Who Are the
Chosen People?

Thousands of years ago, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be a great nation. This people would possess a particular land, receive God’s blessing, and be a blessing to the whole world. God confirmed these promises with Abraham’s son, Isaac, and grandson, Jacob. He even gave Jacob a new name—Israel. Jacob’s descendants, the Jewish people, are the heirs of the blessing God gave to Abraham.

Some fear that calling Israel God’s chosen people is exclusive, even bigoted. However, Scripture communicates again and again that God’s choice of Israel is an act of grace. God did not bless Israel because they were bigger or better than other nations (Deuteronomy 7:7). Rather, He chose Israel simply because it pleased Him to do so. It is a mystery, just like God’s choosing people for salvation before the world was made (Ephesians 1:3-5). Jewish people today—the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—are God’s chosen people.

As the apostle Paul wrote, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1).