Our Scripture meditation is based on Deuteronomy 7:6–8 of the Old Testament Reading for next week, the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. For a meditation on the Gospel Lesson, click HERE.
[6] “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. [7] It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, [8] but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
There is confusion today among Christians concerning how the Jewish people fit with God’s people.
This Scripture passages makes it clear that God made the Israelites His chosen people. This happened through the covenant God made with Abram. (Genesis 12:1-3) In Jesus, God made a new covenant. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Luke 22:20) This new covenant supersedes the old covenant. Today God’s chosen people are those who have saving faith in Jesus.
Where does this leave the Jewish people? It depends on whether they believe Jesus is the Messiah. If they do, then they are in the new covenant. If not, they are no longer part of God’s people. There are no separate promises of salvation for any specific group of people. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 3:28–29:
[28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
How should we treat the Jewish people? We should treat the Jewish people with special respect given all God did for them under the old covenant. The Apostle Paul especially explains this in Romans chapters 9-11.
Until next week, the Lord bless and guide.
Kevin Wilson 360 