43:21 This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.
Before we get into the rebuke of
Judah (Jacob), we need to establish something that is still a huge point of
confusion to this day. God did not look down from heaven and randomly choose
the Jewish nation. He didn't purposely choose her either. He built Israel from
nothing. It was a nation built, not on bloodlines, but on faith and promises.
Abraham believed and that faith set him apart from his family. Isaac was a
promise given, not an accomplishment realized. Jacob continued the line while
Esau went s different direction and became in his descendants a separate
nation. It was not genetics that built this nation. It was individuals who responded
by faith to the calling of God on their lives. This is why Jesus could look
bloodline Jews in the eye and tell them they weren't Abraham's children. It's
why He could say that God could raise up children for Abraham from anywhere.
It's why Paul could write that in Jesus there is no Jew or Greek. There is only
belief and unbelief. Those who believe regardless of heritage, language,
country of origin etc... are children of Abraham and heirs according to all the
promises.
Do not allow yourself to get
sucked into the growing movement in Christian circles that the genetic nation
of Israel is elite, or above, or special in some way over the rest of humanity.
It was this false view of themselves that lead them into pride, arrogance, and
eventually into sending Jesus to the cross. God is no respected of persons. He
has no favourites. He spent His ministry crossing borders and barriers of every
kind to make that singular point. Seven times, the number of completeness, the
book of Revelation describes or points to the full participation of the whole
world in the controversy between good and evil. The message is for every
kindred, tongue, nation, and people. We have one choice. There are but two
sides. To believe and be transformed from Jacob (sinner) to Israel (overcomer)
or to not believe and remain as we are.
Why would we choose the latter
ever? Choose you this day. Today is the day of salvation.
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