“This Generation Shall Not Pass”
257
clearly established his claim of an unerring prophet! (Abiel Abbot Livermore, 288)
Who Are the “Chosen People” of God? Right here would be a good place to discuss this matter of the “race” or “bloodline” of Israel as being the criteria for being God’s “chosen people.” A simple fact, unthought of evidently by most of the T.V. evangelists and publications which dwell on these things, is that God’s CHOICE of a group of people for his particular favor and blessings, was NEVER made on the basis of race or blood! NOT ONE TIME in the Bible is any such reference made. The selection, or choice, was made on the basis of COVENANT. And the covenant was made to a group of people of MIXED racial background. And the truth of the matter is, that Gentiles could enter into this covenant relationship also by circumcision. During most of the history of this covenant people in the Old Testament, there was a tremendous amount of bloodmixing in the group. The nation of Israel was not a nation based on race, but on covenant. The covenant was the focal point of the relationship to God. Within this covenant people were the true believers, those who kept faith with God. Being part of the covenant people alone, through the rite of circumcision, etc., did not make one truly a Jew. As Paul said in Romans 2:28–29: For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. There was always this true Jew among the nation of Israel, and the combined number of them could properly be called “the remnant.” They were truly “spiritual Israel.” Of Nathaniel, Jesus said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47). But to the unbelieving Jews, Jesus said, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham…. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:39, 44). These unbelieving Jews were not children of Abraham nor of God. “If God were your Father, ye would love me” (John 8:42).