Note: I found the following on Fakebook and I think it's quite interesting.
Disclaimer: I have no feelings about Jewish people, one way or the other. They are not well represented where I live in Greece but I do have several friends who have Jewish roots and they are all fine people.
__
A Jewish woman, Dr. Naomi Wolf, understands the concept of a chosen people. I share her words below. The chosen people that Jews and the church has been sold is a easily disproven lie.
Dr. Naomi Wolf: "Okay, so I was challenged below: "Read the Bible! God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people." So....I may get crucified for this but I have started to say it -- most recently (terrified, trembling) to warm welcome in a synagogue in LA: Actually if you read Genesis Exodus and Deuteronomy in Hebrew -- as I do -- you see that God did not "give" Israel to the Jews/Israelites. We as Jews are raised with the creed that "God gave us the land of Israel" in Genesis -- and that ethnically 'we are the chosen people." But actually -- and I could not believe my eyes when I saw this, I checked my reading with major scholars and they confirmed it -- actually God's "covenant" in Genesis, Exodus and Deuteronomy with the Jewish people is NOT ABOUT AN ETHNICITY AND NOT ABOUT A CONTRACT. IT IS ABOUT A WAY OF BEHAVING.
Again and again in the "covenant" language He never says: "I will give you, ethnic Israelites, the land of Israel." Rather He says something far more radical - far more subversive -- far more Godlike in my view. He says: IF you visit those imprisoned...act mercifully to the widow and the orphan...welcome the stranger in your midst...tend the sick...do justice and love mercy ....and perform various other tasks...THEN YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE AND THIS LAND WILL BE YOUR LAND. So "my people" is not ethnic -- it is transactional. We are God's people not by birth but by a way of behaving, that is ethical, kind and just. And we STOP being "God's people" when we are not ethical, kind and just. And ANYONE who is ethical, kind and just is, according to God in Genesis, "God's people." And the "contract" to "give" us Israel is conditional -- we can live in God's land IF we are "God's people" in this way -- just, merciful, compassionate. AND -- it never ever says, it is ONLY your land. Even when passages spell out geographical "boundaries" as if God does such a thing, it never says this is exclusively your land. It never says I will give this land JUST to you. Remember these were homeless nomads who had left slavery in Egypt and were wandering around in the desert; at most these passages say, settle here, but they do not say, settle here exclusively. Indeed again and again it talks about welcoming "zarim" -- translated as "strangers" but can also be translated as "people/tribes who are not you" -- in your midst. Blew my mind, hope it blows yours."
- Dr. Naomi Wolf
The idea that people who follow a particular should be entitled to their own country has always struck me as odd.
Maybe I should start my own religion, write a book that says England was promised to me and then demand that I be given it? What is not to like?
She is a national treasure. God bless her.
Zoom out....
Imagine people are whatever farm animal you like best...
It would be like saying, "We are the chosen chickens out of all chickens on this ranch"
It's just dumb ... You're still a farmed animal...
u/AmateurExpert
Ding, and THAT is what “Israel” means. Everyone who says they are Christian, then wholly denounces “Israel” does not understand what they are doing, and is why I keep repeatedly splitting out the different contexts of that word.
Lots more in that statement to unpack.
For myself, I try to do the last two points, and the stranger point, though I want to do prison ministry someday. Don’t expect tending the sick out of me, outside of my trying to dig through health lies. Someone else is gonna need to pick up my slack on that one.
WHAT the “various other tasks” consists of is important, too. It’s not just “attend church on Sunday.”
Very good viewpoint to meditate on.
And the curses of “if you do not do” that are put forth in Deuteronomy… we are SEEING those be put upon us, TODAY.
If anyone likes, they can blame me. I’ve failed plenty. Sorry. 🥺 we should all look deeply at ourselves too though, as it only takes a handful of righteous people to stave off judgment. For the entire country? Not sure about that… I’m not sure exactly how wide the application goes… but for at least smaller regions? I'm convinced of that.
Other verses about… 1 Corinthians 6:9
We should be testing ourselves against all those things daily… and while remembering that when called out on their idolatry, the Hebrews reliably responded, “what idolatry?”
Matthew 7:22-23