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 Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:15 pm
I've known for a long time that the Jews are considered God's Chosen People, but I never really actually stopped to consider what that meant until about a month ago, when my sister and I stumbled onto this topic in one of our conversations.
She basically told me that the Jewish people were meant to be a light to the rest of the world, showing people how they are supposed to relate to each other and to God.
Of course, this is coming from a Catholic education, not a Jewish one, so I'm curious what other people's take on this is, especially for those who count themselves among the Chosen People.
So, Discuss:
What are the Jewish people chosen for?
Edit: Also, please include the background of what you looked into to come to the belief you hold about this question (in a general sense). We've got 3 different responses already, and we may get even more as this thread continues. I'd like to know what teachings these beliefs are falling back, or what tradition those teachings come from.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:18 pm
This pickled vegetable...Think of "God" as a bad parent that shows favoritism and different religions as his children. Jews are his "favorite".
They're not really Chosen for anything, they're just chosen as his favored people. ... could kick your a** !!
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 7:13 pm
Renkon Root This pickled vegetable...Think of "God" as a bad parent that shows favoritism and different religions as his children. Jews are his "favorite".
They're not really Chosen for anything, they're just chosen as his favored people. ... could kick your a** !! Yeah that's kinda how I understood it myself. Though if monolaterism is a possibility then it wouldn't be too bad since different gods for different people.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:20 am
Renkon Root This pickled vegetable...Think of "God" as a bad parent that shows favoritism and different religions as his children. Jews are his "favorite".
They're not really Chosen for anything, they're just chosen as his favored people. ... could kick your a** !! Just curious, where are you coming from with this? Are you Jewish, and is this something that you learned from your religious elders? Or are you not Jewish, but still getting this information from Jewish sources? Or is this information coming from a non-Jewish source? The reason I ask is that it seems possible, even probable, that different religions would have different takes on this issue.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 2:30 am
garra_eyes Renkon Root This pickled vegetable...Think of "God" as a bad parent that shows favoritism and different religions as his children. Jews are his "favorite".
They're not really Chosen for anything, they're just chosen as his favored people. ... could kick your a** !! Just curious, where are you coming from with this? Are you Jewish, and is this something that you learned from your religious elders? Or are you not Jewish, but still getting this information from Jewish sources? Or is this information coming from a non-Jewish source? The reason I ask is that it seems possible, even probable, that different religions would have different takes on this issue. I was raised Jewish but have chosen not to be.
And in the Tanakh the Jews were never chosen to DO anything. Gog basically just said, "You're my favorites so I'm giving you all this land." The Jews go to said land, kill the people that were already living there and then live in the land. ... could kick your a** !!
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:26 am
I always thought that it was more of a genealogical thing.
God chose Abraham because of his uprightness and promised a great heritage. That heritage was more descendants than could be counted. It was also the promise that the salvation of humanity would come from that line of descendants.
Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands by having a son with his wife's handmaid; because he did take things into his own hands, his first son was not chosen to be that lineage.
So, his second son with Sarah was the son that God promised Abraham, and that was the line that the Hebrews descended from. That is the line of David, and that is the line that the Messiah would come from.
That was the major reason that I believe the Jews were the Chosen of God; that the Messiah was to hale from that line.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:37 am
Eltanin Sadachbia I always thought that it was more of a genealogical thing. God chose Abraham because of his uprightness and promised a great heritage. That heritage was more descendants than could be counted. It was also the promise that the salvation of humanity would come from that line of descendants. Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands by having a son with his wife's handmaid; because he did take things into his own hands, his first son was not chosen to be that lineage. So, his second son with Sarah was the son that God promised Abraham, and that was the line that the Hebrews descended from. That is the line of David, and that is the line that the Messiah would come from. That was the major reason that I believe the Jews were the Chosen of God; that the Messiah was to hale from that line. Again, because I'm curious about where different ideas on what it means to be the Chosen People come from, would you mind telling me what sort of background this belief came from? (ie what teachings were you studying that lead you to this belief: Christian, Jewish, other, all of the above, etc?)
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 12:37 pm
garra_eyes Eltanin Sadachbia I always thought that it was more of a genealogical thing. God chose Abraham because of his uprightness and promised a great heritage. That heritage was more descendants than could be counted. It was also the promise that the salvation of humanity would come from that line of descendants. Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands by having a son with his wife's handmaid; because he did take things into his own hands, his first son was not chosen to be that lineage. So, his second son with Sarah was the son that God promised Abraham, and that was the line that the Hebrews descended from. That is the line of David, and that is the line that the Messiah would come from. That was the major reason that I believe the Jews were the Chosen of God; that the Messiah was to hale from that line. Again, because I'm curious about where different ideas on what it means to be the Chosen People come from, would you mind telling me what sort of background this belief came from? (ie what teachings were you studying that lead you to this belief: Christian, Jewish, other, all of the above, etc?) I'm sorry, I should have done that right off. redface It is a Christian and Judaic view. I don't know if all Jews follow it this way, but I talked to a Rabbi about a similar question I had. He said that my belief somewhat lines up with his about the Jews being the chosen people. Our only major difference was that I believed the Messiah was Jesus, and it is arguable that the Messiah has yet to come for him.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 12:45 pm
Weren't the Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel? And the twelve tribes are decendants of Abraham, whom God made a covenant with. Wasn't that why they are the chosen people?
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:25 pm
Eltanin Sadachbia garra_eyes Eltanin Sadachbia I always thought that it was more of a genealogical thing. God chose Abraham because of his uprightness and promised a great heritage. That heritage was more descendants than could be counted. It was also the promise that the salvation of humanity would come from that line of descendants. Abraham tried to take matters into his own hands by having a son with his wife's handmaid; because he did take things into his own hands, his first son was not chosen to be that lineage. So, his second son with Sarah was the son that God promised Abraham, and that was the line that the Hebrews descended from. That is the line of David, and that is the line that the Messiah would come from. That was the major reason that I believe the Jews were the Chosen of God; that the Messiah was to hale from that line. Again, because I'm curious about where different ideas on what it means to be the Chosen People come from, would you mind telling me what sort of background this belief came from? (ie what teachings were you studying that lead you to this belief: Christian, Jewish, other, all of the above, etc?) I'm sorry, I should have done that right off. redface It is a Christian and Judaic view. I don't know if all Jews follow it this way, but I talked to a Rabbi about a similar question I had. He said that my belief somewhat lines up with his about the Jews being the chosen people. Our only major difference was that I believed the Messiah was Jesus, and it is arguable that the Messiah has yet to come for him. Thank you. ^.^ My sister and I also discussed this as being part of the whole "Chosen People" in our conversation (and I really wish I had made this thread back when that conversation was fresher in my mind). It was part of her point about the Jewish people being an example to the world. Basically, she pointed out that their role was to bring salvation to the world both in several ways, including what's already been mentioned, and also in the redemptive value of their suffering as a people. (that part of the conversation is a bit fuzzier though)
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:36 pm
Shadows-shine Weren't the Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel? And the twelve tribes are decendants of Abraham, whom God made a covenant with. Wasn't that why they are the chosen people? That is the general story on how they became Chosen, but it doesn't really answer the question of what it means to be Chosen. I know that for me, and presumably for many others, I have formed my understanding of what it means for the Jews to be the Chosen people based on my own insights and beliefs about the Abrahamic God. For Christians, it doesn't make a ton of sense to simply say that God likes the Jews better than anyone else, as that conflicts with our vision of God as the loving father to all people, be they Gentile or Jew. Still, it is clear that God set the Jews aside for some special reason. On the other hand, Pagans who have specific gods for specific people, groups of people, times, events, etc, it might seem perfectly normal and expected for God to choose favorites. As for the Jews . . . well, I was really hoping to get their input by posting in this subforum, as I'm not entirely sure what they would consider normal and expected concerning favoritism and or what goes along with being chosen by YHWH.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 1:37 pm
According to their Faith I believe you are right on the money, but it is only reliant to their faith. There are many other religions that feel they themselves are the chosen ones. I think it is very ignorant to believe that your path is right and all other paths are thereby false.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 5:02 pm
G-d chose us, or many would say we chose G-d, for the purpose of Tikkun Olam, fixing the world. Gimilut Chasidim, Acts of loving kindness.
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Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:37 pm
Lumanny the Space Jew G-d chose us, or many would say we chose G-d, for the purpose of Tikkun Olam, fixing the world. Gimilut Chasidim, Acts of loving kindness. Any chance you could explain this any more? I'm intrigued. ^.^
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:38 am
To begin with, i have the same impression as Renkon Root.
To continue with, some may say, that due to the other One God Faiths (Christianity, Islam), the Jews are no longer the "chosen people", but rather those who strive to truly do good .....
On Abrahams inheritence:
I remember reading somewhere that Sarah said that her handmaid's son .... was it Ishmael? should not be counted as firstborn, but that her .... Isaac? would get it instead.
Then, we have .... was it Esau & Jacob?
"E" was the real firstborn, but Jacob managed to trick himself to getting the special blessing from the father, that "E" should have had ......
After this, i wonder, who are the true descendants, the Real Chosen People?
The real firstborn, Ishmael?
The bestolen, "E"?
Or those from Jacob?
Or ALL of them?
Anyway, i'm certain they got very intermixed during the time in Egypt, .......
There has been found things in Egypt, telling an (understandably) different version of the Exodus:
Simply put, someone gathered a lot of rabble & outcasts, and went away with them.
..................
Please don't ask me to quote sources, if it is so easy to find them, you could find them Yourselves ......
I just question where the heritage really lies, if it may be spread far beyound the boundaries of the officcial Jews, or if the blessing really may be metaphorical, or if it possibly goes to those who have been suffering for .... just being who they are....
............
My religous heritage:
Officcial Atheism with hidden Christianity. BUT, once i started to be able to select my own "belief", i came to two things:
God exist, even if people belive or not,
and
Why choose?
All have their wrongs, as well as truth behind them, so how do they fit together?
So i essentially has a blend of the One God Faith(s) and Paganism.
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