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]

I do think it's possible however that Abraham was a special person more righteous than nearly all. I'll give him that.

Abraham sent his son and the woman he used into the wilderness. Abraham took his other son to be murdered. He was able to object to the slaughter in Sodom but went along with binding Isaac and attempting to kill him. He can hardly be described as righteous. He is as righteous as those today who kill in complete compliance with what they think is God's will. Abraham sets the worst example in the Bible. If he was "chosen" this reflects the kind of brutality that the old nomadic men valued, where women are chattels to be used and life is cheap.

“Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.

Then why cause conflict? Even today we have remnants of this same trouble caused by superstition and myth. God did not choose the Jews; the Jews chose God, and made him what he is, brutal and merciless.

[marco]

God chose to adopt the Israelites because he had made a prior promise to His friend Abraham to do so.

This is a perfect reduction of God to big chief, with some nomad brute as his pal. Paul was right when he said we see through a glass darkly and sometimes we see dark as light. Abraham was guilty of attempted murder of his son. If Jehovah chose this guy, we should steer well clear of Jehovah and his "friend."

The biblical God seems to respect those willing to steal land from others, kill children to get it and even attempt the slaughter of their own sons. A parallel question is why did the script writers make Yahweh so harsh and cruel? Was it just to deter?

[1213]

So many people are some God's chosen people, why do you believe one vainglorious claim over another?

Because of the evidence. For example, it is said:

I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Leviticus 26:33

Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God; but I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am Yahweh.'"
Leviticus 26:44-45

Person can make god from gold for him and serve it, but it will not have any meaningful effect, saying, or knowledge that Bible God has shown to have, for example in what happens to Jews in long time period.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 53 by 1213]

Well, modern genetics states there are none of the original tribes of Judah left.
The religion they practice is nothing like what is practiced in the OT (been to any ram sacrifices lately?).
This is backed up by history.
So colour me unimpressed.

You've got a bunch of derivative peoples claiming a throne that is only there because of vainglory.

What else you got?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 53 by 1213]

Yes you are correct that God did gather his people after their exile in Babylon, as I said he stuck to his part of the agreement. This is what we* refer to as the Abrahamic Covenant. He stuck with them right up to the avent of the Messiah, as promised.

JW


*(Jehovahs Witnesses)

[Willum]

[Replying to post 55 by JehovahsWitness]

Ummm, cutting off the ends of childrens' penises? right?

[1213]

Yes you are correct that God did gather his people after their exile in Babylon,

Yes, but the scripture I quoted says “…among the nations…� it is not just one nation, but among many nations. Also this following scriptures shows, it is not just one nation, but from many nations, which I think is nowadays happening and could not have been just the case of Babylon or Egypt.

It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, and shall return to Yahweh your God…
Deuteronomy 30:1-4

[bluethread]

[Replying to post 34 by bluethread]

Surely you must remember that circumcision is part of the Covenant?

The magical Covenant with God?

Anyway I ask for justification for your claims and rationales, and you avoid the questions...
Is circumcision magical, or mundane?

Can you back it up, or only wax philosophical?

I do not consider the Covenant magical or mundane. It is an agreement between two or more parties that has various requirements, some of which refer to things that one might consider mundane and also requires a means of identifying those who are covered by it. I am not sure what you mean by "back it up". A covenant is a common legal document and that form of covenant was in general use in the ancient near east.

[marco]

I do not consider the Covenant magical or mundane. It is an agreement between two or more parties that has various requirements, some of which refer to things that one might consider mundane and also requires a means of identifying those who are covered by it. I am not sure what you mean by "back it up". A covenant is a common legal document and that form of covenant was in general use in the ancient near east.

I think there is a stage in our talk about God when we bump heavily into embarrassment. Do we see God as signing his divine name with his divine pen presumably in divine ichor while humans wait to add their signatures? Yes, yes, it's all metaphor and metaphysics. But surely at some point we must sensibly shout "Stop!" lest bible studies destroy what wisdom we have.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 58 by bluethread]

It is fascinating, these conversations always seem to come down to your opinion.

I rarely do this for example:
It is certainly true that a people willing to lie about a God are willing to lie about language, covenants, history and many other things.

And this is what we observe, not my opinion.