The Book of the Wars of the Lord Is Still Being Written

Last week, as I was driving home from the beautiful coastal town of Ashkelon to my home outside of Bethlehem, I received a voice message from a Christian friend in Texas. Whenever I hear from him, I know to expect a Bible question—and usually a very good one. This time was no exception.

“What do Jewish commentators say about Numbers 21:14?” he asked. “Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord…” (Numbers 21:14). “What is this book? What’s in it? Has it been lost?”

It is, undeniably, one of the Bible’s most mysterious verses. A book is mentioned, a book about the wars of the Lord. But where is this book now?

The Sages offer different views. Nachmanides (1194-1270) explains that this was a real book, a record of Israel’s military campaigns written by God-fearing men. Rabbi Bachya ben Asher (1255–1340) goes a step further: “It was a book in its own right, and written there were the wars of the Lord for His reverent ones. And it’s possible that it was from the days of Abraham our father.”

The Zohar, the foundational work of Jewish mysticism, explains: “What is ‘in the book’? Rather, it is a supernal secret. There is a place that the Holy One, blessed be He, has that is called a book. All the power and might that God brings forth in His battles against the enemies of Israel are rooted in that book. From there they emerge.” In other words, there is a spiritual reality, a divine source, from which all of Israel’s wars originate. The visible battlefield is only the outcome. The real battle plan is written in Heaven.

Why is this significant? What does it mean for us?

Rabbi Reuven Sasson explains: This book of wars is not just a record of past events. It is a divine framework. The wars of Israel are not triggered by random geopolitical calculations or the hatred of enemies. Every war, from Abraham’s rescue of Lot to the Six-Day War, is part of a precise divine plan. It is a blueprint for the transformation of the people of Israel.

The Bible describes God as Ish milchamah, “a Man of war” (Exodus 15:3). Rabbi Sasson emphasizes that this doesn’t only mean God fights for Israel. It means He organizes the entire process. These battles are not just moments of survival. They are the means by which Israel ascends. They are the mechanisms of growth by which God shapes His people and prepares them for what comes next.

The Sages taught: “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). They interpreted: “Good refers to the kingdom of Heaven. Very good refers to the kingdom of Rome.” What does this mean? It means that Israel cannot rise and become the nation it is meant to be through comfort alone. To become “very good,” Israel must be challenged. Rome, and every other empire that seeks to dominate Israel, becomes the very pressure that fuels its spiritual development.

This is how God created the world: blessing follows struggle. A new level of goodness only emerges when it is forced through resistance. Just as labor pains precede birth, military conflict precedes spiritual advancement. God brings the next stage of Israel’s destiny into the world by setting up the crisis that will force us to grow.

That’s why the Sages teach: “If you see kingdoms provoking each other, await the footsteps of the Messiah.” The chaos isn’t random. It’s preparation for something greater.

The Book of the Wars of the Lord is not lost. It is ongoing. The wars of Israel, both ancient and modern, are not detours in our history. They are the key chapters. They are the defining events that mark each new elevation in Israel’s role and identity.

Just as Genesis speaks of the “Book of the Generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1), a record of the emergence of humanity, so too the Book of the Wars of the Lord is the record of Israel’s emergence. Each war is not only a response to a threat. It is a birth, a step forward. When you want to understand who Israel is, don’t just look at its commandments or prayers. Look at its wars. They are the turning points. They are the transitions from one stage to the next.

This belief—that every war is part of a heavenly sequence—speaks directly to our current moment. It means we reject the idea that history is random, that wars are simply the product of politics or hatred. It means we know that even when rockets fall, even when we are condemned for defending ourselves, even when the costs are high, we are not abandoned. God is directing our story. He is refining us, strengthening us, preparing us for what must come next. We are not in their hands. We are in His. He is the One writing our book.

Over the past two years, we have seen this book unfold in real time. Israel has been attacked by Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Islamic regime in Iran. But this is not just a political or military reality—it is a spiritual one. We are living through a chapter of the Book of the Wars of the Lord. And just as in earlier generations, this war has revealed the greatness of Israel. The courage of our soldiers, the resilience of our people, the unity of our nation—these are not side effects. They are the fruit of a divinely orchestrated confrontation. God is lifting us to a new level. And through this trial, we are witnessing the emergence of strength, clarity, and purpose that had long been dormant.

Our enemies think they are the initiators. But they are only actors in a drama written by Heaven.