This bugs me...the chosen people

[Plumbdumb]

God chose the jewish people to work out his salvation through them. Why would God need to chose "A" people. Isn't our God big enough to chose all people? And wouldnt' that make more sense

I am assuming the you would choose all people if you were God. Never gave much thot to how I would do things if I were God, but I'm sure the way I chose would not necessarily be the way you would choose. God's word tells us that we do not understand Him. Check out His conversation with Job at the end of that book, and there are numerous others verses that let us know that since we are not God, we can't understand everything He does. I just got to thinking about all the things God has done that I fail to see the reasoning behind His actions. But then, I'm just................................................................

 

[GenemZ]

God chose the jewish people to work out his salvation through them. Why would God need to chose "A" people. Isn't our God big enough to chose all people? And wouldnt' that make more sense

"The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." Revelation 12:9a niv

Its the Devil's world. He leads the whole world astray (and into an ash tray).

God chose the small nation of Israel to set up a contrast between his system for life, and that of the proud Devil's. God can choose a people, because God can control who, when, and where, each one of us is to be born.

" From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." Acts 17:26 niv

God has chosen Israel for a special function in Eternity, as well. After all, Jerusalem is chosen for the capitol of the world. The throne Jesus will sit on will be stationed in the New Jerusalem! Israel has been chosen for the future, as well as the past for a special place in God's order of importance amongst the nations.

" This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' " Zechariah 8:33 niv

That will take place during the Millenium..... God is not done with the Jews yet. They have been chosen for a purpose. Just as we, the Church, has been chosen with a purpose. Ours is to become the helpmate for Christ. Those who are now faithful to grow in grace and truth, and overcome (in their thinking) the evil they find in their world, will be allowed to rule with Christ. Those who seek after false understanding will be still saved, but not granted authority to reign with Christ over the nations.

"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- " Revelation 2:26 niv

That rulership will be a close intimate sharing of Christ of his life with those who wanted to know the truth while living on this earth. All the so called faithful "religious" types will not be granted such authority. They will be happy in their resurrection life, but disallowed certain privileges only granted to those who kept growing in grace and truth all of their lives. That is why I dislike denominations so much. Denominations put up walls of dogma and man made tradition, that keep one a prisoner of not being able to discover the vast frontier of the entire Bible and what it has to teach us. Faithful to denominational creeds and traditions... but fearful of taking up one's cross and leaving the security of confomity of "safety in numbers" into the transforming spiritual life of growing in an accurate understanding of God's Holy Word. The Word that was with God in the beginning. The Word that would tear down one's denominational blockades if it were to be accepted with open eyes of one's heart.

Yes... The Jews will have special function in Eternity. Abraham was promised a land grant that he never received in his lifetime. It was about the size of the United States. Not the little nation of Israel we see today. That has yet to be. The seed of Abraham (which are OT and Tribulational saints) will inherit that earthly kingdom. We, the Church, have been chosen for a home in Heaven. Our mansions will be in Heaven, but we will serve with Christ on the New Earth.

Each group chosen by God for his purpose and delight.

Grace and peace, GeneZ

 

[TheMainException]

God wanted a perfect people, and since they were from the line of Abraham, who was a righteous man, he considered them to be more holy than others.

 

[GenemZ]

God wanted a perfect people, and since they were from the line of Abraham, who was a righteous man, he considered them to be more holy than others.

Not so. He did not consider them more holy than others. He chose them to be under his system of government, and gave them the protocols to true worship of God. He never saw them as being more righteous. Only those who believed in Him and follow his Word were righteous. In them selves, they were not righteous.

For example; the Jewish religious leaders thought because they were the seed of Abraham that they were righteous. Jesus told them that their father was Satan. You can read about it in John 8:39-47.

Grace and peace, GeneZ

 

[WashedClean]

He chose a people he knew would rebel against him, in order to show his unending forgiveness toward the world.

If he forgives those who constantly went against him, it shows his grace.

This is the best answer yet. Remember, God called the Israelites a "stiff necked" people. Stubborn to the core. Actually, we all are, and that's what makes them the perfect example of "God's strength being perfected in their weakness".

As someone stated, God chose Israel to be the nation whom Jesus Christ would be born into physically. Through Abraham, people of all nations around the world are blessed through salvation in Christ.

 

[PreacherFergy]

God chose the jewish people to work out his salvation through them. Why would God need to chose "A" people. Isn't our God big enough to chose all people? And wouldnt' that make more sense

First of all, let's get this clear. God's acts and decisions aren't up for dispute. If God only wanted to save one person, then so be it, He doesn't have to save anyone!

God chose Israel for a people for His name, just as He did with the church in the New Testament.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isa. 55:8-9

"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Rom. 11:36

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." -Rev. 4:11

 

[encouraging loves animals]

God loves everybody, he doesn't just chose the jewish people, i'm not jewish & i have experience his love too & power, that's in turn change their life & mine too!

 

[hereIam2Worship]

...i don't know if its actually true...but i heard somewhere that jews can't go to heaven until the RApture...i didn't want to beleive that but it ended up bugging me...could someone pleaze tell me if its true?

 

[GenemZ]

...i don't know if its actually true...but i heard somewhere that jews can't go to heaven until the RApture...i didn't want to beleive that but it ended up bugging me...could someone pleaze tell me if its true?

If what was said were true, Paul would not yet be in Heaven. Neither would Peter, Mark, Matthew, John, James, Stephen, etc.


Grace and peace, GeneZ

 

[hereIam2Worship]

oo...Ok thank you. That really cleared my mind...I can't believe I haven't thought of that...

 

[DarrylAdie]

Look at Peter's Vision when he saw the blanket coming down from Heaven with unclean animals on it and God told him to eat the unclean animals but he refused and God told him that eveything was to be equal because anything that he made was to be clean.

God therefore made everyone equal and Jesus said that Jews and Gentiles were one and the same.

 

[aprile78]

How many religions were there when Jesus came to live on Earth?


I think the Jewish people are the "chosen people" because Jesus came as a Jewish person right?????? And the prophecies specify they won't believe He is the Messiah because He was there, and He knows what they will believe and what they won't?!

Did that make sense? I need to go back to bed

 

[Harry the Heretic]

I always noticed a pattern in Genesis and throughout of God picking the poorest people or of the lowest esteem and making them great to demonstrate his power. Not Egyptians or Babylonians.

He had an affinity for the nomadic sheep herding types as upposed to the agricultural metropolitan types. (Able over Cain, Jacob over Essau) Abraham was an old goat herder with an infertile wife and no children. How about that for humble beginnings. Joseph was a slave. Moses was a slave baby on the brink of death. David was a young boy of no account. He created a nation out of slavery. Isreal was entirely sustained by God, and when it wasn't, it fell.
Jesus was just a carpenters son, born in a manger, and worse of all, from Nazareth.

 

[ischus]

yes.. God has always had a heart for the lowly, the poor, the opressed, the weak, etc.

Good thoughts, Harry.

 

[Rev. Smith]

As Serapha posits, we don't know who else God offered his Grace to. God made man, and choose man. Isreal choose God. The Tribes of Isreal are the choosen people. but the choosing was done by them - not God.

 

[Bevlina]

Deuteronomy 7:7

The Lord did not set his love upon you, or CHOOSE YOU because you were more in number than any people ...for you were the FEWEST of all people.(8) But because the Lord loved you..........

Adam was the first of the Jewish race. We trace the lineage of the Jewish nation from Adam. The very man God created. And from Eve...the woman God created from Adam.
We can trace this through Biblical records, as the Bible itself is a record of the Jewish nation from Adam.

 

[HolySpiritWarrior]

I agree with Ishcus.

 

[DrPepper]

What about that verse "blessed are those who bless the jews" or something meaning those who are good to the Jews will recieve blessings.

I'm not a fan of Jack Chick, but one of his tracts is "Love the Jewish people" and he claims in it that the fall and rise of countries and their success is due to their support or lack of support for Israel.

What do people think about this?

 

[Konstantino]

He also chose the Jews because that was the line Jesus was born from - the line of David which was a Jewish one. The Jews were cercumsised when they were born, I don't think this is the right place to discuss cercumsision, but it showed that they had a covenant with god.

 

[Rev. Smith]

God choose the nation of Isreal (or they choose him - can we know if Yahweh called to others who failed to heed him?)

God also blessed al the other nations, and set them seeking after him. This may be a blessing for us, the Law is hard (look to the OT for how few were able to keep it. According to revelations only 144,000 out of all the Jewish people will have kept it on the last day). For the rest of us all that is required is that we live by the precepts of Christ. For the nations prior to Christ (and in modern times those that have not received the Holy Spirity) - the seeking and living in accordance with natural precepts was all that is required. Read Acts 17:22-34. God is far more merciful to the Pagens then to his choosen people.

All will be well.