In general, we should not pit divine sovereignty against human effort.  We can, and often should, view blessings as both the result of human effort and of God's sovereign will.  In the case of the Jews, the Bible makes clear that God's particular blessing rests upon them.  We have to be careful about this, however, because the Old Testament promises of blessing on the people of Israel are fulfilled in the Christian church, since the true Israel is of faith -- a spiritual people rather than a physical people (See Galatians 3:7ff).  When the Jews rejected Jesus Christ (read Matthew 27:25 and John 19:15 and tremble), they ceased to be God's covenant people; as such, they received curses rather than blessings.  The great manifestation of this was the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy and as a result of their rejection of him.  All this was prophesied by Moses in Deuteronomy 28:15ff, which reads like an advance history of all the suffering of the Jewish people over the centuries.  Now, as Galatians 6:16 makes clear, the church is "the Israel of God."
 
But at the same time, there is clear evidence that even while the nation of Israel and the Jewish people have been cut off from God's covenant blessings through unbelief, he also promises to preserve them for a future in-gathering.  It is clear in Deuteronomy 29 that for all the judgment visited on the Jews, God will preserve them -- and this requires the provision of great leaders from time to time, among other things.  Also, if you look at Romans 11, you will find that the apostle Paul there deals with the question of God's faithfulness to his promises to the Jews.  If they were his covenant people, then how could they lose God's favor?  Paul's answer is: a) through unbelief; and b) that God has not forgotten them and has a plan for their eventual restoration to blessing.  Read the amazing passage from Romans 11:11-31, and you will see that God is still working in a special way for the Jewish people.  This would include his provision of exceptional men and women.
 
Lastly, we must not forget what a blessing it is to have the Word of God.  Why have there been so many great Jews?  For over a thousand years, they were the only nation that had knowledge of God through his Word.  God's covenant of salvation was working through their nation.  Moreover, even after they fell into disfavor with God for rejecting Jesus Christ, they still had God's revelation in the Old Testament.  What a legacy that is, and what a blessing it has always been for them.  I think of the famous exchange between the brilliant British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and a scornful member of Parliament.  The member said to him, "You, sir, are a Jew!"  Disraeli replied, "Yes, and 3000 years ago while your ancestors were gathering nuts in the forest, Solomon and my ancestors were giving light and the knowledge of God to all the world!"  It is no surprise, then, that the Jewish people have provided multitudes of great men and women to the world.
 

Rev. Richard Phillips is the chair of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology and senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church Coral Springs, Margate, Florida.

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