In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye prays, “Dear God…I know we are the chosen people. But once in a while, can't you choose someone else?” Jewish men and women like me have been asking that question for thousands of years? But what is the answer. There can only be one answer, it is His love for Israel and the Jewish people. As God told Israel in the Torah,
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6–8)
Why were we chosen?
The LORD again speaks through Malachi of His love for Israel,
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.” (Malachi 1:2–3)
By His gracious choice, GOD later explains to Israel that through them, the world would see His omnipotence, His lovingkindness, mercy, and justice. In fact, one of the greatest apologetics for GOD’s existence is the continued survival of the Jewish people despite of all the anti-Semitism around the world throughout all history. But there’s more.
Why us? Because of His unbreakable promises. Tevye was wrong. He couldn’t suddenly choose anyone else.