What is the significance of “God’s people”? We’re the Egyptians not God’s people? Why do people who are not genetically Jewish follow these stories about “Gods’ people”? I really have a hard time understanding this… why does this God have a plan for me as a non-Israelite but back then his plans were only for Isreal? Can anyone explain why suddenly tons of non-Hebrew people all suddenly feel that God has plans for them when it was originally only about Israel? Are non-Israelites Gods’ people too? When did they become God’s people if they originally weren’t, or were all of us always Gods’ people? I don’t think it is the latter because it is evident in the Bible that the people of Israel were his people and everyone else wasn’t?
Hey iLLEly0n! I've always wondered those things myself. But for the past few months I've been in a discipleship school, and I've learned things that I'd never heard of before. There are a whole lot of pieces of the Old Testament that get skimmed over. I actually believe we ARE all God's people. And I believe we always have been. Beause whether you're from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, or the Americas, God created you. The Bible has always been really clear about that. You are right that Israel was God's people in a special way. But they were chosen for a purppse that extends to all the earth. In Genesis 12:1-3, God chooses Abraham to begin His people, and He makes Abraham a bunch of promises. Promises for land, descendants, and blessing. But notice how the blessing is given to Abraham and his descendants (Israel) so that they can SHARE God's blessing with the other nations around them! (That's what 'families' refers to in this case.) In verse 2 God says that Israel will be blessing to others. In verse 3 He says ALL the families of earth will be blessed through them. So God's intent was always for all nations to know Him. But He chose a specific people so He would have a mouthpiece. He wanted a living breathing example of what living life in relationship and obedience to God looked like. Just like how Christians are supposed to witness by example today, as well as with words. But like Christians sometimes, Israrl often messed up and did a very poor job at being that witness. Nowadays, we Christians are all God's people the way Israel was. The New Testament, in the book of Acts, tells us how the gospel spread, and how gentiles (non jews) were welcomed into the church. God's people has always been those who choose to love Him, trust Him, and obey Him. Even in the Old Testament that wasn't just ethnic jews. That included foreigners (who God even gave extra laws to protect) who saw God's glory and decided to join Israel. We see an example of that in Exodus 12:38. There were Egyptians who belonged to God's people! God has always called the whole earth to be His people. He chose Israel as His example and messengers, but they often did a poor job at it. And now everyone who believes in the name of Jesus, and is saved through accepting His sacrifice to save us from sin and death, is God's people. And it's our job to call the rest of the world into that people, until every people group knows who Jesus is.
@@tigertamer5833 thank you for your insight I will read this soon!! I have my own opinions on this but I look forward to your insight here and will respond soon
I love you
What is the significance of “God’s people”? We’re the Egyptians not God’s people? Why do people who are not genetically Jewish follow these stories about “Gods’ people”? I really have a hard time understanding this… why does this God have a plan for me as a non-Israelite but back then his plans were only for Isreal? Can anyone explain why suddenly tons of non-Hebrew people all suddenly feel that God has plans for them when it was originally only about Israel? Are non-Israelites Gods’ people too? When did they become God’s people if they originally weren’t, or were all of us always Gods’ people? I don’t think it is the latter because it is evident in the Bible that the people of Israel were his people and everyone else wasn’t?
Hey iLLEly0n!
I've always wondered those things myself. But for the past few months I've been in a discipleship school, and I've learned things that I'd never heard of before. There are a whole lot of pieces of the Old Testament that get skimmed over.
I actually believe we ARE all God's people. And I believe we always have been. Beause whether you're from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, or the Americas, God created you. The Bible has always been really clear about that. You are right that Israel was God's people in a special way. But they were chosen for a purppse that extends to all the earth.
In Genesis 12:1-3, God chooses Abraham to begin His people, and He makes Abraham a bunch of promises. Promises for land, descendants, and blessing. But notice how the blessing is given to Abraham and his descendants (Israel) so that they can SHARE God's blessing with the other nations around them! (That's what 'families' refers to in this case.) In verse 2 God says that Israel will be blessing to others. In verse 3 He says ALL the families of earth will be blessed through them.
So God's intent was always for all nations to know Him. But He chose a specific people so He would have a mouthpiece. He wanted a living breathing example of what living life in relationship and obedience to God looked like. Just like how Christians are supposed to witness by example today, as well as with words. But like Christians sometimes, Israrl often messed up and did a very poor job at being that witness.
Nowadays, we Christians are all God's people the way Israel was. The New Testament, in the book of Acts, tells us how the gospel spread, and how gentiles (non jews) were welcomed into the church. God's people has always been those who choose to love Him, trust Him, and obey Him. Even in the Old Testament that wasn't just ethnic jews. That included foreigners (who God even gave extra laws to protect) who saw God's glory and decided to join Israel. We see an example of that in Exodus 12:38. There were Egyptians who belonged to God's people!
God has always called the whole earth to be His people. He chose Israel as His example and messengers, but they often did a poor job at it. And now everyone who believes in the name of Jesus, and is saved through accepting His sacrifice to save us from sin and death, is God's people. And it's our job to call the rest of the world into that people, until every people group knows who Jesus is.
@@tigertamer5833 thank you for your insight I will read this soon!! I have my own opinions on this but I look forward to your insight here and will respond soon