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Bible Question: God
said that Israel was His chosen people. Is this an Old Testament saying
or are all Christians considered chosen as it seems in the New Testament?
Will Jews who do not believe in Jesus be considered chosen? Please
explain "chosen."
Bible Answer: The
expression "Chosen People" primarily refers to the Jewish
people or the nation of Israel. It is also true that God has chosen
individuals to become Christians and somtimes we call them chosen,
too. As a result we look at Israel as God's chosen people and at Christians
as people whom God has chosen to live with Him in heaven. Will
Jews who do not believe in Jesus be considered chosen? They will be
considered a chosen people but not for eternal life in heaven. God
has told us that there is only one way to enter heaven. It is not
by race or being born into a country. There is only one way to enter
heaven.
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And
there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name
under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must
be saved. (NASB) Acts 4:12 |
Promise
To Israel. The nation of Israel became God's "Chosen People"
when God promised Abraham that He would make his children become a
great nation. This is a wonderful miracle because Abraham and his
wife Sarah did not have children. Sarah could not have any children.
The Lord knew this and so He promised Abraham something he wanted.
Have you ever wondered if God does not care about what you want? Sometimes
He just gives us our wants and other times He waits for the right
time. God could have given Abraham children at any time, but God had
something more wonderful for Abraham. He wanted Abraham tp learn about
faith and the blessings that follow. Here is the promise of our Lord.
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Now
the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and
from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the
land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation,
and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall
be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the
one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families
of the earth shall be blessed.” (NASB) Genesis 12:1-3 |
Abraham had a decision to make and he made the best one. He left the
comfort of his home and relatives in the Ur of the Chaldeans.
Today the Israelites are called the
Chosen People because God was faithful and fulfilled His promise to
Abraham. Why did God do this? He did not do this because they are
better people but because He had made a promise to Abraham and loved
Abraham's children.
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For
you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God
has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of
all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The LORD did
not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more
in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of
all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath
which He swore to your forefathers . . . (NASB) Deut. 7:6-8 |
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