God's Chosen People
- VBS4ever
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
Why are Jews (Israelites) God's chosen people?
'Chosen' does not mean 'superior' -- it means 'selected for a purpose.' The Jews are not 'superior' they were merely 'selected by God for a purpose.'
God 'chose' Abraham and his seed in order to protect the Israelites because He promised the Savior would come through Adam’s good seed ... from Abraham on to King David and through to Jesus Christ. The key to the whole issue is God’s faithfulness to His original covenant with Adam, who had no ethnicity except as a son of God.
Genesis 12:1-3 - "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
God made a covenant with Abram (Abraham). He didn't choose a nation, He chose a man. God’s covenant was a blessing that made one man (Abraham) into a great nation (Genesis 15:1-21). When God makes promises through a covenant, He fulfills them because of HIS faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9 ). God chose Abram for a purpose. Just as God extends salvation by His grace, He made the covenant to Abram by grace; Abram did nothing to deserve what he was promised.
God told Moses to tell the children of Israel -- Exodus 19:5-6 - "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."
However, the Israelites didn’t keep God's covenant and commandments, so God expanded His grace to include the Gentiles (you and me). Praise the Lord! Although the nation of Israel rejected their Messiah, God used Abraham and his descendants to bring the gospel to all people; He built a nation from one man just like He did in the beginning with Adam (the first Adam)--God commanded Adam to be fruitful and multiply. But because of Adam’s sin, God extended His redemptive plan through the Jews to the Messiah, Jesus — the sinless Second Adam. (Adam was the head of the old creation, Christ is the head of the new creation.)
John 15:16a - “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: ..."
The Jews' rejection of the Messiah didn't break God's promise, but grace does not run in the blood. Only some of Abraham's seed were chosen, just as some people choose to confess and receive Jesus as Saviour and some don't. There are 'professed Christians' and 'real believers.'
Romans 9:6-8 - "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Why didn't the children of Israel keep the covenant? and why did God throw them out of the land He promised them? Hosea 11:1-12 tells us although God threw Israel out of the land, His anger would subside and He would deliver a transformed Israel that would be who God called her to be. God knows the future. This prophecy was fulfilled in God’s only begotten Son — Jesus Christ. See Matthew 2:13-15.
Ultimately, Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament law and is God’s Chosen One — the true Israel of God (Luke 9:35). Where Israel failed, Jesus passed every test. He is worthy, He is God.
Philippians 2:6-7 - "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
God is good -- all ways and always.
Christians do nothing outside the grace of God for salvation (Ephesians 2:5). If you have been spiritually born, you too are chosen. (1Peter 2:4-5). And if in Christ, we are also the true Israel of God. His adopted children share in the privileges and inherit the promises (Galatians 3:14). God protected His people to bring redemption to all men; His plan has been fulfilled in Christ and it will be consummated when He calls us home and He defeats the last enemy: death (1Corinthians 15:26).
Why stand with Israel? Because God chose them ... not because they are worthy or superior, but because of God's purpose for them. Christian, He has a purpose for you too. If you have received Christ as Saviour, you are part of the 'elect.'
If you have faith that God can save your soul, surely you have faith that Almighty God chose Israel for HIS purpose. Don't let the world fool you and tell you otherwise.
Today's song, Chosen (Israel), written by Naomi Knoll and Evangeline Inman, is a declaration that America stands with the nation of Israel.
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