THE DIVINE ELECTION OF
ISRAEL (Deuteronomy 11:1ff)

This chapter teaches about the goodness and the greatness of Yahweh to the people of Israel as His chosen people. It deals with the good deeds of the Lord to the Israelites and what He expected them to do; Israel's obligations towards the Lord in order to safeguard the relationship He had established through his good deeds.

Moses showed the Israelites how the Lord divinely elected and made them His special people. This is deep rooted in the call of Abraham, the period during which the Lord promised Abraham that he would have many descendants who would be His own people.

Moses urged the Israelites to be fully committed to the Sinai covenant and obey the laws the Lord had given to them. By doing this, they would occupy the rich and the fertile land the Lord had promised them through their ancestors and live for long in it.

By their divine election, Moses urged the people of Israel to love the Lord their God and serve Him with all their heart. For this, the lord would send rain when needed so that they could have corn, wine and olive oil.

The Israelites themselves were witnesses to what the Lord had done for them. They had seen His power, His might and His miracles. They saw how He destroyed the Egyptian king; how He completely wiped out the Egyptian army and all that He did for them while in the desert.

Moses told the Israelites that they gained a new and special status by their divine election. They were now the people ruled by God himself (theocratic nation).

The Israelites were required to make choices by their divine election. They had to choose either to obey the Lord and be blessed or to disobey Him and be cursed.

By their divine election, the people of Israel would be able to enter and occupy the land promised to them through their ancestor Abraham. Moses revealed to the Israelites that God was willing and determined to fulfill His promises.

Moses observed that the people of Israel would live long in the land they would occupy because of their status.

Moses told the Israelites that their status as the lord's own people involved special blessing and prosperity. Other than being given the land promised, the Lord would also send rain when needed and thus they would have plenty of corn, wine, and olive oil.

The divine election of Israel required people to worship the Lord alone. Moses warned the people that worshiping and serving other gods would lead to their punishment for the lord would be angry with them and hold the rain back thus their ground would become dry for growing crops. Consequently, the people would die of starvation.

The Israelites were required to be morally upright. Moses urged the people to serve as examples for other nations. Therefore, copying other nations would be an act of disobedience.

The divine election of the Israelites required the people to serve the lord faithfully. By fulfilling this, there would be harmony in the land they were about to occupy.

Moses urged the Israelites to remember the Lord's laws, cherish them and obey all of them faithfully. They had to teach their children about these laws and make them the basis of their lives.

Moses assured the Israelites that the Lord would help them' drive out the nations occupying the land promised to them through their ancestors. This would enable them to take possession of this land.

Moses assured the Israelites that they would be feared where ever they would be. No one would be able to stop them and therefore, they would be victorious.

Revision Questions

1. Comment on the Lord's greatness as derived from Deuteronomy 11.

2. Analyze the concept of the divine election of Israel as contained in Deuteronomy 11.

3. How were the Israelites supposed to act as a special people of God?

RELEVANCE OF THE DIVINE ELECTION OF THE ISRAELITES TODAY

Christians are the divine elect of God by believing in the good news of salvation that Jesus Christ brought.

Through baptism, Christians should realize that they become a special group and ministers of the risen Christ.

Christians should remain members of the church which Jesus Christ himself founded. Christians should turn to Christ as their savior especially in times of need through prayer.

Christians should be morally upright taking the example of Jesus Christ.

Christians should be an exemplary group of people for their behaviour should be a source of inspiration to others.

Christians should be proud of their status as believers in the gospel and Jesus Christ.

They should proclaim to other people that they are the believers in the risen Christ. Christians should to take Holy Communion in order to identify themselves as believers of Jesus Christ.

Christians should believe in and prepare themselves for the second coming of Jesus. In doing so, they should get ready for judgement

Christians should realize that their bodies are temples of God and keep them holy. Christians should be assured of the heavenly blessings because of being believers and followers of Christ.

Christians should believe in one God. By observing monotheism, Christians are put right with God and would therefore inherit His heavenly kingdom.

Christians should observe the Decalogue. These laws should help them relate with God and with each other properly.

Christians should believe in the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ for through it, they made a covenant with God and are assured of eternal life.

Christians should repent of their sins so that they are forgiven. They should realize that through this they become children of God.