Posted on 05/17/2011 8:06:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
I assume that the type of person who reads columns such as this one has wondered at one time or another why, for thousands of years, there has been so much attention paid to Jews and why, today, to Israel, the one Jewish state.
But how do most people explain this preoccupation? There is no fully rational explanation for the amount of attention paid to the Jews and the Jewish state. And there is no fully rational explanation for the amount of hatred directed at Jews and the Jewish state.
A lifetime of study of this issue, including writing (with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin) a book on anti-Semitism ("Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism") has convinced me that, along with all the rational explanations, there is one explanation that transcends reason alone.
It is that the Jews are God's chosen people.
Now, believe me, dear reader, I am well aware of the hazards of making such a claim.
It sounds chauvinistic. It sounds racist. And it sounds irrational, if not bizarre.
But it is none of these.
As regards chauvinism, there is not a hint of inherent superiority in the claim of Jewish chosen-ness. In fact, the Jewish Bible, the book that states the Jews are chosen, constantly berates the Jews for their flawed moral behavior. No bible of any other religion is so critical of the religious group affiliated with that bible as the Hebrew Scriptures are of the Jews.
As for racism, Jewish chosen-ness cannot be racist by definition. Here is why: a) The Jews are not a race; there are Jews of every race. And b) any person of any race, ethnicity or nationality can become a member of the Jewish people and thereby be as chosen as Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah or the chief rabbi of Israel.
And with regard to chosen-ness being an irrational or even bizarre claim, it must be so only to atheists. They don't believe in a Chooser, so they cannot believe in a Chosen. But for most believing Jews and Christians (most particularly the Founders who saw America as a Second Israel, a second Chosen People), Jewish Chosen-ness has been a given. And even the atheist must look at the evidence and conclude that the Jews play a role in history that defies reason.
Can reason alone explain how a hodgepodge of ex-slaves was able to change history -- to introduce the moral God-Creator we know as God; to write the world's most influential book, the Bible; to devise ethical monotheism; to be the only civilization to deny the cyclical worldview and give humanity belief in a linear (i.e., purposeful) history; to provide morality-driven prophets and so much more -- without God playing the decisive role in this people's history?
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). Read Thomas Cahill's "The Gifts of the Jews" or Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews" to get an idea about how much this people changed history.
What further renders the claim for Jewish chosen-ness worthy of rational consideration is that virtually every other nation has perceived itself as chosen or otherwise divinely special. For example, China means "Middle Kingdom" in Chinese -- meaning that China is at the center of the world; and Japan considers itself the land where the sun originates ("Land of the Rising Sun"). The difference between Jewish chosen-ness and other nations' similar claims is that no one cares about any other group considering itself Chosen, while vast numbers of non-Jews have either believed the Jews' claim or have hated the Jews for it.
Perhaps the greatest evidence for the Jews' chosen-ness has been provided in modern times, during which time evil has consistently targeted the Jews:
-- Nazi Germany was more concerned with exterminating the Jews than with winning World War II.
-- Throughout its 70-year history, the Soviet Union persecuted its Jews and tried to extinguish Judaism. Hatred of Jews was one thing communists and Nazis shared.
-- The United Nations has spent more time discussing and condemning the Jewish state than any other country in the world. Yet, this state is smaller than every Central American country, including El Salvador, Panama and even Belize. Imagine if the amount of attention paid to Israel were paid to Belize -- who would not think there was something extraordinary about that country?
-- Much of the contemporary Muslim world -- and nearly all the Arab world -- is obsessed with annihilating the one Jewish state.
In the words of Catholic scholar Father Edward Flannery, the Jews carry the burden of God in history. Most Jews, being secular, do not believe this. And many Jews dislike talk of chosen-ness because they fear it will increase anti-Semitism; they may be right.
But it doesn't alter the fact that the obsession with one of the smallest countries and smallest peoples on earth, and the unique hatred of the Jews and the Jewish state by the world's most vicious ideologies, can be best explained only in transcendent terms. Namely that God, for whatever reason, chose the Jews.
It’s a correct assertion.
In the genealogy of Jesus, there are ancestors who were not Jews by birth. Ruth, from Moab, and Rahab, a Canaanite, come to mind.
“Namely that God, for whatever reason, chose the Jews.”
God sets down in the OT exactly why he chose the Jews (Israel).
“I agree with P. J. O’Rourke. He wonders why if God favors
them so much he drug them all over the Middle East for 40
years, them put them in the only place with no oil.”
(1) Oil is easy money and therefor actually a curse that fosters corruption and stiffles growth and innovation. Look at the entire Arab world for examples.
(2) “Chosen” doesn’t necessarily mean “favored.” It means chosen. For what? Some thoughts include to deliver God’s word, to bring Christ to the world, to be a test for all peoples, and other tasks. Getting chosen can be good, but it can also be tough. For example, the draft was how America “chose” men to serve in Vietnam.
(3) Even if chosen meant favored, more is often expected of a favored child than one permitted to slouch through life.
There is an aspect of self-fulfilling prophecy with this whole matter. Dispensationalism etc. That does figure in though I can’t say it is the whole answer.
I wonder what fraction of the worlds population are descended from Abraham? A lot of generations have come and gone since Abraham died. Every generation you go back you have better odds.
No Jewish ancestors in my family going back 4 generations. Before that? God knows.
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.
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.
Read Romans 11:25 ff.
Remember that the Jews are just a small portion of the descendants of Abraham.
All those who came from Hagar through Ishmael, from his children with Keturah, and from the 10 northern tribes of Israel who were carried away by Assyria are also descendants of Abraham.
When the Lord promised him descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore, he meant it.
bttt
I don’t know. An estimated 20% of Spanish and Portugese are Jewish by genetics. For example, Penlope Cruz carries the genertic markers.
I did all that when testing for Tay-Sachs before engagement to my wife. Like most Jewish people, I have a common male ancestor.
That would be your OPINION. Now where in the New Testament is it stated that Chosen People status is removed? Who, other than God, would have such authority?
However, in the spirit of your post, I would note that God's ADOPTED people would have greater FAVOR than His CHOSEN people, based on their acceptance of His Son.
Try going to India. Jews are considered mythical “Super Warriors” who are also Doctors in their spare time and make millions and can kick Islamist asses.
India has a weird funky hero worship complex of the Jews. Israel is considered a “wunder” country by most non Islamist Indians.
Just mention any military hardware India is making, and if you sound dubious, the Indian person will helpfully mention “it has Israeli technology” as if that statement SHOULD END all discussion
I was like “Dude! American military technology is better!!!”
:)
In the sense that yes, they are the people of God's patriarchs, kings and prophets, who were chosen to bring and safeguard the sacred Scriptures, and later to bring in the Messiah, the savior of all nations, being the recipient of God's covenant with mankind, than yes, of course, the Jews are God's chosen people.
In terms of being superior, and loved at the expense or loss of the rest of mankind, no....
ANYONE may accept the greatest Gift God has given humanity, His chosen Messiah, as God is no respecter of persons....and then, they become born as God's REAL Chosen People:
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (the Jewish Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:11-14)
From the article:
“Can reason alone explain how a hodgepodge of ex-slaves was able to change history — to introduce the moral God-Creator we know as God; to write the world’s most influential book, the Bible; to devise ethical monotheism; to be the only civilization to deny the cyclical worldview and give humanity belief in a linear (i.e., purposeful) history; to provide morality-driven prophets and so much more — without God playing the decisive role in this people’s history?”
“Can reason alone explain ...” No. And thus the entire premise of the author of the article fails. Reason does not explain why God chose whom He did. Christ does. And since Christ is missing in the article’s discussion, all that is left is reason, in this case, the author’s reason. And it is lacking.
- Attempts to destroy all Jews, both historically (Esther) and modern day (Hitler and Muslims).
- The establishment of a Jewish state in 1948.
- The return of Jerusalem to the Jews in 1967.
- The fulfillment of numerous other prophecies regarding the Jewish people and the land of Israel.
But the real reason that the Jews are God's chosen people is because that was God's unconditional, irrevocable covenant with Abraham, which He repeated to Isaac and Jacob:
"Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." {Gen. 12:1-3}
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you, and to your seed after you. {Gen. 17:7}
Now, I could go on and on, but some key points need to be made:
1) the Jews, through Abraham, were "given" the land of Israel (the Muslims need to take notice of the boundaries), but the promise did not say they would always inhabit it. One of the signs of the end times is that the Jews would be gathered back to Israel from the four corners of the earth, which is happening as we speak.
2) the Jews have not always followed God, so they have not always been blessed (in fact, they have been punished by God on several occassions), but their status as God's chosen people has never changed.
3) neither the Jewish people nor the nation of Israel are a threat to Christians. In fact, Christians have been grafted by God into the same promises - we are fellow heirs.
Somebody ought to tell il Pomposo that the Jews are to be honored above all others as the Chosen People of the Old Testament. That is B.C. We are now living in A.D. While there is tremendous respect, deference, and all honor paid to the Jews in the New Testament, it is quite clear that their tenure as the Chosen People was to be considered over. (Except apparently, for Dennis Prager)
Christian are honor-bound to treat Jews with respect and deference. They are the people who were chosen to prepare the way for Christ, whom huge numbers of them accepted as their Saviour when they became the very first Christians. In fact, the very first Christian controversy was over whether or not one had to become a good Jew before one could become a Christian! (See Paul, Galatians 3:29)
Of course, those Jews who have not yet accepted Christ still consider themselves the Chosen People. Humor that belief. We can straighten them out in Heaven.
There was a Comedy Central sketch a while back, the gist of which was “So you’re the Chosen People of God? Way to blend in!”
He said they were the chosen people,he did not say it was as a favor, maybe he has used them as an example.Time ans again they are subjected to an adversary, then rise up to overcome it. It’s clear as the nose on you face, what they are ‘’used’’ for.
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