2) God's radical, undeniable choice of the Jewish people tells us much about Him, as He has designed it to.
This last weekend I was honored to be part of a memorial get-together. It was a Jewish tradition with some adaptation due to time having passed. The idea of the event was to remember someone special who passed away. It was not a funeral. It was not heavy with grief. The time for this was behind us. This was a time for remembering. There were many people. There was great food. There was heart and spirit. I was surprised by the event, since I had never attended anything like it. It has a name in Hebrew that I can't remember.
Christians regularly find themselves feeling strangely sentimental and at home in Jewish contexts. This is no accident. Many theories exist concerning the fate of Jews from a Christian viewpoint, but it is hard to deny God in their presence or in their practices. The aroma of Messiah is inescapable. Being exposed to Jewish things and traditions almost always makes me feel ignorant about my own faith. "Oh, that's what that means," I find myself saying or thinking.
Back in the Bible we see God choosing a people for no reason in them. He chooses because He chooses. He chooses because He loves. His choice can't be erased, not even by the denial of the ones He's chosen.
As Christian believers, we are adopted into this family. I know about adoption. Its beauty and power grows with each examination. Adopted! To think of this is a good way to start the day. I'm adopted by God through faith in Christ. Hallelujah. Adopted children are chosen as well.
