How Odd of God to Choose the Jews

Chapter 12 of the Book of Genesis tells us that God chose Abraham and his descendants but gives us no explanation as to why. There is no definitive answer that can be given beyond the fact that it was a gratuitous act of God’s love and mercy.

For you are a people holy to the LORD, your God; the LORD, your God, has chosen you from all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people specially his own. It was not because you are more numerous than all the peoples that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you; for you are really the smallest of all peoples. It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn to your ancestors (Deut. 7:6-8).

Know this, therefore: it is not because of your justice that the LORD, your God, is giving you this good land to possess (Deut. 9:6).

For [God] says to Moses: “I will show mercy to whom I will, I will take pity on whom I will.” So it depends not upon a person’s will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy (Rom. 9:15-16).