The Erosion of Israel's Identity in the OT

Israel's sin over these centuries progressively erodes her identity as God's people, until she is literally absorbed into the nations. This partial effacing of her identity makes the 'remnant' a very prominent concept in the prophets as they foresee a radically new future for the people of God.

This significant erosion of the distinction between the descendants of Abraham and the Gentiles as the result of Israel's sin indicates that ethnicity is not an absolute indicator of righteousness or religious privilege in the OT.

--Daniel C. Timmer, A Gracious and Compassionate God: Mission, Salvation and Spirituality in the Book of Jonah (New Studies in Biblical Theology; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2011), 28.