What does the Pentateuch have to say to Christians navigating politics, nationalism, power, and division in 2026?

Caleb Campbell talks with Old Testament scholars Dave Beldman and Michael Rhodes about why pastors shouldn’t skip the difficult parts of Genesis through Deuteronomy. They explore the Pentateuch’s vision for work, justice, economic life, immigration, the environment, leadership, and the people of God—and what happens when we pull biblical commands out of their story and use them to serve our modern political agendas.

They discuss the Ten Commandments, Jubilee, the tabernacle, Joseph, and the difference between ancient Israel and the church as God’s “holy nation.” Most importantly, they ask what it looks like for pastors to help their churches enter the world of Scripture, hear God’s agenda, and discern how to live it out faithfully in our own context.

The goal isn’t to find partisan political answers in the Bible. It’s to let Scripture form a people whose lives embody a different kingdom—a kingdom where power is redefined, neighbors are loved, outsiders are welcomed, and the flourishing of others matters.

As Michael Rhodes puts it, there is “gold here that your people need”—but finding it requires us to linger in the text.

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