God chooses individuals, groups, and even an entire people to bless others. God chose a single person as Abraham, and Abraham is the progenitor of the people of Israel, who are God’s chosen people par excellence. That Israel is God’s chosen people will be known to most believers. But what does that mean; for what purpose are they chosen? Is that because the other nations play no significant role for God in His plans?
Exodus 19 ISA
3 And Moses went up to God. And YAHWEH called to him from the mountain, saying: Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and shall you tell to the sons of Israel:
(…)
5 And now, if you will listen, yes, listen to my voice, and you keep my covenant, then you shall be Mine, a special possession, above all nations, for the whole earth is Mine.
6 And you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
Israel was called and chosen as a people to be “a kingdom of priests.” The people thus had a “royal” and a “priestly” calling and function.
kingdom
There are many Scriptures that describe that the Messiah will sit on the throne of His father David in the future (Isa. 9:5-6; Luke 1:32-33). This will be a worldwide Kingdom. Jerusalem will become the center of God’s government over the nations (Jer. 3:17). Israel will take a leading position among the nations (Deut. 28:13; 26:18-19; 15:6).
the image of Nebuchadnezzar
In Daniel 2, the world empires are represented by a great image of gold, silver, copper, iron, and clay that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, sees in a dream. This image is eventually crushed by a stone, which is hewn from a mountain without human hands (:34, 45). This Stone is a representation of the Messiah and His people.
Daniel 2 ISA
44 And in their days, that is, of these kings, the God of the heavens will set up a kingdom that will not be harmed until the ages, and the kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush and end all these kingdoms, and it will stand until the ages.
the dream of Daniel
A few chapters later in Daniel 7, a dream of Daniel is described concerning four beasts coming up out of the sea. These four animals are also a representation of four earthly kingdoms (:17). It is also described here that these kingdoms will be succeeded by the Kingdom of the Messiah, an Israelite world empire.
Daniel 7 ISA
27 And the kingdom and the power and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heavens will be granted to the people of the saints of the Most High. The kingdom of this people is a kingdom of the aeon, and all authorities will serve it and listen to it.
Israel, with the Messiah at its head, will rule over the nations. That is a task and function for which they have been chosen. In the past, little came of this, but in the future God will fulfill His promises to the people under the new covenant. Through a believing Israel, the Messiah will establish His dominion over this earth. But the people will not only be royal, but also priestly. More on that in a future blog.