First Peter 2:9-10 reads, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” These inspired words were written to Christians scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, regions south of the Black Sea. They were being persecuted and would continue to be persecuted for their faith. Peter’s epistle was to encourage them in their Christian life. Sometimes we need to be reminded who we are and whose we are. This is what Peter does in this text.
Observe that Peter said that they were “a chosen generation.” These words must have been familiar to some of his audience. They surely were to Peter. Similar words were spoken to Israel in the long, long ago. God led them out of Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand and stretched out arm. After they had wandered in the wilderness for forty years due to their unbelief, Moses stood before them and said:
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.(Deut. 7:6-9.
Israel had been God’s chosen people or race. For fifteen hundred years they were God’s chosen people. Moses gave two reasons for their having been chosen of God as his special people. One, because he loved them; two, because of his faithfulness to the promise he had made with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They were not chosen because they were the largest nation, for there were other nations that were more in number. In fact, they were the smallest of nations.
However, fleshly Israel ceased to be God’s chosen people, or nation at the death of Christ. In fact, they will never be the nation that they once were. The church is spiritual Israel today. Paul referred to the church as “the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16.) Jesus said to his apostles, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28.) When James penned his epistle, he wrote to the twelve tribes scattered abroad; i.e., to the church that had been scattered. The true Jew is one who is obedient to the gospel, regardless of his race. Paul wrote, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Romans 2:28-29.)
Though the Israel of God today is different from the Israelite nation that stood at the foot of smoking, shaking Sinai and received the law by the thunderous voice of the God of heaven; yet the reasons given God’shaving chosen us are similar.
We, the church of Christ, are the “chosen generation,” because God loves us. Paul wrote, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8-9.) John wrote, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.) He loved the world, but by sacrificing his Son, who bought the church with his precious blood. (Acts 20:28.)
Again, in John’s first epistle he wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not….Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins…. We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 3:1; 4:7-10; 4:19.)
Because of God’s faithfulness, we are now the “chosen generation.” God made a three-fold promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 12:1-3; 26:3-5, 24; 28:13-14). He made of them a great nation, Israel. He fulfilled the land promise (Josh. 21: 43, 45). He also continues to fulfill the Seed promise; that is, that through the Seed of Abraham all nations would be blessed. That Seed was Christ (Gal. 3:16.) Christ has and will bless all who obey the gospel. One’s sins are forgiven when he repents, and upon his confession of faith, is baptized into Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:10; Gal. 3:27). As Moses wrote, “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” (Deut. 7:9.) The same God who fulfilled this threefold promise, continues to keep his promises. Abraham’s Seed, Christ, continues to bless all nations through the gospel. So, many nations become one nation in Christ.