Are the Jews the Chosen People?

Townhall.com ^ | May 17, 2011 | Dennis Prager

[Romulus]

Ever notice the tension between older brothers and younger borthers running through the Bible? Even wonder that that was about?

[Romulus]

In the words of Catholic scholar Father Edward Flannery, the Jews carry the burden of God in history.

I would say that they carry the burden of man in history.

[shield]

Actally, Ruth lived in Moab therefore she was called a Moabite...Ruth was an Israelite...you have Chinese who were born in America and are called Americans yet are Chinese. It is actually the same with Rahab, an Israelite.

[Borges]

God told Abraham that his people would be chosen. Do you think God breaks his promises?

[Kaslin]

That is probably very true

[Uri’el-2012]

They WERE the chosen people, before Christ — But now, we are to make disciples of ALL people.

It would be profitable to read Romans 11 through the end of the
chapter while seeking the illumination of the Ru'ach HaKodesh.

It will explain who is grafted into whom.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[theDentist]

Are the Jews the Chosen People?

Hmmm.... I wonder why no one has asked this question before?

[rdb3]

Not a particularly popular point of view around here, but in my opinion the New Testament is very clear that the Jews WERE God’s chosen people.

That's false. They still are His chosen. In fact, the Apostle Paul goes through great lengths teaching that they are still His.

So I don't know what New Testament you're reading.

They lost this status when they, as a group, chose to reject their Messiah, his son.

Since then, Spiritual Israel has been God’s new chosen people. It is made up of all those who choose to follow Christ, and includes many ethnic Jews on an equal basis with all other ethnic groups.

And this is the heresy of Replacement Theology. Their spiritual blindness was prophesied and Gentiles are the beneficiaries of it.

Don't mistake this with His casting them away. Every jot and tittle will be fulfilled.

If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.

Or you can get raw with these strings. Either way, the violin is sweet yet lethal.

Do it!

[rdb3]

Nor was Ruth.

Ruth and Esther are two of my favorites of the Old Testament. Short books yet so, so deep.

If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears.

Or you can get raw with these strings. Either way, the violin is sweet yet lethal.

Do it!

[Yaelle]

We were “chosen” to be good examples. Guess what? We usually fail. We are fallible and have every human foible. But we have been told by Our Creator to be that shining light, so we push on and keep trying.

Jews are better than nobody. Like being picked by the coach or teacher to demonstrate the technique to the rest of the team, we are supposed to suck it up and demonstrate perfection. Maybe G-d just wants us to work harder. :)

But we sure are misunderstood. Over millennia, everyone tries to kill us. We are still here.

[Riodacat]

Without the Jews, there would be no Christianity (a fact acknowledged by the great majority of Christians) and no Islam

What, without Jews there's be no Islam???
O.K., now Jews are starting to piss me off..

[Westbrook]

> Nor was Ruth.

Yes, that’s who I meant.

Naomi was an ethnic Jew and was Ruth’s mother-in-law.

I can be so dumb at times ...

[Jedidah]

Well, no. There is absolutely no evidence to back up your assertion, and scripture says otherwise. But if it makes you feel better . . .

[mas cerveza por favor]

God told Abraham that his people would be chosen. Do you think God breaks his promises?

The promised blessings are conditioned upon obedience and turn into terrible curses upon disobedience:

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you... (Deuteronomy 28:15)

[Borges]

What disobedience was there that wasn’t paid for?

[Jedidah]

Human nature.

As the parent of three sons, I believe sibling rivalry to be hard-wired. Probably one way we learn to deal with the world once we leave home.

[TheThirdRuffian]

“it is quite clear that their tenure as the Chosen People was to be considered over. (Except apparently, for Dennis Prager)”

Except apparently, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches, and basically every significant Protestant denomniation, including every Bible Church I’ve ever set my foot in, you mean.

We Christians are grafted, as wild vines, into the family of Abraham.

That does not “unchoose” them. It means we ARE ALSO chosen.

Now, this does not mean Jews are going to heaven, mind you.

It does mean, however, that God keeps His unconditional promises, and that the Jews have a very special place in His plan, until the end of time.

[mas cerveza por favor]

those Jews who have not yet accepted Christ still consider themselves the Chosen People.

The "conservative" dispensationalists and the liberal dual covenant theorists also believe that.

[Last Dakotan]

Everybody knows the Trial Lawyers are the chosen people.

[RockinRight]

Without the Jews, there would be no Christianity (a fact acknowledged by the great majority of Christians) and no Islam (a fact acknowledged by almost no Muslims).

This explains a LOT.