1 Pet. 2:9 Peter now turns again to the privileges of believers. They are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's
special people. God had promised these very privileges to the nation of Israel if they would obey Him:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (
Ex. 19:5,
6a).
Because of unbelief Israel failed to realize the promise of God, and the nation forfeited its place as God's own people. During the present age, the church occupies the favored place that Israel lost through disobedience.
Believers today are
a chosen generation,
chosen by God before the foundation of the world to belong to Christ (
Eph. 1:4). But instead of being an earthly race with common ancestry and distinct physical characteristics, Christians are a heavenly people with a divine parentage and spiritual resemblances.
Believers are also
a royal priesthood. This is the second
priesthood mentioned in this chapter. In verse
5, believers are described as holy priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices. Now they are said to be
royal priests, proclaiming the excellencies of God. As
holy priests, they enter the sanctuary of heaven by faith to worship. As
royal priests, they go out into the world to witness. This difference in priesthood is illustrated by the imprisonment of Paul and Silas at Philippi. As holy priests they sang praises to God at midnight; as
royal priests they preached the gospel to their jailor (
Acts 16:25,
31).
Believers are
a holy nation. It was God's intention that Israel should be a nation distinguished by holiness. But the Israelites stooped to the sinful practices of their Gentile neighbors.
So Israel has been set aside temporarily and the church is now God's holy nation.
Finally, Christians are a
people for God's own possession. They belong to Him in a unique way and are of
special value to Him.
The last part of verse
9 describes the responsibility of those who are God's new race,
priesthood, nation and
people. We should
proclaim the excellencies
of Him who called us
out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once we were groping in the darkness of sin and shame. By a stupendous deliverance we have been transferred into the kingdom of His dear Son. The light is as clear and brilliant as the darkness was oppressive. How we should shout
the praises of the One who did all this for us!
2:10 Peter closes this section by referring to the book of Hosea. Using the prophet's own tragic family life as an object lesson, God had pronounced judgment on the nation of Israel. Because of their unfaithfulness to Him, He said He would no longer have pity on them and that they would no more be His people (
Hos. 1:6,
9). But the casting aside of Israel was not final, for the Lord also promised that in a future day, Israel would be restored:
"... I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'" (
Hos. 2:23).
Some of the people to whom Peter was writing had once been part of the nation of Israel. Now they were members of the church. Through faith in Christ, they had become the people of God, while unbelieving Jews were still cast aside.
So Peter sees in the condition of the converted Jews of his day a partial fulfillment of
Hosea 2:23. In Christ, they had become God's new people; in Christ, they had
obtained mercy. This handful of saved Jews enjoyed the blessings promised to Israel through Hosea long before Israel nationally would enjoy them.
No one should conclude from this passage in Peter that because the church is now God's people, He is through with Israel as a nation. Neither should one assume that the church is now the Israel of God, or that the promises made to Israel now apply to the church. Israel and the church are separate and distinct entities, and an understanding of this distinction is one of the most important keys to interpreting the prophetic word.
Israel was God's chosen earthly people from the time of the call of Abraham to the coming of the Messiah. The nation's rebellion and faithlessness reached its awesome climax when Christ was nailed to the cross. Because of this crowning sin,
God temporarily set aside Israel as His chosen people. They are His ancient earthly people today but not His chosen people.
During the present age, God has a new people—the church. This Church Age forms a parenthesis in God's dealings with Israel. When the parenthesis is closed, that is,
when the church is caught away to heaven, God will resume His dealings with Israel. Then a believing portion of the nation will become God's people again.
The final fulfillment of Hosea's prophecy is still future. It will take place at the Second Advent. The nation that rejected its Messiah will "look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" (
Zech. 12:10). Then repentant, believing Israel will receive mercy and will become God's people once more.
The point Peter is making in verse
10 is that believing Jews today enjoy an advance fulfillment of Hosea's prophecy, while unbelieving Jews are still alienated from God. The complete and final fulfillment will take place when "the Deliverer will come out of Zion" and "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (
Rom. 11:26).
Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding.