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?

[Goat]

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?

The part of the question that you are missing is 'what did God choose the Jewish people for'. Jewish tradition is that they were chosen to be more responsible, and to provide a roll model for other people, not for extra privilege

[William]

[Replying to post 1 by marco]

From what I can gather, it isn't about race. Being a 'Jew' has many associated layers of meaning attached to it.

GOD chooses whomever chooses GOD, and that relationship is reflected through the individual and there is a wide spectrum of approach through which the individual might begin their journey toward the heart of GOD, a journey which involves the peeling away of the layers of supposition which clothe GOD in the array of the unnecessary which many fall prey to the idolization of.

Even 'the Jews' fall prey to that. Perhaps certain reasons which might be given by some Jews as to why GOD chose them, also fall into that category.

[marco]

GOD chooses whomever chooses GOD, and that relationship is reflected through the individual

That sounds like some office system. I wonder hwo God has communicated this procedure to humans. God insinuated himself upon the Israelites and they then knew him. An Apache had no way of approaching God, at least not Yahweh whereas Aristotle was put in touch with mercury and then Zeus.

Christianity seems to endorse the view that God identified himself to some river-desert folk and stayed put with them, like some missionary.

[William]

[Replying to post 4 by marco]

That sounds like some office system. I wonder hwo God has communicated this procedure to humans. God insinuated himself upon the Israelites and they then knew him. An Apache had no way of approaching God, at least not Yahweh whereas Aristotle was put in touch with mercury and then Zeus.

Christianity seems to endorse the view that God identified himself to some river-desert folk and stayed put with them, like some missionary.

Not sure how your reply addresses the context of my post Marco, or for that matter, the OPQ in general...

[bjs]

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.

[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?

The part of the question that you are missing is 'what did God choose the Jewish people for'. Jewish tradition is that they were chosen to be more responsible, and to provide a roll model for other people, not for extra privilege

What for and why are very much similar questions, involving purpose and reason respectively.

When you say: "they were chosen to be more responsible" do you mean they were just some random group of humans, acting wildly, and were chosen to show the human race what some input from God could do? Do we measure success by results? Yes, we could show that Jews command a very high return rate in Nobel Prizes, if that's considered good. Do they shine in saintliness as compared to the rest of humanity? Was God just tinkering? Obviously "Jewish tradition" would suppose Jews are a role model for others; but of course many nations on Earth think the same of themselves. Scots jest: "Who's like us? Very few, and they're all dead."


The simple answer as to why God chose the Jews is that in fact the Jews chose God. They made him unique, made him interact by getting him to voice rules that they already considered good for a stable society. Jewish law with God's imprimatur was a clever device. Making God ONE, capable of meting out swift punishment, a match for the mighty and solace for the sad - even in an imaginary context this is good. The golden idols or the shape-shifting beings of little substance of other nations are easily seen as subservient to the one, true God. The reason why God chose the Jews is that they had the wit, the intelligence and the performers to create him.


Muhammad used exactly the same strategy, this time having his God choose an Arabic group, fighting their battles with miracles, imposing punishments after death on those who did not accept him. Since Muhammad also wanted to include some carnality into his imagined paradise, Allah provided this - for men of course. Why did Allah choose to write in Arabic? That's the same question as - Why did God choose the Jews?

It is said that the Master Baker had three attempts at creating man: he baked too long and made them black; he removed too soon and made them white; then he got it just right, and the Chinese are the chosen people.

Our architecture of God is interesting.

[marco]

[Replying to post 4 by marco]

That sounds like some office system. I wonder hwo God has communicated this procedure to humans. God insinuated himself upon the Israelites and they then knew him. An Apache had no way of approaching God, at least not Yahweh whereas Aristotle was put in touch with mercury and then Zeus.

Christianity seems to endorse the view that God identified himself to some river-desert folk and stayed put with them, like some missionary.

Not sure how your reply addresses the context of my post Marco, or for that matter, the OPQ in general...

Your post said this, William: GOD chooses whomever chooses GOD, and that relationship is reflected through the individual and there is a wide spectrum of approach through which the individual might begin their journey toward the heart of GOD, a journey which involves the peeling away of the layers of supposition which clothe GOD in the array of the unnecessary which many fall prey to the idolization of. [/quote]


You paint a complex divine procedure. How could we possibly know this? Biblically things are simple: God has favourites. Your submission is a reflection on how a fair and intellent God might set about organising his office. 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.

I suggested that for those outside the chosen milieu, it seems biblically hard to move to God. God proposes and God disposes. Jews were encouraged to believe they had a covenant with God; that fact makes life worth living and death no problem.

[Elijah John]

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?

The part of the question that you are missing is 'what did God choose the Jewish people for'. Jewish tradition is that they were chosen to be more responsible, and to provide a roll model for other people, not for extra privilege

Agree, and would add:

The way I understand it, (from the Rabbis I have read), the responsibility you allude to is to bring ethical monotheism to the world, and to help repair a broken world by righteous actions and behavior.

As St. Francis puts it, "Lord make me an intstument of your peace...where there is darkness, (let me sow) light"...etc.

A very Jewish concept expressed in a beloved Christian prayer.

[Elijah John]

. The reason why God chose the Jews is that they had the wit, the intelligence and the performers to create him.

Or perhaps because the Jewish people were simply more receptive to the Living God's invitation and inspiration, and more responsive to that invitation than any other people at the time. The others being too busy with their orgies and fertility cults, their drunken Bacchanalia, human/child sacrifice and/or idolatry in general. The gods and pantheons of their imagination.