First Epistle of Peter
SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISES
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)
This verse is in contrast with what has just gone before. Verse 8 tells of the disobedient being appointed unto judgment, but this, of the Christians being a chosen generation, etc. The apostle heaps up words to tell of the many blessings we have obtained as children of God. These expressions also state how dear we are to the heart of the Lord.
"a chosen generation"
The word "generation" here does not mean just the people living at that time. Nor does it mean a period of 33 years, which we sometimes call "a generation." It rather means "a race" or "class of people", so implying all Christians in this dispensation.
The Israelites were God's chosen people in the Old Testament times. We read in Deuteronomy 7:6, "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." But these chosen people failed utterly. Christ came and they rejected Him, they hated Him, they crucified Him. Now these chosen people have been set aside. Those who rejected Christ are not chosen to blessing, but appointed to judgment.
But God still has a chosen people. We who have accepted His Son as our Savior and Lord, are made "a chosen race."
This does not mean that God has completely rejected His Old Testament people. We read in Romans 11:1, "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." Then again in verse 15. "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" With the many Jews back in Palestine, and many being converted in some quarters, we can already see forshadowings of their time of restoration.
"a royal priesthood"
We have dealt with the priesthood of the believer quite extensively in connection with verse 5 of this chapter. "Royal" here is the same word used for kings. So we are a kingly priesthood. We have this truth in Revelation 1:6, where it says, He has "made us kings and priests unto God." In the Jewish economy, no man was ever bath king and priest. Although the Lord did say of them in Exodus 19:6, "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." But in this they failed completely. However, God's purposes are not a failure. He still has kingly priests in His New Testament people. In this, we are like our Lord Jesus. He too, is both a king and a priest.
Christ's type, and the Christian's too, is Melchizedek (Gen. 14). Melchizedek means "king of righteousness." He was king of Salem (later Jerusalem). "Salem" means "peace." Yet Melchizedek was a "priest of the most High God." Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abraham. He lived before the time of the establishment of the Jewish economy.
We are not yet reigning. This is promised to us for a future time. In 2 Timothy 2:12, we read, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." What a dignity shall be heaped upon us and already is. We are kings and priests.
There is an old French proverb which translated says, "Nobility brings responsibility. Do we act like nobility? Do we act as though we were kings? We must be very careful how we live, or we will bring dishonor to our title and to our Lord.
In many ways, we already are like kings. power of kings, in that we have been given power
We are rich like kings. We have the "unsearchable of Christ" (Eph. 3:8). We have the 'apparel of' in that we have been given Christ's robe of the food of kings; we have the over sin and Satan, riches kings, righteousness. We have in that we can feast at the Lord's table. We have many servants like a king. Our servants are the angels of God (Heb. 1:14).
"an holy nation"
This also is an expression from Exodus 19:6. We have already quoted this in connection with "royal priesthood." The Israelitish people were to be a holy nation, but sadly they failed. "Holy", as we noticed in connection with verse 15 and 16 in chapter one, means "set apart." "Nation" could be translated "multitude." We are a multitude set apart for God. This is true of every one in Christ. How wonderful it would be if our lives were set apart for Him too. Since He died for us, surely we should live for Him.
"a peculiar people"
This expression is also taken from Exodus 19. It is found in verse 5 where we read, "Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people." It would seem as if Peter was looking for all the greatest promises ever made to the children of Israel, taking them from them because of their rejection of Christ, and giving them to the Christians of this age.
The word "peculiar" here does not mean "odd" as we use it today. It literally means a "people acquired." Thus bought and possessed, and such are we. We have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and we are His possession. He prizes this possession above anything else in the world. We are His bride. As a bridegroom prizes his bride above all else, so does the Lord His church.
We should not forget that we are His possession. "Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:19, 20). Sometimes, Christians think they are their own and they think they can do as they please. If they do, they will suffer for it even as a balky horse suffers when he will not do his owner's bidding. As a child belongs to his parents and is supposed to obey them, so we belong to the Lord, and we are to do His will. It would be wonderful if we would ask, like the apostle Paul, "Lord what wilt Thou have me do?" (Acts 9:6). Or, say like the Lord Jesus, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done" (Luke 22:42).
A young man said his morning prayers something like this, "Lord, I am your child and this is your day. Grant that I, your child, may do just what you want me to do on this, your day." If only all of us were so resigned to His will, how wonderful it would be.
"that ye should shew forth the praises of Him"
"Praises" here would perhaps be better translated "excellencies" or "virtues." If literally translated, it would be "manliness." "To shew forth" in the Greek, has the sense of "send a message", thus to publish abroad "His excellencies." This would tell us that the Lord leaves us here far a purpose. Some seem to think that He saves us just so He can take us to heaven, instead of sending us to hell. This, of course, is one of the effects of salvation, but the real reason is that the Lord may have witnesses for Himself in this world.
If we are never speaking for Christ or witnessing for Him by our lives, we are missing the main reason for our salvation. Someone (or perhaps more than one) revealed to us the way of salvation, before we were actually converted. Now the Lord expects each of us to be a link in the chain, from Pentecost to His coming, that someone may be reached through spreading abroad His virtues.
Christians sometime put in a lot of time publishing abroad their own virtues. This we should never do. It is His virtues we are to spread abroad. This we can dc either by word of mouth, or by our Christlike life. Of course, both should go together. Without a consistent life, our testimony will not be well received. Even Christians will not listen to us, if our life is not right.
If you start spreading abroad His excellencies, you will net lack material on which to speak. No one more wonderful ever lived. Many times we read in the Word how folks marveled at what He said, as well as what He did. Every chapter of the gospels, in one way or another, extols His virtues. This is true to some extent of the whole of the New Testament, and even the Old has much to say of Him. "And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6).
"who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"
Darkness and light are many places contrasted in the Scriptures. In Genesis Chapter 1 verse 2, we read, "And darkness was upon the face of the deep;" and then in verse 3, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." From then on, we have the great struggle between darkness and light.
Darkness, in the Scripture, often speaks of ignorance and sin; light, of knowledge and righteousness. The Word and experience everywhere testify that the world and worldlings are by nature in darkness. We have been called out of darkness. Before we were saved, we were both ignorant and sinful. Someone has said, "Without the Bible, we would not know anything; we would not know where we came from, what we are doing here, or where we are going." In other words, we would know nothing about the most important things of life.
Truly, the world is blind and it is Satan that has blinded them (2 Cor. 4:4). Those to whom Peter was writing, were called out of the darkness of sin, perhaps some out of the midst of Jewish ignorance.
Something needs to be said about the darkness of sin in the world. Perhaps at no time in the history of our country has sin been more rampant and more open than now.
"into His marvelous light"
The true Christian is not in darkness. He has been called "into his marvelous light." He has come to Christ, "The Light of the world", and he has trusted Him with his soul, and the glorious light has shined in. He knows he is here to glorify Christ. He knows he is bound for heaven. He knows his sins are forgiven. He knows he is a child of God.
But sorry to say, not all Christians live as they should, therefore, the exhortation in Ephesians 5:8, "Walk as children of light." In Ephesians 5:9, we read, "For the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." The Revised Version gives it as the "fruit of the light," rather than "the fruit of the Spirit." Light is the right translation.
The result of the light shining in should be the light shining out. It is important to speak for Christ, but a light never speaks; it just shines. Our life should shine for Him. If we shine for Him, our life will be a life of goodness, righteousness and truth.
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:10 (KJV)
This verse tells us of our past without Christ, and our present blessings in Him. It would seem that Peter had in mind some portions of the prophecies of Hosea. In Hosea 1, verse 6, we read, "For I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel." This is because of their sinful condition. Then in verse 9, "For ye are not my people, and I will not be your God."
Then in verse 10, He explains that this condition is but temporary. "And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, the sons of the living God." Then in Hosea chapter 2, verse 23, we read, "And I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people." This tells of the setting aside of Israel because of their rejection of Christ, and their future restoration at the time of His coming.
The apostle here applies it to those who have accepted Christ, whether Jew or Gentile. As long as one rejects Christ, as the Jews did, he is not one of the people of God. Just as soon as one accepts and obeys the Lord Jesus, he becomes one of the people of God. The Jews were the earthly people of God. We are His heavenly people.
The way Peter applies this verse from Hosea convinces me that his readers were primarily Gentile (See also 1 Pet. 4:3). Hosea speaks prophetically, saying that in this, our time, the Jews were not the people of God, but that the time would come when they would be the people of God. As Peter applies it, it could not speak of the Jews. Because Peter says, "Which in time past were not a people." In time past the Jews were the people of God; but the Gentiles were not. Then he goes on to say, "But are now a people of God." Because of their rejection of Christ, the Jews are not now a people of God, but both Jew and Gentile who receive Christ are now the people of God.
What a wonderful thing to be one of the people of God. We were sinners of the Gentiles without hope and without God in the world. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). We had vile sinners for our companions and Satan as our God. We were doing his bidding, and he was leading us down to hell. He is a liar, a thief and a murderer, and we were following him. Now we have changed masters, and are following the Lord Jesus and we are God's children.
"which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy"
We did not deserve mercy; because of our many sins, we deserved judgment. We were rebels against God, but we have obtained mercy. Perhaps some of us were liars, but we obtained mercy; or drunkards, or thieves, or adulterers, or even murderers, but we have obtained mercy, and how thankful we should be. Our salvation is entirely unmerited as far as we are concerned.
