Why did the old testament God choose the Jews instead of the Pagans?

Answer 1

The Jews wrote a book in which they were the heroes.

Surprised?

Why would someone write a fictional work in which the author was the villain?

];-)

.

Answer 2

First, the "choosing" had to do with Israel as a nation, not as a religion. So the question would better read "instead of Gentiles." In the ancient world, Judaism and Christianity were not differentiated from Paganism from a religious standpoint - both were essentially forms of Paganism to begin with (although Judaism tended to be more antagonistic to Paganism than early Christianity). The Jews did not seek converts, and they only condemned Paganism for specific practices (like human sacrifice or orgiastic rites). What set Judea apart from other nations was their legal code. The benefits that they claimed as the Chosen People were based on their application of a specific civil code. The Romans maintained a similar opinion, and believed that they were superior to the "Barbarians" because of Roman Law and Roman Culture, not because of religious or ethnic differences. Any Gentile who became a citizen of Judea according to Jewish Law was immediately Jewish, just as any Barbarian who became a Roman citizen was immediately Roman. In ancient Judaism, "chosen" was akin to "civilized," and implied a higher quality of life.

All of this is obscurred in the English Bible. People seldom realize that the names for God (such as Bel, El, Ba'al, Adonai, Elohiym, etc.) were all the same names that were employed by the Pagans for the same being(s).

Answer 3

Your question is a bit off technically. In several ways. God chose Abram. That was his name before he was renamed Abraham. And Abraham was not a Jew. The Jews didn't happen until they took the Southern Kingdom of Israel called 'Judah' or 'The House of Judah' after the split with the northern kingdom called, 'The House of Israel'. And before that, they were called 'Hebrews'. Not jews. They practiced or began what we would call 'Judaism' with Moses, but they didn't even call it Judaism. The only people who could have been called Jews were the descendants of Jacob's son 'Judah'. They in fact became one of the tribes of the southern kingdom; Judah.

So what you are asking is rather more complex than saying that God picked 'Jews'. lol

Sorry for making this so intricate, but I see the mistake by many, including other Christians.

So why did God pick the Jews over the northern Kingdom of Israel? Because the northern Kingdom of Israel was practicing idolatry worse than the southern kingdom was. They were worse. And the Jews would have a king that paid attention to what God wanted once in a while. That's why.

Answer 4

Yahweh did chose Abraham instead of the pagans that existed back then. Most of the pagans in Canaan and the middle east chose not to walk with god.

Instead worshiping the planets, and other things they perceived to be god. God chose the descendants of Abraham to a special people to the rest of the world.

Calling them to worship and trust in the lord or yahweh..
And Yahweh is the same today as he was back then.

Hey exodus2, you got right, that's why the jews, demanded signs from Yahweh that he existed, and was real.

Answer 5

I think that's an insightful question. I've wondered that a bit, too, myself. It's actually part of a story that involves all of us. God creates people, people eventually forget about Him and just start doing their own thing (sorry for the highly simplistic story telling.) God loves his people so He decides that He will call out Abram (soon to change his name to Abraham). Keep in mind, Abram wasn't exactly a believer until God called him out - a bit of a shock, I'd imagine. It was to be through Abraham and his descendants that all the nations of the world would be blessed. If you follow closely in the Bible (getting past all the crazy genealogy) you'll notice a trend - that the chosen people of Israel were an assembled group (check out the exodus from Egypt - there was a mixed multitude that went out - meaning black Africans, Arabs, etc.) Anyway, they were supposed to be a light to the nations that God exists and wants to be a part of their lives. They were, in fact, supposed to be a vessel to reach out to the world. The whole point of God choosing Israel - or assembling and creating Israel - was to bless you. Crazy, huh.

Of course, they didn't always do a great job at it - hence all the times they had to go into exile and whatnot.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

Oh, come on.

You're missing the point. What's important is not that God chose the Jews to be his special people - we can never verify unequivocally that this is so - but that the Jews' experience led them to BELIEVE that God had chosen them. The collective experience of the people of Israel led them to a faith in a single, all-powerful deity whom they believed had destined them for greatness.

Whether you buy the story or not matters not in the least. What matters is that THEY bought it - and that their actions taken in faithfulness to those beliefs have left an indelible mark on world history.

Answer 7

God never chose the Jews, he chose Abram, a pagan Idol worshiper, because Abram was a man that believe God enough to do what God told him to do.
The Jews are descendants of Abram, whom God change his name to Abraham.

Answer 8

The Pagans focused their attention on tangible gods of wood, metal, etc. Don´t get me wrong, the Israelites wanted a tangible god, as well. Exodus 20:4 is the answer to the Israelite´s question as well as yours.

GOD bless

Answer 9

fool. bypass examine the Bible. God says he's picking the descendants of Abraham, and interior the Bible, God legitimizes Ishmael because of the fact the 'son' of Abraham. And Ishmael is the father of the Arabs, and Prophet Muhammad is the descendants from Ishmael. because of the fact the descendants of Isaac grew to become out be disobedient, the 'accountability replaced into offered to the 'descendants from Ishmael. bypass examine Deuteronomy 18 :18. and the words of Jesus interior the NT: I permit you realize the certainty; at present the dominion of God would be taken faraway from you and given to a people who might bear its fruit'. (Jesus quote interior the Bible). that persons is non different than the Arabs.

Answer 10

I have heard it said that the Jews were chosen to show the glory of God because they were such a rag-tag bunch, that if God's glory could be seen through them, it couldn't be denied.