Why did God choose the Jews?

[marco]

Assuming Yahweh is a genuine God, why would we suppose he had a favourite tribe? The famous saying is: How odd of God to choose the Jews. And the reply:

But not as odd as those who choose a Jewish God and spurn the Jews.


But I think on balance it is much odder for God to choose some human group.

Why did he choose the Jews?

Does this mean Yahweh is not anyone else's God?

[marco]

Goat has brought up a good point. What were the Jews chosen for? He is correct that Jewish tradition says that they were chosen for greater responsibility. Christian tradition adds that they were chose to be the vessel that brought the savior into the world, which itself is even more responsibly. One might say it is an honor, but it was certainly not a privilege.

From the start there is vocal interaction between God and some humans. When humanity is destroyed by flooding we have no idea what the majority were doing, except misbehaving in some way. Whatever traits of morality the Jews had must surely have been given to them and denied to others.

But accounts of their behaviour do not inspire as, say, an Aristotle might inspire or even Diogenes. They are moulded from bad to acceptable but in history there are people who needed no push to act morally. So why did God concentrate on this tiny area of his world and apparently neglect the vast percentage of his children? Is it the mark of a good parent to concentrate on one child and leave the rest to perish? Even Jesus reflected this preferential attitude: ""It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." It seems a wrong and unjust attitude, born of arrogance. Why would God encourage this?

[Elijah John]

Goat has brought up a good point. What were the Jews chosen for? He is correct that Jewish tradition says that they were chosen for greater responsibility. Christian tradition adds that they were chose to be the vessel that brought the savior into the world, which itself is even more responsibly. One might say it is an honor, but it was certainly not a privilege.

The Savior is YHVH Himself, not Jesus. (Isaiah 43.11)

I, even I am YHVH, and beside me there is no savior.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 2 by Goat]

Apparently though, they have been remiss in their responsibility for the overwhelming majority of their own mythical history.

If you look at real history, the situation is even worse.
I would love to hear how they are more responsible.

I would also like to hear, given all the sects locals of Judaism that have died out, were they also chosen?

LOL.

[marco]

If you look at real history, the situation is even worse.
I would love to hear how they are more responsible.

They are minor players in the great pageant of history, subjected to this or that conquering race. But we would not get that idea from Exodus:



Exodus 34 (KJV)

10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


Meanwhile history politely ignored this and went on to allow the rise of great civilisations. It is as though the Israelites were all wearing ruby slippers and making wishes with eyes closed to the passage of history.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 14 by marco]

I am afraid I remain among the ranks of not understanding why circumcision makes a people chosen.

Herodotus tells us that it is an Egyptian tradition, having nothing to do with God, and I wonder, does this mean that women aren't part of the covenant?

The more you examine, the less you find, and what you find, makes less sense.

There's no place like home, I guess.

[bjs]

[Replying to post 13 by Willum]


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[Willum]

[Replying to post 2 by Goat]

Apparently though, they have been remiss in their responsibility for the overwhelming majority of their own mythical history.

If you look at real history, the situation is even worse.
I would love to hear how they are more responsible.

I would also like to hear, given all the sects locals of Judaism that have died out, were they also chosen?

[William]

[Replying to post 8 by marco]

You paint a complex divine procedure. How could we possibly know this?

We exist within a complex environment Marco. It would be oxymoron to have a simple divine procedure.

Biblically things are simple: God has favourites.

GOD is an entity, and like all entities, is drawn to relationship. What appears to be favoritism is simply response to the call for relationship.

Your submission is a reflection on how a fair and intellent God might set about organising his office.

That in itself is simplified expression Marco. Adequate for the purpose therein. Any GOD responsible for the creation of biological life form which allows for anomaly in this universe, has to be fair and intelligent and organised. There is no getting around that article. The artifacts of ancient writ are no substitute or ideal device for relationship between the individual and that GOD, and any must be taken with a grain of salt and perhaps seen as a somewhat useful guideline, yet subject to fair, intelligent and organised discretion.

It does not reflect what the Bible tells us about his choosing folk. You may say that biblical reports are nonsense, but then we are departing from the question posed.

The answer to the OP question is relatively easy enough to come by Marco, if one first off employs relationship with GOD - individual entity to individual entity - then goes about asking those who self identify as being 'Jews'.
Through that process, one will still receive a variety of answers, but also one is kitted up already - through said relationship - and thus better equipped to uncover the truth of the matter...which I touched upon in my first post in this thread. (Post#3)

The answer from the perspective of one who understands the truth, is that a 'Jew' is someone who has a direct relationship with the creator-entity. In that, it is entirely the choice of the individual to decide whether shehe will self identify as being 'Jew', and not the right of anyone else to say 'yea or nay'. It is not something which is required in order for the relationship with the creator-entity to have meaning or legitimacy. Rather it is something of a remnant imprint of a human tribe in which the creator-entity managed to have initial ongoing relationship with as a preliminary device in which to engage with the rest of the world, starting within the structure of the 12 tribes which altogether made up 'the Israelites'.

One notices through the stories, that the task was complex and difficult for the creator-entity and more often than not, wrought with distractions created by humans which distorted and diminished through the force of human organisation making the creator-GOD appear distant and hard to encounter without the organised medium, which in turn only offered those using it a shadowy image at best.

I suggested that for those outside the chosen milieu, it seems biblically hard to move to God.

You are correct in that Marco. To be chosen is to choose, for one thing, and for the other, holy writ, no matter where it is sourced and what image of GOD it is portraying, will NEVER attain for the individual what personal relationship with the creator entity can.

Simply put, the relationship rewrites everything. It is the fundamentals of being 'born again' as it were - one has to go through the process of letting go of everything that one has been told through medium and actually relate with the creator-entity one to one. *Roller-Coaster* comes to mind. . Not for the faint of heart...

God proposes and God disposes.

That which is flesh is flesh Marco. A means to an end as it were. We learn to self identify with the flesh and this in itself causes problems.

Jews were encouraged to believe they had a covenant with God; that fact makes life worth living and death no problem.

Indeed, the individual whom has relationship with the creator entity adopts that philosophy naturally enough Marco.

[tam]

Peace to you Marco!

Assuming Yahweh is a genuine God, why would we suppose he had a favourite tribe? The famous saying is: How odd of God to choose the Jews. And the reply:

But not as odd as those who choose a Jewish God and spurn the Jews.


But I think on balance it is much odder for God to choose some human group.

Why did he choose the Jews?

Does this mean Yahweh is not anyone else's God?

First, God chose 12 tribes (Israel) not just two tribes (Judah and Benjamin, who make up the Jews).



Second, God did not just choose Israel out of the blue, or because they were more moral than the surrounding nations.

God chose Abraham (because of his faith), then Isaac, then Jacob/Israel; then the twelve tribes of Israel (from the twelve sons of Jacob). But this began with Abraham and the promise God made to Abraham concerning his offspring through Isaac.





Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[Willum]

[Replying to post 19 by tam]

Yes, I hear that this is the cover story.
But does this make any sense to you?

What is the covenant, what does the faith or one person willing to murder his son have to do with circumcision and land-title?