For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 14:2)

Before we move on to another topic of discussion, I’d like to address something within this statement that isn’t so obvious to some, and at the same time, is clearly evident to all who are in Messiah. The issue is connected to the idea that God called Israel to be His people, in fact, He regarded them as His firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). Nevertheless, He acknowledged that they would turn away from Him and embrace the false gods of the nations. In time, their spiritual adultery was so egregious that, through the prophet, He finally declared, “You are not My people, and I will not be your God” (Hosea 1:9).

After the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah, many people began to believe in Him including many who were not Jewish or considered to be Israel. As this began to develop, the disciples began to more clearly understand the intent of certain passages such as the verse that follows Hosea 1:9 which says:

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ ” (Hosea 1:10)

This is one of the verses that Peter, when writing to early believers, refers to when stating that those in Messiah are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). He identifies them as those “who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). In short, everyone who has been born again into the Messiah — those who were once considered part of the nations — have become the children of God. Those who believe in Him, whether Jew or Greek, are sons and daughters of God. And keeping in line with Peter’s thoughts, as such, we are to “proclaim the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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