📖 8 Part Series: Why Israel Matters — God’s Chosen People in Scripture, Prophecy, and Eternity

Introduction

Why is it so difficult for pastors and theologians to answer a simple question? Why are the Jews the chosen people? Too often, the word “chosen” is blurred into something vague. Some say it is applied to many groups in Scripture and therefore hard to define. But God’s Word is not unclear. The Bible gives a direct answer: Israel is chosen because God Himself created a new race of people for Himself, beginning with Abraham and Sarah, and set them apart from all other nations of the world.

Two Types of “Chosen”

Before going further, we need to clarify the word chosen.

• God’s chosen people (Israel): A new nation created by God through Abraham and Sarah, separated from the Gentile world to be His covenant people. 
• The chosen in Christ (the Church): Believers in this present age of grace, chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to be holy and blameless in Him. 

Same God. Same love for all mankind. But a clear distinction in purpose and calling. Confusing these truths is at the heart of much false teaching in Christendom.

God Created and Separated Israel

When God called Abraham in Genesis 12, He was not merely selecting a man; He was creating a people set apart for Himself.

Genesis 12:1–3

“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.’”

From the very beginning, Israel’s identity was defined by separation. God separated Abraham from his land, family, and pagan surroundings. This pattern of separation continues throughout the Old Testament as Israel is commanded to remain distinct from Gentile nations (Leviticus 20:26; Deuteronomy 7:6).

Even Paul later points back to this truth:

Ephesians 2:11–13

 

 “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

For centuries, Israel was separated from the Gentile world by God’s command. Only through Paul’s revelation of the mystery do we learn that, in Christ, the dividing wall has been broken down.

Why Did God Choose Israel?

The Bible answers directly:

• Not because of Israel’s greatness. 
• Not because of their strength. 
• But because of God’s love and His covenant promise to Abraham. 

Deuteronomy 7:6–8

“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.
The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;
but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers…”

God’s choosing of Israel was an act of sovereign love and faithfulness.

Believers Chosen Today — By the Gospel of Grace

Here is where the distinction must be clear. Israel was chosen as a nation, separated from the Gentiles. But today — for almost 2,000 years — believers are chosen in a different way: through the gospel of the grace of God revealed to Paul.

Ephesians 3:6
“that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.”

Ephesians 2:13
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Believers today are chosen not by nationality or covenant lineage, but by faith in Christ and His finished work at the cross. We are part of the one body, the Church, a mystery hidden in ages past but revealed through Paul.

The Tragic Twisting of “Chosen”

Throughout church history, false teachers blurred the distinction between Israel and the Church. The so-called “church fathers” introduced ideas like Replacement Theology and Amillennialism — doctrines that claimed the Church had permanently replaced Israel in God’s plan. This distortion laid the groundwork for centuries of antisemitism, culminating in horrific events like the Holocaust.

Today, hatred toward Israel is once again on the rise globally. But this hatred is not merely political — it is spiritual. The enemy has always targeted God’s chosen people because through them came the promises, the covenants, and ultimately the Messiah (Romans 9:4–5).

Takeaway

Israel is chosen because God created them, separated them, and covenanted Himself to them. Their chosenness is not about superiority, but about God’s eternal purpose — to bring forth His Word, His promises, and His Son into the world.

Believers today are chosen not through Abraham’s covenant but through the gospel of grace. By faith in Christ, both Jew and Gentile are brought near, reconciled into one body.

As long as these truths remain blurred, confusion and antisemitism will flourish. But Scripture is clear: Israel remains God’s covenant people, and believers today are chosen in Christ through the gospel of grace.