The History of Election
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession. Psalm 135:4
Has Chosen – Understanding Paul’s use of the Greek verb ekelegomai requires that we take a long look at the Hebrew concept behind the idea of election. After all, Paul thinks like a Hebrew even if He writes in Greek. The Hebrew word is bahar. It is used 164 times in the Old Testament. God is the subject in 92 of those occurrences. Furthermore, the verb is almost always used in a way that describes a choice that is of utmost significance to the one who chooses. In other words, what we discover in the Old Testament merely ratifies what we learned in the New Testament. Election is about God, not us. In fact, its basic meaning is to gather by separating out, to carefully observe and attend to, in order to group together; all for the purposes of the One Who chooses.
Just imagine what this means! God acts in His own self-interest by gathering together those who will accomplish His purposes. This is of vital interest to God. He is counting on the results. In fact, He has invested Himself without qualification in this choice. What that means for you and me is simply astounding. The God of all creation wants us to be included in His plans and purposes and, in order to accomplish that partnership, He initiates a gathering together. He pours all of Himself into this choice in order to insure that His choice will bear the fruit He desires. Is there any human being who would not want to be favored by God in this incredible way?
Yes, sadly, there are those who say “No” to God’s careful consideration. That does not mean that God cannot accomplish what He intends to do. It means that some who should have been part of the great plan of the universe opt out. But God’s choice does not change. The consequences and interactions needed to accomplish His will may be altered, but His vital interest in the gathering does not. Schrenk suggests that God’s election “expresses a resolve of the divine will with an element of insistence.” What this means is that God is fully invested. In fact, election (bahar) is the theological basis of Jesus’ death and resurrection. God is totally committed to see His choice through to the end. He is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to bring about the purposes implicit in His choice. That means that God never gives up.
Let that sink in a moment. There are plenty of times in my life when I have felt far from God’s choosing. There are times when I feel that somehow God has abandoned me, that I am out on my own, struggling to make sense of my life. Bahar sets me straight. God will not quit on me, ever, until His purposes that include me come to pass. If I feel estranged from His will, the disturbance is with me, not Him. God’s choice is eternal. He does not pull back, reconsider, opt out or vacate. And since no plan of His can be thwarted, I can have full confidence, even in my darkest moments, that He is still in charge and is still choosing me!
That, my friend, is the basis of faith.
