Israel is a ‘Treasured Possession’
When I speak or preach about the Jewish people as God’s chosen people, often people react with a feeling such as: “and what about us…” or “we are still God’s people too…” It feels like some sort of jealousy or allergic reaction, as if God does us an injustice when He expresses His love and election of Israel. Let us never forget that we only live by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. We can never claim God’s love. To see what is really going on between God and Israel, let us consider Deuteronomy 7:6: “The Lord God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” God wanted a people for Himself as a treasure. Israel as a light and blessing for the world, especially by bringing forth the Messiah, is thus preceded by being a treasured possession for the Lord Himself. That is why the Lord often speaks about Israel as His bride. God’s relationship with Israel is not a chilly one that is only about rules and laws.
Let us never forget that we only live by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. We can never claim God’s love.
On the contrary, it is a compassionate relationship based upon an intense deep love. Isaiah 62 says: “But you shall be called My Delight Is In Her, and your land Married, for the Lord delights in you (…) and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” This kind of speaking about Israel in terms of a marriage shows how deep God’s love is for Israel as His ‘treasured possession’. In Ezekiel 16, the Lord expresses His love with the following words: “And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed (…) when I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love (…), and you became mine.”
This text is full of compassion. It makes us humble when we realise how wonderful God’s love and grace is towards us, that we also are beloved by God and brought into a deep bond with the Jewish people through Jesus Christ, the Messiah and King of Israel.
