“A Star will Come Out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17)

The Star of David, or the Seal of Solomon as it was called during the Middle Ages, is a sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish People; as is the Sabbath. The two intersecting triangles make six smaller triangles. They represent the six days of the week, while the hexagon in the center is the special seventh day of the three Abrahamic Religions.

When YHWH establishes the Sabbath rules at Mount Sinai, He tells Moses (Exodus 31:13) “You yourself are to speak to the Israelites, “You (all) shall surely keep my Sabbaths, for this is a אוֹת between me and you (all) throughout your generations, given in order that you may know that I, YHWH, sanctify you.” The meaning of a sign between two parties is what the text describes, a mutual promise—a pact. Thus, the phrase is better rendered as “this is a pact sign between me and you (all).”

From the Jewish point of view the two equilateral triangles, one thrusting up and one reaching down, symbolize the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish People. The base of the equilateral triangle pointing up is the Jewish People; women on one side and men on the other. The apex signifies the children of Israel; the future generations.

The crest of the inverted triangle represents God’s creative and redemptive powers, one side being the aspect of judgement and the other the aspect of mercy. The tip reaching down is God’s gift of Torah/revelation to the People of Israel. Or the lower triangle represents what God requires of faithful Jews (the base): one side-to do justice, and the other side to show love and mercy. The apex is to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

The upper triangle represents what God offers us Jews. The crest is the Divine plan with one side being history (a chosen people), and the other side being destiny (a Messianic Age) and the tip is in the present; sanctity (a holy people).

Jews are not THE chosen people; they are A chosen people, the first of several ongoing monotheistic religions. A parent can have many children but only one is the firstborn. “These are the words of the Lord, Israel is my first-born son.” (Exodus 4:22)

The Jewish people was the first community to enter into an ongoing sacred relationship with the one and only God but they are not the only ones to do so. In later centuries other communities were formed to spread Tawhid monotheism worldwide.

That process will continue until all nations have a sacred relationship to the one God of Israel. “Each nation will walk in the name of its God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.” (Micah 4:5) Even in the Messianic Age the other nations will be free to faithfully follow their vision of the One God.

As the Qur’an states: “For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in prayer). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allâh will bring you together. Truly, Allâh is able to do all things.” (2:148) The commentary/Tafsir of al-Jalalayn states:

“Every person, of every community, has his direction/qibla, to which he turns in prayer, so compete with one another in good works; strive with acts of obedience and acceptance of these. Wherever you may be, God will bring you all together, gathering you on the Day of Resurrection and requiting you for your deeds; surely God has power over all things.”

And as Prophet Isaiah states: “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel  will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the heart. The LORD of Hosts will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”…(Isaiah 19:23-5)

Note that the one God of all nations will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”…(Isaiah 19:23-5)