What does the phrase "Chosen People" in the OT mean?

[GreenLantern]

I asked this question in another thread but that put it at risk for going off topic so I’ll just make a new one.

What does it mean to say that the Hebrews are God’s Chosen People?
How does this factor in with Romans 10:12?

 

[NotWorthy]

The Hebrews were the chosen people to bring the Messiah to the world. They were the first-born children of God, what was supposed to be “a light to the World”. (See Genesis 22).

But, with the incarnation, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Messiah (Jesus Christ), the Jews were supposed to follow the Messiah into the New Covenant, what is the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is open, first to the Jews. But since Acts chapters 8&9 (Peter and Cornelius), the Church has been open to Gentiles as Jesus promised.

 

[buffalo]

The Chosen People go all the way to Adam and Eve. The Sons of God is the line that came from Seth.

 

[Della]

Just to add a footnote to NotWorthy’s excellent post, the Hebrews were called the Chosen People because God chose Abraham, the Father of the Hebrews and Isaac and Jacob to be the Patriarchs of the Hebrew People.

God chooses people all the time in like fashion, such as David to be King of Israel, or Samuel to be the High Priest or John the Baptist to be the Forerunner of Christ or Mary to be the Mother of the Messiah. Being chosen does not denote being better than anyone else, but rather to be commissioned to be/do something God is not asking someone else to be/do.

Romans 10:12 merely reinforces the teaching that God loves all men and saves all men who come to him. It has nothing to do with who is chosen to be/do special roles/tasks.