God’s people as a chosen nation of God

God’s people are called “a chosen nation”Exodus 19:5-6) who are to praise and glorify Him in their walk and in everything they do. Peter calls them the precious people, a chosen holy nation 1peter 2:9. Because God is holy they are to show His holiness in the way they do things and the way they live.  When God called Abraham in Genesis 12:2, He promised him a nation “I will make you a great nation a blessed nation…” this nation had not been revealed  yet. Later in Genesis 35:10 the nations is mentioned when Rebecca conceived. When Rebecca the wife of Isaac was pregnant the bible says she had some funny feelings and she asked what was happening within her. After feeling like that, she inquired from the Lord and was told there were two nations fighting within her womb. Two peoples shall be separated from your body; one shall be stronger than the other Genesis 25: 21-23. These nations were born by Rebecca the wife of Isaac the son of Abraham who was to fulfill what God had promised in Genesis 12:2.

Many people even ministers find it hard to trace the nation of Israel from the bible. Many have said Israel is the nation that is in the world map. With this knowledge many tend to resist the Gospel of God saying it is the tradition of the people who live in Israel especially those who do not come from that country. This is very clear from the bible that Israel as a nation was to be people of God, not a country as many believe. I want to tell my readers who want to know where the nation of Israel originated from that the nation God talks about is not a country by region, they are the people. Israel as a nation is not the country , it is to be the people of God, people who walk according to his commandments. In Genesis 32:26-27, we are told when Jacob wrestled with an angel of God there he asked the angel him to bless him. We find the name of the nation very clear; the angel asked him “what is your name?” And he answered Jacob, and then the angel said to him you are no longer going to be called Jacob but your name shall be Israel, Genesis 32:28. The name Jacob originally meant “a liar”. God could not have entered into a covenant with a liar. Everybody has been here, there are some characters you and I were known of in our society we come from and these are the ones God is asking you just like Jacob what is your name? He wants to enter into a covenant with you and have relationship with you. Every name is associated with the character of that person, for example when a lady is still under tutelage of his parents in Africa, she will be identified with the name of her father. Immediately she gets married to a man she is identified with that man she is married to. The name changes, she becomes Mrs. she is no longer called a girl she is changed to a woman. The same applied to Jacob, his name was to be changed from Jacob-a liar to Israel, a blessed nation of God.

Israel as a nation was supposed to live a life separate from the life of other nations. They were to be people of God and God was to be their Lord Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 32:12, and Jeremiah 30:22. The same to a woman once she is married she belongs to the family of the husband, everything rotates around the husband. The time God changed Jacob to Israel; Jacob was still having some things which he was still attached to, as we will see in the chapter below. God could not have allowed him to enter into a covenant with him before separating himself from them. We see this when Jacob tells his family to put away foreign gods that were among them, purify themselves, and even change their garments Genesis 35:1-2. Here we see it very clear that this nation was to be separated from, the old foundation they had been built on the foreign gods, be purified, and change the garments they were used to and put on the new garment that is the foundation -which is God.  This is also seen when God called Abram. God told Abram to get out from his country and from his father’s house and go to the land he was being called to go. God could not have entered in the covenant with him before separating from his family members. He allowed situations to happen to him until he had to separate. For example He allowed lots servant to fight with Abram’s servants so that they can be separated from each other. Later, with Hagar she had to despise Sarah and make life of Sarah uncomfortable .I believe this  was to separate her from braham. Immediately after it had happened, we see the name of Abram and Sarah being changed. Abram is called Abraham and Sarai is called Sarah Genesis 17:15. This indicates that Abram was to be cut off from the wrong foundation of being  a moon worshiper to worshiping God ,Joshua 24:2.

After Jacob had separated himself from foreign gods, God came and reminded him of the promise he had made to him, Genesis 35:10. The same to us Christians today, God will never allow us to enter his kingdom with the things we were used to in the land we were living. You are to leave them for Him to use you fully, the foundations we found existing has to be broken and build ourselves unto the firm foundation who is Jesus,matt 7:24-25.  It took Abram 25 years for him to see the promised child whom God had promised him. It may cost your life if you think serving God is a matter of mixing the worldly life and God. Jesus said you cannot serve two masters at a time Matt 6:24.

The nation of Israel was to live a holy life just as their God was holy “Be holy as I am holy” Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7. The foundation of Christian is God who is holy and anyone who is to be build on Him must be holy as He is holy. As a nation she was to be holy that is the people who are called to be of God are to live holy life we can see this in 1 Peter 1:15-16. God’s holiness means that He is completely separated from sin and evil. Holiness pervades His character; He is holy. He is the opposite of anything profane. People of God must be holy in everything they do, that is, totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use and set apart from sin and its influence. Our holy God expects us to imitate him by following His high moral standards. He wants us to be his servants and He remains the master and our Lord.

Believers should be set apart and different because of God’s qualities in their lives he is faithful, Holy, righteous in everything 1Cor 1:9, 1peter1:16. Our focus and priorities must be His. We have already been declared holy because of our faith in Christ, but we must work out that divine family likeness in our day-by-day walk, behavior, and conduct. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us. We will not achieve perfect holiness in this life; Peter’s words mean that all parts of our lives and character should be in the process of becoming conformed, both inwardly and outwardly, to God’s holy standards.

This nation was to be a distinguished nation and people from all other nations and people of the world. 1Peter 2:9. Believers are a chosen people, a distinct group from the rest of the world, unified by the Holy Spirit. Just as the nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people, Christians have become God’s people, not by physical birth into a certain race but by spiritual rebirth into God’s family through Jesus Christ.

God’s people are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation (Exodus 19:6). Being part of“priesthood” is a high honor for believers. Christians speak of “the priesthood of all believers.” In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. Instead, a priest would act as an intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ’s victory on the cross, that pattern changed. Now believers can come directly into God’s presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16). Also, they have been given the responsibility of bringing others to him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). United with Christ as members of his body, believers join in his priestly work of reconciling God and people. “Holy nation” refers to Christians as a people who are distinct from all the others because of their devotion to God.

Believers are God’s very own possession. Similar language is found in Exodus 19:5 and Malachi 3:17. God’s people are those who are faithful to him; thus this refers to Christians. God’s special people are to show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Christians were redeemed with a special purpose to glorify and praise the one who has called them out of the darkness of sin and of their hostile surroundings into the light of eternal life as stated by the writer of life Application Commentary.