The Jews: "God's Chosen People." What Does It Mean To Be Chosen?

Question

Some would suggest this means they are the "special ones" which would imply those not chosen to be the "not so special ones." I disagree with this analysis.

I BELIEVE THAT GOD CHOSE THE JEWISH PEOPLE TO BE A MIRROR TO THE ENTIRE WORLD, TO ALL NATIONS, TO ALL PEOPLE. They are as a big brother or sister to us, and to have been called by God as His chosen is a huge calling. God has allowed them to endure great sufferings that we might be able to learn from their journey (ex: Pharaoh, 40 years in the desert, etc), that we might not make the same mistakes in our own personal walks with God. I praise God or this example.

God has blessed the Jewish people with great blessings that we might learn from them how to find favor with our Father.

If we study the Jewish people, their beginning, their today and their future foretold, we can see our always loving, sometimes chastising Father's hand at work just as He is working in our own lives.

I praise God for Israel and her chosen!

QUESTION:
I know many will desire greatly to slander this question, but try to resist.

What does the Jewish people being "God's chosen" mean to you?" How has their journey through the ages helped you understand your walk with God better?

LeChaim: "The essence of being chosen means responsibility." I like this line very much. Indeed it is a huge responsibility to be "chosen" for a task, a deed, as a representative, particularly when God is doing the choosing. Thank you for your contribution.

Jean: I too weep for Israel that she gave up Gaza on any level. I often wonder what I have given up and should not have over fear and pressure from the world.

Zechariah 8:2 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury."

Mibandib: Indeed there is more to the whole "being chosen" saga, but my question was centered simply upon the initially chosen, Abraham being the first to be wooed by the Holy Spirit to become the "Father of many nations," the twelve tribes of Israel. That being said, I disagree with LeChaim's cut and paste in that her emphasis is that Abraham chose God vs. God choosing Abraham. As for your comment, Thank you for expanding upon the concept of being chosen.

Inat: Thank you for your contribution. I agree on a certain level, but we must remember that God, in His infinite wisdom (Being All knowing), knew that through the wooing of the Holy Spirit that Abraham would accept this calling.

To debate whether it was Abraham choosing God or God choosing Abraham is silly because God knew in advance whether Abraham would accept God's calling, therefore it was indeed God who did the "choosing."

Answer 1

They are our example and if the USA knew the Bible and the history of the Jews they would go back to where our forefathers began and take up teaching the Bible in school.

God tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. What has happened in the past will happen in the future.

It broke my heart to see the Jews give up the Gaza Strip. I wanted to scream at them -" Don't do it - God will protect your land." They hold the only deed to land given by Almighty God and He owns all of the land on this earth. Since Israel became a nation in one day, their wars with the surrounding nations have been one miracle after another. They must know that God's hand is upon them and working in the hearts of their enemies so Israel will always win.

I thoroughly agree with you. I too praise God for Israel's example and I stand in support of God's chosen people, Israel.

Answer 2

The Jews are God's chosen people, based on Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. In all of mankind, no other man trusted God as Abraham did during his time. This is why God made a covenant with him, ultimately promising to bless the Nation of Isreal throughout the ages.

Understand that not all isrealites are Jews, since Jews are decendant from the tribe of Judah (one of Jacob's 12 sons). King David came from the tribe of Judah, as did Jesus--from the tribe of Judah and the house of David.

Answer 3

My understanding of the expression is that it is based on the teachings of the Torah, the Hebrew mystical religion in which a lot of the old testament is rooted. I do not think it should be directly interpreted and is more easily understood if looked at as the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve soul types or signs of the zodiac into which we are all born. This is represented in the new testament as the twelve disciples of the prophet Jesus.
I don't think of the term as a division of one group from another.

Answer 4

I'm am trying to debate whether you are Jewish or not, because that is the most amazing thing I've heard said about us that isn't by one of our own.

...even my best friend thinks i'm going to Hell!!!!!

I say i have to agree with your opinion about the chosen people and at the risk of being called conceited/whatever, I also believe that we were given the Torah and its teachings for a reason.

The Talmud, the Torah, and the Book of Prophets all have their own special meaning, which has been interpreted by several different great rabbis throughout the years.

The teachings in each story help us to lead our lives in a more pure way. To steer away from crime and evil, and to praise god for all he has given us. I believe that these teaching were given to us to be role models for the rest of society. To turn people away from unholy actions and to bring them back to God.

Slowly but surely I observe people coming closer to the purpose God had. Catholics have confessions, to be forgiven of their sins. VERY similair to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

I would like to continue this with you. Feel free to send me an email.

Answer 5

Set apart, to be an example. To have a unique insight into the way things should be and can be. By being a good example to others the chosen are able to enjoy the blessings of G-d and endure the hardships. For me it means a special connection to my creator. Not special as in better just different. To know that you are precious to him.

Answer 6

When the Torah refers to the Jewish people as "chosen," it is not in any way asserting that Jews are racially superior. Americans, Russians, Europeans, Asians and Ethiopians are all part of the Jewish people. It is impossible to define choseness as anything related to race, since Jews are racially diverse.
Abraham came to a belief in God, and took upon himself the mission of teaching others of the monotheistic ideal. Abraham was even willing to suffer persecution for his beliefs. After years of enormous effort, dedication and a willingness to accept the responsibility to be God's representative in this world, God chose Abraham and his descendents to be the teachers of this monotheistic message.
Abraham came to a belief in God, and took upon himself the mission of teaching others of the monotheistic ideal. Abraham was even willing to suffer persecution for his beliefs. After years of enormous effort, dedication and a willingness to accept the responsibility to be God's representative in this world, God chose Abraham and his descendents to be the teachers of this monotheistic message.

In other words it is not so much that God chose the Jews; it is more accurate that the Jews (through Abraham) chose God.

Answer 7

Actually, they are the ones who He has set aside to be grafted back in, but Romans 11 says that salvation is first to the jews than to the gentiles, therefore we who are saved and who are going to be saved are ALL His elect. We are all his chosen!
God has a plan for that remnant of Israel to be saved....they will be grafted back in- as the two witnesses in Revelation are the ones who preach the gospel to them.
But we who are being saved are His chosen....as the Jews right now are hard at heart- and blind to the truth, the Lord says "He will heal them"
But God says to us who are saved:
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Answer 8

To be the *Light* to the rest of the world meaning to teach Monothiesm, the Ten Commandements to the Gentiles.

Answer 9

It means that God chose us to be his people. The story is that he chose a person that didn't belive that statues were not gods. He was a father of God's nation, his sons were to get God's rules.

Answer 10

The Chosen People
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Appreciating an often-misunderstood idea.
The Jewish nation is often referred to as "the Chosen People."
Many people (including Jews) are uncomfortable with this idea. They perceive the concept of a "Chosen People" as racist and mindful of the Nazi concept of a supreme "Aryan" nation. It appears to contradict the accepted Western ideal of all people being equal before God.
Is the Jewish concept of choseness racist?
When the Torah refers to the Jewish people as "chosen," it is not in any way asserting that Jews are racially superior. Americans, Russians, Europeans, Asians and Ethiopians are all part of the Jewish people. It is impossible to define choseness as anything related to race, since Jews are racially diverse.
Yet while the term "Chosen People" (Am Nivchar) does not mean racially superior, choseness does imply a special uniqueness.
What is this uniqueness?
Historically, it goes back to Abraham. Abraham lived in a world steeped in idolatry, which he concluded was contradicted by the reality of design in nature.
So Abraham came to a belief in God, and took upon himself the mission of teaching others of the monotheistic ideal. Abraham was even willing to suffer persecution for his beliefs. After years of enormous effort, dedication and a willingness to accept the responsibility to be God's representative in this world, God chose Abraham and his descendents to be the teachers of this monotheistic message.
In other words it is not so much that God chose the Jews; it is more accurate that the Jews (through Abraham) chose God.
Choseness was not part of God's "original plan." Initially all of humanity was to serve the role of God's messengers, but after the fall of Adam, humanity lost that privilege, and it was open for grabs. Only Abraham chose to take the mantel. If others would have (and they were offered the choice), they too would have joined in this special covenant which was sealed upon the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
If a privilege is offered to everyone willing to pay the necessary price, nobody can protest that those willing to make the extra effort are being shown favoritism. For example: It is reasonable that an employee who agrees to work overtime, attend training seminars, and manage special projects, should be entitled to a performance bonus -- particularly if each employee was given the same opportunity.
The essence of being chosen means responsibility. It is a responsibility to change the world -- not by converting everyone to Judaism, but by living as a model community upheld by ethics, morals and beliefs of one God. In that way, we can influence the rest of mankind, a "light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6).
Judaism is Universal
Further, Judaism is not exclusionary. A human being need not to be Jewish to reach a high spiritual level. Enoch "walked with God," and Noah had quite a high level of relationship, though neither were Jewish. Our tradition is that all of the 70 nations must function together and play an integral part in that "being" called humanity.
According to Judaism (Talmud - Sanhedrin 58b), any person can achieve a place in the World to Come by faithfully observing the seven basic laws of humanity. These seven laws are named the "Laws of Noah," since all humans are descended from Noah:
1) Do not murder.
2) Do not steal.
3) Do not worship false gods.
4) Do not be sexually immoral.
5) Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.
6) Do not curse God.
7) Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.
Torah is for all humanity. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, he specifically asked God to heed the prayer of non-Jews who come to the Temple (1-Kings 8:41-43). The Temple was the universal center of spirituality, which the prophet Isaiah referred to as a "house of prayer for all nations." Non-Jews were welcome to bring offerings to the Temple as well. In fact, the service in the Holy Temple during the week of Sukkot featured a total of 70 bull offerings, corresponding to each of the 70 nations of the world. In fact, the Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much they were benefiting from the Temple, they never would have destroyed it!
Most other religions say that non-believers are condemned to eternal damnation. Even the calendar systems of Christianity and Islam reflect an exclusionary philosophy; each begins with the birth of their respective religion. The Jewish calendar, on the other hand, begins with the creation of Adam, the first man, teaching us the intrinsic value of every human, even though the Jewish religion was not yet born.
For this reason, Jews do not proselytize in search of converts. One can still merit a place in heaven, no conversion necessary.
Conversion
An important component of Judaism's non-exclusionary approach is that any person -- regardless of national or racial background -- can choose to accept the Torah and become part of the Jewish nation. Indeed, some of the greatest names in Jewish history - Ruth, the ancestor of King David, and Onkelos the Talmudic Sage -- were converts to Judaism.
According to the Code of Jewish Law (the "Shulchan Aruch"), there are three requirements for a valid conversion (paralleling the Jewish experience at Mount Sinai):
1) Mitzvot - The convert must believe in God and the divinity of the Torah, as well as accept to observe all 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. This includes observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, etc., as detailed in the Code of Jewish Law, the authoritative source for Jewish observance.
2) Milah - Male converts must undergo circumcision by a qualified "Mohel."
3) Mikveh - All converts must immerse in the Mikveh, a ritual bath linked to a reservoir of rain water.
All of the above must be done before a halachically-valid rabbinical court of three Jewish men who themselves believe in God, accept the divinity of the Torah, and observe the mitzvot.
Author Biography:
Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He has worked in the fields of journalism and public relations, and is now the Co-editor of Aish.com in Jerusalem.
http://tinyurl.com/y2tymh