Within a family line, there are My People and Not My People. This understanding will help us as we answer the issue of who are the “real Jews” especially as it relates to the nation-state of Israel and the Israel of the Bible. There is much debate in Christian circles about how to reconcile this. This series is working toward illuminating that question.
For now, and for continuity’s sake, God also distinguishes between My People and people of other nations who are Not My People. This is helpful for addressing why God has been the historical deliverer of His Chosen People over and again in history.
Perhaps you remember the story of the plagues in Egypt (that land we saw last time where the Israelites would be enslaved and mistreated for 400 years). When it was time to go, it was time to go. To get Pharaoh to release them, God sent ten plagues, with the fourth one being the start of God declaring that He’s making a distinction between My People and Not My People.
The fourth plague: “If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them. But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.” (Exodus 8:21-23)
And it was so.
By the seventh plague, it becomes clear:
it’s about who believes God (My People) and who doesn’t (“your people”).
Some of the Egyptians are getting the hint after 6th time’s a charm.
“‘Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field” (Exodus 9:19-21).
The officials of Pharaoh who heeded God’s order might be called “God-fearers” and the others learned a valuable lesson.
Questions for further thought:
Why was it important to distinguish My People before the Plague of the Firstborn (the tenth plague)? To whom did it reinforce God’s commands?
Was four hundred years long enough for My People living amongst other religions to forget God’s promises? Why didn’t they? How were the plagues of distinction a good reminder?
What is God’s ultimate interest in preserving the Jewish people as it relates to Jesus?