Matthew 22:14
"For many are called, but few are chosen."
The general purpose of this page has been Bible study. In keeping with that I offer something that I just saw in a familiar verse.
I looked at the Greek for Matthew 22:14 above. The Greek word for the English word called is kleetoi with the Strong's number 2282, kletos. Here is the definition from Strong's:
2822. kletos, klay-tos'; from the same as G2821; invited, i.e. appointed, or (spec.) a saint.
Invited is the first meaning for the word from Strong's.
The next word is chosen. Strong's definition for the word eklektoi says: 1588. eklektos, ek-lek-tos'; from G1586; select; by impl. favorite. Select is the first meaning for the word from Strong's. So if we take the first meaning from each Greek word and substitute them into the verse it would read as follows.
Matthew 22:14
"For many are invited, but few are selected."
Now I know that there is little difference between the verses above, but sometimes seeing a familiar verse in a different way makes it stand out. I think this is the case here. Our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel has made a choice of some people over some other people. That is what it looks like to me. Well, are there any other verses in the scripture that would back this up? It is not safe to make a doctrine out of one verse. How about the following.
Matthew 15:24
But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Also in the book of Hebrews, a book that was written over 30 years after Christ returned to Yahweh, says:
Hebrews 8:8, 10 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;", 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
The above verse is from Jeremiah 31:31-33. I will quote two more verses and leave this with you to contemplate.
Psalm 147:19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise Yahh!
and
Daniel 2:44B
"and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."
As you can see by Hebrews 8:8-10 to substitute a spiritual people for the physical Israelites would be misusing these scriptures and voiding a host of promises made by God. The modern day Jews admit that they are not Israelites in their private writings. Go to this web site: Christian Israel to find out who is physical Israel.