God is inclusive
Moses wrote a historical narrative about the Israelites between the Exodus and the second giving of the Law (Deuteronomy). He explained the rules about the required Passover feast, which celebrated God's miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. Moses declared that the same rules that applied to the Israelites for celebrating Passover applied to the Gentiles living among them who wanted to celebrate with them.
In Genesis, God told Abraham that through him all nations would be blessed. God selected the Israelites to be His people to be set apart from the world for Him. They were to be the light and draw people to Him.
However, over time, they developed negative feelings towards Gentiles because of persecution and slavery. The Israelites developed a sense of entitlement and exclusiveness about God, which He did not intend. Isaiah and Jonah were just a few of the prophets that God used to declare that all people/nations had value to Him and would be drawn to Him as a corrective to this wrong thinking. The book of Acts shows the new covenant and its spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the world.
God's plan of redemption of fallen creation was inclusive in that it included all people. It is also exclusive in that it requires faith. Works were never able to redeem anyone.
The good news of Jesus being the mediator of this new covenant and the reconciler between sinful humans and the Father must be shared. He is the only way to the Father.
Created 3 months ago
