I recently started dating this really hot Jewish girl. I have alot of Christian background, but I can’t think or find any reason for the Jew’s being considered “God’s chosen.” I know there’s a reference in Romans chapter 1 about the Jew’s coming before Gentiles. Perhaps there was some event in the Old Testament that established them as such? I’m rather curious as to the history of my new hot girlfriend’s culture, and any help would be welcome.
Um, read the entire Old Testament. The entire thing is about how they are God’s Chosen people.
What do you expect. They’re the original authors of the book?
Um, maybe I should be more specific with my question. Is there an actual event that established them as such? What are the verses in the Bible? Please be as vague as possible, because I really like condescending people.
Perspective comes into it a lot but perhaps you should read more of your old testament and not look for a small, specific event. God chose the Jews to give his word and prophets to. If you want a specific verse Deuteronomy 7:6 makes this explicit and many other passages do the same. They are chosen because God said so.
Sorry if that may not be the answer you wanted Cinyrus but religion is a tricky topic sometimes for general questions and they frequently end up in great debates. Welcome to SDMB.
Specific stuff within the Old Testament? Read any part that has Abraham or Moses in it.
And yeah, anyone who writes or compiles a holy volume is going to paint themselves as God’s chosen people in it.
Thanks for the information, Padeye and Indefatigable.
Cinyrus, we want you to ask questions here but always encourage doing research with available tools. http://bible.gospelcom.net/ has the bible online, searchable and in multiple versions. I used it to find a list of verses that have the words chosen & people.
The convant between Abraham and God would be the defining moment of the choice.
God chose Abraham to be the father of a great people, however, the compact with the Hebrews to be a chosen people occurred through Moses:
As I understand it (and I could be wrong), the whole concept of a god who takes a personal interest/concern in humans and their welfare is a Jewish invention. Prior to the whole Covenant with Abraham, gods were remote and selfish monsters whose interest in your well-being started and stopped with whether you paid them the right tribute at the local temple/pantheon.
Zeus, for example, was a lot more interested in intrigues with Athena, Leda and Ganymede than in your silly-ass needs–but some kind of sacrifice or tribute from your end was strongly recommended anyway.
With Jehovah, your needs actually mattered. A little. People of faith take this for granted now (esp. the whole Protestant “personal relationship with Jesus” thing), but back in Old Testament days, it was a pretty radical new concept.
Religiously: they are God’s choosen because of basically what was stated above.
Historically: because they say so - just like every other Religion that states the same.
tomndebb, I don’t understand the difference between choosing a man and his desendents and choosing only his desendents.
Genesis 18
19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
Emphasis and responsibility. Notice that in the Genesis passage, God chooses Abraham so that Abraham will direct his family to follow God. In Deuteronomy, God directly chooses the people–all the people–whom He has led out of slavery in Egypt. Ishmael was also a son of Abraham–in fact, Abraham’s firt born, but his descendants are not included among the chosen in Sinai where the Jewish people come together to be recognized as a people. I am not denying the choosing of Abraham, but when we speak of the Jews as the Chosen People, I would think we ought to get closer to the selection of the Jewish people, and not go as far back as Abraham. By accepting God’s choice of them, the Jews are also obligated to respond by maintaining themselves as a Godly people to show the rest of the world the path to God. That burden is not put on anyone else in the Tanakh/Old Testament.
The Old Testament was also written by the winners. Who do you think they’re going to elect as “God’s chosen?”
Krokodil sed:
This is a bit tangental…but when was Zeus involved with Athena? She was his daughter, no?
And to extend the tangent, Athena was also one of the three Virgin Goddesses, and would have knocked Zeus clear to Tartarus had he tried anything. But considering that Hera was Zeus’ sister, I don’t think he would have hesitated with a daughter.
tomndebb, Okay, now I see what you’re saying, thanks.
The Jew’s what? Harp?