Clearly, Israel is God’s chosen nation in the Old Testament, but this raises a number of questions. Does God favor Israel over other people groups? Jesus extends his love to all nations in the New Testament—does that mean there’s a contradiction between Jesus and God in the Old Testament? Or is God’s love for all nations just plan B?  

I find that all of these issues can be resolved by answering just one question: what was Israel chosen for? First, let’s look at the story of God choosing the family of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). God tells Abraham that he will make him into an entire nation that will prosper, grow, have a great reputation, and be secure (Genesis 12:2-3). This family later became the nation of Israel.  

But let’s stop for a moment and ask ourselves: does the author say for what purpose God chose Abraham’s family? The answer is yes! The last line of God’s blessing to Abraham says, “And all families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). God chooses this one family to be the vehicle of his blessing to all families. God chooses Israel and ultimately Jesus, and this results in the exact opposite of God favoring one group to the exclusion of all others. Instead, God works out his plan to extend his love to all the world through one group or individual.

https://bibleproject.com/articles/who-has-god-chosen/

Joyfully,

Marilee :)