Who are God's Chosen People - Part 1

There are many people today who believe the Jews (Israel) are and always have been "God's chosen people". These people tell us to watch the nation of Israel for signs of Christ's imminent return.

Many who hold to this view believe sin will increasingly dominate human society until God becomes so disgusted He will rapture the church to heaven, send destruction through plagues and earthquakes to wipe out much of the earth's population for seven years, and finally bring in a millennial kingdom where Christ will reign from a new city of Jerusalem to give the Jews a kingdom fulfilling all of God's promises to Abraham and David. But, is this really what the Scriptures teach or does the Bible teach something different?

The great question is whether or not God's promises are revocable. For the nation of Israel (Jews), the Bible gives a very strong answer in Deuteronomy chapters seven and eight. These chapters should be read in their entirety because they are a foundation for understanding the Bible's Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament.

First, Moses clearly states, "For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure." Deut 7:6 (NLT). This is very clear that these people were allowed to continue the relationship even though the first generation (those 20 years old and over) who escaped Egypt failed and died during 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

Moses goes on with his explanation of God's covenant with them but why God did not spare the first generation. "The Lord did not set His heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and He was keeping the oath He had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. But He does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject Him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today. If you listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord your God will keep His covenant of unfailing love with you, as He promised with an oath to your ancestors. Deut 7:7-12 (NLT).

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses explains the hardships of the wilderness wanderings and what will happen to the new generation. "Yes, He humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with mana, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Deut 8:3 (NLT). "Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. But I assure you of this: if you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God." Deut 8:18-20 (NLT).