God's Chosen People

Deuteronomy 9:4-6
(4) "Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you.
(5) Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
(6) "Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.

Why did God give the land to Israel? He did it to keep the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not because the people had any merit of their own. In fact, if you look this passage up you will see that immediately following it is the story of how they made the golden calf while Moses went up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments.

God chooses people and He does it for reasons that we don't necessarily understand. The overarching reason is that He does it because He has a plan. Ultimately, that is about His glory. What I found fascinating this morning is the way my morning reading all came together about election. I also read this:

Romans 11:1-6
(1) I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
(2) God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?
(3) "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
(4) But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
(5) So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
(6) But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

It is God's grace that maintained a remnant. This seems to stand in contrast to some of the conventional ideas of libertarian free will. Somehow He kept a people for Himself that would not bow the knee to Baal. I also read this:

Psalms 65:1-4
(1) To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
(2) O you who hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
(3) When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.
(4) Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

This tells us that there is a blessing in being chosen and brought near. What these passages tell me is that as a believer I have been chosen by God. He did this for the glory of His name. I should enjoy this privilege, but I have nothing to boast about.