteousness not just within Israel but across the earth. According to Paul in Romans 11, the transgressions of Israel, paradoxically, become a means for the salvation of the Gentiles:
So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. (Romans 11:11-14, ESV Bible)
This is not portrayed as a failure of God’s covenant with Israel, but rather as an extension and fulfillment of that covenant. The salvation of the Gentiles serves multiple purposes: it fulfills God's promise to bless all nations through Abraham, and it also provokes Israel to re-evaluate and potentially rejuvenate their covenantal commitment through jealousy. Their "failure" is recontextualized as part of God’s sovereign plan to bring riches to the Gentiles, which in turn impacts Israel. Paul argues that if their transgression means riches for the world, their full inclusion will bring even greater blessings—implying that Israel's full restoration is yet to come and will be even more glorious.
Paul states that his role as an apostle to the Gentiles serves to magnify his ministry, which indirectly serves to provoke his fellow Jews to jealousy. His hope is that by seeing the blessings bestowed upon the Gentiles, the Jews would be moved to re-evaluate their own relationship with God and embrace the gospel with renewed zeal.
The term "jealousy" here is linked to the idea found in Deuteronomy 32, where God expresses His jealousy over Israel worshiping false gods. In response, God declares He will make Israel jealous by favoring a "foolish nation" (the Gentiles), who historically were not His chosen people. Paul utilizes this prophetic framework to explain how the Gentile inclusion in God's plan is not an abandonment of Israel but a fulfillment of this prophetic jealousy meant to rekindle Israel's devotion.
The acceptance of Gentiles into the faith community, receiving repentance and justification by faith, is portrayed not as a deviation from God's promises to Israel but as an extension and fulfillment of those promises. This strategic inclusion serves to demonstrate God’s faithfulness to the covenant, even using what seems like an exclusionary tactic (favoring the Gentiles) to ultimately uphold His covenant with Israel.
The giving of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles is part of this provisional arrangement where God acts as if the Gentiles were part of the covenant. This generous act is meant to demonstrate the expansiveness of God's mercy and to provoke Israel to re-engage with their covenantal responsibilities as a light to the Gentiles.
Paul's discussion, rooted in a deep understanding of Hebrew prophecy and covenant theology, reveals a nuanced view of how God uses historical developments and inter-communal dynamics to achieve His divine purposes. The inclusion of the Gentiles is a strategic move by God to uphold His covenant with Israel, challenge their spiritual complacency, and ultimately extend His salvation beyond the ethnic boundaries of Israel. This approach underscores God’s commitment to both justice and mercy, aiming to restore all people to a right relationship with Him through complex, sometimes paradoxical means.
In Acts 15, during the Council at Jerusalem, James refers to Peter's (Simon's) report of how God had chosen to bless the Gentiles with the gospel:
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’ Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, (Acts 15:14-19, ESV Bible)
James supports this inclusion of the Gentiles by referencing the prophets, specifically quoting Amos 9:11-12, which speaks of rebuilding the fallen tent of David so that the rest of humanity, including the Gentiles, might seek the Lord:
“In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,” declares the LORD who does this. (Amos 9:11-12, ESV Bible)
This moment is significant because it signifies the early follower’s recognition that the inclusion of the Gentiles in the community of believers was not a departure from God’s plan but a fulfillment of it. James emphasizes that this was known from old, and thus, the early follower’s should not make it difficult for Gentiles who turn to God.
In Romans 11:25, when Paul says, “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” the "Times of the Gentiles" is a term that encapsulates the period during which Gentile nations have significant influence over the affairs of Israel. This begins historically with the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. The domination by and scattering among Gentile nations, as experienced by Israel, aligns with the covenant curses detailed in Deuteronomy 28. These curses were predicated on Israel's disobedience but were always part of the broader covenantal framework established by God.
Even in judgment, God’s actions are portrayed as faithful to His covenant. The hardships foretold in Deuteronomy 28 and experienced during the "Times of the Gentiles" are not God abandoning His people but rather upholding His covenantal promises, which include both blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
The concept of the "Times of the Gentiles" is not just about punishment. It also sets the stage for restoration and fulfillment. This period is seen as temporary and preparatory, leading to a prophesied restoration where God will again turn His favor towards Israel. How long will this take?
Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17 that He came not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them ties directly into this narrative. While the term “fulfill” in a rabbinic sense is typically referring to properly interpreting, walking out, and teaching the Torah, what Jesus says just after this is of more interest to the story of redemption. He says:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18, ESV Bible)
Nothing will pass away from the Law until all is accomplished. Are the curses in the Law and God showing favor to the Gentiles not part of the Law? Everything mentioned within the Law and Prophets will be carried out to its ultimate end. The inclusion of the Gentiles and the hardships endured by Israel are part of this covenantal framework, which is ultimately geared towards a restorative and inclusive conclusion in the messianic fulfillment.
Daniel 12:6-7 is part of a significant eschatological passage in the Book of Daniel that discusses the end times and the final deliverance of God's people. This section is particularly rich in apocalyptic imagery and prophecy, addressing the culmination of distress and the ultimate triumph of divine justice:
And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. (Daniel 12:6-7, ESV Bible)
Daniel 12 is situated at the climax of a series of visions Daniel receives regarding the future trials and ultimate deliverance of the people of Israel. The question "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" reflects an urgent inquiry into the duration of the trials and tribulations that have been prophesied. This is a common theme in apocalyptic literature, where the duration of suffering or trials is a pressing concern for the faithful. Daniel's visions span from the immediate future of his own times to the end times, providing a sweeping overview of the historical and eschatological destinies of the Jewish people. The figure in linen above the waters, who is often interpreted as an angelic being, gives a timeline for the suffering ("a time, times, and half a time") that will occur before all these things are finally completed. This cryptic timeframe suggests a period of intense trial for the Jewish people, culminating in a transformative resolution.
Daniel 9 features a poignant prayer by Daniel, where he confesses the sins of his people and acknowledges that their current suffering (the Babylonian exile) is a result of their unfaithfulness to the covenant stipulated in the Law of Moses. Daniel’s invocation of the covenant emphasizes that their hardships are not random but are a fulfillment of the curses outlined for disobedience, as detailed in the Torah, particularly in Deuteronomy 28:
I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. (Daniel 9:4-15, ESV Bible)
Despite the grim circumstances, the narrative continually reaffirms God's control and ultimate intention to restore His people. This is not just punitive but corrective and redemptive. The prophetic framework, especially as reflected in Deuteronomy 32 and Isaiah's inquiries about the duration of desolation, positions the trials as part of a divine strategy to bring about repentance and renewal. God’s justice is thus seen as an aspect of His faithfulness to His covenant.
This comprehensive view helps us understand that God's dealings are always faithful to His covenant, whether in judgment or in mercy, and are aimed at the ultimate redemption of all peoples.
Paul Confirms The Faithfulness of God to Israel
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 9:4-5, ESV Bible)
Their adoption identifies Israel as the people of God. This adoption refers to God treating the Jewish people as His children. For example, in Exodus 4:22:
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, (Exodus 4:22, ESV Bible)
The glory is a way of speaking about the presence of God. The same presence that dwelled in the sanctuary among the Jewish people:
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. (Exodus 29:45-46, ESV Bible)
The covenants represent God’s covenant promises to Israel, including the forefathers, the nation, the house of David, and the new covenant. The giving of the law is the Torah, God’s instructions to Israel for holy living given at Mount Sinai. The Torah was given to Israel and no other nation. The worship is another way of speaking of the temple service, meaning the sacrifices or Levitical worship. Worship did not mean gathering before a band of musicians singing praise and worship songs. In the Bible, worship means sacrificing at the Temple. The promises are about the land, the future redemption, and the coming kingdom. They are the prophecies for Israel. The fathers or the patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To Israel belongs the Messiah. “According to the flesh” speaks of Jesus being Jewish and also being God as a human man.
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11: 1-6, ESV Bible)
25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27, ESV Bible)
The Role of Gentiles in Israel’s Story
A major misunderstanding in mainstream Christian theology is the assumption that Gentile believers replace Israel in God's redemptive plan. However, Scripture tells a very different story—one in which Gentiles are graciously welcomed into Israel’s story, but not as replacements. They are grafted in, joined to, and made part of God’s covenant people alongside Israel, not instead of her.
While the gentiles coming to faith is a large part of the New Testament, the discussion on this topic starts much earlier in the Hebrew Scriptures:
Isaiah 56:6–8 — “My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer for All Nations”
This passage envisions a future where foreigners who join themselves to the LORD are embraced—without erasing their identity, and without replacing Israel's role.
“And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD... these I will bring to my holy mountain... for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isa. 56:6–7)
God promises to gather the outcasts of Israel and the foreigners who serve Him. This affirms a prophetic picture of unity and inclusion, not replacement. The Gentiles come alongside Israel in worship and covenant fidelity.
The Book of Ruth — A Moabitess Grafted In
Ruth is a powerful picture of a Gentile joining herself to Israel through love, loyalty, and covenant faith.
“Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)
Ruth doesn’t become a “spiritual Israelite” in some abstract sense.
She fully identifies with the people and God of Israel, and becomes part of the lineage of King David — and therefore, the Messiah.
This story showcases God's intention for Gentiles: not to form a new people, but to join themselves to the people God already chose.
Romans 11 — Gentiles Grafted into Israel’s Olive Tree
In one of the clearest explanations in the New Testament, Paul explains how Gentile believers are grafted into the olive tree of Israel.
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root...” (Rom. 11:17)
Paul warns the Gentiles against arrogance:
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches...” (v.18)
“You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
Gentiles do not become their own tree or start a new people of God. Instead, they are added to the existing covenant family, rooted in the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Place of Messianic Gentiles
Messianic Gentiles—those who follow Yeshua while honoring Israel’s identity and role—are uniquely positioned to walk humbly and faithfully within this framework:
You are not “second-class citizens” in the Kingdom.
But neither are you a “new Israel” or a “spiritual Israel” that replaces the physical one.
You are co-heirs, fellow citizens, and grafted-in family (Eph. 2:11–22).
Your calling is to honor the covenants, bless Israel, and walk in the humility of adoption, just like Ruth and the “foreigners” in Isaiah 56.
God’s plan has always been inclusive but not replacing. From the beginning, Israel was meant to be a light to the nations (Isa. 49:6), and the nations were meant to come to that light—not to extinguish it.
The role of the Gentiles in Israel’s story is a beautiful mystery of grace and unity—one that brings glory to God and fulfillment to the covenant promises, without undermining His faithfulness to Israel.
Relacement Theology
One of the most important and overlooked questions in Christian theology is this:
What is the Church doing with Israel when it interprets the Bible?
Behind nearly every theological controversy — whether it’s about the Law, the New Covenant, the role of Jesus’ death, the Church’s identity, or end-times hope — lies an underlying assumption about Israel. If we misplace Israel in the narrative of redemption, we will misinterpret everything else.
Whether overt or subtle, any form of Replacement Theology leads interpreters off course. Replacement Theology is the belief that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s redemptive plan. It teaches that:
Israel’s rejection of Jesus disqualified them from their covenantal status.
The Church is now the “new Israel” or “spiritual Israel.”
God’s promises to ethnic Israel are now fulfilled only spiritually in the Church.
While common in church history, this teaching contradicts the plain reading of Scripture and undermines God's covenant faithfulness.
Even if well-intentioned, this theological framework rebuilds the story of redemption on a false foundation. Dismantling Replacement Theology (also called Supersessionism) is not about attacking Christians, but about lovingly correcting a theological error that undermines the integrity of God’s covenantal faithfulness.
Where Did It Come From? Historical Roots
Replacement Theology did not originate with the apostles or Yeshua. It developed after 70 AD, when:
The Second Temple was destroyed.
The Jewish people were scattered.
Early Church leaders, many of whom were Gentiles, sought to interpret Israel’s suffering.
Influential church fathers like Justin Martyr, Origen, and Augustine began teaching that:
The Church had inherited all the blessings promised to Israel.
The Jewish people were cursed or rejected by God.
This became mainstream in Christian theology, especially after Constantine, and laid the groundwork for centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment and persecution. But theology formed in the shadow of Jewish exile and suffering must be retested against Scripture, not preserved as sacred tradition.
Replacement Theology is a theological error that teaches the Church has replaced Israel in God’s redemptive plan. Though widely held in Church history, it contradicts clear scriptural teaching. The New Covenant is made with the house of Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31), not a new people group. Paul emphatically denies that God has rejected Israel (Romans 11:1) and affirms that His calling upon them is irrevocable (Romans 11:29). The apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:30), and their names are written on the gates of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12). Far from being replaced, Israel’s identity and role remain central to God’s unfolding plan. Gentile believers are not replacements but are graciously grafted into Israel’s story. God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remain secure—not because of Israel’s faithfulness, but because of God’s.
Some Christian teaching has proposed that the covenants are in force, but the Jewish people are no longer beneficiaries. Instead, God has replaced them with the followers of Jesus. Consider the dangers of this line of thinking. If God replaces Israel, he doesn’t even agree to keep His part of the covenant. So, it implies that He is a liar. And if God would break the covenant and replace Israel, then what would keep Him from doing the same with the followers of Jesus? Even if we see Israel as breaching the contract, so to speak, the idea of covenant faithfulness loses all meaning if one of the parties to the covenant can be kicked out and replaced with someone else. Gentiles and followers of Jesus benefit from the covenants God made with Israel. They do not, however, replace the Jewish people as the primary beneficiaries of the covenants. We serve a God who remains faithful to His word and to the people He makes promises to, Israel.
Various Ways in Which Christianity Views Israel
This idea that the Church has replaced Israel falls under what can be defined as “replacement theology.” Many Christians reject the notion of replacement theology. However, many of the principles of replacement theology still find their way into how the Bible is read and interpreted. Some views may not outright claim that the Church has replaced Israel, but they will claim that Israel is not the true people of God. These views see the Church as the actual people of God, and the Church either takes all of Israel’s blessings from God or part of those blessings.
One example of seeing Israel differently is what we see in dispensationalist theology. Dispensationalism as a theological framework began to take shape in the 19th century, mainly through the teachings of John Nelson Darby, a prominent figure in the Plymouth Brethren movement. Darby's ideas, popularized through the Scofield Reference Bible in the early 20th century, greatly influenced the development and spread of dispensationalist thought. Dispensationalism is a theological framework that divides history and God’s interaction with humanity into separate periods or “dispensations.” Each dispensation is like a chapter in a book. When one chapter ends, another one begins. Each dispensation has specific rules that govern how God interacts with humanity. Dispensationalism is associated with certain beliefs and interpretations of the Bible. One of those beliefs is the distinction between Israel and the Church. Dispensationalists often differentiate between God’s plan for Israel and His plans for the Church. In the Dispensationalist view, both groups have a significance and role in God’s plan. Although the Church is seen as having a heavenly eternal destiny, Israel only receives a temporary or physical blessing in this world. If Israel wants to receive the gift of eternal life, they must accept Jesus as the Messiah and join the “Church.”
Reformed theology also demonstrates how replacement theology has taken root. Reformed theology, also known as Reformed Christianity or Reformed Protestantism, is a branch of Christian theology that emerged from the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, primarily associated with the teachings of John Calvin, Martin Luther, and other reformers. Through Reformed theology, the blessings God promised to Abraham and his children are for the “elect,” a “spiritual Israel,” representing believers in Christ. While physical Israel had a unique role in God’s redemptive plan, the Church is the vehicle through which God’s promises are realized.
In the Dispensationalist and Reformed theology views, the Church is not seen as completely “replacing” Israel. Instead, in Dispensationalist views, Israel is robbed or given only part of the promises of God. In the Reformed theology views, Israel gets none of the promises of God, as they all go to the “true spiritual Israel,” the “Church.” These views completely strip Israel’s election and call from God. Arguments such as these see Israel forfeiting all of God’s promises, or they suggest that God’s true intent in the Old Testament was to raise a people, “a true spiritual Israel,” to be what the Israel of the Old Testament was able to be.
Not only do these views of Israel make them look bad, but how much more do these views suggest about the one true God? Did God continually promise the Jewish people a future redemption and eternal salvation only to give it away to some other group of people? What does that say about the character of God and his ability to keep His promises? Both of these views deface God’s character and minimize His spiritual integrity. Is God a liar? Is he deceitful? By no means!
We have already seen many verses that speak only to the people of Israel. These facts must be considered when interpreting the New Testament. Without these basic assumptions about God’s eternal calling and election of Israel, we come to the wrong conclusions. In fact, why do views like Dispensationalism and Reformed Theology insist on assuming that New Testament authors understand Old Testament prophecies differently than a plain, straightforward interpretation without trying to make them something they are not? We must take God at His word. God must mean what he says when he says something like eternal, forever, or everlasting.
Doesn’t Paul Say that Not All Israel is True Israel?
In Romans, Paul says:
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. (Romans 9:6-8, ESV Bible)
Common Christian logic is as follows. Certain branches have been lopped off, and the Gentile Christians have been grafted in the place of these cut-off branches, right? From that logic, we can conclude that the Jewish people, since they rejected Christ, they're no longer true Israel or inheritors of the promises. Christian logic goes on to say that Paul also mentions that Israel is under the curse of the law. Since they're under the old covenant, they're under the curse of the law, and so then they should be in exile outside of the land of Israel. Some will take it one step further and say, therefore, in this light of the curse, in the modern day, we should be supporting the Palestinian cause and take an anti-Zionist stance.
This kind of logic about Israel is heavily influenced by a Roman narrative that sees the church as the church triumphant. However, there's still some spiritualization from the Greek narrative in play in Reformed theology. Unbeknownst to many Christians, this line of thinking can be very destructive when we start thinking and talking along those lines.
Remnant Theology
When Paul says that not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, he is pulling from a remnant theology position. Many Christians ignore the Jewish apocalyptic tradition and Second Temple Judaism that is in the background of the New Testament. There's a robust remnant theology that comes out of the prophetic tradition and has a heavy influence on Second Temple Judaism. It's just an extrapolation of the prophetic tradition in which some Jews are apostates, and some Jews are faithful to God and the covenant. This concept of Israel's faithfulness and non-faithfulness is the prophetic literature's thrust. And so Paul is just picking that up in Romans, and at the beginning of chapter eleven, he says:
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:1-5, ESV Bible)
Paul is saying that he is proof that not all Jews are apostates. He gives an example of how it was the same in Elijah's day. But when Paul says in Romans Nine that not all Jews are Jews like their forefather Abraham, Paul is not saying that there are no longer ethnic distinctions in the divine economy. He's just saying not all Jews have the faith of their forefather. There's a remnant within Israel that remains faithful. And so, to extrapolate that to a radical redefinition of the underlying realities of the Scriptures, you have to have clear evidence that's what's being said. That means you have to have multiple witnesses within the New Testament. Without those witnesses, you overturn the entire Bible, the entire eschatological thrust, and the covenant promises to Israel. If that's true, Paul should be talking about it frequently and clearly, not just verse here and verse there. It should be chapter upon chapter.
Further, the apostle John should be talking about it, Peter should be talking about it, and everybody should be talking about it. Then they would give analogies, repeat, again and again. And the reality with the New Testament is that none of that's there. The clear discussion about Israel being erased, replaced, or redefined is not there at all.
Final Exile and Redemption
The biblical narrative, particularly in the prophets, often speaks of a cyclical pattern where Israel sins, faces judgment through exile, and is eventually regathered and restored. This cycle is not infinite; prophets like Ezekiel and Amos predict a final regathering and restoration that will fulfill God's covenant promises in a complete and ultimate manner. This final restoration is seen as God's definitive act of faithfulness to His covenant, ending the historical cycles of punishment and redemption.
Behold,the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the LORD. “For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall to the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’ (Amos 9:8-10, ESV Bible)
The imagery of sifting the house of Israel among the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, symbolizes a thorough but careful judgment. God's intention is to purify Israel from sin without destroying it completely ("Yet not the smallest grain will fall to the ground"). This sifting process ensures that while the sinful elements within Israel are judged, the faithful remnant is preserved. This concept echoes the theme of the remnant in prophetic writings, where despite widespread apostasy, a faithful segment remains through whom God continues His covenantal purposes.
“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’ “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD. I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 20:32-38, ESV Bible)
The phrase "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you" recalls the Exodus motif and signifies God’s powerful deliverance and sovereign rule over Israel. This expression underscores God's unmatched power and His commitment to lead and govern His people directly, contrasting their previous desires to be like other nations, worshipping idols of wood and stone.
In this setting, God will engage in a direct, face-to-face judgment with His people, reminiscent of the intimate and confrontational nature of their initial covenant relationship. Following this judgment, there is a passing "under the rod," which symbolizes a careful evaluation and selection process, as mentioned in Leviticus 27. The phrase "passing under the rod" can be linked to the practice of tithing livestock, where every tenth animal under the shepherd's rod becomes holy to the Lord (Leviticus 27:32-33). This act of counting and dedicating every tenth animal symbolizes a careful and deliberate assessment of what belongs to God, reflecting a thorough and methodical approach to fulfilling one's covenantal obligations. This process signifies a renewal of the covenant, where only those truly committed to God's laws are accepted. Again, a reference to a remnant within Israel.
Hosea 2:6-14 is part of a larger allegorical narrative in the book of Hosea that describes the relationship between God and Israel through the metaphor of a troubled marriage. Hosea, the prophet, is instructed by God to marry Gomer, a woman who is unfaithful to him, symbolizing Israel's infidelity to God through idolatry and other sins. These verses outline a series of judgments and intentions that God plans for Israel in response to their unfaithfulness, but they also hint at His underlying intention to restore and renew the covenantal relationship:
Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’ And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness. Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand. And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts. And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.’ I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them. And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD. “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. (Hosea 2:6-14, ESV Bible)
God describes putting obstacles in Israel's way to prevent her from pursuing other gods and illicit relationships, symbolized by "thornbushes" and a "wall." This action aims to bring Israel to a point of realization and repentance, reminiscent of when they recognized their better condition under God's care.
God points out that Israel has forgotten His blessings and provision, instead attributing them to other gods like Baal. As a consequence, He plans to withdraw these gifts as a form of judgment.
God declares that He will expose Israel’s unfaithfulness, stripping away the joy and celebrations once associated with their religious observances, which they had corrupted with idolatry. This exposure is both a punishment and a means to lead Israel to repentance. After the judgments, God speaks of a future restoration where He will "allure" Israel back to Himself, akin to their early relationship during the Exodus.
While they are out in the wilderness, in the final exile, the Lord is preparing to bring them back. Ezekiel 37:12-14 is part of a larger visionary narrative known as "The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones." This passage is one of the most symbolically rich and powerful prophecies in the Book of Ezekiel, offering a vivid metaphor of resurrection and restoration for the nation of Israel. Ezekiel, a prophet during the Babylonian exile, delivers messages of judgment and restoration to the exiled Jews. This particular vision serves as a profound promise of national and spiritual renewal:
Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:12-14, ESV Bible)
Ezekiel 37 Focuses on God’s promise to physically restore Israel by bringing them out from their “graves” of exile and re-establishing them in their homeland. The restoration seems unconditional and initiated by God as a demonstration of His sovereign will and to validate His identity among the nations. Promises the infusion of God’s Spirit into the people, symbolizing a new life and a spiritual awakening that will empower them to follow God faithfully. This is often interpreted in an eschatological sense, suggesting an end-time revival and restoration of Israel that aligns with messianic expectations.
“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:1-6, ESV Bible)
Deuteronomy 30 emphasizes a return from exile that is conditional on Israel’s repentance and renewal of their covenantal commitment to obey God. It promises not only physical regathering but also a spiritual renewal ("circumcise your hearts") to ensure their relationship with God is heartfelt and genuine. The restoration is conditional, depending on Israel's decision to return to God and obey His commands wholeheartedly. This passage underscores the covenant's bilateral nature—Israel’s action and God’s response. This talks about the circumcision of the heart, which metaphorically means that God will transform their inner beings to love and obey Him fully, ensuring their commitment to His laws. While also eschatological in its ultimate fulfillment, it focuses more on the tangible near-term outcomes of repentance and obedience, offering a template for restoration that can recur throughout Israel’s history.
Both Ezekiel 37:12-14 and Deuteronomy 30:1-6 highlight God's unyielding commitment to His people despite their failures. They emphasize that God’s plan for restoration hinges not just on His willingness to renew but also on the transformative change within the people of Israel—both physically returning to their land and spiritually turning their hearts fully towards God.
After the final regathering, the covenant from Sinai includes a promise that God would circumcise their hearts to ensure their obedience following the final exile. This concept is echoed in Ezekiel 36, which uses similar language. Ezekiel 36 states:
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27, ESV Bible)
This brings us to the New Covenant (in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). Thus, the promise of a new covenant is, in essence, a continuation of God's faithfulness to the original covenant with Moses. It foretells a time after the final regathering when God will transform their hearts to ensure their faithful adherence to His laws. Jeremiah 31 reveals a profound declaration from the Lord about the future:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.In those days they shall no longer say: “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:27-33, ESV Bible)
Jeremiah 31 foretells of a time when God will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah, distinct from the one made with their ancestors when He led them out of Egypt. That earlier covenant was broken despite God's faithfulness.
The new covenant will be fundamentally different. It will not be based on external adherence alone, which led to unfaithfulness. Instead, God declares, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." This transformation signifies a profound shift from the old covenant, promising an internal change where obedience and loyalty are embedded within the very hearts and minds of the people.
This change is rooted in the promise that after all the exiles and the final regathering, God will "circumcise their hearts" — a metaphorical expression indicating a deep, transformative change ensuring their faithful obedience. This is because God will not only give them a new spirit of obedience but also the tenderness and willingness to follow His commandments consistently.
The Christian Bias For or Against Israel as the Chosen People
In modern church circles, there is often debate over support for or opposition to Israel. Many churches are becoming more aware of Israel’s ongoing covenant relationship with God. Ignoring this relationship would mean overlooking large portions of the Bible. Since the church upholds the Bible as the infallible, inspired Word of God, it faces a theological conflict when it denies Israel’s role in redemptive history—a role clearly supported by Scripture as evidence of their status as God’s chosen people. Over the past few centuries, the church has struggled to reconcile the reality of Jesus with Israel’s ongoing covenant with God. Dispensationalism has attempted to address this by proposing two separate eschatological paths: one for Christians and one for Jews. However, when the Bible is taken at face value, the claims of Dispensationalism begin to unravel. For more on Dispensationalism click here.
While many Evangelicals recognize Israel's unique relationship with God, they often try to fit this reality into the framework of their theological starting points, leading to varying interpretations of biblical support for Israel. Some claim that theological justification for supporting Israel is already embedded within the church's stance on Israel. This support may stem from Dispensationalism's influence on modern theology, but regardless of its origins, it is undeniably present.
Some Christians who oppose support for Israel often point to the ongoing Jewish rejection of Jesus and the Christian message as a key reason. This opposition may stem from a sense of pride among some Christians who feel enlightened by their understanding of Jesus and, in turn, pass judgment on those who have not yet reached the same revelation. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of these feelings, but they seem to revolve around the tension that Israel, despite rejecting Jesus, still retains the title of God’s chosen people—a concept many Christians struggle to accept. This tension, which we explore further in Module Eight, is part of a controversy that dates back over 2,000 years, to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Moreover, Christians who wrestle with this covenantal controversy often fail to acknowledge the Church's historical influence on Jewish perceptions of Jesus. While Christian theology centers on grace and the love of Christ, it has also been misguided and damaging in how it has shaped Jewish views of Jesus. Many Christians judge the Jewish people for their perceived hostility toward Christians, without recognizing that much of this aggression is a response to centuries of harmful actions and attitudes perpetuated by the Church. For more on the churches influence on the Jewish people, click here.
Stating that Israel is the chosen people may cause some Christians to feel insecure about their relationship with Christ. If Israel is the chosen people, what does that make Christians who are not Jewish? Are they just the step child? Paul see’s the gentile nations who come to Jesus as being adopted:
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:14-15, ESV Bible)
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will." (Ephesians 1:4-5)
Another powerful depiction of the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles is found in Romans 11, where Paul uses the metaphor of the olive tree. He explains how Gentiles, represented as wild olive branches, are grafted into the cultivated olive tree, symbolizing Israel. This metaphor illustrates the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant people, which can be understood as a form of adoption:
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches."(Romans 11:17)
Of particular significance is Paul’s final statement, serving as a solemn reminder to modern-day Christians: "Do not consider yourself superior to those other branches." Why does Paul use terms like "adoption" and metaphors like the wild olive branches and olive trees? It's simple—Paul recognizes a distinction between Jew and Gentile.
Why do Christians fail to see Israel as the chosen people? Consider the following, concerning Israel: Deuteronomy lays out the Torah and God's expectations for Israel, clearly outlining the blessings that will come if they follow His commandments and the curses they will face if they disobey. Throughout the Bible, we witness the unfolding of this covenant relationship. When Israel is faithful to God's commandments, they are truly blessed in this world; when they stray, they face a multitude of curses. Most of the prophets in the Old Testament are dedicated to calling Israel back to God, urging them to repent and return to their covenant obligations. John the Baptist and Jesus continue in this same prophetic tradition, emphasizing Israel's covenant with God. However, many Christians overlook this essential framework, missing a crucial foundation necessary to fully understand both the Bible and Israel’s relationship with God.