June 18, 2026: Has Israel Forgotten God?

“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” - Deuteronomy 32:18

This is not going to be a popular thing which I am about to say, but I believe that modern day Israel has forgotten God. Have you ever read a chapter or verse in the Bible several times, but when you read it again, it strikes you and causes you to have an “Aha moment”? That just happened to me after I prayed to God to show me what He wanted me to write about next. I thought I was going to write from the book of Isaiah, but as I opened my Bible and started turning toward that chapter, I paused in Deuteronomy and came upon chapter 32. After I read the chapter, it struck me that the words apply to modern day Israel, whom I believe has forgotten the one true God, and Israel has gone a whoring after false gods, which is a recurring pattern written about in the Bible. Below are just three times that Israel’s harlotry is written about in God’s word:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers [die and join your ancestors]; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring [play the harlot] after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.” (Deuteronomy 31:16)

“Rejoice not, O Israel, for [with] joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward [for reward] upon every cornfloor [threshingfloor].” (Hosea 9:1)

“Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered [uncovered] through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover [uncover] thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock [commit adultery] and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.” (Ezekiel 16:35-38)

As I was reading Deuteronomy chapter 32, I did not know who wrote it. I did not know if it was God speaking to Israel or someone else. After close examination of the Scriptures, we are actually told who it was that spoke these words, and we are told that in Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 30 and chapter 32:44. While Moses spoke the words, it was God who gave him the words to speak to Israel in the form of a song:

“Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 31:19)

“And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.” (Deuteronomy 31:30)

“And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea [Joshua] he son of Nun.” (Deuteronomy 32:44)

Moses had completed his long and difficult job of leading the people of Israel out of Egypt and wandering throughout the land until 40 years had passed. God required this wandering in the wilderness rather than letting them enter the Promised Land because when they sent out twelve spies into the land for 40 days, they were fearful and did not trust in God to bring them safely into it. Thus, he made them wander in the wilderness one year for each of the 40 days. At the end of the 40 years, Moses was about to turn his responsibility as the shepherd of Israel over to Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua was one of only two spies that had come back with a good report and said they should go into the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Caleb was the other of the two spies. They had trusted in God and His promises to them rather than fearing what they had seen with their eyes, which were giants in the land. It would be Joshua and not Moses who would bring the children of Israel into the Promised Land that God had given them. Because of Moses’ disobedience to God, he was not allowed to enter it, and neither were the Israelites who were 20 years of age and older, because of their sins against God while they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. (Numbers 32:10-13) This was a time of testing for Israel, and sadly, the older generation failed the test.

After Moses spake the words that are written in Deuteronomy 32, God showed the Promised Land to Moses from the “mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho…” (Deuteronomy 34:1) As Moses looked down at that land, God said to Moses:

“And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.” (Deuteronomy 34:4)

After God showed Moses the land, at the age of 120 years, Moses died. We are told in Deuteronomy 34:7 that “his eye was not dim [eyesight was not weakened], nor his natural force abated [reduced].” God had kept Moses strong and able until his job was finished and his time on earth was done.

The words of Moses were a warning to the children of Israel, reminding them of what would happen to them when they disobey God. I want us to read all of the words that are written in chapter 32. Thus, yes, you may have guessed it - this will be another long devotional, but one which I hope you will enjoy reading, and if you are not saved by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you, I pray that you will.

Now, let us get started and read the opening words of this song of Moses to the children of Israel. Let us also remember that it was God who chose Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, and it was by God’s power that Moses led His people and spoke these words to them:

“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine [teaching] shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: because I will publish [proclaim] the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment [justice]: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:1-4)

Moses’ words are intended to be soothing, refreshing, and life-giving instructions to a people he has been with for many years and whom he will never see again. He opens his song by giving glory to his God, the One who sustained him and Israel all those years. He is showing a perfect example to Israel: give glory to God, and know that it is He alone who is God, and He is righteous and just, perfect without sin.

Continuing in chapter 32, he shifts from praising God to speaking about the sins of Israel. He opens with what I believe is a comparison of the generation who were aged 20 years and older as the ones who would not enter the Promised Land, and are referred to by Moses as “they” and “their,” to the children of Israel, who ARE God’s children, who are about to enter the land, where he refers to them as “ye,” “thy”, and “thee.” I do not know if everyone aged 20 and older had already died or how much time elapsed after Moses spoke these words to the children of Israel and when they entered the Promised Land:

“They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children [they are not his children because of their blemish]: they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite [repay] the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.” (Deuteronomy 32:5-7)

I believe this is a picture or a foreshadowing of the coming time of Jacob’s trouble, when the majority of modern day Israel, which I believe the Bible tells us will be two-thirds, will die because of their sins and their rejection of their Messiah, Jesus the Christ, and will not be allowed to reside in Israel at the time of His second coming. Moses tells the people to remember the days of old and what their fathers and elders did. I believe he is telling them not to make the same mistakes that they did but to learn from their mistakes and to be obedient to God as He has commanded them.. Let us continue:

“When the Most High divided the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel [sons of God]. For the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple [pupil] of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttered over her young, spreadeth her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.” (Deuteronomy 32:8-14)

In the Scriptures above, Moses told Israel that it was God who separated the nations beginning with the sons of Adam. It was God who chose the boundaries of the land of the children of Israel, the people He chose to be an inheritance for Himself. It was God who has provided for them from the beginning, and God has lovingly cared for them, just as a mother eagle cares for her eaglets, covering them with her wings and protecting them from harm. It was the Lord God who led Israel all those years, and He lavished his blessings upon them. I believe this is not speaking of the 40 years when Israel was wandering in the wilderness because that time was a time of struggle and complete dependence on God for their sustenance. I believe it is speaking to the time prior to Israel being enslaved for 430 years in Egypt. I believe it also speaks of the time after God brought Israel into the Promised Land, including modern day Israel. After God has blessed Israel, did they remain in obedience to Him? The answer each time is “No.” Let us continue reading:

“But Jeshurun waxed [grew] fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly [scornfully] esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations [detestable acts] provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up [new arrivals], whom your fathers feared [dreaded] not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred [spurned] them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward [perverse] generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities [foolish idols]: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them them to anger with a foolish nation.” (Deuteronomy 32:15-21)

“Jeshurun” is another name, a poetic name, for Israel. As Israel grew more prominent and abundant with livestock, property, and food, it went from trusting in and relying on God to trusting in and relying on themselves, and I believe we are seeing that same pattern repeat itself in modern day Israel. (Source: https://biblehub.com/topical/naves/j/jeshurun--a_name_used_poetically_for_israel.htm)

While modern day Israel may not be literally sacrificing animals to false gods, it is still worshipping false gods and idols. A false god and idol is anything placed above the One true God. I believe Donald Trump is one of the false gods that Israel is worshipping. I also believe that Israel is worshipping a false god of military might, relying on its own power to defend itself from its enemies rather than trusting in God to protect them. Another example is the worship of self and pride, as demonstrated by the 4-day LGBT pride festival that was held on June 1-4, 2026 at the Dead Sea. Per the Jerusalem Post: (Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-893319)

“Israel is set to host the Middle East’s largest ever LGBT festival at the Dead Sea in June 2026.

“The new festival, Pride Land, intends to transform the middle of the Judean Desert into a colorful pride city from June 1 to June 4.”

“The organizers hope to create a multigenerational ‘Pride City,’ not just a party celebrating pride. ‘This is not just another festival, it's the biggest thing we've done here,’ explained Aaron Cohen, main producer and initiator of the festival.”

“This is not just a pride event; it also aims to highlight the Dead Sea region as a permanent destination for LGBT tourists, emphasizing that Pride in Israel extends beyond the key hub of Tel Aviv.”

An article written by the Christian Post was just one of several other sources that noted that the site chosen to host the festival, the Dead Sea, is near where it is believed Sodom and Gomorrah once existed before God destroyed those cities by brimstone and fire for the same sexual perversion that Israel promoted and celebrated with pride on June 1-4. (Source: https://www.christianpost.com/news/israel-promotes-biggest-lgbtq-festival-ever-near-site-of-sodom.html)

On Friday, April 20, 2026, the official X account of Israel even posted about this: (Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israel-promotes-biggest-lgbtq-festival-ever-in-the-middle-east-near-site-of-sodom-mocking-god/ar-AA21t20e)

"‘Pride rises at the lowest place on earth,’ the Monday post read. ‘This June the Dead Sea becomes Pride Land, the biggest LGBTQ+ festival ever in the Middle East. Four days of nonstop celebration community and connection. Israel celebrates its LGBTQ+ community bigger than ever.’"

God is clear in His word that Israel is not to practice homosexuality:

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)

While modern society in Israel, America, and many other countries around the world have deemed these lifestyles as acceptable, clearly, God has not. As many people around the world celebrate and practice this sin, the people promoting this festival and those attending it are not heeding the words of God that speak against both pride and homosexuality. It was pride that caused Lucifer, also called Satan and the Devil, to fall because he wanted to be God:

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [Day Star], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides [lowest depths, recesses] of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

It is no coincidence that pride is the motto of the LGBTQ movement because Satan is leading them straight to hell with his lies and deception.

God has warned Israel against committing these sins many times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Let us read just some of the times that He warned them, and His warnings also apply to all of mankind:

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

“The lofty [proud] looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.” (Isaiah 2:11-12)

“For Jerusalem is ruined [has stumbled], and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke [rebel against] the eyes of his glory. The shew of their countenance [look on their faces] doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.” (Isaiah 3:8-9)

“And I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from [turn back from] his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” (Jeremiah 23:14)

Just as America, the country that has promoted it the most and spread its sin virtually to the entire world, Israel has lost its way. Instead of choosing to be a people chosen by God to follow and obey Him and to be separate from the Gentile nations, it has chosen to be like the Gentile nations, and I would say particularly America, which is full of abominations to the Lord.

The end of Deuteronomy 32:15 reads, “then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” The Hebrew Scriptures for “lightly esteemed” read as “and esteemed scornfully.” The Hebrew word for this is “nabel” and it means “To fade, wither, fall away, become foolish.” Strong’s Concordance defines it as “disgrace, dishounor, lightly esteem, come to nothing, make vile, wither.” (Sources: https://biblehub.com/text/deuteronomy/32-15.htm, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5034.htm)

Those who attended this festival clearly have fallen away and become vile and foolish and, as Deuteronomy 32:16 says, “with abominations provoked they him to anger.” I pray for them, that they would realize their sin and turn to Jesus Christ to save them, as everyone who is not saved needs to do. Jesus, who is God in the flesh, does not want any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

In Deuteronomy 32, verse 21 of the Scriptures above, we are told that God says Israel has moved Him to jealousy “with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities [foolish idols].” God then says, “and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.” I believe this is a prophecy of when Jesus came to earth the first time to save His people, the children of Israel, but instead of believing in Him as their Messiah, as a nation they rejected Him. Consequently, Jesus turned His attention to the Gentile/non-Jewish nations and had His disciples preach the gospel to them, especially the apostle Paul. We are told that God did this to move Israel to jealousy, meaning to cause them to be jealous of the Gentiles and to cause them to want to be saved. Paul even quoted Deuteronomy 32:21 in the book of Romans, and later called himself the apostle of the Gentiles:

“But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people [not a nation], and by a foolish nation will I anger you. But Esaias [Isaiah, quoted from Isaiah 65:1-2] is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying [contrary] people.” (Romans 10:19-21)

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office [my ministry]: if by any means I may provoke to emulation [jealousy] them which are my flesh, and might save some them.” (Romans 11:13-14)

Let us continue reading Deuteronomy 32:

“For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest [lowest part of] hell [Sheol], and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs [disasters] upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.” (Deuteronomy 32:22-25)

As God had Moses speak the words above to Israel, He clearly is not happy with them. I want to go back to Deuteronomy chapter 31, the chapter that precedes the one we are studying in this devotional, and read why God had Moses say this to them:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge [commission]. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle. And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers [die and join your ancestors]; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring [play the harlot] after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured [consumed], and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I share unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen [grown] fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.” (Deuteronomy 31:14-20)

God gave the words to this song to Moses to speak to the children of Israel as a warning not only to them but to their descendants for generations, and as a witness again them, as to why He will hide His face from them because of all the evils they will commit against Him. I believe that this prophecy is not speaking about something that happened once but is regarding a recurring pattern throughout the Bible with Israel. Once again, we see in modern Israel today that they have ignored God’s warnings to them and have played the harlot. They have forsaken God and have to chosen to worship a false god. Let us continue reading:

“And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about [the inclination of their behavior], even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 31:21-22)

When God’s judgment falls upon Israel, and I believe that it won’t be long before it does, and the judgment is called the time of Jacob’s trouble, meaning Israel’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), Israel cannot say that it wasn’t warned by God:

“And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:23-26)

Did you notice that in the Scriptures above from Deuteronomy 31, that God uses similar wording three times for witnessing against Israel?

1) Verse 19: “…that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.”

2) Verse 21: “that this song shall testify against them as a witness…”

3) Verse 26: “… that it may be there for a witness against thee.”

Recall also that we previously read from Isaiah 3:8-9 where God said the look on the faces of the people of Jerusalem and Judah witnesses against them. In each occurrence of the word “witness,” in Hebrew, the word is “ed” and it means “witness, witnesses, evidence.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5707.htm) It is as if God is building a case against Israel, as a trial lawyer enters evidence into court. This brings to mind what seems to be describing a court scene in Revelation 20:11-15, in what is commonly referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment, when God will resurrect every single person who died and they will stand before Him. If their name is not written in the book of life because they died in their sin due to their rejection of Jesus’ free gift of salvation of sins, paid for by His sinless and precious blood, they will be judged by their works. This, I believe, is where the evidence that God has against Israel, will be used against her, and all who remained in their rejection of Christ will be found guilty and they will be cast into the lake of fire. The same is true for every single person who rejects Jesus’ gift of salvation. Because believers in Him will have their names written in the book of life - because they accepted His gift of salvation - they will spend their eternity with Him, and will receive rewards for the things that they have done for Him.

Let us read the closing words of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 31:

“For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death? Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears [hearing], and call heaven and earth to record [witness] against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.” (Deuteronomy 31:27-30)

We are in the latter days, and as God said above, evil has befallen Israel because they have done evil in His sight and have provoked Him to anger. Modern Israel has ignored the words from God in this song, and has purposefully chosen to continue in its sin against God. They continue in their rejection of their Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Jesus spoke His harshest words to the Jews who rejected Him at His first coming. Let us read some of what He said to them. I believe Jesus’ words below apply to those in modern Israel who still reject Him:

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (Jesus Christ; John 8:24)

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts [desires] of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode [stands] not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own [from his own nature]: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth [convicts] me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me. He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:41-47)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying [word], he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil [demon]. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying [word]. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:51-56)

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish [adorn] the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto [against] yourselves, that ye are the children [sons] of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure [measure of guilt] of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:29-36)

Now that we have read some of Deuteronomy 31 to have a better understanding of who it was and why the words were spoken by God through Moses to Israel, let us continue in Deuteronomy chapter 32:

“I said, I would scatter them into corners [I will dash them in pieces], I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men: were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this. For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” (Deuteronomy 32:26-29)

God said He would “scatter them into corners,” which also means to cut them in pieces, and make the memory of Israel to cease. However, He would not do that because their enemies would say that it was them who sent wrath upon Israel and not God. He goes on to say that Israel is void of counsel or advice and they do not understand. The reason for that is their rebellion and disobedience against Him. God longs for them to listen to Him! God longs for them to read His word and to understand how it connects to their latter end. I believe “their latter end” is both speaking of their short-term consequences but also their long-term consequences, when Jesus Christ returns at His second coming at the Day of the Lord. He wants them to obey His words to them because He knows that their wickedness will only bring more evil upon them.

Think about the history of the Jews, just in our lifetime. They were nearly eliminated during World War II, but God saved a remnant of them, just as He always has. Many of them were brought back into the land of Israel after the war, and were immediately attacked by a coalition of nations, but God saved them. Israel has been involved in a series of wars since 1948, with the most recent being the war with Hamas in Gaza that began on October 7, 2023 and the ongoing war with Iran. They have grown as a nation, both in population and in military might, particularly with its increasing alliance with the USA. Simultaneously, the world is becoming increasingly anti-Israel/Jew, just as it was prior to the start of WWII. I do not believe this is merely by chance, but is happening exactly as God said it would as we march toward the time of Jacob’s trouble. There is soon coming a time when every nation will come against Israel. God knows what is coming, and He has written about it in His word so that Israel can know it too, but they aren’t heeding His words to them, for they are, I believe, following a false Messiah. Continuing in Deuteronomy 32:

“How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?” (Deuteronomy 32:30-34)

I believe in the Scriptures above that God is telling Israel that He will cause Israel’s enemies to pursue them, to chase after them, where one enemy chases 1,000 Jews and two causes 10,000 to flee. This will happen because God will surrender Israel into the enemies’ hands. This is not by the power of the enemy; no, this will be by the power of Almighty God. This brings to mind what Jesus said will happen after the coming antichrist commits the abomination of desolation in the yet-to-be-built Jewish Third Temple. This will happen in the latter end or latter days before the return of Christ, which is why God wants Israel “to consider their latter end!”:

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child [pregnant], and to them that give suck [who are nursing babies] in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s [chosen ones’] sake those days shall be shortened.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:15-22)

Though God will allow this to happen, He will also judge their enemies. Many times in the Bible, God has turned His face away from Israel because of their sin and disobedience against Him, and let them face the consequences of their poor choices. I believe we will see this happen again very soon with modern day Israel.

The Scriptures from Deuteronomy 32:30-34 above tell us that the enemies’ vine is not the true vine of God, who is Jesus Christ (John 15:1), God in the flesh, who produces good fruit by all who believe in Him. No, the enemies’ vine is the vine of Sodom, in fields of Gomorrah, two abhorrent cities that God Himself destroyed with fire and brimstone. Because of their continued rejection of Jesus and because they are being willfully deceived by Satan, modern Israel, I believe, is seeking this vine of the enemy, which I believe is located in America, which has become like Sodom and Gomorrah, instead of the true vine. I do not believe it is by chance that Israel just held its 4-day “Pride Land Festival” near these two cities, but it is another step towards fulfillment of prophecy. The fruit that the enemies’ vine produces is of gall, which means bitter, and the wine is poisonous and is of dragons and asps. Consider that: to what is Satan likened in the Bible? He is called the dragon and he is also called a serpent, and an asp is a type of serpent or snake. Again, God is telling Israel that His surrendering of them to their enemies is of His doing, because of their continued rebellion against Him, and because it is part of His plan that has been laid up and stored, I believe for such a time as this. Continuing in Deuteronomy 32:

“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for [have compassion on] his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted [sought refuge], which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet [sharpen] my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.” (Deuteronomy 32:35-42)

As written in other Scriptures, including in Romans 12:19, God tells Israel:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Unlike what Hollywood loves to portray in its “Avengers” series of movies, where “super heroes” protect the earth from various forces, from wicked humans to alien armies trying to destroy humanity, God tells us that He is our avenger, and that includes being the avenger of Israel. God tells Israel that the day of their calamity is at hand, and that He will judge them. However, He also says that He will have compassion on His servants, after He sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining. Notice that He does not say that He will have compassion on His people, but specifically on His servants. I believe God is making a distinction between those who will remain steadfast in their rejection of Jesus Christ and those who will turn to Him, accept Him as their Messiah, during the time of Jacob’s trouble; the latter will be His servants. His servants will realize the grave mistake they made in trusting in a false Messiah, and they will repent, meaning they will turn to God and they will believe on His Son. In the Scriptures above from Deuteronomy 32, God asks them where are the gods, the false gods, they trusted in to save them, the ones to whom they sacrificed. He tells them to let those false gods rise up and protect them, knowing that they will not. He reminds them that there is no other God and that none can deliver out of His hand. He tells them that He will take vengeance upon His enemies, and that includes killing them. This is not something God wants to do, but which He must do. We must remember what God also tells us in His word:

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)

I believe the words of Deuteronomy 32 are speaking far into the future to the time of Jacob’s trouble, also called Israel’s 70th week in the book of Daniel (Daniel 9:24). While I believe the day of calamity mentioned in Deuteronomy 32 is referring to other times of calamity in Israel’s history, I believe it also speaks of the coming time of Jacob’s trouble. I believe we are drawing very near to the time when Israel’s false Messiah, Donald J. Trump, whom I believe likely is the antichrist, will “confirm the covenant with many for one week” meaning to strengthen or make the covenant greater, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27. On May 25, 2026, Donald Trump held a phone call with several Middle East nations and said they should normalize relations with Israel as part of a deal to end the US/Israel war with Iran. If this happens, it would be an expansion of his existing Abraham Accords, and possibly a fulfillment of Daniel 9:27. When Trump made this statement to the nations, there was silence on the phone: (Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-reportedly-asked-muslim-arab-leaders-to-normalize-ties-with-israel-if-iran-deal-reached/)

“US President Donald Trump told the leaders of several Arab and Muslim countries in a Saturday phone call that he expects them to normalize relations with Israel if he reaches a deal to end the war with Iran, two US officials told the Axios news site on Sunday.

“Trump also referenced the request in a social media post, and suggested that Iran could ‘perhaps’ also establish relations with Israel. But the ask was reportedly met with silence from the Arab and Muslim leaders.”

“In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump thanked ‘all of the countries of the Middle East for their support and cooperation’ with the deal. He then wrote that the agreement ‘will be further enhanced and strengthened by their joining the Nations of the historic Abraham Accords and, who knows, perhaps the Islamic Republic of Iran would like to join, as well!’”

The article also noted that some in Israel have concerns with Trump’s proposal:

“The request suggests that Trump is seeking to offer Israel an upside in the nascent deal to end the war, whose reported terms have raised alarm in Jerusalem. Channel 12 reported on Sunday that senior Israeli officials have warned, ‘As it seems, [the agreement] does not serve Israel’s interest.’ Other officials have been quoted as calling it a bad deal and highly problematic for Israel.”

Is the strengthening of the Abraham Accords the confirming of the covenant with many? If it happens, will it be for a duration of seven years? Time will tell.

Before continuing in Deuteronomy 32, I also want point out what I believe is another prophecy that will be fulfilled and that is in verses 41-42. I believe this is pointing to the return of Jesus Christ, when He will appear in the clouds with the armies in heaven, and He will kill with the sword of His mouth all who are gathered together to fight against Him. Let us read the verses from Deuteronomy and compare them to what is written in Revelation chapter 19:

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet [sharpen] my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.” (Deuteronomy 32:39-42)

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture [robe] and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls [birds] that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast [antichrist], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken [captured, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles [worked signs] before him [in his presence], with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11-21)

Let us continue in Deuteronomy 32:

“Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.” (Deuteronomy 32:43)

After much bloodshed, when God avenges His servants, who are those who will receive His mercy because they turned away from their worship of a false god to worshipping the one true God, it will be a time of rejoicing. God tells the nations, meaning the Gentile nations, to rejoice with His people, whom I believe are His servants who will do as the prophet Isaiah prophesied:

“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 59:20)

These are the ones who will mourn for Jesus when they see Him, realizing their sin against Him that caused Him to be pierced for our transgressions:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness [grieve] for him, as one that is in bitterness [grieves] for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon [Megiddo].” (Zechariah 12:10-11)

John the apostle also wrote of this time of mourning when Jesus will return at His second coming and every eye will see Him, including Israel:

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds [the tribes] of the earth shall wail [mourn] because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)

After Jesus returns, it will be a time of rejoicing, for He will restore His people, and He will gather them back in the land that He gave them, in the land of Israel. All those who are saved by putting our faith and trust in Him to save us will rejoice with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Israel, for our God will have delivered them out of the hands of the enemy, and He will have avenged the blood of His servants.

Let us read the rest of Deuteronomy 32:

“And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea [Joshua] the son of Nun. And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel: and he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain [futile] thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people [join your ancestors]; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not [did not hallow me] in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:44-52)

Moses had been with the children of Israel a long time, forty years, and he went through many difficult times with them. As the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, God told Moses that because of his sins against Him, Moses would not be allowed to enter the land but would go up to Mount Nebo and would die there. This might seem very harsh to you, but we must understand the reason why God prevented Moses from entering Canaan. God told him it was because Moses had sinned against God among, or in the presence of, the children of Israel when God provided water from a rock when no water could be found. God had chosen Moses to lead them out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan, and with that came great responsibility, the first and foremost of which was to obey and honor God. Moses had broken that commandment when he disobeyed God and did not do as God told him to do but did what he wanted to do. Before reading of that account, I want us to read of the first time God had provided water for Israel from a rock, which was forty years earlier:

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched [camped] in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide [contended] with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do you tempt [test] the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me [put me to death by stoning]. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest [struck] the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah [Tempted], and Meribah [Contention] because of the chiding [contention] of the children of Israel, and because they tempted [tested] the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:1-7)

Notice that God told Moses to go to a specific place and smite, which means strike, the rock. Before continuing with the second time Moses struck the rock to bring forth water for the children of Israel, I want to discuss the prophetic foreshadowings of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures above. Did you notice that four times the Scriptures spoke of the people having no water to drink and thirsting for it? Who is the One that provides us with living water so that we will never thirst again? It is Jesus:

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith under her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat [food]). Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle [livestock]? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well [fountain] of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” (John 4:7-15)

Did you notice that Jesus told the Samaritan woman that if she would have asked him, “he would have given thee living water”? Jesus did not force her to drink of the water; no, He waits for us to ask Him for it, and then He gives it to us. The living water Jesus is speaking of is symbolic of the free gift of salvation of sins that only He can give us. Once we accept that gift, we are filled with His Holy Spirit, who is the living water, and who resides within us. However, we must ask Him to do so. Let us read of another account of the living water:

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly [heart] shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39)

There is also prophetic foreshadowings when Moses smote the rock, and it is directly tied to another prophecy of Jesus in the book of Zechariah. Jesus Himself quoted this prophecy before it was fulfilled. Let us read the prophecy and the fulfillment of it:

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow [companion], saith the LORD of hosts: smite [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7)

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended [made to stumble] because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.” (Matthew 26:31)

“Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own [his own place], and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (Jesus Christ; John 16:32)

“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.” (Matthew 26:56)

It is not by chance that the word for “smite the rock” in Exodus 17:6 is the same word that is used in Zechariah 13:7 where it says “…smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered…” This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified. Let us look at the word “smite” and its meaning: (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5221.htm)

“nakah: To strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill”

All of these things happened to Jesus. He was hit or slapped on the face, beaten and scourged, crucified and gave up His life on the cross, and pierced with a spear to ensure He was dead.

Jesus Christ is also referred to as “The Rock” in Scripture, including two verses we read previously in Deuteronomy 32:4 and 18, which I have included again below. Let us also read several other Scriptures that refer to Jesus, who is God, as the Rock and also as a stone:

“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” (Deuteronomy 32:18)

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler [shield], and horn [Strength] of my salvation, and my high tower [strong hold].” (Psalm 18:2)

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)

“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect [chosen], precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded [put to shame]. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed [rejected], the same is made the head of the corner [chief cornerstone], and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: where unto also they were appointed.” (1 Peter 2:6-8)

The apostle Paul wrote about the food, which was manna, water, and the Rock, which was Christ, during the time when Moses, through the protection and power of God, led Israel out of Egypt:

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant [unaware], how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat [food; manna]; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

As Jesus told those who had seen Him perform the miracle of feeding five thousand men plus women and children with only five loaves and two fish, as they followed Him afterward, seeking Him, He told them this:

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles [signs], but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat [food] which perisheth, but for that meat [food] which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:26-29)

Before continuing in John 6, I want to pause here and note that the people specifically asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God” in order to receive the food that endures to everlasting life. Notice that Jesus did not give them a long list of things that they must do; no, He simply told them that the work is of God and that they must “believe on him whom he [God] hath sent.” The majority of people in the world have stumbled on this, because they want to make their salvation of sins about what they have done but it isn’t; it is about what God has done in Jesus. We must believe in Him to be saved, to receive that everlasting bread of life. Let us continue in John 6:

“They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then [will you perform], that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:30-35)

These were the same people who had eaten of the bread and the fish just days earlier that were multiplied by a miracle performed by Jesus, and yet, here they stood asking Jesus what sign or miracle would He perform so that they could see and believe Him. Truly, they were not seeking to save their souls but to fill their bellies. That is why Jesus responded the way He did to them.

Now, let us return to Moses and read about the second time that God provided water from a rock, when once again, the children of Israel were in the desert and there was no water to be found and they started rebelling against Moses and his brother, Aaron. They even questioned Moses as to why he took them out of Egypt and said the following words to him. It reminds me of the account we just read from John 6:

“And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.” (Numbers 20:4-5)

Instead of trusting in God to provide for their every need, as He had always done, they had quickly forgotten and complained to Moses. I too, have been guilty of forgetting all that God has provided and done for me when times get difficult. Now, let us read what God said to Moses when he and Aaron went to the tabernacle and fell on their knees, waiting for God to instruct them. Let us see that this time, God’s instructions to Moses are different than they were the first time. Let us read very closely what God told Moses, so we don’t miss the difference:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.” (Numbers 20:7-8)

Before reading what Moses did next, let’s discuss what God said to him. Did you notice that God did not tell Moses to strike the rock, but to speak to it? Did you notice that God said the rock “shall give forth his water”? This is a prophecy of Jesus being struck, meaning killed once, and through His death and resurrection, He gives everlasting life to all who believe in Him. In order to receive that living water, we must speak to the Rock, Jesus, and ask Him to save us from our sins. Now, let us continue in Numbers 20, and read what Moses did the second time God told him to go to the rock to bring water out of it:

“And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” (Numbers 20:9-11)

Moses had lost his temper with the rebellious children of Israel. Instead of speaking to the rock, as God commanded, he struck it, and not just once but twice. Further, Moses did not say that God had provided the water but that he and his brother Aaron had provided it. Though Moses had disobeyed God, God still provided the water for the children of Israel. I believe this is yet another foreshadowing of Jesus that He would only be smited, or struck, once, meaning He would give up His life and die once, and be resurrected, so that He could provide living water, salvation of sins, to all who drink of Him, never thirsting again. Now, let us read what God said to Moses and Aaron afterwards:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believe me not, to sanctify [hallow] me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah [Contention]; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in [hallowed among] them.” (Numbers 20:12-13)

God shows us in His words above that He takes disobedience to Him seriously. When Moses disobeyed God and then also claimed that it was he and Aaron who had provided the water to the children of Israel and not God, Moses elevated himself, lowered God, and did not show God’s holiness to them. Thus, both Moses and Aaron were barred from entering the Promised Land. We must remember that it was Aaron who had made a golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days, during which the people grew restless and had forgotten God and wanted Aaron to make them an idol to worship instead. Thus, both Moses and Aaron would not enter the land that God had given to Israel.

I want to read from Deuteronomy 33, which records the blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel as spoken by Moses before his death. Let us read his words to the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which Jesus came:

“And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him; and be thou an help to him from his enemies.” (Deuteronomy 33:7)

While the words of Moses to the tribe of Judah in Deuteronomy 33:7 above are a blessing to the tribe of Judah, I do believe it also has a deeper meaning, and it speaks of a prophecy of both the first and second comings of Jesus.

Jesus is the Lion from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8-12). He will be the One that alone is worthy to loosen the seven seals on the book/scroll that begins the judgments of God that will happen during the time of Jacob’s trouble:

“And I [John the apostle] saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book [scroll] written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book [scroll], neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed [overcome] to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:1-5)

I find it interesting that it says “let his hands be sufficient for him.” The Hebrew meaning of “be sufficient” is not what I thought it meant: (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7378.htm)

“rib or rub: To strive, contend, dispute, quarrel, plead.”

I do not think it is just coincidence that Deuteronomy 33:7 mentions “his hands,” and that Jesus Christ was crucified through his hands or wrists, and his feet. There were many in Israel who strove and contended with Him and caused Him to be crucified. In Isaiah 49:16 that prophecies of the coming servant of God, who is Jesus, we are told this about Him:

“Behold, I have graven [inscribed] thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:6)

It was God who enabled Jesus to endure all that He suffered because it was God’s will:

“And he [Jesus] went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)

“He [Jesus] went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except [unless] I drink it, thy will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)

Just as Deuteronomy 33:7 states, “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah”, it was God who heard the voice of Jesus as He was dying on the cross, crying out to God the Father:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring [groaning]?” (Psalm 22:1)

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted [translated], My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost [breathed his last].” (Mark 15:37)

“For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.” (Psalm 22:24)

The verses from Psalm 22 above were spoken by King David, and were fulfilled by Jesus when He was crucified and spoke the same words of David before He breathed His last breath. Jesus is a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:6, Luke 3:31). Though David and Jesus felt like God had forsaken them, He did not, and we are told in Psalm 22:24 that God hear their cries to Him. Psalm 22:24 shows us that those who put their faith and trust in God may feel like we are alone and are in the darkest hours when we are being persecuted by our enemies who hate God, we may feel like God has forsaken us, has forgotten us, but He has not.

Jesus suffered all that He did to show us that our good works cannot save us, whether we be Jew or Gentile. No one is able to save themselves from sin; no, only Jesus can save us. It will be Jesus Himself who will gather His people, Israel, at His second coming, when He comes in judgment of all who choose sin and reject salvation during the time period known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. At the end of it, He will gather the faithful remnant of Israel, which will be those who will turn to Jesus, believing on Him as their Messiah, and bring them back into the land of Israel that He gave to their forefathers long ago. Jesus will put an end to human rule on earth, and will take His rightful reign upon the earth as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, and He will reign on earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. Before ending this devotional, I want us to read what Daniel the prophet wrote, approximately 2,500 years ago, about this coming kingdom.

Daniel was a Jew who lived in Judah and was taken captive as a young man to Babylon when Judah and Jerusalem were conquered by Babylon. Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and, Meshach, were all chosen to serve the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. The king had dreamt a dream and did not understand what it meant. He commanded his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans not only to interpret the dream but also to tell the king the dream that he had dreamt. Because no man can read a man’s mind but the One true God, they could not tell the dream to the king and they asked the king to tell them the dream and then they would interpret it. However, the king refused and told them that if they did not do as he commanded, they and all the wise men would be killed, and that included Daniel and his three friends.

Daniel went to the king and asked him to give him time and that he would tell the dream to the king and explain its meaning to him. Daniel then went and told his three friends to seek the mercies of God and be given understanding so that they would not be killed with the rest of the wise men. In a night vision, God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. Daniel blessed God, acknowledging that it is God who removes kings and sets up kings, and it is God who reveals the deep and secret things:

“Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth [raises up] kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know [have] understanding: he revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who has given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired [asked] of thee: for thou hast now made known unto the king’s matter.” (Daniel 2:19-23)

Daniel, whose name the king had changed to Belteshazzar, then went to the king and when the king asked him if Daniel knew the dream and what it meant, Daniel told him that it was God who had given him understanding of the dream and its meaning:

“Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew [declare] unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh [has made known] to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know [understand] the thoughts of thy heart.” (Daniel 2:27-30)

What a man of God Daniel was! He provides us with an example of how we must behave. Surely, he would have prayed to God that He would give him knowledge and understanding of something that only God could give. When God did, Daniel blessed God and acknowledged the awesome power of God, and that it is He, and not rulers and kings nor any human being, that sets up and removes kings. Daniel acknowledged that is by God that wisdom and knowledge are given, and that it is He who reveals the deep and secret things, such as the king’s dream and the meaning of it. Daniel thanked and praised God for revealing to him the dream and the interpretation of it. Daniel did this personally with God, and then he acknowledged to the king that it wasn’t by his own wisdom or power that he was able to tell the dream and the interpretation of it but it was by God’s power. May we remember to thank God when He answers our prayers, and I would say even when it is not the answer were were expecting, because God sees and knows all things and only wants what is best for us, that we may bring honor, glory, and praise to Him.

Daniel then told the king the dream that the king had dreamt and gave him the interpretation of it. Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt of a great image with a head of fine gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze (called “brass” in the Bible), legs of iron, and feet made from part iron and part clay. This is all written in Daniel chapter 8. Now, let us read what the king had dreamt as to what happened to the image and Daniel’s interpretation of it:

“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken [crushed] to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place [trace] was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:34-35)

Daniel goes on to tell King Nebuchadnezzar that he is the head of fine gold on the image, and that after him would arise other kingdoms that would be inferior to his; hence, the changing of the metals and materials represented in the image. Daniel described the fourth kingdom of iron being very strong and subduing or crushing all things. The last kingdom is represented by the feet and toes mixed with iron and clay. It is during this time when the kingdom that is part iron and part clay is ruling when Jesus will return and destroy the last kingdom, putting an end to human sinful rule on earth. Jesus is the stone that “was cut out without hands.” It is Jesus who will set up His kingdom that will never be destroyed. Let us read about this last human kingdom and how it will be destroyed by Jesus:

“And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken [brittle or fragile]. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave [adhere] one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces [crush] and consume [put an end to] all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass [bronze], the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter [after this]: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure [trustworthy].” (Daniel 2:41-45)

I believe we are living in the days of this last kingdom on earth that is ruled by mankind, as described by Daniel the prophet. I used to believe that the mixing of iron and clay and the mingling with the seed of men was referring to transhumanism, where technology is mixed with human bodies. While that is happening and will increase, I do not believe any longer that it is what Daniel was referring to. While writing a prior recent devotional regarding the similarities between the fall of Babylon and what I believe is the fall of America, the Holy Spirit revealed the word “amalgamation” to me with regard to the alignment of Israel and America. As I considered that word, which is defined as “the action or process of uniting or merging two or more things” (Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amalgamation), it struck me that this seems to be what Daniel was referring to in the last kingdom that is represented by ten toes mixed of iron and clay. I believe these kingdoms to be America, represented by the iron, and Israel, represented by the clay.

I want us to look at the Hebrew word from the Scriptures for "“iron mixed with miry clay” and “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.” Both words are from the same Hebrew word, “arab”: (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6151.htm)

arab: To become evening, to grow dark, to mix, to pledge

It is also interesting to me that the Topical Lexicon for the word “seed” in the Scriptures above has this written for Theological Significance: (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2234.htm)

“Human schemes versus divine sovereignty: The fractured “seed” of Daniel 2:43 underscores that political alliances and dynastic intermarriage cannot achieve the lasting unity that only God’s kingdom brings (Daniel 2:44).”

Keep in mind what is written above as we now read from a recent article that describes a proposal made by the US Congress with respect to the merging of the militaries of America and Israel and the increasing alliance between the two countries with the Trump and Netanyahu administrations. The link to the House Bill is here, and the text regarding Section 224 that is titled “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” begins on page 40. (Source: https://armedservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fy27_ndaa_chairmans_mark_-_final.pdf)

I believe this is at least a partial fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of the last kingdom on earth being mixed with part iron and part clay and the mingling of the seed of men. I believe that this is entering into what is defined above for the Hebrew word “arab,” where we are entering into an even darker and more evil, more wicked, time in our world. Now, let us read some of what is written in some of the articles written about the proposed merging of the US and Israeli militaries:

JFeed.com: (Source: https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/us-israel-defense-integration)

“The geopolitical relationship between the United States and Israel is approaching a historic turning point that is set to fundamentally alter decades of traditional security cooperation. As the regional war continues to reshape public sentiment across both nations, lawmakers within the American Congress are actively advancing a revolutionary legislative framework designed to transform the bilateral alliance from the ground up. This systemic overhaul marks a dramatic departure from the long-standing model of annual financial grants, establishing a permanent structural link between the two defense ecosystems.”

“This industrial fusion will extend far beyond factory assembly floors, penetrating the core of the most sensitive operational platforms designed for the future battlefield. The bilateral initiative places a heavy emphasis on full real-time data fusion and the total synchronization of military communication networks, allowing forces to share critical battlefield intelligence instantaneously. The primary areas driving this technological merger include high-level artificial intelligence applications, quantum computing infrastructure, advanced cyber warfare capabilities, autonomous combat systems, and specialized biotechnology initiatives.”

MSN.com: (Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/congress-quietly-moves-to-integrate-us-and-israeli-militaries/ar-AA24k4XA)

“Section 224 lays the groundwork for bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements, and seemingly every manner of U.S.-Israeli military-industrial complex cooperation. The U.S. and Israel already work together heavily on missile defense, but this provision would greatly expand coordination to seemingly every area of defense tech, including AI, quantum, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber, biotech, and many more. It also proposes “network integration” and “data fusion.” In other words, the U.S. military’s data could soon be the Israeli military’s data.

“If fully enacted, this proposal would provide a higher level of military-industrial integration than the U.S. has with any other country in the world…”

“Section 224 would be a different beast entirely. It would fuse the U.S. and Israeli defense sectors in multiple areas vital to the battlefields of the future, like autonomous systems and cyber. It would also bring extraordinary Israeli influence to the U.S. beyond what it already has through the Israel lobby and its robust network of social media influencers. It would give the Israeli government the opportunity to greatly expand one of the most powerful levers of influence in U.S. politics: jobs in the U.S. By expanding or starting new co-production facilities like it already has in Mississippi and Arkansas, the Israeli government could boast of providing jobs on U.S. soil, thereby securing allies among members of Congress who represent the districts where those jobs lie.”

Military.com: This article expresses even graver concerns with this proposal: (Source: https://www.military.com/2027-ndaa-provision-seeks-sweeping-us-israel-defense-tech-integration)

“Supporters view the proposal as a way to strengthen cooperation between two longtime security partners while critics argue it would move the relationship beyond traditional military aid and into a far deeper system of defense-industrial integration that would be harder for Congress, taxpayers, and even future administrations, to monitor or unwind. The U.S. and Israel jointly struck Iran on Feb. 28, leading to the ongoing war in the Middle East that has enveloped multiple nations.”

“Ben Freeman, director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at the Quincy Institute, warned in Responsible Statecraft that ‘Congress quietly moves to integrate US and Israeli militaries,’ adding that the measure could intertwine the two countries’ military sectors at a level not previously seen in any U.S. allyship.

“Freeman told Military.com that the provision reaches across ‘seemingly every area of defense tech,’ including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber and biotechnology. He said the most alarming terms were ‘network integration’ and ‘data fusion,’ since the bill does not clearly define them.”

“Freeman said that if U.S. support for Israel is spread across contracts, data-sharing arrangements, licensing agreements and joint ventures, ‘There is no upper bound for the level of cooperation here.’

“‘The sky is the limit,’ he said. ’It would be all but impossible to come up with a full estimate of exactly how much U.S. money is going to Israel.’”

Some American lawmakers are voicing their concerns against this Bill. (Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/democrat-republican-lawmakers-team-up-against-us-israel-military-tech-synergy/) On June 4, 2026, an amendment to remove Section 224 from the Pentagon funding bill failed. (Source: https://www.commondreams.org/news/ndaa-section-224) Time will tell if the bill is passed with the language regarding Section 224 retained. I believe it will pass, and it will move us one step forward to the time of Jacob’s trouble and at the end of it, Jesus’ second coming.

While I believe many in Israel have forgotten God, He has not forgotten them. As He always has, He will save a remnant of the Jews during the coming time of Jacob’s trouble. It will be that remnant who will be saved and who will turn to Jesus Christ, their Messiah and their Deliverer:

“For the LORD will not cast off [abandon] his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.” (Psalm 94:14)

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of [depart from] the land.” (Zechariah 13:1-2)

“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try [test] them as gold is tried [tested]: they shall call on my name, and I will hear [answer] them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil [plunder] shall be divided in the midst of thee.” (Zechariah 14:1)

“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea [eastern, the Dead Sea], and half of them toward the hinder sea [western, the Mediterranean Sea]: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:8-9)

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid [Certainly not]. For I [the apostle Paul] also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot [Know] ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged [torn] down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:1-5)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits [opinion]; that blindness [hardening] in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-29)

I opened this devotional with the words of God, spoken through Moses, as written in the book of Deuteronomy, to His people, Israel, and I want to close with words of God, as written in Deuteronomy chapter 30, in which God promises a restoration of His people, Israel:

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shall call them to mind [cause them to return to your heart] among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the LORD thy God will turn thy [bring you back from] captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.” (Deuteronomy 30:1-5)

I believe the above Scriptures are referring to the very end of the time of human rule, after Israel has received all of God’s blessings for the times when it was faithful to God and also when it has undergone all of God’s curses when it was disobedient to Him. Notice above that God says, “when all these things are come upon thee.” I believe that God is telling us that this is a time of completion, which has not happened yet.

Notice also that it says that Israel will return unto God, but it also says they will do this “with all thine heart, and with all thy soul…” I do not believe this has happened yet, because Israel’s heart is still hardened in part. It is hardened against His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 6:9-1, Romans 11:25) As a nation, Israel’s heart will only be softened or changed when Jesus returns. Let us read what it says next in Deuteronomy 30 about Israel’s heart:

“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6)

As written earlier in Deuteronomy, Moses told Israel to circumcise their heart. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, warned Israel to worship Him with their heart, that the circumcision of the heart and not of the flesh is what He desired from them. The apostle Paul, who was a Jew and a Pharisee, also wrote about this:

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked [stubborn or rebellious].” (Deuteronomy 10:16)

“For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow [untilled] ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” (Jeremiah 4:3-4)

“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29)

This changing of Israel’s heart by God Himself that is written about in Deuteronomy 30:6 will only happen when Jesus returns to earth at the end of the time of Jacob’s trouble. At that time, Jesus will destroy all who come against Him, who will choose sin over salvation, and He will also gather Israel from all nations to which they have been dispersed and will bring them back into their land that He gave them. Did you notice in the Scriptures above in Deuteronomy 30:1-5 that it is speaking of this event? It says that the Lord “will return and gather thee from all the nations.” This is also written about in Ezekiel:

“For I will take you from among the heathen [nations], and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Obviously, this has not happened yet in modern day Israel, but it will happen. Jeremiah also writes about Israel’s heart, and it is in the context of the New Covenant that God will make with them, through Jesus Christ:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts [Mind], and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Before Jesus was crucified and gave up His life on the cross, He was with His disciples in an upper room to eat the Passover meal with them. Jesus told them that He was making a new testament (covenant) with them:

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament [covenant] in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:19-20)

As I close, I want to say that though Israel as a nation has forgotten God, God will never forget Israel. Oh, how I pray, that they will see that Jesus, the one whom they abhor, IS their Messiah. Let us read the account of Peter the apostle, as he spoke the words below to the rulers, elders, scribes, and the high priest of Israel and his family, as they questioned by what power and by what name he and the apostle John had healed a man who was lame from birth (Acts 3:1-4:7):

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of [are judged for] the good deed done to the impotent [helpless] man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of [rejected by] you builders, which is become the head of the corner [chief cornerstone]. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12)

Jesus has not forgotten Israel and He never will. Let us read another account of the apostle Peter, this time when he first addressed the men in Judaea and in Jerusalem after he and the other apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us also read the words of the prophet Isaiah written long ago about Jesus and how He will restore the preserved, or remnant, of Israel. It is Jesus who has made this new covenant with Israel and with all who believe in Him for their salvation:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart [cut to the heart], and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [forgiveness] of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [crooked] generation.” (Acts 2:36-40)

“And now, saith the LORD that formed me [Jesus] from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered [gathered to him], yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose [has chosen] thee. Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable [a favourable] time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish [restore] the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite [strike] them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking [nursing] child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven [inscribed] thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:5-16)