God's Chosen People

Have you ever wondered, while reading the Bible especially the Old Testament, why God chose the Israelites out of the many He could have chosen from? Why not the Greeks who were the great thinkers during the ancient times? Why not the Babylonians or the Romans who would one day rule the world? Why the Israelites who had no outstanding quality or achievement, who were not even particularly obedient?
The Israelites were a faithless, cowardly, and rebellious lot. In fact, there were times when God was ready to blot them from His plans, that He regretted choosing them. In Exodus, God was ready to replace them with Moses’ descendants, had Moses not interceded for them.
But you know what? Before we can judge the Israelites, we have to look at ourselves. We, Christians, are God’s chosen people. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). But can we honestly say that God did not make a mistake in calling us? How many times have we doubted His promises and His plans for us? How many times have we complained and grumbled because we don’t have what we want but what we need? How many times have we failed to step out in obedience because we feared failure or criticism or rejection? How many of us, after being witnesses to God’s power and His saving grace, lived a really victorious life and never, ever failed to doubt God’s power and goodness anymore? If we will be truly honest, we will admit that, “yes, maybe, God made a mistake in calling me,” or “Who am I that God loves me so much that He gave His only Son for me? Who am I that He has called me to be His servant? Who am I to think that God will use me?”
The good news is that God truly calls those whom He wants, for His own reasons. He chooses us for His own purpose. And if we are tempted to give in to pride because God has chosen us and is already using us, we...