'Ye also, as lively stones,
are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ.'
(1 Pet. 2:5)
'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:'
(1 Pet. 2:9)
Hello there,
I believe that Peter was addressing that 'generation' (during the Acts period) who were the believing remnant of Israel. For God has never recognized a priesthood except that which He ordained Himself, and that is confined to the nation of Israel. God said to Israel in Exodus 19:5,6, through Moses :-
'Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed,
and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:
for all the earth is mine:
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests,
and an holy nation.
These are the words which thou shalt speak
unto the children of Israel.'
* This was a true promise and prophecy of and for Israel in that past dispensation.
* As you can see this is contingent on their obedience and the keeping of the covenant God had made with them. Their history reveals that they were not able to fulfill either obligation, so they were unable to perform the Divinely allotted role of national priesthood at that time.
* The tribe of Levi was substituted for the nation in the role of Priests; but the national performance of that promise remains still in abeyance until such time as Israel shall turn to the Lord. The promise was repeated at a later date, in Isaiah 71:6, which assures us of that::-
'But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD:
men shall call you the Ministers of our God:
ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.'
(Isa 61:6)
'And they shall bring all your brethren
for an offering unto the LORD
out of all nations
upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters,
and upon mules, and upon swift beasts,
to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD,
as the children of Israel
bring an offering in a clean vessel
into the house of the LORD.
And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites,
saith the LORD.
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,
shall remain before me, saith the LORD,
so shall your seed and your name remain.'
(Isa 66:20-22)
* The believing remnant during the Acts, were part of the new covenant, and were in essence what Israel will yet be, a Kingdom of Priests and an Holy nation.
* We have no national identity that we should be called a 'nation', do we? We are also not of that 'generation' spoken of in 1 Peter, are we?
* Peter addressed his epistle to:-
'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers (see Heb.11:13; 1 Pet.2:11)
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.'
(1Peter 1:1,2)
* These were they who were believing Israelites, who were dispersed through persecution out among the nations. They were self confessed, 'strangers and pilgrims' on the earth, as their forebears had been.:-
'These all died in faith,
not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth.'
(Heb 11:13)
'Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles:
that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation.'
(1 Pet. 2:11,12)
Praise God!
No, the Priesthood is Israel's portion, as the nation chosen for this purpose, and they will yet fulfill it.
'Who are Israelites;
to whom pertaineth the adoption,
and the glory,
and the covenants,
and the giving of the law,
and the service of God,
and the promises;
Whose are the fathers,
and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came,
Who is over all,
God blessed for ever.
Amen.'
(Rom 9:4,5)
In Christ Jesus
Chris
Praise God!