Editor’s note – We’re glad to run this piece from a writer who has spent real time inside Jewish community life during the fall feasts, sitting at the table rather than watching from a distance. His question is simple: why does God keep calling a wayward people “upright”? The answer says as much about how God deals with each of us as it does about Israel.
A Season with Israel
My wife and I are two people who have fallen in love with Israel and the Jewish people. Thankfully, many have invited two Christians into their world to see, learn, and grow closer to God simply by being with them. We partied on Rosh Hashanah with a house full of Christians who are devoted to seeing the redemption of Israel. We fasted and took a deep spiritual inventory during the “Days of Awe“. And threw rocks into the river. (Tashlikh) We attended multiple Yom Kippur services in a synagogue. And last night, we had an incredible dinner in a sukkah, discussing Torah and sharing laughs, wine, and way too much food.
I am thankful. And no longer confused about an intimate name God calls Israel: Jeshurun.
The Name Jeshurun in Scripture
The name “Jeshurun” (Hebrew: יְשֻׁרוּן, Yeshurun) is a nickname for Israel found four times in the Hebrew Bible. It comes from a root word meaning “upright” or “straight,” suggesting righteousness or integrity. The term is often understood as an affectionate or honoring title for the nation of Israel, emphasizing its role as God’s chosen people.
Interestingly, the first time it is used in Scripture, God is not happy with them. Yet He uses their nickname while He is calling them out:
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, thick, and sleek — he abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. [Deuteronomy 32:15]
In this passage, Jeshurun is used to describe Israel in a state of complacency and rebellion. Despite being blessed and prospered by God, Israel turns away, illustrating the nation’s tendency to forget its dependence on the Lord. That is strange to me. Because as a child, my nickname was only used when I was being good and pleasing. When my mother wanted to put the fear of God in me, she would sternly call me by my full first name. If my middle name was also included in her scolding, I knew I needed to buckle up. Things were about to get real.
Editor’s note – That contrast between a pet name and a full-name scolding is worth noticing. God doesn’t switch to a colder title when Israel sins; He keeps using the name that describes who they’re meant to be.
So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, together with the tribes of Israel. [Deuteronomy 33:5]
Here, Jeshurun is depicted as a nation recognizing God’s kingship. This verse is part of Moses’ blessing to the tribes of Israel, highlighting their unity and submission to the One who brought them out of slavery.
There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty. [Deuteronomy 33:26]
This verse acknowledges God as the protector and helper of Jeshurun. It helps us see Him as a very present help in times of trouble.
And the fourth time that name is mentioned, Isaiah says:
This is the word of the LORD your Maker, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. [Isaiah 44:2]
In Isaiah, Jeshurun is used as a term of endearment, underscoring God’s ongoing commitment and choice of Israel. It reassures the people of God’s help and presence, despite their fears and challenges.
What’s in a Name?
“Jeshurun” serves as a reminder of Israel’s calling to live uprightly before God. It reflects both the nation’s potential for righteousness and its frequent failures to maintain faithfulness. The use of Jeshurun in Scripture shows the tension between Israel’s identity as God’s chosen people and their recurring disobedience. It also highlights God’s never-ending grace (chesed) and commitment to His covenant, despite Israel’s shortcomings.
God Knows Your Name.
The Lord replied to Moses, 'I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.' [Exodus 33:17]
Scripture tells us that God knows His creation by name. “He determines the number of the stars. He gives them all their names.” [Psalm 147:4]
The Bible teaches that God knows each person individually and has a specific plan and purpose for our lives. The phrase “I have called you by name” signifies His personal relationship with each of us, calling us to a life of faith, obedience, and service.
Editor’s note – The same God who names the stars knows the name of every believer He has called into His family. If He remembers Jeshurun through centuries of failure, He has not lost track of you in yours.
Israel and the Jewish people are called by different names in the Bible. Whether it is Israel, Jacob, children of the Lord, Jeshurun, My son, Zion, or simply My People, He will always have a loving title for those whom He called thousands of years ago. And regardless of their actions, His love will never depart from them. Maybe Jeshurun isn’t simply a name describing what Israel always was. Maybe it’s a name reminding Israel, and reminding us of what God sees when He looks at the people He has called His own.
God doesn’t only call Israel Jeshurun when Israel has it all together. He calls them Jeshurun while correcting them. He calls them Jeshurun while blessing them. He calls Himself the God of Jeshurun when they need help. And He calls them Jeshurun when He is telling them not to be afraid.
Last night, sitting in a sukkah with Jewish friends, eating, laughing, talking, and celebrating, I thought about that strange little name: Jeshurun. I used to think it was simply an unusual word buried in the Hebrew Scriptures. Now I think it sounds a lot more like the voice of a Father. I know who you are. I know who I called you to be. And I haven’t forgotten your name. Jeshurun. The upright one.
Even when Jeshurun grows fat and kicks. Even when Jeshurun forgets. Even when Jeshurun needs correction. The name doesn’t disappear. That’s the profound truth that has stayed with me. God doesn’t stop calling Israel by the name He gave them simply because they fail to live up to it. And perhaps that’s the grace hidden inside this strange little Hebrew word. God sees what we are. But He also remembers what He called us to be. And sometimes, when we have forgotten, He doesn’t give us a new name. He simply calls us by the old one again. “Jeshurun. Remember who you are.”
May 5787 be your best year ever! -Issachar
A Word from the Editor
Names carry weight in Scripture because God’s own character stands behind them. Jeshurun reminds us that He does not wait for us to get it together before He calls us His own. If you have wandered and wondered whether God still remembers who He made you to be, take this as your answer: He does, and He is still calling you by name.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
Editor Comment: Your firsthand time inside the fall feasts gives this reflection on God's covenant faithfulness a weight many readers appreciate.
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.