Hi Cheez; the notion of the "Elect" does convey or be easily associated with speciality or worse, elite. That was one of the reasons for my initial refusal to accept Calvinism.
But consider this, the Jewish people in scripture was also called the Elect. They were chosen above all other peoples to be His own inheritence. However, He did not choose them for anything that they can boast about.
For a people to be considered great, they must have an above average sophistication and refinement in terms of culture, in martial prowess, numbers, history, longevity, etc. We can think of the Chinese whose histories, philosophies, the arts, inventions and longevity are the envy of Asia. We think of the British Empire who became the world's first world superpower; who spread Constitutional Democracy all over the world, and the first nation to industrialize. Finally, we think of Babylon who's leader and nation was the richest in the world; whom Daniel called King Nebuchadnessar and his kingdom, the Head of Gold.
However, the Jews were the exact opposite. In Deuteronomy 7 it says :
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:
So why did God chose such a people who have had very little history and strength in comparison to their neighbors?
8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
The choosing of the Hebrew/Jewish people was based nothing more on His decision to love them.
Caption this Meme
