For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
~Deuteronomy 7:6

As I teach on Israel being God’s chosen land and Jews being God’s chosen people, questions often follow:

• Why the Jews…and why Israel?
• Does that mean God loves them more than others?

Good, legitimate questions!  What does God’s Word say about those two things?  Let’s start with the second question first.  Deuteronomy 7:6 (above) makes it crystal clear that God has indeed chosen Israel to be a people “for his treasured possession.”  So, we cannot say that is not true!  But, does He love them more?

I believe Romans 2:9-11 gives us a hint:

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

Perhaps the most obvious point of that passage is that God shows no partiality.  Thus, that provides a foundation upon which to construct our answer as to whether or not God loves Jews more than others.  If God is not partial to one or the other, then perhaps He loves equally.

“Perhaps” doesn’t fully satisfy, though, does it?  And besides, two times in that passage it says, “the Jew first.”  So, let’s go beyond “perhaps,” and aim for something a bit more substantial.

What does the familiar John 3:16 say?  For God so loved the…..?  Yes, God so loved the world.  How did He show His love?  By giving His Son to die for the world.  Furthermore, 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that He desires that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  If God loves the whole world enough to send His Son to die, and if His desire is that none should perish, is it possible for Him to love some more than others?

God loves all equally!  His Son died for all so that none would have to perish.  He shows no partiality, and has no favorites!

So why, then, are the Jewish people chosen by God?  Are they greater than all others?  Are they sinless?  Did they do something spectacular to attract God’s favor?  Of course not!  In fact, the last time I read the Old Testament, they were pretty rebellious at times!

Let’s go back to Deuteronomy 7:

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.
~Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Aha!  Scripture tells us He chose them out of love, in order to keep the promise He made to their forefathers.  God is a promise keeper!  He will never go back on His word.

He chose them…well…because He chose them!  He is God and can choose anyone and anything He wants!  But He also had a special reason and a special plan in doing so.  We’ll talk about that tomorrow.  For today, however, remember that the same promise keeping God who will not forsake His promises to Israel, will never forsake His promises to us either!  God’s promises are based upon the great covenants He made with His people!

More tomorrow…see you then!