God chose to work through one man, Abraham, and the small nation of Israel because the whole human race had turned to idolatry after the Tower of Babel.
After roughly 2,000 years of human history ending in the catastrophe of Babel, the entire race had rejected God's authority and followed after other gods. God then did something totally different: He called out one man and said He would make a special nation from him. Israel was never the final destination — God planned to use that nation to take salvation back to the whole mainstream of humanity.
Genesis 12:1-2 — This is the turning point where God began working through one man, Abram, rather than the whole human race.
Deuteronomy 7:7 — This verse directly answers why God chose Israel: not because they were many, but because they were the fewest of all people.
Deuteronomy 32:8 — This verse shows that from the division of the nations, God's plan centered on the children of Israel.
Genesis 11:9 — The scattering at Babel shows the spiritual condition of the human race that led God to change His approach.
After the flood, the whole earth was of one language and one speech, and men gathered on the plain of Shinar to build a city and a tower, lest they be scattered abroad (Genesis 11:1-4). The LORD came down, confounded their language, and scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:7-9). Immediately after this, the LORD called Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing' (Genesis 12:1-2). Deuteronomy 7:7 records why God chose this nation: 'The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.' Deuteronomy 32:8 further shows Israel's place in God's overall plan: 'When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.'
Les Feldick teaches that the human race had completely failed by the time of the Tower of Babel, where paganism just permeated the whole human race and everyone flocked after idolatry (Clip 0). From Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 11 covers roughly 2,000 years of human history, and by the end of it God had a human race that had totally rejected His offer of salvation and His authority (Clip 0). At that point, Les says, God did something totally different: He called out one man, Abraham, and promised to bring a little nation out of him (Clip 2). God deliberately chose the smallest group — He did the opposite of man's way of thinking (Clip 1). Les pictures the mass of humanity as a great river, out of which God pulled the little stream of Israel, so that Israel could funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations of the world (Clip 3). God sovereignly prepared this favored nation for that very purpose (Clip 6), and everything God has done with the human race revolves around that little nation (Clip 4). Les also explains that God was looking for one man in whom He could find a particle of faith who would be obedient (Clip 5). And once God revealed that this special nation would bring about the plan of redemption, the devil turned everything loose on the Jews — which is why they have suffered so much (Clip 5). Throughout Scripture, Les notes, God has never worked with the majority; He has always worked with a small remnant, such as the eight who remained true to God at the flood (Clip 7).
No. Les teaches that Israel was never the end of God's purpose. He pulled Israel out of the great river of humanity so that they could funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations of the world (Clip 3). Through Israel, God planned to take salvation back to the whole mainstream of humanity, and Israel was to be the evangelization of the nations (Clip 2). God prepared this favored nation for the express purpose of bringing all the other nations of the world to a knowledge of Israel's God (Clip 6).
God does not work the way man works. In an age where bigger is better, God did the opposite: He chose the smallest group, starting with one man (Clip 1). Scripture confirms in Deuteronomy 7:7 that Israel was not chosen because they were many — they were the fewest of all people. Les also notes that God has never enjoyed the majority; at the flood only eight remained true to God, and within Israel only a small remnant believed (Clip 7).
Les points to the Tower of Babel as the crisis point. From Babel, paganism permeated the whole human race, and everyone flocked after other gods until no one had knowledge of the one true God (Clip 0). After almost 2,000 years of hopeless human history ending in catastrophe, God said He would do something totally different: He would call out one man and make a special nation out of him (Clips 0, 2). God was looking for one man in whom He could find a particle of faith who would be obedient (Clip 5).
Babel Spread Idolatry Through the Whole Human Race
Les teaches that at the Tower of Babel the entire human race turned to other gods and became steeped in idolatry, leaving no one with knowledge of the one true God — which set the stage for God's new approach.
God Chose the Fewest, Not the Largest
Les explains that God deliberately did the opposite of human reasoning by choosing the smallest group, starting with one man, rather than the biggest nation on earth.
God Did Something Totally Different
Les teaches that after 2,000 years of hopeless humanity, God announced He would call out one man, make a little nation of him, and through that nation take salvation back to the whole mainstream of humanity.
Israel: A Little Stream Drawn From the River of Humanity
Les teaches that out of the great river of humanity God pulled the little stream of Israel, whose purpose was to funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations of the world.
Everything Revolves Around the Little Nation of Israel
Les points to Deuteronomy 32:8 to show that all national boundaries were set according to the number of Israel — confirming that everything God does revolves around that little nation.
One Man With a Particle of Faith
Les teaches that God was looking for a single man of faith to make promises to, and that as soon as God revealed that this nation would bring the plan of redemption, the devil attacked the Jews.
Israel Set Apart to Bring the Nations to God
Les teaches that God sovereignly designated Israel as a chosen, favored nation and prepared them for the express purpose of bringing all other nations to a knowledge of Israel's God.
God Always Works With a Remnant
Les teaches that God has never enjoyed the majority; from the eight saved in the flood onward, God has always worked through a small remnant.
Genesis 11:9: Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The Babel account shows the state of the human race — scattered in judgment — just before God called Abram.
Genesis 12:1-2: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
This is the turning point where God began to work through one man and the nation that would come from him.
Deuteronomy 7:7: The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people.
This verse explicitly states that God chose Israel not because of size or strength but because they were the fewest of all people.
Deuteronomy 32:8: When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
This verse shows Israel's centrality in God's plan from the very division of the nations.
1 Peter 3:20: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
This verse confirms Les's point that at the flood only eight souls — a small remnant — were saved.
No. Deuteronomy 7:7 says God did not set His love on Israel because they were more in number than any people — they were the fewest of all people. Les Feldick points out that God deliberately did the opposite of man's way of thinking and chose the smallest group, starting with one man.
At Babel, the whole human race went after other gods, and paganism permeated the entire race. Les Feldick teaches that by the end of Genesis 11, humanity had totally rejected God's offer of salvation and His authority — which is what led God to do something totally different with one man, Abram.
No. The whole object of choosing Israel was to funnel the knowledge of God back into the nations of the world. Les teaches that God prepared Israel to bring salvation back to the whole mainstream of humanity.
Les Feldick teaches that as soon as God revealed that this special nation would bring about the plan of redemption, the devil turned everything loose on them. The Jews' suffering is directly tied to their unique role in God's plan of salvation.
Watch the Teaching: The Abrahamic Covenant: Why God Chose Israel & What It Means For Us