Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In my opinion, the concept of the "chosen people" in the Biblical sense (as used by Moses in the verse cited in the question) will always refer only to the Jews. Although Paul indicates that Christians (wherever they may be) are now descendants of Abraham through faith (Galatians 3:6-9), I don't think that the Bible supports the view that any other country (including the United States) has somehow supplanted the unique status of the Jews in God's eyes, or that the specific Biblical prophecies and promises of God with respect to Israel now apply to any other peoples or nations.

September 16 2017 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Philip Davies

The Jews and the nation of Israel no longer have any privileged status before God. Rom 9:25 The unbelieving nation of Israel is not the chosen people. The New Testament makes this clear over and over again. Salvation is not vested in a state but given to individuals. It is not by being born a Jew but by faith in Jesus alone. Rom 9:8 It is not those who are physically from Abraham who are chosen but those who are spiritual and who have faith like Abraham Eph 2:8 

Salvation is no longer about the Jews as a nation. Those kinds of racial distinctions have been done away with. It is only about Faith, not about nationality, not about race, not about parentage, not about Jewishness... its only about Faith. Paul gives the final word about this in Galatians. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal 3:28-29

There is no place any more for nationalism Hosea 2:23 The Church alone, comprising of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles, are the chosen people of God. But it comes by faith not by being born into the right race.
Regards
Phil

September 20 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Melanie Spindler Imperfect Christ-Follower, lover of God, seeker of Truth

First to address some misconceptions: I don't think this is a matter of nationalism and I think it is dangerous to cast aside Israel; Scripture is clear, even in the New Covenant that the nation of Israel is still God's chosen people. Hosea looks forward to the time that the rest of us would have the same privilege or opportunity to be called Children of God. But God is unchanging and He made His covenant with the Jews. He will make good on this promise; else, he is not God. 

Romans 9 attests to the fulfillment of opening grace up to those that believe on Jesus as the Messiah; but Christ himself called the Jews the children and the Greeks/gentiles the dogs in Matthew 15 and clearly states he was sent to bring back the lost children, whom he clarifies as the nation of Israel.

Romans 11 also clearly states the reason for God allowing gentiles to benefit from his grace...it is to bring back His chosen, the nation of Israel. "You [the gentiles] by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree [consisting of branches made of the nation of Israel], he will be FAR MORE EAGER to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong." Romans 11:24
"Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still THE people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." Rom 11:28

Yet, we are all who have believed on Jesus as the Son of the Living God as our Lord and Savior, called a "royal priesthood and a holy nation, God's very own possession," because of our obedience to the call (1 Peter 2:9).

So to answer the initial question: the Israelites in Deut 7:6 are still the ones that God loves in Romans 11:28. He is waiting on them to change their mind about His Son, the promised Messiah, so that He can graft them back into the tree. He will NEVER withdraw His call from them because He covenanted with them to bless all people of the earth through them. 

Blessings.

September 25 2017 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report