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What does it mean that the Jews are God’s chosen people?
In my first FāVS post, I described an encounter I had with a Christian during my first year in Spokane:
At a picnic a few months ago, I had an especially memorable interfaith experience. A devout Christian asked me what the best part of being one of God’s chosen people is. Without missing a beat, I replied: “The food.”
Why did I answer that way? Here’s what I may have been thinking: For “God’s chosen people” to have endured millennia of persecution, torment, and genocide can seem… counterintuitive. Also, the phrase “chosen people” makes me think of the notion that there’s one path to God, and you had better be “chosen” if you want to find it. That’s something I definitely don’t believe. However, a plate of hot latkes with applesauce and sour cream, or some tender, buttery hamentaschen filled with sweet jam— well, I feel pretty chosen when I’m eating that stuff.
Jokes aside, I’ll direct you to the much more formidable expertise of Whitworth University theology professor Karin Heller. A couple years ago she addressed the question “Does God view a certain race as his holy people?” for FāVS. The reader made reference to Isaiah 61:9 in her question:
And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall recognize them that they are seed that the Lord blessed.
There’s also evidence of Jews’ alleged chosenness in Deuteronomy 14 (“For you are a holy people to Hashem your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth”) and Genesis 17 (“And I [God] will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you”). Whew! Being chosen is a big responsibility.
Of course, it has its downsides, too. According to Jewish Virtual Library: “Indeed, the most damaging antisemitic document in history, the forgery known as ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,’ is based on the idea of an international conspiracy to rule the world by the ‘Chosen People.’” JVL adds that Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism (the movement I was raised in), advocated dropping chosenness for two reasons: to undercut accusations of the sort made by [George Bernard] Shaw that the Chosen People idea was the model for racist ideologies, and because it went against modern thinking to see the Jews as a divinely chosen people.
If I had to give a serious answer regarding Jews’ “chosen” status, I’d say God selected us to receive the Ten Commandments (as well as many other, more mundane commandments) and follow them so we could have lives of service to God, our fellow human, and Creation. In fact, JVL cites “the willingness of Israel to accept and obey the Torah” as the Talmud’s explanation of Jews’ chosenness. To paraphrase Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben very loosely: Being chosen isn’t all latkes and hamentaschen and hearing God’s voice from a burning bush. It also means we have a duty to be the best people we can be. This allows us to live with integrity, self-respect, and compassion toward others. That’s what I think we’re “chosen” for.
Neil, I do like your serious answer but I believe there is more to it. And this I would believe is such a privilege to be a Jew. GOD’S intent was for HIS chosen people to be a light to this world to show GOD’S love and compassion through Israel but as we know that rebellion was a major stumbling block between Israel and their GOD throughout it’s history.
But GOD in HIS love for the Jew has always kept a remnant that will fulfill GOD’S original intent to be a light and that is when the 144,000 in Revelation 7 will be the light that GOD intended Israel to be and that is to point those in the tribulation to the MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST.
Did GOD have to make the Jew HIS chosen people? No, but HE did and again what a privilege it is to be the people that the SAVIOR of the world would come forth from and redeem those who would put their trust in HIS SON.
Scott, I can assure you that most Jews aren’t planning on converting in a post-Rapture world. But I get that you want what’s best for us. And I guess no one knows what’s ahead. Just keep in mind that if you told a Jewish person IRL what you wrote above, they might be annoyed or even offended, and the conversation would likely end.
I agree Neal that many Jews would be offended and the conversation would likely end but they need to know that JESUS is their MESSIAH and if they would simply look at prophecy they would see this and this is why many JEWS today are coming to CHRIST because they come to know this.
This I do know, is that post rapture there will be at least 144,000 that will and will do some amazing things on behalf of JESUS.
I’m curious. At what rate are Jews converting to Christianity these days?
Figure of speech with the word many. But you can take a look at Jews for Jesus and read stories of some of the many who have had in the history of Christianity.