Chosen People

Chosen People
by PJ


 There's one thing that always gives me a smile that comes out of the mouths of non-Jews who follow Yeshua. They are always telling me how blessed it is to be Jewish. They go on and on about the "chosen people." I look at them with amazement because of two things:

#1 - They don't understand for what Jews were chosen.
#2 - They don't see the fact that they are chosen too.

The tribe of Yehudah was destined and chosen to be the living demonstration of G-d's plan. Like actors on a stage teaching by example, Jews have lived out a covenant relationship with G-d in good and not good ways. The blessings obtained in the good ways as well as the consequences of the not good ways have been teaching elements for non-Jews. The tribe of Yehudah has suffered untold pain and suffering because of the failure to live as G-d commanded and yet, G-d's grace and favor still abound to the prodigal sons and daughters.

The tribe of Yehudah was absolutely necessary for the coming of the Jewish Moshiach. It was necessary that the Moshiach be obedient to the kingship of David to fulfill G-d's promise. G-d's separation process began in Gan Eden to narrow down His dealings to one group of people, the Tribe of Yehudah aka the Jews. It was through this lineage Moshiach was to come.

It wasn't that G-d hated or was indifferent to other peoples that He chose one group with which to work. It was purely because G-d loved His mankind that He chose one group with which to work. Can you imagine G-d having had to work with every ethnos at the same time? It would have been a proverbial zoo.

I have often thought that G-d chose the weakest, the most stubborn, the strongest willed and the most stiff-necked people to use as a demonstration model. The reason? So G-d could show the magnificence of His grace to an undeserving people for all the world to learn about Him. At the same time, G-d chose the most courageous, the most expressive and the most giving people to use as His model. Why? Because He knew the trials and persecutions that would come with being "chosen" and that also would have to serve as an example.

Through the death and resurrection of the Jewish Moshiach, Yeshua, it was made possible for non-Jews to be rejoined along with Jews to G-d through not just any covenant, but a superior covenant as prophesied in Yirmi'yah/Jeremiah 31:31-34. Ephesians 2:17-18 (AMP) says, "And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and (peace) to those who were near.  For it is through Him that we both (whether far off or near) now have an introduction (access) by one (Holy) Spirit to the Father (so that we are able to approach Him)." This is why 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) shouts, "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away.  Behold, the fresh and new has come!"

Adoption is not a word used in Hebrew scriptures. Adoption was not something practiced by ancient Hebrews. It was a term that was foreign to Hebrews because Hebrews never gave away their children. If the parents died, family would still take care of their own. However, Rav. Saul (Apostle Paul) used a foreign law to teach Romans what the Jewish Moshiach's work literally did. This work granted the full rights and privileges of belonging to a family in which one did not belong by nature.

Romans 8:15-16 (AMP) says, "For (the Spirit which) you have now received (is) not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit producing sonship) in (the bliss of) which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!" Non-Jews are brought near to the heart of G-d, along with Jews following Yeshua, through the spirit of adoption and not held some other place to make way for "real" children, whoever we think the real children may be. There are no "real" children and "not real" children in G-d. This has been a great confusion with the label "chosen people." This "chosen people" label also caused the deaths of many in the tribe of Yehudah because of the jealousy it invoked.

All men become chosen when they come to Adonai through the Jewish Moshiach, Yeshua and His atoning work on the Cross. This is a much different "chosen" than being a natural member of the tribe of Yehudah. Being a chosen of Heaven is the highest chosen there is. The heavenly "chosen people" exist to live in service to G-d and man whether they do it or not.

Romans 8:17-18 (AMP) says, '"And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also;  heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him);  only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.  (But what of that?)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us!" Understand being "chosen" brings with it peculiar persecution and suffering. It's the way of the Cross.

Jews have suffered and still suffer many times for commitment to G-d. To preserve the Word has brought untold persecution and suffering upon this "chosen" group, including at the hands of non-Jews. But Jews have always known that suffering is nothing in comparison to the great goodness of covenant with G-d. It is for the benefit of non-Jews that Jews have carried the "chosen people" label and still do.

To live for Yeshua brings similar suffering. There is a price for being identified with the Jewish Moshiach, Yeshua. Many today face suffering as severe as the first Church. We must remember that nothing suffered will ever compare to the great price paid by Yeshua to bring us salvation and reconciliation to G-d.

Since neither Jew nor Gentile could be saved by good works, both needed salvation through a blood covenant. In Yeshua HaMashiach both are now free to come to G-d through Moshiach and together in His hand they are united into one body. Two loaves of bread, two lambs, two bowls of oil, two sticks....now one "chosen" and holy people.

In Yeshua we do not lose our identity. Let me give you an example. If you are Native American, did you stop being Native American when you came to Yeshua? No. So it's not about losing our identity. It's about finding the proper place of that identity in Moshiach. You don't stop being who you were created to be, rather you find specifically who you are to be in Moshiach. This is what Rav. Saul was addressing when he said in Moshiach there is neither Greek nor Jew. It doesn't mean there are literally no more Greeks nor Jews, it simply means in Moshiach's rule all have a specific place not taking precedence over one another.

Kefa Aleph / 1 Peter 2:9 (AMP) says it best. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, (God's)own purchased, special people, that you may set for th the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." This is for the glory of the One Who paid His blood to make it a reality.

“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible."