^ LMAO there's absolutely nothing special about the Jewish people that makes them better than anyone else,
Hi
RomanCatholic87,
If you accept the Bible as God's inspired word to man, you should also accept that the Jews are indeed a chosen people and will remain so--God's word cannot be broken.
For you (The Children of Israel) are a people holy to the LORD your God.
The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 7:6
And: (God speaking to Moses)
"you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
Exodus 19:6
You misunderstand what, "chosen" means--
as you say, it does not mean, "better". But they, the Jews, are
set apart as, "holy".
In fact in one sense, "holy" does mean--set apart.
Here's an illustration:
Your toothbrush is "holy", in that it is set apart from all other brushes in your household to be permitted
in your mouth.
No other brush in the house; the hair brush, the dish-washing brush, the pet-grooming brush, the BBQ grill-cleaning brush, the toilet brush--is allowed in this intimate place. The toothbrush is not, "better" than the other brushes--all of them are needed for their different duties, but the toothbrush has a special--a
chosen duty that is not suitable for any of the other brushes.
So what is this chosenness of the Jews?
Does chosen mean they will be a conquering, or undefeatable, or a protected-from-every-harm nation?
History shows us this hasn't been the case.
"Chosen", can't mean this, for as you say:
if God really had "chosen people" than he wouldn't allow the Jews to become some of the weakest people in history.
In fact their weakness was recognized by Moses when God did choose them:
The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
Deuteronomy 7:7
So just as a toothbrush is not the biggest, most powerful, or greatest brush in the house, but still it retains its special, "chosen" purpose, the Jews, despite not being the greatest, biggest, etc., nation, retain their
chosen place in God's eye.
And still doubt remains because of the Jews' outrageous sufferings:
if God really had "chosen people" than he wouldn't allow the Jews to become some of the weakest people in history.
The perfect example is the Holocaust, if God cares so much than why didn't He stop it?? Why did God let 6 million Jews die...?
But no suffering of the Jews nullifies their place as God's chosen people.
But Zion (Israel) said, "The LORD has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me."
15 (But God answers) "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:14
So again, What does it mean for the Jews to be chosen?
They are, "a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."
So what to priests do?
Priests intercede between the people and God.
Priests teach people about God--what he is like, what God says is right and wrong behavior and right and wrong thought.
Priests lead the people in worship.
Since Sinai, the Jews have been a beacon of light to a dark world that had forgotten the true living God by practicing all manner of paganism.
Man has sought God through; Sun, Moon, star worship, Ancestor worship, Nature worship, River worship, Worshipping creations of his own mind--characters made from his own imagination--"gods", or he has worshiped his own abilities, his own mind, declaring himself, that man is the only definer and limiter of his existence. Man can decide for himself what is right or wrong without any input from "god".
But God does have absolutes--right and wrong, good and evil.
Faithful Jews throughout history, and still today, have been teaching God's commandments through discussion and through example.
The moral law of God still stands for all--it begins with the 10 commandments and continues through the ordinances of how to treat your neighbors--the ultimate being;
"you shall love your neighbor as yourself". Leviticus 19:18
The non-moral laws, laws concerning dietary restrictions, beard trimming, clothing, abstinence from tattoos etc. were to set the Jews apart, to insure they would not blend in with the other nations. They are to give offense, to give the surrounding nations cause to question the Jews as to why they are different. Because when gentiles inquire about the exterior differences they might be instructed as to the interior differences--the righteous expectations God has for all his people, Jews and Gentiles.
What Jews who do not recognize Jesus as Messiah do not realize, is that believers in the Jewish Messiah, Christ, who obey his commandments, are also considered by God to be "chosen".
For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. Romans 2:28
Circumcision is being in covenant (a legal binding agreement) with God--I will believe in God, trust him, love him--obey his commandments, he will be my God, he will bless me and protect me and raise me up to be with him after this life is over.
And:
He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:29
So Paul teaches that even gentile believers in Christ are to be considered "real" Jews--those having covenant with God. As such they share in this royal priesthood. By not indulging in the sins of this world, they set themselves apart--and give offense to those without covenant with God. This is so unbelievers and the ignorant can raise questions and thus be instructed about God's grace to all who believe.
