Chosen People Ministries

08/29/2026

The Torah portion Ki Tavo begins with something remarkably ordinary: bringing the firstfruits of the harvest before God. Israel is instructed to take some of the first bounty of the land and bring it before the Almighty. But before the offering is presented, the worshipper tells a story: “A wandering Aramean was my father. . .” (Deuteronomy 26:5).

The offering is therefore not simply about what is in Israel’s hands, but about remembering how Israel got there. Their abundance is rooted in a story of slavery, wandering, deliverance, and God’s faithfulness. Before celebrating what they received, Israel is told to remember what they once were and what God has done.

This is important as blessings can render us forgetful. When life becomes stable, we can begin to imagine that stability was always ours. We can look at what is in our hands without remembering the wilderness that came before or the God from whom all blessings flow. The firstfruits remind Israel that everything they received is ultimately a gift.

Israel is also commanded to rejoice along with the stranger and the Levite in their midst. Biblical blessing is never meant to end with the person who receives it. What God gives us becomes an opportunity to bless someone else.

The passage then turns to covenant unfaithfulness. Israel is reminded that their choices matter; their relationship with God cannot be separated from everyday living, worship, or how they treat others. Moses recalls what the people have witnessed: Egypt, the wilderness, and God’s enduring care. Yet they still need hearts to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear. Remembering God's faithfulness is not merely an emotional exercise; it is meant to shape how Israel lives.

Ki Tavo calls us to remember where we have come from and who has sustained us along the way. The firstfruits remind us that we did not arrive at this moment, nor receive our blessings and provisions, through our efforts alone. All that we have is ultimately a gift from God. The gifts placed in our hands are not meant to end with us, but to become a source of blessing for others.

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

Discover the Hebrew Word of the Week: Derekh (Way).

08/27/2026

Join us in New York City for a special Erev Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) service as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and find comfort, courage, and hope in the God of Israel.

📅 Friday, September 11, 2026 | 7 p.m.
📍 Redeemer Presbyterian Church (East Side)
🎟️ FREE (RSVP requested)

Details & Registration 👇
https://bit.ly/4wVaLGp

08/27/2026

Through His miracles, His authority, and His boldest claims, Jesus (Yeshua) revealed His divine nature to those who believed.

Explore the biblical claims of Yeshua's divinity: https://bit.ly/45Nb8aZ

08/26/2026

Israelis are traveling to Asia in remarkable numbers.

Across Asia—from Tokyo and Taiwan to Hong Kong and Goa—communities of local believers are opening their doors to thousands of Israeli travelers every year. Whether it’s hosting over 3,000 guests at Beit Samurai in Japan, sending workers across the globe from Hong Kong, or spending 10 years in faithful friendship with travelers in India—God is moving in powerful ways!

Discover more: https://bit.ly/4xXD7R5

08/25/2026

Our staff in Jerusalem want to share a story of ministry spanning three generations of one family, each drawn to Jesus, their Messiah.

“Many years ago, we met a Holocaust survivor who started coming to our different gatherings. Over time, through our continued sharing the gospel with her, she came to faith in Yeshua. We have continued our relationship with her for many years. Then something beautiful happened with the next generation. Her daughter began attending our regular women’s meetings.

Both the grandmother and the mother experienced life-changing transformation, and their joy is evident in their desire to follow Jesus. This past summer, we held a variety of children’s and teen camps, and the granddaughter attended the teen camp for the second time. The third generation! She learned more about Jesus through hearing the Word; she participated in both the spiritual meetings and the fun events, and she heard the testimonies of counselors and leaders. At the end of the summer, she gave her life to the Lord.

We are so grateful that we could be a part of her journey—from grandma to mother to daughter. We had no idea that investing, listening, praying, and sharing with one person could affect a whole family. Three generations!”

Also in this week’s Inside Israel:
🔹Soldier’s Organ Donation Saves Six Lives
🔹Israeli Response Service Trains Synagogue Security Teams
🔹Fallen Israel Defense Forces Soldier Returned to Israel After 44 Years

Read this week's new stories: https://bit.ly/4xs197e

08/24/2026

Join host Robert Walter and Chaim Dauermann for an encouraging conversation about Chaim's journey away from faith—and the way the Lord ultimately brought him back. Hear his personal testimony of walking away, searching for answers, and discovering that God had never stopped pursuing him.

Watch the full video: https://bit.ly/4zOcgJh

08/23/2026

With two parents who survived the horrors of the Holocaust but also lost many family members in Auschwitz and Treblinka, Michael was furious with his mother when she finally went public about her faith in Jesus after being a secret believer for twenty years. After asking God to confirm whether Jesus is the Messiah, he became convinced of the “surpassing value of knowing Messiah Jesus” (Philippians 3:8).

Watch Michael's testimony: https://bit.ly/4gednso

08/22/2026

It is important to recognize that many commands in the Torah were like civic law ordering Israelite society and ensuring justice in that context. For example, this week’s portion orders that if a man has two wives and the unloved wife bears the firstborn son, this son cannot be overlooked for the inheritance in preference of the loved wife’s son; in fact, the firstborn must receive a “double portion” (Deuteronomy 21:15–17).

Now, it is fascinating to see how the entire storyline of the Bible unfolds by both following and deviating from this pattern, which one can hardly read without thinking about the story of Jacob. Jacob loved Rachel, but unloved Leah was the first to birth a son, Reuben. And the Bible states that the inheritance was at first passed down to Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:1–2).

It is equally important to note that there is a higher moral/spiritual law undergirding these civic duties. Genesis 49:3–4 and 1 Chronicles 5:1–2 explain that because Reuben defiled his father’s bed he forfeited his birthright. Instead, it went to Joseph, who received two tribes (Manasseh and Ephraim) as his double portion. But Judah received the prominence Reuben lost (Gen 49:4).

All this gets expressed in the Joseph narrative where the author shows us the trajectory of Reuben’s descent in parallel to Judah’s ascent, all in the context of Joseph’s descent and ascent. What we end up seeing is that Reuben starts well, desiring even to rescue Joseph, but he doesn’t finish well. In contrast, while Judah begins as the brother who proposes to sell Joseph, he is deeply humbled (Gen 38) and later sacrifices himself to spare Benjamin. Both Judah and Joseph undergo a spiritual transformation that is never depicted about Reuben. And it is such heart change that the Torah and its laws are all about. There are many places where the Bible upholds a higher law of faith over civic duties (Jacob/Esau, David/Saul).

Above all, God sees the heart and rewards those who grasp the spirit behind His written Torah. It is to them that He entrusts His Word and through them that He writes His story.