Who are God's Chosen People?
The Old Testament Scriptures reveal the Will of God and His plan of redemption for all humanity through Jesus Christ. However, many Christians reading the Old Testament perceive a totally foreign message. To them, God had somehow chosen a race of people (Jews) because they are somehow intrinsically special; to be given special privileges of divine protection, providence, and ultimately a salvation plan separate from everyone else. This led many Christians to view modern-day Israel as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. They refer to the land in and around Israel as ‘the holy land’ and view a visit to Israel as a sort of pilgrimage within their lifetimes. They support (financially, emotionally, and through their actions) Christian Zionist activities believing that their actions will earn them special credits on judgement day (Matt 25 – ‘goats and sheep’). Unbeknownst to them, they are supporting injustice, oppression, hatred, war-like attitudes, and racial discrimination – the very opposite of what Jesus teaches.
If you are one of these people, you NEED to know God’s truth as it is stated in His Word. Put aside what you have been taught and what you have been blind to all this while and give this short article a chance. What you have been taught is not Christianity.
If you approach the Old Testament correctly, you will ‘see’ Christ in every page of the Bible beginning from the very first book Genesis. You will be able to approach the reading of the Old Testament correctly if you also read the New Testament because the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will shed light over your reading of the Old Testament. The Jewish community (Judaism) do not believe in the New Testament (of our Lord Jesus Christ) but you do, and you need to understand this fact.
Let’s begin.
Let’s begin by reviewing this scene whereby Jesus confronts the learned Jews in John 5. This is self-explanatory.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5: 39-40
As you can see, if you do not ‘see’ Christ in the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures, you are no different from those Jews. You see, the Old Testament points to Christ, not to some intrinsically special group of people, or ‘holy land’. It is all about God’s Will revealed through Christ. Get this wrong, and you will not be able to understand God’s purpose and Will for humanity.
The apostle Paul states that all of God’s promises (that were ever made) are made in Christ Jesus to the glory of God. This is something that Christians are supposed to believe in (that Jews do not – if they did they would be called Christians too):
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Cor 1:20-22
Where did all this wrong understanding come from?
It came from the wrong interpretation of Scripture (the history of this and how it was propagated is a tiring and sad study in itself and much has been written about this).
Anyway, let’s look at the verses from where it all started and how it should be interpreted:
The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
‘I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.’ Gen 12:1-3
And again in chapter 22, where the call of Abraham is repeated:
and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed Gen 22:18
The term ‘nations’ refer to the peoples whom God had not yet made himself known to, will be blessed through the peoples whom God had made himself known (Abraham and his descendants). Note carefully that the above verse refers to a certain single offspring that will be the means by which God will fulfill His plan. This is explained by the writer of Acts 3 with:
And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. Acts 3:25-26
These verses from Acts 3 affirm that the ‘offspring’ will first be sent to the people God initially revealed himself to (to turn them from their wicked ways), and this offspring will be the promised blessing to all the peoples on earth. The offspring is Christ and the blessing is God’s salvation plan through Christ:
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds’, meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed’, meaning one person, who is Christ. Gal 3:16
BTW, ‘nations’ interpreted from the original refer to those whom God had not yet revealed Himself to, i.e., ‘Gentiles’.
Here is another verse that affirms this:
Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ Gal 3:8
Elsewhere in the Bible we are taught that God does not have favorites. To say anything that implies that Jews or the modern nation of Israel are somehow intrinsically special and have God’s special protection is simply unbiblical as far as Christianity is concerned. It is an apostate teaching in Christendom. This offensive idea violates the very character of God. God is just, fair, kind, compassionate, and merciful. This sort of teaching promotes hatred, disunity, and a lack of love. It is not from God.
So who then are God’s chosen people? The term ‘chosen’ is simply the term used in the Bible in the following context:
God chose us to be saved. It is His holy will that everyone will come to the knowledge of Christ the savior. The Bible teaches that all Christians are God’s chosen people.
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thes 2:13
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last John 15:16
Yes, we are chosen to be saved from our sinful pathetic state to bear lasting fruit. This is truth.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
Have you responded to God’s call to be a part of His chosen people, God’s special possession?
If you are one of these people, you NEED to know God’s truth as it is stated in His Word. Put aside what you have been taught and what you have been blind to all this while and give this short article a chance. What you have been taught is not Christianity.
If you approach the Old Testament correctly, you will ‘see’ Christ in every page of the Bible beginning from the very first book Genesis. You will be able to approach the reading of the Old Testament correctly if you also read the New Testament because the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will shed light over your reading of the Old Testament. The Jewish community (Judaism) do not believe in the New Testament (of our Lord Jesus Christ) but you do, and you need to understand this fact.
Let’s begin.
Let’s begin by reviewing this scene whereby Jesus confronts the learned Jews in John 5. This is self-explanatory.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5: 39-40
As you can see, if you do not ‘see’ Christ in the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures, you are no different from those Jews. You see, the Old Testament points to Christ, not to some intrinsically special group of people, or ‘holy land’. It is all about God’s Will revealed through Christ. Get this wrong, and you will not be able to understand God’s purpose and Will for humanity.
The apostle Paul states that all of God’s promises (that were ever made) are made in Christ Jesus to the glory of God. This is something that Christians are supposed to believe in (that Jews do not – if they did they would be called Christians too):
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Cor 1:20-22
Where did all this wrong understanding come from?
It came from the wrong interpretation of Scripture (the history of this and how it was propagated is a tiring and sad study in itself and much has been written about this).
Anyway, let’s look at the verses from where it all started and how it should be interpreted:
The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
‘I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.’ Gen 12:1-3
And again in chapter 22, where the call of Abraham is repeated:
and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed Gen 22:18
The term ‘nations’ refer to the peoples whom God had not yet made himself known to, will be blessed through the peoples whom God had made himself known (Abraham and his descendants). Note carefully that the above verse refers to a certain single offspring that will be the means by which God will fulfill His plan. This is explained by the writer of Acts 3 with:
And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. Acts 3:25-26
These verses from Acts 3 affirm that the ‘offspring’ will first be sent to the people God initially revealed himself to (to turn them from their wicked ways), and this offspring will be the promised blessing to all the peoples on earth. The offspring is Christ and the blessing is God’s salvation plan through Christ:
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds’, meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed’, meaning one person, who is Christ. Gal 3:16
BTW, ‘nations’ interpreted from the original refer to those whom God had not yet revealed Himself to, i.e., ‘Gentiles’.
Here is another verse that affirms this:
Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ Gal 3:8
Elsewhere in the Bible we are taught that God does not have favorites. To say anything that implies that Jews or the modern nation of Israel are somehow intrinsically special and have God’s special protection is simply unbiblical as far as Christianity is concerned. It is an apostate teaching in Christendom. This offensive idea violates the very character of God. God is just, fair, kind, compassionate, and merciful. This sort of teaching promotes hatred, disunity, and a lack of love. It is not from God.
So who then are God’s chosen people? The term ‘chosen’ is simply the term used in the Bible in the following context:
God chose us to be saved. It is His holy will that everyone will come to the knowledge of Christ the savior. The Bible teaches that all Christians are God’s chosen people.
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 2 Thes 2:13
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last John 15:16
Yes, we are chosen to be saved from our sinful pathetic state to bear lasting fruit. This is truth.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
Have you responded to God’s call to be a part of His chosen people, God’s special possession?