Since God created all humans, why were there “Gods people” and “Gentiles”? Were Gentiles able to be saved in the Old Testament?
You are correct that God chose Israel as His people. The Lord said to Moses in Exodus 3:10, “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” A Gentile is any person who is not a Jew. Let us consider the first part of the question. Why were there God’s people and Gentiles since God created everyone?
God in His sovereignty decided to show love to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 says, “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 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: 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.”
These verses give two reasons why the Lord showed love to Israel. Verses 7 and 8 show that He loved them because He loved them! That was the first reason. The second reason is because He is a promise keeper. Verse 8 says that He “would keep the oath which He had sworn unto their fathers.” He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 1:8 says, “Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.”
God in His sovereignty decided to choose a small group of people and see if they could keep His holy law. The reward for keeping His law were earthly blessings and long life. As we read in Deuteronomy 5:33, “Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.” As we know, Israel was unable to keep God’s commandments. We read in Galatians 3:24, “So that the law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith” (JND). The law was a tutor or teacher in that it showed the children of Israel that they could not keep God’s law in their own strength. They needed to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
No one could ever be saved by the law. As we read in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The lesson for us Gentiles is that, like the Jews, we can also only be saved by faith in Christ.
The second question asked if Gentiles were able to be saved in the Old Testament. The answer is yes! Salvation has always been on the principle of faith, and salvation is available to everyone. We read of this in Romans 4:9-11. As you read these verses keep in mind that “the circumcision” means the Jews and “the uncircumcision” means the Gentiles. “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.” Abraham is the father of all believers, including both Jews and Gentiles.
An example of a Gentile who was saved in the Old Testament is Rahab. We read in Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Praise God that salvation is available to us Gentiles as well as the Jews! As we read in Galatians 3:14, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (335.1) (DJ)