Israel’s destiny is not decided by headlines, and we were never meant to walk it alone.
There is a powerful promise over Israel:
“בַּיהוָה יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל.”
“In Adonai shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.”
ישעיהו מ״ה:כ״ה | Isaiah 45:25
This verse reminds us that the final destiny of Israel is not determined by the nations, headlines, wars, accusations, or enemies surrounding us. The descendants of Israel will ultimately find their justice, their vindication, and their glory in Adonai.
Our calling, therefore, is not merely to survive. We are called to become a people who walk together, serve together, honor one another, seek the face of Elohim, and prepare the way for His purposes in Israel.
We are eternal beings. The decisions we make are not merely about temporary comfort. Our lives are connected to an eternal Kingdom, an eternal covenant, and the eternal purposes of Elohim.
Humility Before Position
One of the strongest foundations for any fellowship, ministry, family, Kehilah, army unit, organization, or nation is humility.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
פיליפים ב׳:ג׳–ד׳ | Philippians 2:3–4
The Kingdom of Elohim does not function according to human ambition. Yeshua demonstrated leadership through service.
The question is not simply, “What position do I have?” It is, “Whom am I helping?”
Not, “Who recognizes me?” but, “Whom am I recognizing?” Not, “How can I advance myself?” but, “How can I strengthen the person standing beside me?”
That principle is essential because the mission Elohim has given us is too large for one person.
One Shepherd Over Israel
The prophets repeatedly speak about a shepherd and ruler from the line of David.
“וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיהֶם רֹעֶה אֶחָד וְרָעָה אֶתְהֶן אֵת עַבְדִּי דָוִיד…”
“And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David… and My servant David a prince among them.”
יחזקאל ל״ד:כ״ג–כ״ד | Ezekiel 34:23–24
“וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם וְרוֹעֶה אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם.”
“And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd.”
יחזקאל ל״ז:כ״ד | Ezekiel 37:24
“וְעָבְדוּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֵת דָּוִד מַלְכָּם אֲשֶׁר אָקִים לָהֶם.”
“But they shall serve Adonai their Elohim, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.”
ירמיהו ל׳:ט׳ | Jeremiah 30:9
For believers in Yeshua, these passages point toward the Messianic King, the Son of David, the Shepherd who gathers, restores, protects, and rules His people.
Leadership in Scripture is therefore shepherding. It is not domination.
Israel Must Not Be Like Sheep Without a Shepherd
We see the same principle when Moses prepares for the next generation of leadership.
“אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא לִפְנֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא לִפְנֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יוֹצִיאֵם וַאֲשֶׁר יְבִיאֵם וְלֹא תִהְיֶה עֲדַת יְהוָה כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶם רֹעֶה.”
“Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of Adonai be not as sheep which have no shepherd.”
במדבר כ״ז:י״ז–י״ח | Numbers 27:17–18
Then Elohim tells Moses: “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him.”
Biblical leadership goes before the people. It does not merely send other people into difficulty. A shepherd walks with the flock.
That is leadership in the Kehilah. That is leadership in Israel. That is leadership in ministry. That is leadership in service.
All the Families of Israel
“בָּעֵת הַהִיא נְאֻם־יְהוָה אֶהְיֶה לֵאלֹהִים לְכֹל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ־לִי לְעָם.”
“At the same time, saith Adonai, will I be the Elohim of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
ירמיהו ל״א:א׳ | Jeremiah 31:1
Notice the words: all the families of Israel. Elohim is building a people, not merely promoting individuals.
And that means we must learn how to work together.
קהלת ד׳:ט׳–י׳ | Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 teaches that two are better than one because they receive a better return for their labor, and when one falls the other can lift him up. Ecclesiastes 4:12 declares that “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
“הִנֵּה מַה־טּוֹב וּמַה־נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם־יָחַד.”
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
תהילים קל״ג:א׳ | Psalm 133:1
נחמיה ד׳:ו׳ | Nehemiah 4:6 describes the rebuilding of Jerusalem because “the people had a mind to work.”
Everyone had a section of wall. Everyone had responsibility. Nobody rebuilt Jerusalem alone.
משלי כ״ז:י״ז | Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron. עמוס ג׳:ג׳ | Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
Unity does not mean everybody has the same personality or assignment. It means we agree on the direction.
The Pattern of Yeshua and the Early Believers
Yeshua Himself established this pattern.
מתי י״ח:י״ט–כ׳ | Matthew 18:19–20 speaks about believers agreeing together in prayer and gathering in His name. מרקוס ו׳:ז׳ | Mark 6:7 records that Yeshua sent His disciples two by two. לוקס י׳:א׳ | Luke 10:1 shows the same principle again. They were not sent as isolated individuals.
Afterward, the early believers continued in this pattern.
מעשי השליחים ב׳:מ״ב–מ״ז | Acts 2:42–47 describes believers continuing together in teaching, fellowship, meals, prayer, generosity, worship, and practical care. מעשי השליחים ד׳:ל״ב | Acts 4:32 says the believers were “of one heart and of one soul.”
This was not simply theological agreement. Their unity changed the way they treated possessions, needs, meals, relationships, prayer, and service.
One Body, Many Functions
רומים י״ב:ד׳–ה׳ | Romans 12:4–5 teaches that although there are many members, together we form one body. Romans 12:10 tells us to be devoted to one another and to honor one another.
Then Paul gives one of the clearest pictures of teamwork:
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but Elohim gave the increase.”
קורינתים א׳ ג׳:ו׳–ט׳ | 1 Corinthians 3:6–9
One person plants. Another waters. Elohim brings growth.
Human beings have an impressive tendency to fight over who gets credit for watering a plant Elohim caused to grow in the first place. Scripture gives us a better way.
קורינתים א׳ י״ב:י״ב–כ״ז | 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 teaches that the body has many parts and every part is necessary. קורינתים ב׳ ו׳:א׳ | 2 Corinthians 6:1 calls us fellow workers. גלטים ו׳:ב׳ | Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens.”
אפסים ד׳:י״א–ט״ז | Ephesians 4:11–16 explains that the whole body grows when every part does its work. פיליפים א׳:כ״ז | Philippians 1:27 calls believers to strive together as one, and Philippians 2:2 calls us to be like-minded, sharing the same love and purpose.
קולוסים ג׳:י״ד–ט״ו | Colossians 3:14–15 teaches that love binds everything together in unity. תסלוניקים א׳ ה׳:י״א | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says to encourage and build one another up.
עברים י׳:כ״ד–כ״ה | Hebrews 10:24–25 tells us to encourage one another toward love and good works and not abandon gathering together. פטרוס א׳ ד׳:י׳ | 1 Peter 4:10 commands every believer to use his or her gift in service to others.
This is the Kingdom pattern: everybody brings something.
Psalm 27 and October 7
Few chapters speak more powerfully to Israel in days of war than תהילים כ״ז | Psalm 27.
David begins:
“יְהוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי מִמִּי אִירָא.”
“Adonai is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
תהילים כ״ז:א׳ | Psalm 27:1
After October 7, those words carry enormous weight.
We remember the invasion, murder, kidnapping, fires, sirens, shattered communities, and the long war that followed. Psalm 27 does not deny danger. David speaks openly about enemies, armies, warfare, false witnesses, and people breathing violence.
תהילים כ״ז:ב׳–ג׳ | Psalm 27:2–3 declares that even when enemies and armies rise, fear does not have to rule our hearts.
Then David says something extraordinary.
“אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי.”
“One thing have I desired of Adonai… that I may dwell in the house of Adonai all the days of my life.”
תהילים כ״ז:ד׳ | Psalm 27:4
In the middle of danger, David’s greatest desire is the presence of Elohim.
תהילים כ״ז:ה׳–ו׳ | Psalm 27:5–6 describes Elohim hiding him in His tabernacle and setting him upon a rock. That speaks deeply to our calling to build places of prayer and worship even in wartime.
“אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ.”
“Thy face, Adonai, will I seek.”
תהילים כ״ז:ח׳ | Psalm 27:8
תהילים כ״ז:י״א | Psalm 27:11 asks Elohim, “Teach me Thy way.” We need protection, but we also need His way.
תהילים כ״ז:י״ב | Psalm 27:12 speaks about false witnesses and those who breathe out violence.
Yet David refuses to end there.
“לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב־יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים.”
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of Adonai in the land of the living.”
תהילים כ״ז:י״ג | Psalm 27:13
We are still believing to see His goodness in the land of the living.
And Psalm 27 ends:
“קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ וְקַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה.”
“Wait on Adonai: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.”
תהילים כ״ז:י״ד | Psalm 27:14
Yom Teruah: The Sound of Awakening
This brings us naturally to יום תרועה | Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpet Blasts. Its Torah foundation is found in ויקרא כ״ג:כ״ג–כ״ה | Leviticus 23:23–25 and במדבר כ״ט:א׳–ו׳ | Numbers 29:1–6.
Israel was commanded to rest, gather, remember, worship, and mark the day with the sound of teruah.
The trumpet carries themes of awakening, warning, gathering, kingship, remembrance, and preparation.
For believers in Yeshua, those themes also point forward toward the return and reign of the Messiah.
מתי כ״ד:ל׳–ל״א | Matthew 24:30–31 speaks of the Son of Man gathering His elect “with a great sound of a trumpet.” קורינתים א׳ ט״ו:נ״א–נ״ב | 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 speaks of the last trumpet and the resurrection of the dead.
תסלוניקים א׳ ד׳:ט״ז–י״ז | 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 describes the descent of the Lord with the trumpet of Elohim. התגלות י״א:ט״ו | Revelation 11:15 announces at the seventh trumpet that the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah.
The biblical progression is magnificent: awakening, repentance, atonement, dwelling.
- Yom Teruah awakens us
- Yom Kippur reminds us of repentance and atonement
- Sukkot points toward dwelling with Elohim and rejoicing in His presence
So as we remember October 7, as we serve Israel, as we build the Kehilah, as we strengthen one another, and as we prepare for what lies ahead, our answer cannot be fear.
Our answer must be faithfulness.
One shepherd. One people. Many members. Many gifts. One mission.
We will seek His face. We will strengthen one another. We will bear one another’s burdens. We will work while there is work to be done. We will sound the trumpet.
We will believe that the descendants of Israel will find justice and glory in Adonai.
And we will continue expecting to see the goodness of Adonai בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים, in the land of the living.
Continue in this series with Chaim: Elohim Is Big, and Fear Shrinks and Inscribed in the Book of Life, or browse everything on our Resources page. You can read Ezekiel 34 in full at Sefaria.
