“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoils taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.”
Zechariah 14:1-3

As Zechariah says, God's judgment will come one day upon Jerusalem in the form of all nations coming against it. There is nothing that any of us can do to stop it because it is written in His Word. I believe that through this difficult period God will cleanse Jerusalem and prepare it for His ultimate return.

I also believe that this is not merely a political event or a military conflict; it is a spiritual reality that reveals the hearts of people and nations. Throughout history, Jerusalem has stood at the center of God's redemptive plan, and Scripture tells us that this will remain true until the Lord Himself returns.

Zechariah also tells us that the Lord Himself will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. While the nations may unite against Jerusalem, God has already declared where He stands. That reality forces every generation to confront an important question: Will we trust God's promises or the changing opinions of men?

A year ago, I received a text message from a friend who wanted to encourage me. This is what he wrote:

“My encouragement is that your Israel advocacy is actually Gentile advocacy. You are fighting lies against Israel not really for Israel’s sake. Israel has the promises of God to defend her and redeem her. Even when all the nations of the world gather against her one day, the Lord will defeat the nations and show Himself as King of Israel.

Your work is actually to help people, with the truth, to reject lies against the people of God so that when they stand before the judgment they will not stand guilty of slander and hatred against His chosen people, His bride.

Israel will for sure be kept and redeemed by the Lord. Many, though, including many who call themselves believers, will stand before the Lord and give an account to Him for how they have treated His precious people in their time of need.

So keep fighting with the truth, even for the antisemites. If even one of them repents and turns to God's truth through your work, it will be eternally worth it.”

I chose to include this message from my friend in this week's commentary because lately more and more people seem confused about modern-day Israel. Some claim that the Israel of today is not the Israel to whom God promised the land. Others argue that God's covenant with Israel has somehow expired or been transferred to someone else. In many cases, people are confusing God's eternal promises with Israel's disobedience throughout history. They are mixing divine covenant with modern politics.

I believe that, in many cases, pride and arrogance can lead people to place their own reasoning above the clear teaching of Scripture. Rather than allowing God's Word to shape their conclusions, they allow their conclusions to shape how they interpret God's Word.

This brings us directly to this week's Torah portion. We learn about Korach, the great-grandson of Levi and the cousin of Moses and Aaron. As a Levite, Korach belonged to the tribe God had chosen for holy service in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). To be set apart for the service of the LORD was a tremendous privilege and responsibility. Yet it was not enough for Korach and the 250 influential men who joined him. They questioned the authority and position of Moses and Aaron and launched a rebellion against them.

What strikes me about this account is that these were not outsiders. These were respected leaders and influential men from among the people of Israel. Could selfish ambition, pride, jealousy, and greed have contributed to their rebellion? Is it possible that by challenging Moses and Aaron they were actually challenging God Himself?

In questioning the authority of the leaders God had chosen, they were ultimately questioning God's authority and His sovereign right to appoint whom He desired for His purposes.

Just as Korach rebelled against God's chosen leaders out of pride and jealousy, many today reject God's eternal covenant with Israel. The issue is not merely a disagreement about modern politics or government policies. The deeper issue is whether God remains faithful to the promises He has made. When people claim that God is finished with Israel, they are ultimately questioning whether God will remain faithful to His own Word.

We hear more and more teachings circulating among well-meaning followers of God that say, “The Bible does not command us to support Israel,” or even, “God is done with Israel.” I believe this theology presents a distorted picture of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because it portrays Him as abandoning promises He repeatedly declared to be everlasting. While sincere believers may hold these views, sincerity alone does not make something true. We must examine every teaching through the lens of Scripture and the character of God Himself.

If God can abandon His promises to Israel, what confidence do any of us have that He will keep His promises to us?

Yes, I know those are strong words. However, I also know that claiming God is done with Israel ultimately portrays the God of the Bible as changing His mind regarding promises that He repeatedly described as everlasting and eternal. That is not the God revealed in Scripture.

The same God who judged Korach and the 250 influential men is the same God today, and each of us will one day stand before Him and give an account.

God is not done with Israel, nor can He be. This is not because of Israel's merit or righteousness. It is because of who God is. His promises are everlasting, His covenant is unbroken, His grace endures, and His Word remains true. The future of Israel ultimately rests not upon Israel's faithfulness, but upon God's faithfulness.

The prophet Jeremiah addressed this very issue when he wrote:

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 the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.’
Jeremiah 31:35-36

Centuries later, the Apostle Paul echoed the same truth:

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!
Romans 11:1

He later wrote:

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29

God is not done with Israel because His promises are not based upon Israel's perfection. They are based upon His faithfulness. We see further confirmation of this truth in this week's Haftarah reading from I Samuel 11:14-12:22. One of Israel's most rebellious acts was demanding a king so that they could be like all the other nations around them. Samuel addressed the people and said:

Then Samuel said to all Israel, ‘Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and I have appointed a king over you.’
I Samuel 12:1

Despite their rebellion and poor decision, Samuel concluded with these powerful words:

For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
I Samuel 12:22

My dear brothers and sisters, we are living in unique and difficult days. These are days marked by confusion, false news, and false teaching. We must guard ourselves with the truth of God's Word and be careful not to allow the changing opinions of men to shape our understanding of what God has clearly spoken.

Korach believed he knew better than God. The generation of Samuel wanted to be like the nations around them. Today many voices once again invite believers to question what God has spoken concerning Israel. The question before us is not whether God's promises have changed. The question is whether we will trust Him when the world tells us not to.

Therefore, I encourage you to make a choice. Will you trust God's promises or the changing opinions of men? If your choice is to trust God, then consider what role He may be calling you to play in helping others discern truth from error. In a world filled with confusion, every believer has an opportunity and a responsibility to stand firmly upon the truth of God's Word.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran