As discussed in Part 1 of this lesson, the Israelites were the first chosen people of God.
They were a small nation, but God had great jobs for them in His overall master plan.
In choosing them, he wasn’t saying they were better than any other people and He wasn’t making them any better than the peoples of the earth. He was simply making them His ambassadors for the time being, with two primary objectives.
First of all, they were to show and teach the world who the only true God is and how He should be worshipped.
Secondly, their mission would include being the earthly lineage through which Jesus Christ would be born.
Unfortunately, in their first mission the Israelites consistently failed God.
Judges 2:10-13 NIV
10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
After obtaining the land that God had promised them, they consistently did evil in the eyes of the Lord, for approximately 400 years.
As for the first part of their chosen mission, instead of teaching the world about the one and only God, they worshipped idols and other so called “gods.”
Naturally, our omniscient God knew that the Israelites would be poor ambassadors and fail to obey Him overall.
However, He was not pleased and punished the Israelites time and time again.
Time does not permit more than this brief look at the history of God’s first chosen people, but we hope you will take time to study the book of Judges for a better look into their failures.
Regarding the second part of the Israelite’s chosen mission, our Lord in His earthly form was born through the lineage of King David, as prophesied in the Old Testament.
The New Covenant was ushered in, at God's appointed time.
The NEW Covenant and the NEW Chosen People of God
When Jesus was born, the New Covenant under God’s master plan was ushered in. In Jesus’ death and resurrection, the ultimate sacrifice was paid for our sins, with salvation and reconciliation being obtained through belief in Christ as Lord and Savior.
The New Covenant began and believers formed the Church, or the new chosen people of God.
A great many of the first chosen people of God (Jews) became part of the new chosen people of God. The twelve apostles and Paul were Jews, who helped start the Church. Many Jews believed in Christ and therefore became members of the Church.
Peter is very clear that the believers who make up the Church are the new chosen people of God.
1 Peter 2:9 NIV
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Paul makes it very clear also, that Christians are the new chosen people of God and we are to show the love and teachings of Christ in our daily lives.
Colossians 3:12 NIV
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Along with the blessing of being the chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s special possession, comes responsibility and accountability.
Yes, salvation is free to all who ask and believe, but God wants us to show His love to others as we declare the praises of Him who brought us out of darkness into His light.
Colossians 3:1-11 NIV
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Colossians 3:13-17 NIV
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We are to live in obedience to the teachings of Jesus. We are to glorify and magnify God in all of our actions and words. Our life is to display the love of Jesus to all that we encounter.
It is not necessarily what we say that matters, but how we live. How we speak and what we say must be expressed in our daily lives. We have often said that “words are cheap” and we must beware of those who say one thing and do another.
In closing, as a Christian you are special to God. You are His special possession. You are His child. In this glorious position as a member of His chosen people, let us show the world daily who God is and how he expects us to live.
Can others see the love and teachings of Jesus in your life? Think about this and make sure that they can.
As the light of the world, we are truly chosen to shine, in order to help bring people out of darkness into God's wonderful light.
RVH