The Hebrew heritage is distinct because their religion places them as the chosen nation of the world and God has a divine and distinct love for his chosen people. In Genesis there are moments where God may appear as vengeful or harsh toward his creation; however, this should not be interpreted as anger, but rather, as overwhelming love for his people. Jerome Gellman examines how God’s callousness and commandments were meant to protect his people. Gellman remarks, God overwhelms them with God’s own love to spur them to respond to God in kind. God hugs them tightly, so that the feeling of God’s love will stay with them for ever after. True enough, later the Israelites then rebelled over and over again. But God was not making it easy for them to resist (Gellman 68). This quote emphasized two key points. That God’s love is so great that his commandments are to the benefit of the Hebrew people’s spirituality. But this quote also remarks on how the people have the freewill to make choices about to follow God or not. God uses his relationship with the Jewsto set an example of his love for all people. The Jews are called to follow the 613 commandments which will guide them to live a good life. Gellman notes, “The call to the Gentiles, rather than to follow the 613 commandments, is to come to God in freedom and in joy.” (Gellman 72) God’s favor for the Israelites is not only demonstrated in the good things he presents to them, but also the tough things he presents to them. God’s intention for his chosen people was always out of a deep affection for them and God’s desire for his chosen people to accept him.