Israel and the nations

The basic premise is that God is the First Missionary in the Old Testament. His goal is to create for Himself a people to serve Him, represent Him, and facilitate the coming of the Servant who is to do the work of redemption for all nations. He uses prophets and surrounding nations to chastise his servants, warning and humbling them through national defeats or temporary exiles. But this is to awaken Israelites to their calling to be a light for all nations and embark as people of God on mission (Isaiah 49, the book of Jonah, the book of Amos, Nehemiah, Esther, etc). This mission is not about forcing a set of beliefs on people, but about being a shining witness for the greatness of the true God.