All right, BK. You have my attention. Please elaborate.

diana

Yes,

please tell us how in the OT, the Jews were
God's chosen people, but in the NT he
changed his mind and wanted everyone. Was
that just a "scriptural misreading"? Please
be specific.

Kosh, there are a number of OT passages which show God's intentions for all peoples. Just to give a few examples:

Genesis 18:18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

Genesis 22:18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Genesis 26:4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,

Isaiah 51:4 "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.

Isaiah 49:6 He says, ""It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.''

Perhaps it is you, Kosh, who is doing the scriptural misreading here?

[This message has been edited by Tercel (edited June 27, 2001).]

All people does not include others than Jews. All is inclusive. If you are not a Jew you are not a people. Remember, Noah peopled the world. It was his world and this world was in Judea.

Remember Newt Gingrich? He promised the American People ... Not the Democrats, not the athiests, not the union members. He promised the American People!

thanks, offa

Exodus 32.14, NRSV:

"And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people."

Seems pretty clear-cut to me. Any alternate interpretations?

[This message has been edited by Muad'dib (edited June 27, 2001).]

How about this one?

All the nations were blessed...except for these unfortunates, I suppose:

1Sa 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

(What did the asses do?)

2Ki 17:26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

2Ch 20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy [them]: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

Est 8:11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which [were] in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, [both] little ones and women, and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey...

Eze 9:6 Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house.

Yes. I can feel the love, peace and blessings.

All nations of the earth will be blessed? Really, now. Do you usually believe someone's words...or his actions?

diana

Very funny Diana,
My reply was specifically in answer to Kosh and Kosh only.
I can believe words, but yes I'd agree: Actions are more important. That's why God letting his Son die so that all nations might be blessed is so important.

As to the God changing his mind thing, I'm not a Biblical Innerrantist so I'm not the best person to give you answers to your questions. It looks to me like many of the quoted verses show God changing his mind. But that's probably not what you want to hear from a Christian, is it?

How do you interpret those verses? Perhaps a storytelling metaphor?

No, in the OT, the Jewish are clearly
portrayed as being God's chosen people.

Why would that be? Why would the God of
all creation care more about a subset of
them, and then change his mind? Especially
if they are all supposedly descended from Noah?