Why is Jewish Community Important?
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Key Facts
Term Name
Jewish Community
Role
Chosen People
Born
c. 2000 BC (Abrahamic covenant)
Died
Ongoing (post-exilic restoration c. 538 BC)
Key Takeaways
- The Jewish community was chosen by God to reflect His holiness and serve as a light to the nations.
- Their identity as a 'holy people' in Deuteronomy 7:6-8 was based on God's sovereign grace, not their merit.
- The Jewish community's covenantal role prepared the way for the Messiah and shaped global redemption.
Who Was the Jewish Community in the Bible?
The Jewish community in the Bible is rooted in God’s covenant with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing them as His chosen people.
This designation began with Genesis 12:1-3, where God promised Abraham that through his offspring all nations would be blessed, forming the foundation of their unique relationship with Him. Their chosen status was not based on their numbers or merit but on God’s sovereign grace and the covenantal promises He initiated. This set-apart identity required them to live distinctively, reflecting His holiness and serving as a witness to surrounding cultures.
The covenant with Abraham, reaffirmed through Isaac and Jacob, shaped the Jewish community’s collective identity and obligations. Understanding this covenant is key to grasping their role in biblical history and their enduring significance in scriptural narrative.
God's Chosen People in Deuteronomy 7:6-8
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 elaborates on the Jewish community’s unique identity as God’s chosen people, rooted in His sovereign love and covenantal commitment.
The passage states, "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God... the Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers." This underscores that Israel’s selection was not based on merit or size but on God’s grace and the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). Moses emphasizes their role as a "holy people" set apart to reflect God’s character and fulfill His redemptive purpose for the nations.
This "holy nation" identity required them to live distinctively, embodying God’s holiness as a witness to surrounding cultures. Their election, reaffirmed in Deuteronomy, established a framework for understanding their vocation as a "light to the nations" (Isaiah 49:6). This foundational text bridges the Abrahamic promises with Israel’s ongoing covenantal obligations in the Promised Land.
The Jewish Community's Role in God's Plan
The Jewish community was entrusted with a dual mission to be a "light to the nations" (Isaiah 49:6) and to prepare the way for the Messiah through their covenantal identity and worship practices.
Isaiah 49:6 declares that Israel’s purpose was to preserve God’s law and to draw all peoples to Him through their distinctiveness. This mission positioned them as a spiritual conduit for global redemption, with their temple worship and prophetic teachings foreshadowing the Messiah’s universal salvation. Their role in preparing for the Messiah involved maintaining covenant faithfulness while embodying hope for a future where God’s light would radiate beyond their borders.
Surrounding nations often viewed the Jewish community with a mixture of curiosity and hostility, perceiving their monotheism and ritual practices as both enigmatic and exclusive. This tension underscored their unique identity as God’s chosen people, even as it complicated their witness to the world - a dynamic that would culminate in the Messiah’s arrival and the redefinition of God’s covenant in the New Testament era.
What We Can Learn From the Jewish Community
The story of the Jewish community reveals important lessons about God’s unwavering faithfulness, the sacredness of spiritual identity, and the responsibilities tied to covenant membership.
God’s faithfulness is evident in His covenantal love, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:6-8, where He chose Israel not for their merit but to fulfill His redemptive purpose. Their identity as a "holy people" (Deuteronomy 7:6) underscores the importance of living distinctively as God’s chosen, reflecting His holiness. Yet covenant membership carried costs - obedience was non-negotiable, and failure to uphold their calling led to exile and loss of blessing (Isaiah 49:6). For modern believers, this calls us to embrace our identity in Christ with both gratitude and accountability, recognizing that our spiritual inheritance demands a life of intentional discipleship and witness to the world.
Further Reading
Key Scripture Mentions
Genesis 12:1-3
God's covenant with Abraham, establishing the foundation for the Jewish community's identity as His chosen people.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8
Explanation of Israel's election as a 'holy people' based on God's love and covenantal faithfulness, not their own merits.
Isaiah 49:6
Prophetic declaration of Israel's mission to be a 'light to the nations,' foreshadowing the Messiah's universal salvation.
Related Concepts
Covenant (Theological Concepts)
The binding agreement between God and the Jewish community, central to their identity and obligations.
Messiah (Theological Concepts)
The promised redeemer for whom the Jewish community's covenantal role prepared the way.
Holy People (Terms)
A designation for the Jewish community in Deuteronomy 7:6, emphasizing their distinctiveness and God's holiness.
Exile and Restoration (Events)
Key historical events demonstrating the consequences of covenantal disobedience and God's faithfulness.