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Election: The Choice of God

salvation and maintaining it by faith in the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Thus in eternity past, God chose (elected) to save people.
Because they were not worthy of His grace, He chose them in the merits
(or worthiness) of another, Jesus Christ. He chose them to be holy and
without blame, to receive adoption as His children, to be to the praise
of His glory, and to receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:3–14).
God has made provision for the salvation of all people (see Chapter 1).
Our focus now, however, is the benefits of this provision for people who
accept His gracious offer.

Biblical Examples of Election
To understand the meaning of election more fully, consider Greek
and Hebrew words used in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the
Hebrew word bahar is used most often. It means “to choose” or “to
select.” It occurs 164 times, and in over 100 of these examples God
is the One who elects. For example, 1 Samuel 10:24 uses this word
to show that Saul was the one the Lord chose to be king over Israel.
Another example occurs in 2 Chronicles 6:6 which shows that God
chose Jerusalem as the center of worship and that He chose David to
rule His people Israel. In 2 Chronicles 7:16 bahar indicates that God
chose the temple as a central place to be identified with His name.
Finally, Psalm 106:23 notes that God chose Moses who stood in the
breach before Him.

The foregoing examples indicate that divine choices included persons,
objects, and a place. The word bahar refers most often to God’s choice of
Israel as His people. No essential quality in Israel can explain why she was
chosen to be God’s special people over other peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7).
However, Israel’s significance gave opportunity for the demonstration
first of God’s grace and then of His power so that His name might be
proclaimed in all the earth (Exodus 9:16). Of Israel’s election we read
simply: “I have chosen you and have not rejected you” (Isaiah 41:9).
God’s choice of Israel to be His people was a high and holy privilege. But
His choice placed great responsibility on them. As a result, Israel was
punished more severely than the neighboring nations for willful pride or
failure to obey the laws of God.

Jeremiah 7:9–10 implies that the people believed their election was
so secure that it relieved them of any responsibilities. This was never

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