This compilation of Bible verses clearly shows God’s choice of Israel as His special people and their separation from the Gentile nations. These verses span the Old Testament, including Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Exodus, 1 Kings, Psalms, and Isaiah. They highlight Israel’s distinct identity as being chosen by God, separated from other nations, and designated as God’s special treasure and inheritance. The emphasis on Israel’s unique status is evident in the passages, affirming the biblical truth that God has chosen the nation of Israel as His own.

‘When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.’

Deuteronomy 32:8

The nation of Israel and the Jewish people remain the apple of His eye, but today, and since around 70 AD, they have been blinded (Romans 11:25) to the benefit of the whole world (Romans 11). Ultimately, they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and along with the Romans (Gentiles), they crucified Jesus. God has committed the whole nation to disobedience so that He can pour out His mercy and grace upon all mankind.

Romans 11:32 captures this profound truth:

“For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”

Although Israel’s present condition involves a spiritual veil, the unchanging nature of God assures us that He remains true to His promises. The covenantal commitments made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as the nation of Israel, will, without a doubt, find their complete fulfillment in the unwavering faithfulness of God, who remains constant throughout time—today, tomorrow, and forever.

Here are a few Bible verses that highlight God’s choice of the nation of Israel as His own and their separation from the Gentile world:

Chosen as a Special People:

Deuteronomy 7:6:

“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

Separated from the Nations:

Leviticus 20:24:

“But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.”

Distinct Identity:

Exodus 33:16:

“For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

A Peculiar Treasure:

Exodus 19:5:

“Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”

God’s Inheritance:

1 Kings 8:53:

“For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Set Apart for Himself:

Psalm 135:4:

“For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.”

God’s Chosen People:

Isaiah 41:8–9:

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant; I have chosen you and have not cast you away.'”

These verses clearly show the special relationship and separation of Israel as a chosen people of God. 

To truly understand the Bible, one must know these truths. We must know and understand that scripture is a progressive revelation. One must identify the differences between law and grace, Israel and the body of Christ, which is His church, and Peter and Paul.