What about Me?

(Psa 135:4 KJV)  For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

I have a friend who makes a big deal of the fact that we are not Israel, and we are not the chosen people.  His point gets extended beyond the obvious to saying that the promises of God that were given to Israel do not pertain to us.  He is open to doing some interpretation and looking for principles.  This is double true when he finds something in the Old Testament that backs up one of his personal theories.  I think we’re all like that a bit.

So, if we are not Israel, and we are not of Jacob, what are we to do?  I would suggest to keep reading and apply the lessons and standards given because they come from God.  It’s true that if you take your children out to dinner, you are not responsible for feeding every child in the restaurant.  You don’t have to buy a child a present for Christmas if you don’t even know if he’s around.  There are a lot of limitations like this.  At the same time, the concept of feeding your children and giving gifts are good solid concepts.  They pertain to the parents and that restaurant who don’t even know your children.

So?  In the same way the Ten Commandments apply to you.  In the same way that first commandment that you would have “no other gods before Me” applies to you.  It may be that you don’t need to keep a kosher kitchen.  It’s obvious that you can’t do sacrifices in the temple, but neither can the Jews today.  Look for the ways in which you can bring joy to God’s Heart, not ways in which you can avoid His expectations.