The purpose of Israel

I've struggled from time to time with the purpose of the people of Israel throughout the Old Testament. It has always seemed a little arbitrary to me-- was there something so great about Abraham that led the Lord to choose him as a father for the chosen people? Was there some redeeming characteristic about the people of Israel that caused the Lord to rescue and redeem them time after time? The various times I have read through the story of God's relationship with the people of Israel, what has stood out to me is not any great quality about Israel, but rather their persistent unfaithfulness. Then why? Why choose these people? Why stick with it for so long?

Abraham was a righteous man. There are instances throughout Genesis where God tells him that because of his faithfulness in various situations, he will make him a great nation. But I think that's only part of it. As I have been reading through the Old Testament again for the past few weeks, I have been struck by the way it all points to Jesus. From the very entrance of sin into the world, God is working out a plan for the redemption of the human race. He makes a promise, He chooses a people, He does everything to keep that people holy to Him, and all of it is to make the path straight for Jesus to enter the world and save it by His ultimate sacrifice.

The Old Testament stories are powerful on their own, and there is plenty to be gleaned from each of them, but most powerful to me this time around has been the centrality of Jesus to it all. From the very beginning ("In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," "Through Him all things were created...") Jesus is everything. After the fall of man, through the whole story of God sanctifying mankind back to Himself, Jesus is everything. In the gospels, Jesus is everything. In the accounts of the early church and the letters written within it, Jesus is everything. At the end, when all things are summed up, the answer is still the same. Jesus is everything.