Playing Math With God: Relationship Between A and B
A + B = C: Does God Play Favorites?
Remember struggling with algebra in high school, wondering when you’d ever use it in real life? Well, get ready for a surprising discovery: We’re about to use a simple algebraic equation to unlock one of the Bible’s most profound mysteries.
Let’s break it down:
- A = The Top Line (God’s grace to His people)
- B = The Bottom Line (God’s mission to bless all nations)
- C = The full Promise to Abraham
Our equation? A + B = C
But here’s where it gets interesting. In any equation, values have relationships. In this case, we have three possibilities:
- A > B: Does God love His people more than the world? Some might point to verses like this as evidence:
Deuteronomy 7:6 – For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Under this view, God is saying to Abraham, “I want to bless you, and if my blessing happens to spill over into the world, that’s fine.”
- A < B: Does God love the world more than His people? We can dismiss this option quickly – no Biblical scholar would support this view.
- A = B: Does God love both equally? This is where things get exciting. What if God was actually saying, “Abraham, I want to bless you because I love you, AND I’m blessing you because through you I want to bless the whole world – and both of these matter equally to me”?
As we’re about to discover, this isn’t just about mathematics – it’s about understanding God’s heart for both His chosen people and the entire world. Could it be that God doesn’t play favorites after all?
Holy ≠ Better
“Chosen” – it’s a loaded word, isn’t it? When God chose Abraham and his descendants from among the seventy nations, was this divine favoritism at play? Let’s challenge this common misconception.
Think about this: When God chose the Levites from among the twelve tribes to be His priests, did that mean He loved them more than the other tribes? Of course not! They were chosen for a purpose – to serve as priests for their brothers. Being chosen isn’t about being loved more; it’s about being assigned a specific role.
Let’s revisit that verse from Deuteronomy with fresh eyes:
Deuteronomy 7:6 – For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Here’s a revelation: The Hebrew word translated as “holy” doesn’t mean “better” or even “morally superior.” It simply means “different from others” or “set apart.” God didn’t choose Israel because they were better than other nations – He chose them for a specific purpose.
What was that purpose? God Himself reveals it in this stunning declaration to His son, Jesus:
Isaiah 49:6 – he [God] says: [to His son Jesus the Messiah] “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
Did you catch that? God says it would be “too small a thing” to only bless Israel. His heart is too big for that! But if you’re still not convinced, listen to this bombshell from the prophet Amos:
Amos 9:7 – “Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?” declares the Lord. “Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?
BOOM! There it is – mathematical proof that A = B. God’s love for Israel equals His love for all nations. Israel wasn’t chosen because they were better; they were chosen to serve a divine purpose.
So, what exactly was that purpose? The answer will transform how you see God’s plan for both Israel and the world…
The Kingdom of Priests
When God established Israel’s identity, He made this remarkable declaration:
Exodus 19:6 – you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Stop and think about that for a moment: an entire nation of priests. It’s a stunning concept! But it raises an intriguing question: If every Israelite was meant to be a priest, who exactly were they supposed to serve? After all, a priest’s very purpose is to serve others.
The answer becomes clear when we look at this fascinating detail about how God organized the nations:
Deuteronomy 32:8 – When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
Here’s the beautiful revelation: God actually structured the entire world with Israel’s priestly mission in mind! He deliberately divided the nations to match Israel’s capacity to reach them. This wasn’t random organization – it was divine strategy. God wasn’t just choosing Israel; He was positioning them to effectively serve and reach every other nation as His priests to the world.
Think about it: God was so committed to reaching all nations that He literally mapped out the world to make it possible. This wasn’t just a nice idea – it was a carefully crafted divine plan where every detail, right down to national boundaries, was designed to help Israel fulfill their priestly role to the nations.
Israel + Church = Chosen People
What happens when God’s chosen people fail in their mission? Does God give up? No – He expands His team! Look at this remarkable passage:
Ephesians 2:11,12,19,20
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth… 12 [were] excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise… 19 You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
This new group – Christ’s church – wasn’t meant to replace Israel but to join them in their divine mission. Romans 9-11 explains this beautifully, teaching that being God’s child isn’t about DNA but about being a child of Abraham’s promise (Romans 9:8). The church is “grafted in” to Israel like a branch into a vine – not replacing but joining.
Galatians 3:28-29
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
But here’s the challenging part: Both groups have often missed the full picture. Judaism historically leaned toward A > B, emphasizing God’s special love for Israel. But what about the church? Let’s take a quick test.
Complete this verse: “Be still and…”
If you grew up in church, you probably immediately thought:
Psalm 46:10 – He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
We stop there, content with the Top Line promise of God’s blessing (A). But here’s the full verse:
Psalm 46:10 – He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Surprised? Even the church often lives with an A > B perspective. Think about all those Bible stories we learned as children. We were taught them primarily to show how God blesses His people – focusing on the Top Line while missing the Bottom Line of God’s heart for all nations.
This selective reading reveals something profound about both Israel and the church: We’re all prone to focusing on God’s blessings to us while forgetting their ultimate purpose – blessing all nations.