1 Pet

1 Pet. 2:9-10

4/15/2007

“A People of God’s Own Possession”

Who are you? Maybe the first thing that came up to your mind was your name. I am not asking what your name is, that superficial label of yours. Names used to mean something but now any more. How many of us know what our names mean? Your answer to who you are should go deeper than all other labels you have in your various roles in your family, in your work or in any other social context. What I would like to ask you is who you are at your deepest core, what defines you at the center of your being--the you that remains constant through all that you do as mother to your children, as husband to your wife, as a businessman or as an employee, as a student or as a professor--the you that makes you do what you do, what you say and what you think and feel and will. I am sure that whatever image of yourself you have is what makes you do what you do.

As Christians, we recognize we are sinners. We cannot ever forget that fact. But while we are sinners, we are not just that. We must recognize what God says about us in its totality. And we have a glimpse of that in our passage.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” (v. 9). Who are the “you” that Peter is addressing with these words? He addressed his letter to “those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…” (1:1). The word “dispersion” (diaspora, in Greek) was and is a conventional term referring to the Jews dispersed throughout the nations (John 7:35). But it is obvious that Peter is not using the term in its conventional sense. For he goes on to say, “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood…” (1:2). His readers are also those who were “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (v. 3). These descriptions, Trinitarian and christo-centric in nature, could not be applied to the Jews that still adhered to Judaism. Peter was using the term “Diaspora” to refer to Christians in dispersion. It is clear that he viewed Christians as the new Israel, the true Israel.

Furthermore, we see Peter describing the recipients of his letter as those who were ransomed from their forefathers’ futile ways of looking for salvation through silver and gold (1:18; cf. 4:3, 4). It seems that Peter was writing to the Christian Diaspora, who consisted mainly of Gentile Christians. Gentile Christians! He was addressing the Gentile Christians as the new and true Israel!

Peter does the same thing in our passage when he says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” (v. 9). Even a cursory look at these titles is sufficient to see that these were Israel’s unique titles. And Peter is counting on us to recognize them as such. Although he is giving us a quick list of these titles, he wants to evoke in our minds all their rich, redemptive historical significance.

By using these specific titles Peter is leading us back specifically to Israel’s exodus out of Egypt. When the people of Israel came out Egypt and arrived at Mount Sinai, God said to them, before He ratified His covenant with them, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:5, 6). Do you see the connection? There we have God’s “treasured possession among all peoples” and here in our passage we have “a people for His own possession”. There we have “a kingdom of priests” and here we have “a royal priesthood” (which is exactly how the LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, has it translated). There we have “a holy nation” and here too we have “a holy nation”.

Of course, in Ex. 19 passage, “a chosen race” is missing. We realize that Peter is alluding to another famous passage in the Old Testament: “The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise” (Isa. 43:20, 21). As you can see, the title of “My chosen people” appears here. But this is not the only place in the Old Testament where Israel is called God’s chosen nation, of course. But there is another factor which solidifies the link between this passage and our passage: the express purpose of God for choosing His people--that is, to have them proclaim God’s praise. It is obvious that Peter was alluding to this Isaiah passage.

But while these titles uniquely belonged to Israel, there was a sense in which Israel did not fully possess these titles. Pay attention to the conditional-, future-orientation of the titles in Ex. 19: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” To be sure, some of these titles became officially Israel’s not too many days after: when Israel entered into covenant with God at Mount Sinai, they became God’s treasured possession among all peoples. They also became a holy nation (positionally) since they were set apart from other nations unto God through the covenant. But they did not become a kingdom of priests. Yes, God’s covenant with Israel established the Levitical priesthood. But this institution of priesthood was hardly enough to make Israel a kingdom of priests. In fact, as long as Israel had the Levitical priesthood, the other tribes remained as the laity. Ironically enough, the Levitical priesthood prevented Israel from becoming a kingdom of priests.

How about Israel’s title as God’s chosen people in Isa. 43:20? From the very beginning of its existence Israel had been God’s chosen nation. However, this title is used in Isa. 43:20 in the context of a new thing that God was about to do (vv. 18, 19): “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing…. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Although Israel was already a chosen nation, God spoke of something new He was about to do. There was a sense in which Israel was not fully God’s chosen nation until this new thing was completed.

Furthermore, Peter reminds us also of the dark period between these promises and their fulfillment when he says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (v. 10). This is an unmistakable allusion to the first chapters of Hosea. As you know, God used Hosea’s marriage to Gomer the prostitute to demonstrate Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. To show the dreadful consequences of their spiritual adultery, God made Hosea name his second and third children, “Lo-ruhamah” (“Not-Shown-Mercy”) and “Lo-Ammi” (Not-My-People). “Lo-ruhamah” because “I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel [the northern kingdom], to forgive them at all” (Hos. 1:6). “Lo-Ammi” because “you are not my people, and I am not your God” (Hos. 1:9). What a fearful statement! What would be worse than that!

Was this, then, the end of the people of God? No! By His grace the Lord promises a great reversal: those who were called “Not-My-People” will be called “Children of the living God”; those who were once called “Not-Shown-Mercy” will be blessed and be as numerous as the sand of the sea (Hos. 1:10). This will be done not by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen but by the Lord their God (Hos. 1:7)!

All this is at the background when Peter declares, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession”! What is he saying? The time of fulfillment has arrived! For Peter is not talking about something that is yet to happen in the future: he is talking about the present reality for the people of God! No longer are they waiting to be a kingdom of priests; they are now a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood! No more Levitical priesthood that distinguished priests and laity among God’s people! Each and every one of God’s people is His priest wholly set apart unto Him. Now even the very least of God’s people is given a priesthood that is far better and far more glorious than the Levitical priesthood! For even the most insignificant member of God’s people is a royal priest before God--not just a priest but a royal priest! The people of God no longer need priests and high priests to mediate for them their worship to God. Now they have a direct access to the holy sanctuary of God, to approach God as His holy priests!

What is more, Peter is addressing the Gentile Christians as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession! How can that be? We as Gentiles in the flesh were at best nothing more than extras on the stage of redemptive history, there only to highlight the magnificent privileges of the nation of Israel! We were forsaken and abandoned on account of our sins and our abandonment and misery showed the glory and honor of Israel’s election as God’s chosen people! We were separated and alienated, we were banned, from the temple of God and our alienation accentuated Israel’s supreme privilege of serving and worshipping God in His holy temple! We were defiled by sin and profaned by our iniquity, we were rebels against God in our wickedness and our godlessness highlighted Israel’s blessing in being set apart from the world unto God as His holy people.

But now Peter declares to us that we are no longer just the extras, not just the prop, on the stage of redemptive history. We are the main characters on whom the spotlight of God’s grace and mercy shines. In fact, wherever we go, the spotlight of God’s goodness and mercy follows us and will follow us all the days of our life and forever more! We are the chosen people of God, elect from the foundation of the world--no longer forsaken, no longer abandoned, no longer given over to our sin and its misery! We are the royal priesthood, no longer banned from the temple of God--no longer alienated from His intimate presence! We are His holy nation, set apart unto Him as His own--no longer condemned to perish in our defilement and corruption! We are a people for His own possession--no longer called and despised as “Not-Shown-Mercy” or “Not-My-People” but “You-are-My-People”, “You-are-My-Children”! Regarding His love for you the Lord says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isa. 49:15)! “Behold, he who watches over [you] will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4, NIV)!

What could have effected such a radical reversal? Remember the Old Testament background of Peter’s words: Israel’s exodus from Egypt and covenant ramification at Mount Sinai; God’s promise to do a new thing. Peter is couching our salvation in the language of the exodus--a new exodus, a better and greater exodus. God has fulfilled His promise to do something new, something so grand and so great that the things of old need not be remembered anymore, that makes the Old Testament exodus nothing in comparison (Isa. 43:18)! It is this new exodus that Peter is describing when he says that God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (v. 9)! In the old exodus, God called Israel out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, into the promised land in Canaan. In the new exodus, God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

Do you see the cosmic scope of this new exodus? It is out of darkness into His marvelous light! Do you see its multi-layered meaning? The language of calling us out certainly evokes the image of the exodus. But we also have the imagery of darkness and light, which evokes the event of creation--the beginning of creation when God spoke into the darkness and said, “Let there be light!” This new exodus is not just a short move from Egypt to Canaan. This new exodus is a cosmic deliverance from the domain of darkness into the marvelous light of God Himself! This exodus is out of this world of decay and death into the heavenly kingdom of eternal life and glory! This new exodus is nothing less than a new cosmic creation!

The climactic moment of the old exodus was the Passover, of course. On the night of the Passover, the angel of death passed through the households of the Egyptians and killed all the firstborn--from the animals to the crown-prince of Pharaoh. But the firstborn of the Hebrew households were all spared on account of the Passover lambs that were slain and whose blood was painted over the lintel and doorposts. You see the significance of this, don’t you? The Passover lambs were sacrificed in the place of the Hebrew firstborn. When the angel of death saw the blood of the lamb, he spared the child’s life.

But surely the blood of lambs--however many they may be--cannot bring about eternal deliverance! What value does a lamb have to bring about our eternal salvation? So then, the lambs and their blood were but a shadow of something greater to come, something greater that has to come to give us eternal salvation.

In the new exodus, we are ransomed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet. 1:19). Jesus, the eternal Son of God, sacrificed Himself in our place as the Lamb of God--the true Passover Lamb prepared by God Himself. Christ was slain in our place and shed His precious blood. We have been sprinkled with His blood, we have been marked His blood, and we know that no angel of death can touch us, ever! His precious blood shields us from the judgment of God once for all! For His sacrifice was that of God’s eternal Son; it is able to bring us a deliverance that is eternal and irrevocable.

And Christ has fulfilled on our behalf all the conditions and demands of the covenant. Remember what God said to Israel before the ratification of the covenant? “If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples…and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Ex. 19:5, 6). We are what we are--a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession--because Christ has indeed obeyed God’s voice and kept His covenant fully and perfectly! Because of Christ’s perfect righteousness, we are what we are in the sight of God--chosen, royal, holy and precious! This is the you that should dictate everything you do!

So notice: Peter does not just tell us all the wonderful things that God has done for us! He goes on to tell us why God did all that He did: in order that we might proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (v. 9)!

It is difficult for needy creatures like us to imagine but God is all-sufficient. Nothing God does is out of need or lack. Rather, He does everything out of His infinite abundance. He created us not because He was lonely or He needed our service; He created us because He wanted to share with us His overflowing delight and joy. So our God is not a cruel tyrant who exploits his subjects to fill His own need. Rather, our God is a benevolent God who delights in giving His love to His people. So, as John Piper points out, our God is most glorified when we are most delighted in Him, when we joyfully and gratefully acknowledge His surpassing goodness, when we declare all of His excellencies!

And the excellencies of God that we are called to proclaim are the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Great and numberless indeed are the excellencies of our most perfect and glorious God! He is to be worshipped and praised for all of His wonderful attributes. It is incumbent on all creatures to worship and adore their God and King--not just the beautiful flowers of the field and the soaring eagles of the air but even the worms and mosquitoes have the reason to glorify God. But what greater delight is ours to praise God! For we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, called out of darkness into His marvelous light! Now we see all the attributes of our God through the lens of His gracious redemption in His Son!

When we praise His almighty power, we praise the almighty power of Him, who loves us and will do all that is at His disposal to protect us against our enemies and destroy them with His almighty power! When we praise His infinite wisdom, we praise the infinite wisdom of Him, who loves us and will readily and generously grant us His wisdom to guide us and lead us with His infinite wisdom. When we praise His omnipresence, we praise the intimate presence of Him, who loves us and delights in making His eternal dwelling in us forever as His eternal temple. The list can go on and on!

Can’t you see? God is not exploiting us when He calls us to proclaim all of His excellencies, is He? He is not calling us to make difficult sacrifices when He calls us to declare His praise, is He? No, He is rather honoring us! For there is no greater honor and glory for us to praise Him and glorify His worthy name!

John Piper introduces his book, The Pleasures of God, by quoting from The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal: “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love” (p. 15). We can modify the statement and communicate the same idea by saying, “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by what he boasts of.” Whether we recognize it or not, we are like a walking advertisement board! What is your life used to advertise? What are your words and actions being used to publicize? Are they worthy of your name, your reputation and your life? Are they worthy of who you are in the sight of God--a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people for God’s own possession? What is nobler and more honorable than to proclaim the excellencies of our God and Savior?

How do we proclaim the excellencies of our God? Immediately following our passage we have these words: “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (vv. 11, 12). Peter goes on also to prescribe how we out to treat one another (vv. 13ff).

So then, o saints of God, declare His excellencies who delivered you out of darkness into His marvelous light! Show how you are God’s chosen people, how you are His royal priests, holy and precious to Him, by resisting temptations and putting to death the deeds of the body. Even when nobody is watching you, you can declare His glory by fighting sin to the death because you serve God who sees in secret! Declare His excellencies by loving others, even when they act unlovable! Every interaction you have with others is an opportunity to show the great love and generosity of your God! And declare His excellencies by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, the greatest of God’s divine excellencies!

Is this a tall order? Yes, it is! But we believe that God is able to justify us, hopeless and wicked sinners, don’t we? Then, is He not able to sanctify us as well? Do we believe in the God of justification without believing in the God of sanctification? He is able not only to deliver us from darkness into His marvelous light but also to enable us to proclaim His excellencies! This is your God! And this is what you are in Him! Renew your mind so that everything you do, say, think, feel and will is driven by who you are in Christ Jesus. All this, to the praise of your God, who justified you in Christ, who is sanctifying you and who will not fail to glorify you on the glorious day when we shall see who we really are in our perfection!