In the Bible God only accepted Israel as his people. Why did he only accept one group if he loved all of mankind?

God chose Israel for a special covenant role, but He did not love or care only for Israel.

From the beginning, God’s purpose was to bless all humanity. When He called Abraham, He said, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Israel was therefore chosen not simply for privilege, but for a mission: to preserve the knowledge of God, receive His law and Scriptures, and ultimately bring the Messiah into the world.

Moses made it clear that Israel was not chosen because they were better or greater than other nations. Deuteronomy 7:7–8 says God did not choose them because they were more numerous, but because of His love and covenant faithfulness.

The Old Testament also shows that foreigners could come to God and become part of His people. Rahab was a Canaanite, Ruth was a Moabite, and both were welcomed into Israel and even became ancestors of Jesus. Isaiah 56:6–7 says that foreigners who joined themselves to the Lord would be accepted, and God declared, “mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

God also showed concern for nations outside Israel. He sent Jonah to Nineveh, a pagan Assyrian city, because He cared about its people and wanted them to repent (Jonah 3–4).

Israel’s special calling was therefore meant to make God known to the nations. Exodus 19:5–6 describes Israel as a “kingdom of priests.” A priest represents God to others, so their calling had a missionary purpose.

This becomes even clearer in Jesus. Christ came through Israel, but His salvation was never limited to Israel. Jesus said, “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), and after His resurrection He commanded His followers to make disciples of “all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Paul later explained that in Christ, ethnic background does not determine who belongs to God: “There is neither Jew nor Greek... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28–29).

So God did not choose Israel because He rejected the rest of mankind. He chose Israel as the channel through which He would reveal Himself and bring salvation to the whole world. The privilege of being chosen came with the responsibility of helping others know God.