By Robert Anthony
March 26th 2024
It seems clear enough throughout scripture that God chose Israel, He chose Israel to be His out from all the nations. But what is less clear is why He chose them and for what purpose? Not that it is easy for man to understand the ways of God or even our right to know why God does what He does, but certainly God has a purpose in the things He does and the way He does them…?
Looking throughout the history of God’s chosen people, especially throughout the early centuries, we see a warring and controversial people. From their very inception, adversary nations and men have been trying to subjugate them and even wipe them out entirely. The moment they started becoming a nation, Egypt realized that they would soon become stronger than they and moved to crush them into submission. For some 400-years God’s people remained slaves to Egypt! Until the time came for God to deliver them.
Understanding God’s plan has always been something of a mystery, something the must be revealed, as if to say that God Himself must chose to bring us in on His (secret) plans. At what point did God reveal to Israel the “why” in His choosing of them? For this great reveal we turn of course to scripture and to the history of the Hebrews, who became Israelites and Jews.
First, look at what God said to Abraham, “The nations will be blessed by you” (Genesis 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, etc.) – “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Well, How? How will God’s chosen bless the nations of the earth? And has God performed this yet?
The years immediately following the covenant God made with Abraham, God was already fulfilling this word, “blessing the nations”, How? Abraham went to war!
To understand why this was a blessing to the earth in its entirety it would help for my reader to read everything I have written about Transhumanism in the Bible, even through the time of Abraham. In short, Abraham battled the giants, those mutated men of broken and defiled genetic structure, always at war with God and man. Abraham battled against false god worship, idolatry, the iniquity of the nations (around him) and even Nimrod! (Click here to read my three part series about “The Giants”, Transhumanism in the Bible and the beginning of our history.)
Therefore, immediately following God’s covenant-promise that Abraham and his seed would bless the nations, Abraham was already blessing the nations, even before his seed was born! It’s actually quite the story, behind the story.
And Israel went on to battle in this same manner after their forefather Abraham. The iniquity and wickedness of the ancient world cannot be overstated! Although we do not have a perfect understanding of these things we can see much of the picture throughout scripture. We know all throughout the lands of Canaan there were giants, men of broken and defiled genetic structure who always hated God! We know all throughout the ancient world they worshipped false-gods who exacted a terrible price upon their followers, even asking for their children in ritual sacrifice! The horrors of the false religion throughout the ancient world was an abomination to God but also to man – there was never going to come any blessing to the world through the adherence of this madness! (I encourage my reader to study the cruelty and insanity that was the purveying, pagan, idolatrous religion throughout the ancient world and continues to lurk throughout our modern society even today.)
It is clear, for one, that Abraham and his generations were chosen to bring a true worship of God to the earth! It is clear that immediately upon choosing them, God was working thru them the abolition of false religion and replacing it with His righteousness upon the earth!
Remember, God promised Abraham a nation also. Abraham was promised not only a people but also a land! With the covenant promise from God came also the promise of their own nation and land!
Many times throughout scripture it is prophesied that righteousness would go forth from Israel and Jerusalem! That God would create a sort of center in Israel, a hub for His righteousness to extend out to the nations! There is much alluding to this throughout the law and the prophets. Even Solomon’s dedication of the temple included this, “Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.” (2 Chron. 6:32,33)
Throughout the whole of the history of Israel it has been known that they would be a blessing to all the nations!
But Israel had a hard time upholding their end of the bargain. A countless, many times throughout their history the scripture records them, “Going whoring after other gods” and leaving the God of their father, the only Living God, to worship these same pagan, false-gods. At times Israel even would sacrifice their children to them, they did so even during the time of Solomon, just after he built and dedicated that temple to the Lord!? God had chosen them to bring righteousness and truth and to bless the nations but Israel would hardly remain with Him throughout their history. And it was all recorded throughout scripture.
So how would God’s plan be fulfilled now, with this people, who hardly ever obey Him?
But this is a judgmental and condemning way to look at Israel. Even the question I pose is filled with judgment and condemning, with little mercy or understanding do I almost rebuke God’s people without telling the whole of the story. Because being chosen by the hand of God is not a thing to be taken lightly or without consequence, as if it were a small or insignificant act when God selected this people out from among the rest. I will explain.
In a way, being chosen by God, a person or people is also being chosen to suffer and at times suffer much worse than any other people on earth!
On the one hand, we want to rebuke and chastise Israel, criticizing them for their inability to remain loyal and faithful to their God, who chose them. But let’s look at the entirety of the story before we do jump to harsh judgment or criticism. The children of Abraham and the people of Israel suffered greatly being chosen by God, it’s as if this Word, once it shows up in our lives, puts us into a crucible and into the fire, to be burned up and refined by the hand of God and the power of His love.
For the whole of the history of Israel and later the Jews, there is great suffering, tragedy, loss and refinement. But truly with anyone who signs up for the things of God, to walk with Him, to become a part of His kingdom and story of salvation… Everyone who comes to walk with God is choosing a life filled with pressure, loss and suffering.
The nations did not receive the word of God and His law, but Moses gave it to God’s Chosen people. The nations did not receive the ordinances for the tabernacle and the atonement with the ark of His Covenant. The nations were not invited into this way and truth, to walk in holiness, set apart with their God, at least not at first. God Chose Israel.
But what was He working thru His holy people? How many nations were they in fact “blessing” or saving throughout antiquity? These are complex thoughts that are not easily answered. But we have to keep in mind two things to judge the matter more accurately: One, God gives all men (and nations) the freedom to choose for themselves (truth or destruction); Two, The Holy Spirit was not yet given to men and so iniquity was prevalent throughout the whole of the ancient world.
What God was doing through Israel and His Covenant with them would not be fully revealed until the prophets. David in many ways began something in Israel and many others followed after him. While David was fully king of Israel, he was also known to prophesy! And the Lord God gave David much insight into the gift that God would bring forth (for all the nations) thru His Israel! God showed King David much of a coming King/Messiah, even who would come out of His own seed (2 Samuel 7)! And following after David: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. all received glimpses of the promise who would come out of Israel, The Messiah, the One from God who would come to save, not only Israel, but the world!
Of everything God chose Israel for, the greatest blessing to the nations would come from God’s own Son being born of a virgin (Isaiah 7) of the children of Israel, sent to man to redeem the earth! Some 300-400+ prophesies of Messiah’s coming were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth’s life, ministry, death and resurrection! God fulfilled His word to Abraham and Israel, “Out of their seed” truly all the nations have been blessed! But is the covenant over and done with Israel? God forbid.
Salvation came thru Israel. That is the first fulfillment of Israel and the Jews blessing all the nations of the earth! Messiah came, born of the generations of Abraham, Isaac, Israel and David! God fulfilled His Word to Israel and to the world! God’s gift of salvation has come. But is it now over for the Jews?Has God fulfilled His purpose and is now thru with them?Have the followers of Messiah, Jesus, become the new Keepers of the Covenant, replacing Israel and the Jews?
Continue to Part Two...
There is much more in this mystery that is unfolding…