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1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
If honor is in store for all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, men and women who reject Him can look forward only to dishonor. This dishonor does not occur outside of God’s eternal decree, which provides comfort to us that the Lord’s plan is not off track when people reject the Savior (1 Peter 2:4–8). In today’s verse, Peter gives believers even more comfort, using Old Testament language to explain that those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are the true Israel of God.
Exodus 19:1–6, which describes the gathering of old covenant Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, is the source for much of the terminology in 1 Peter 2:9. As we see in those verses from Exodus, God established Israel as His “treasured possession,” “kingdom of priests,” and “holy nation.” Peter applies all those descriptors or other versions thereof to his gentile audience, which is remarkable. Old covenant Israel was separated from the pagan gentiles to be the people of the one true God. Through Christ, believing gentiles are now separated as the people of the one true God from those who have rejected Jesus, including those who follow false gentile religions and Jews who do not believe in Christ. Of course, this true Israel of God, this true people of the only Creator and Lord, also includes Jews who trust in Jesus, as Romans 9–11 makes plain. In any case, true Israel is not an ethnic category but a category of faith, and it has always been this way. All those who trust in Christ, no matter their ethnic heritage, are children of Abraham (Rom. 9:6–7; Gal. 3).
Looking to Peter’s description of the true Israel, note especially that believers are a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Although all of ancient Israel was a “kingdom of priests” in one sense, in that the Israelites were set apart as holy, only the priestly tribe of Levi had access to God’s blessed presence via the temple and tabernacle. This has changed in the new covenant, for Jesus’ fulfillment of the old covenant sacrificial system means that we have freedom to enter the heavenly temple (Heb. 10:1–22). New covenant believers serve as priests in a fuller sense than those who lived under the old covenant, which is a great privilege and honor indeed. The early church father Leo the Great, whose famous Tome helped the church articulate the biblical doctrine of Christ at the Council of Chalcedon, writes, “All who have been born again in Christ are . . . consecrated priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
As the royal priesthood of God, we are to proclaim His excellencies. This refers to verbal proclamation, but it cannot be limited to that. John Calvin comments, “It behooves us to declare these virtues or excellencies not only by our tongue, but also by our whole life.” We reflect the glories of God through holy speech and holy actions; therefore, let us practice holiness so that others may glorify our heavenly Father (Matt. 5:14–16).
For further study
- Isaiah 66:18–21
- Malachi 1:11
- 1 Peter 2:4–5
- Revelation 1:4–6
The bible in a year
- 2 Samuel 4–5
- Luke 19:28–48