Recently, I had a thoughtful conversation with a friend about the heartbreaking events unfolding in the Middle East. It’s a complex and deeply emotional situation, and I’ve been reflecting on it through the lens of Scripture. My goal here isn’t to make a political statement but to offer a theological reflection, to ask what it means to be God’s chosen people, and how that shapes our response to the suffering we see.
Chosen for Purpose, Not Privilege
When Scripture calls Israel “God’s chosen people,” it does not mean they were chosen for privilege or superiority, but for purpose. God chose Israel as the vessel through which He would reveal His character and His salvation to the world. Through Abraham, God promised, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).
Israel’s calling was to represent God’s holiness and mercy before the nations. “The Lord did not set his affection on you because you were more numerous than other peoples,” Moses reminded them, “for you were the fewest of all” (Deuteronomy 7:7). Their weakness, not their might, was the canvas upon which God would display His glory.
The Covenant’s Responsibility
That calling came with sacred responsibility. Through the Law, God revealed His holiness and His compassion by showing His people what it meant to live in right relationship with Him and with one another.
They were to care for the vulnerable and the foreigner among them: “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Exodus 22:21). God tied this command directly to His identity when he said “I am the Lord your God" thereby underscoring that to represent Him faithfully meant to reflect His justice, mercy, and generosity.
Being chosen, then, was never a free pass. It was a sacred trust to embody God’s character in a broken world. To represent Him faithfully means to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before Him (Micah 6:8).
Fulfilment in Christ and Our Inclusion
Jesus reaffirmed this covenant identity when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind... and love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–40). Love of God and love of neighbour remain the foundation of the Law and the Prophets.
Through Christ, that covenant widened. Paul wrote that all who share Abraham’s faith are now his children: “Those who have faith are children of Abraham... All nations will be blessed through you” (Galatians 3:7–9).
Using the image of an olive tree, Paul explained that Gentile believers have been grafted into God’s family (Romans 11). We now share in the same promises, nourished by the same root but also bound by the same expectations of faith, humility, and fruitfulness.
To be grafted in is a profound gift, but it carries responsibility. We are called to bear fruit worthy of the One whose name we carry.
A Moral Lens on the Present
With that in mind, how should we view the violence and suffering in the Middle East today?
When any nation, including Israel, acts contrary to the justice and mercy of God, we must be honest. According to the Law, God’s people were never to oppress or destroy others, even their enemies. Throughout Scripture, when Israel forgot who they were and became oppressive, God corrected them, sometimes through judgment and exile.
What we see today - the destruction of lives, the displacement of communities, and the deepening of hatred - cannot be reconciled with God’s command to love one’s neighbour. This is not to excuse the violence of others; wrong and evil exist on all sides. But those who claim to act in God’s name bear the greater responsibility to reflect His character.
The Christian Response
As those grafted into God’s family, our task is not to take sides in worldly conflicts, but to reflect the heart of our Father. We are called to be peacemakers, to speak truth, to pray for reconciliation, and to care for those who suffer.
Scripture reminds us, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19). Our call is not vengeance but love. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20–21).
To follow Christ is to practice mercy where others demand retribution, to sow peace where others sow fear, and to trust that ultimate justice rests in God’s hands.
Our Shared Calling
As followers of Jesus, we have been adopted into God’s covenant family. That means we share not only in His blessings but also in His burden for a broken world.
When we see violence and oppression - wherever they occur - we are not to remain silent or indifferent. We are called to name injustice, to weep with those who weep, and to live as agents of reconciliation.
That is what it means to be part of God’s chosen people: to carry His name, to reflect His mercy, and to pursue peace in His strength.
Closing Thought
The world is full of conflict and fear. Yet as God’s people, our calling is clear. It is to love, to serve, and to hope in the God who is even now reconciling all things to Himself through Christ.
May we, as His grafted-in family, bear fruit that looks like His heart.
