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Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad


Vezot HaBrachah 54-5

And this is the blessing

Deuteronomy 33:22-26

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.

Deut. 33:26 NIV

Who is Yeshurun?

There are three names for the people of the Eternal in the Scriptures: Yaakov, Israel and Yeshurun. The three of them represent three levels of spirituality. Yaakov is the lowest and Yeshurun is the highest. Yaakov represents the earthly people, Israel represents the spiritual people and Yeshurun represents the heavenly people. The word Yeshurun appears only four times in the Scriptures; three in the Torah of Moshe and one in the Prophets.

In Isaiah 44:1-2 it is written: "But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.  This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen." (NIV)

The prophet speaks here about these three groups from the people of the covenant. Yaakov is the one destined to serve the Eternal and fulfill his purposes on earth. He didn't receive any promise of having descendants like the stars as Avraham and Yitzchak did – only like the sand and the dust. In this way, the name Yaakov represents the people of the covenant that lives in the natural world and has its part and function in this present age.

The name Israel represents the descendants of the spiritual Yaakov, who has had an experience of being broken in himself and has acknowledged his urgent need for help from heaven to be able to live. It is the people of the covenant who fight with the Eternal and who overcome the evil forces, both inner and external, in the physical and spiritual worlds.

The name Yeshurun comes from the root ישר, yashar, which means upright, straight, fair. It represents the people of the covenant who have reached a level of obedience in which there are no reasons for reproach or rebuke. It is the righteous and heavenly people who know their God and walk with Him in the Spirit.

The text of the prophet Isaiah speaks of two chosen peoples, Israel and Yeshurun. In that way, Israel may represent the righteous ones who are within the people of the covenant, and Yeshurun may be understood as those who have been chosen from among the sons and daughters of Israel to achieve a higher level of justice; those who have received justification by the faith promised to the ancient ones, and fulfilled through the atoning death and resurrection of Yeshua. Those who reach this third level of sanctification are the stars in the sky – the ones who have heavenly citizenship, and those who will live in the heavenly Yerushalaim which will come in the future to the earth. They are those who have experienced the power of the resurrection and have received the gift of the Spirit of Sanctity through Yeshua's glorification in heaven. (John 7:37-39; Acts. 2).

Since the offer of salvation has also reached the Gentiles, those who from among them, respond to that calling to repentance and rejection to idolatry, to turn to the God of Israel and believe in His testimony about Yeshua's resurrection, will receive the same spirit as the Jews who have achieved that level and will also be counted among the righteous ones and be called Yeshurun.

In that way there is an open door for the non-Jews to become part of the heavenly people, the chosen people from among the sons of Israel and also from among the nations.

How great it is to be able to be part of the people Yeshurun!

Today's text from the Torah teaches us that those who are from Yeshurun have a God who is above everything and who shows His power in this world from heaven. Those who have learned to trust Him, and not their own works or justice, are the chosen heavenly people – Yeshurun.

People of Yeshurun among Jews and non-Jews – rejoice in your God who comes to your help!

Blessings,

Ketriel


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