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Are the Jewish People God’s Chosen People?Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about Israel’s future? For many, this topic evokes curiosity and often confusion. Don’t panic! That feeling is not strange.
What makes it difficult is that this subject is approached by many as if it just the easiest thing in the world. Now the fact that you don’t understand it is simply because you don’t read the Bible properly! This attitude makes that many rather avoid the subject, and if they talk about it at all, it never really becomes clear exactly what this particular role of Israel is—if Israel has any role at all.
I think it would be good to look at this and see what we can learn from the Bible about the present and future role of the Jewish people. Later in this video, I also want to distinguish between the people of Israel as a nation and the individual Israelite. The video is probably going to be a bit long, but you can find the different chapters in the description below.
Israel has been Chosen by God
First, let’s start with one of the well-known texts from the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
When we speak of a chosen people, many people’s thoughts immediately go to Israel. Yet we must realise that this call began much earlier. For this we have to go to Abraham, the progenitor of the Israelites. Let’s go to Genesis for a moment, and then pay attention to where I put the emphasis, which is important for later in this video.
Genesis 18:18-19
seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Abraham’s calling was special. Abraham lived some 400 years after the flood. At that time, there was not yet such a diversity of peoples. We see in the Bible that people lived more or less in city-states. It is only later in history that we see large nations emerging like the Babylonians and the Assyrians. Abraham came from one of those city-states where idolatry and polytheism were rampant.
God called Abraham to a land he did not know where it was. Yet, he trusted God’s directions. Abraham promised to serve God in all things and in this way he brought the truth about God back to a world that had once again strayed from its Creator.
To bless the Nations
We have already read that God chose Abraham to become a great nation. We have seen that this became a reality in the nation of Israel that came forth from Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. In that promise lay another promise, namely that the nations of the world would be blessed through the nation of Israel.
So Israel’s ultimate goal is to be a light to the world. But how? If we read the Bible honestly, we see all too often that Israel has made a mess of things. Time and again, they ran away from God and went after the gods of other nations.
Yet, we see that very practical blessings came out of the people. Let me just mention Moses as an example. This remarkable man completely turned the world upside down with the laws and rules he received from the Lord. We sometimes frown upon the Old Testament laws. The laws sometimes seem prehistoric to us. But make no mistake! The Old Testament laws were ahead of their time. No other nation had laws in which, for example, slaves, women, orphans, and widows were so well protected as in the laws of Moses.
And speaking of Moses—what about his efforts to piece together all the writings from before his time? In all likelihood, it was Moses who put together the first 11 chapters of Genesis. The pre-flood history had previously been taken by Noah and handed down in subsequent generations, possibly orally, but more likely through tablets or by other means of writing.
But we also see, for example, that when the Israelites went out of Egypt, a large group of people from nations travelled with them. Later, we see that the prositute Rahab and her family sought safe refuge with Israel. And so we see throughout history that Israel was a safe haven for strangers.
Whoever Blesses you, I will Bless […]
That the nations will be blessed in him (Abraham) is about more than just the laws and lore of the ancient scriptures. I will come back to that later. First we need to have a look at a promise God made to Abraham earlier in history. We read that promise in
Genesis 12:2-3
and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
The question that arises is who we should actually bless. Reading the Bible, it seems that it is not about all of Abraham’s descendants—there seems to be little peace and blessing coming forth from Ishmael, the son Abraham had with Hagar. Surely this is really about Abraham’s promised descendant Isaac and his son Jacob, later called Israel.
We can see this from the event in Numbers, for example. The King of Moab was terrified when he heard that the 12 tribes of Israel were arriving. These 12 tribes were the descendants of Jacob. The king called in the soothsayer Bileam to curse the people of Israel. When Bileam was about to pronounce the curse, God caused something very different to come out of his mouth.
Numbers 24:9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, And cursed is he that curseth thee.
Is Bileam speaking here about the 12 tribes of Israel? Yes indeed, just look at what it says in Numbers 24:5
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, And thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Some will find this a ridiculous idea because throughout history we see Israel misbehaving time and again. Yet, these people are missing the point! The point is not that Israel would deserve to be chosen. God’s choice is a choice by grace. He did it for the blessing of the nations. God is committed to His promise for the sake of His own name. It testifies to God’s faithfulness.
God’s blessing does not depend on anyone’s absolute righteousness. You need not think that it fills the Lord with joy when He sees how Israel acts in some cases. No, it is grace and that is why we are also called to bless. Not because Israel, or anyone else, deserves it, but because we want and need to be gracious. Nor is it about condoning all of Israel’s political actions without question. No, it is about continuing to show mercy.
What does Blessing Israel bring us?
What does it bring us when we publicly bless Israel? That is a good question whose answer is not easy to give. It sometimes seems to backfire when we stand up for Israel. People can react very hostile. Yet we find the command in God’s word.
Psalm 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee.
If you bless Israel, you will be blessed. Not necessarily financially or materialistically. The blessing we may receive goes deeper. In a broader understanding, when we look at the world stage, we see that countries that are pro Israel are generally doing a lot better than those that are hostile to Israel.
But more importantly, Jerusalem will be the scene of Christ’s return.
Acts 1:11
[…] why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Zechariah 14:4a
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east […]
When the Lord Jesus returns, He will establish a permanent peace within its walls. All Christians should longingly look forward to His return. Therefore, we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem because that is the time when the Prince of Peace will reign in Jerusalem.
Salvation comes from the Jews
We have already briefly passed by Genesis 18 where it is written that all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him (Abraham).
Christians who know their Bible know that "salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). This salvation that would come through the Messiah (the Anointed One) was a salvation that the Jewish people had waited for thousands of years.
Although the Jewish people still pray daily for the coming of the Messiah, as prophesied in the Old Testament, Christians understand that the Messiah has already come. Many Jews did not heed Micah’s prophecy.
Micah 5:2
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This long-awaited Messiah was not at all what the Jews had expected. In fact, Jesus not only served His own people, but He also commissioned His followers to make salvation known to the gentile nations.
Mark 16:15-16
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
In this we see God’s ultimate intention with His people. The people of Israel were always meant to be a blessing to the world. It is nothing to be ashamed of.
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Is Israel still God’s People?
Now it gets tricky because we have all heard it said that when the Jews rejected Jesus, they also rejected their unique position as a people and thus lost it. But this immediately creates problems with other parts of the Bible. What about the God-fearing Simeon, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, came to the Temple to meet the child Jesus.
Taking Jesus in his arms, he cried out in Luke 2:32 "A light to lighten the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel." Anna, the prophetess, also said something remarkable in verse 38 she "spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."
Why would Simeon and Anna speak of glorification of Israel and redemption in Jerusalem? Both events we have not yet experienced. If Israel no longer plays a role in world history then these would have been empty words.
Jesus’ love for Israel soon became evident, and the first Jewish believers were a reality. It was the Jewish believers who brought the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Their efforts caused a huge growth in the number of believers in the first centuries.
God’s plan continues. He is true to his word. That is just as well! If God broke His unconditional covenant or any of His other promises, it would mean that He is unreliable. That some think Israel has been replaced by the church has to do with their interpretation of the covenant at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19:5 we read the following
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine
For some, it is obvious, Israel did not fulfil its commitments, so God broke His covenant. But God’s promise had already been made before the time Israel received her laws on the mountain. God promised that, despite Israel’s disobedience, He would not forget the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Leviticus 26:44-45
And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.
Are Individual Israelites automatically Saved?
So far, I have mainly spoken about the nation of Israel. Israel as a nation is indeed a chosen people, but does this mean that the individual Israelites or Jews are automatically saved for eternity? Let me get straight to the point by answering this with ‘no’!
Israel as a people had and has the status of being chosen. It means that the Lord God has protected and used this people throughout the ages to complete His plan. This does not mean that the individual Israelite automatically receives eternal salvation. Throughout history, the Lord has made it clear that eternal salvation was and is only possible through faith!
The Old Testament people could only be justified by God if they put their trust in Him. Throughout the Old Testament, we see prophets calling for faith. That faith had to be shown through obedience. After all, the Israelites did not yet know exactly how the Lord was going to save them. Peter made this clear in his first letter.
1 Peter 1:10-11
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow
So even though the Old Testament Israelite did not know exactly how God was going to save, they knew it was going to happen through the faith they had in Him—they had to trust that He was going to do it.
The Lord Jesus’ perfect sacrifice replaced the animal sacrifices under the Mosaic covenant. Through His death, He became "the Mediator of the new testament … the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15). Christ provided eternal salvation for all believers, including those called under the first covenant.
Both the Old and New Testaments teach that there is only one way of salvation: by God’s grace through faith alone. So, an Israelite is not automatically a saved person—even though the Israelite belongs to the chosen people. Even the Israelite will have to personally turn to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, in faith to be saved.
What does Israel benefit us?
Apart from the fact that the events surrounding Israel produce sensational images in the news, we should also be well aware that it is not for nothing that Israel continues to be the centre of attention.
There are still several prophecies waiting to come true. We believe in a God of faithfulness. This means He keeps His word.
Many prophecies we have already seen becoming reality. I have already mentioned the birth of the Lord Jesus. But what of modernday Israel that came into being in 1948 as a sovereign nation. The establishment of the state followed centuries of longing for return and fulfilled important Old Testament prophecies. From Isaiah 11:11-12, which talks about the gathering of the exiles, to Ezekiel 36:24, which talks about the return to the land. Understanding the prophecies helps us make sense of what is happening in the world.
The Bible also talks about the return of Jesus and that He will establish a millennial reign on earth—also called the millennial kingdom. Israel plays a crucial role in this time. During this period, God will restore the nation of Israel, fulfilling ancient prophecies from books like Ezekiel and Micah. The establishment of Israel in 1948 is an important step in the fulfilment of these prophecies.
But even before the millennial kingdom is established, God’s word speaks of an important role for the Israelites.
Revelations 7:4
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Nothing in this text leads to the interpretation of the 144,000 as anything other than a literal number of Jews—12,000 taken from every tribe of the children of Israel, according to verses 5-8. Earlier, Zechariah had prophesied that Israel would repent and turn to God.
Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
But Paul also speaks of this moment in Romans 11:25-27
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob For this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins.
The 144,000 Jews seem to be a kind of ‘first fruits’ (Revelation 14:4) of that redeemed Israel. Their mission seems to be to preach the Gospel to the world during the great tribulation. As a result of their ministry, millions—"a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" (Revelation 7:9)—will come to a living faith in Christ.
Israel gives sight on the Future
So, I believe that Israel as a nation is still God’s chosen people. That does not mean that everything this nation does is good. No far from it! We see time and again that the people stray from The Creator. Even the individual Israelite still needs salvation and that salvation only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus. God’s plan of spiritual salvation—By ‘spiritual salvation’ I mean a complete restoration of the relationship with the Father—through the Messiah is available to all who repent and believe that Jesus has delivered us from sin through His blood (Isaiah 53 and Revelation 1:5).
Israel as a people, however, still has a role to play. As believers, we now await the second coming of the Lord Jesus. When he comes He will defend and rule Israel from Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications
Revelations 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
It it not without reason that journalists fill their newspapers and news pages with the events surrounding Israel. The endless reports on Israel show one thing clearly: These events are working towards a climax—the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
