What does it mean that Israel is supposed to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6)?

Here, then, at Sinai, He proclaims the principle of law, — obedience as the ground of blessing. He recalls to them the mighty deliverance He had accomplished for them, and the way in which He had sustained and blessed them, and brought them to Himself. And now it was in His heart for them to have them as His own, — from among all the nations, His peculiar treasure. In an earthly place, and not a heavenly, they should be to Him a kingdom of priests (with perpetual right of approach to Himself ), a nation all holy. For this He demands obedience: without it, plainly this access to Himself would be a denial of His nature.

(1) Priesthood was what God proposed to Israel as what was in His mind connected with redemption. "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself: now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice … ye shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." To this which is His original thought for them He had all through adhered, although it could not then be carried out; and in Christianity the redeemed are in fact priests, as the apostle of the circumcision shows. "I brought you to Myself," fully realized, is priesthood in one at least of its essential characters, ability to draw near to God: “the priests which come near to the Lord" (Ex. 19:22), is one of the earliest titles descriptive of them.

For this holiness was an absolute prerequisite: a "kingdom of priests" implies a "holy nation;" and thus in Israel the official nearness was only external, because the holiness was so largely external. God was, as we know, teaching spiritual truths by means of outward representation. In Christianity we have the substance of these shadows.

Accordingly then, when in due course of providence Abraham's nation was manifested, the Lord who had chosen them to be His witnesses, puts them into possession of a portion of the earth, to hold it under Him their Lord; thus showing that He, who took what portion He pleased, had title to the whole; as He says, "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine." (Ex. 19:5) And Israel thus established as God's people should have continued in the midst of, but separated formally from, the nations, reflecting the light of God's glory as King of all the earth. But again and again they revolted, and rejected Jehovah Christ from being King over them. The nation first (1 Sam. 8:7), then the house of David (Isa. 8:13, Jer. 21:12), give up their testimony to God; and at length the wicked husbandmen cast the heir himself out of the vineyard, and slew, him. (Matt. 21:39)*

On God's side, He proclaimed them to be His special people (v 18). Gentiles were given no such privilege, and they could not be expected to keep the commandments given to Israel. Israel was not simply a nation among nations, but a nation separated by God from all others, to belong to Him and to represent Him before the world. Thus they were set high above all nations," as "a holy people to the Lord your God" (v.19). Let them maintain this distinction by being holy in practice.

Being the recipients of such marvelous grace from God, Israel was surely responsible to Him. God therefore addresses them on the basis of their responsibility. If they would obey God's voice and would keep the covenant that God was now establishing with them, then they would be His special treasure above all the nations (v. 5) and “a kingdom of priests,” a holy nation, that is, sanctified above all others.

Our common version has, "He hath made us kings and priests." That which is commonly accepted now is "a kingdom, priests," a kingdom whose subjects, as far as we are concerned, are priests, worshipers brought near to God with the spirit of praise and thanksgiving, eternally. The expression reminds us at once of what was conditionally offered to Israel, that if they would obey God's voice and keep His covenant, they should be to Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They must be, first of all, a holy nation, in order to be in this way priests to God. The white linen garment of the priest was the testimony of the character which he must have who approached to God in this way; and it was here, as we know, that Israel signally failed. They had chosen a covenant of law instead of the grace that had taken them up and brought them out of Egypt; and the law for them, as for all others, was a law working wrath. They could not abide under it; and instead of a kingdom of priests, the priesthood of Aaron and his sons — merciful provision as it might be in view of their circumstances — yet bore witness to their ruin as under it. But here is a people who are all priests, as Peter has borne witness: "A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," and "a royal priesthood" also, "to show forth the virtues of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." Here grace has reigned indeed unto peace, and nothing finally fails of the blessing.

(Vv. 9, 10). Had Israel obeyed the voice of God and kept His covenant they would have been to God “a peculiar treasure”, a kingdom of priests and an holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). They failed, and, the nation having been set aside, believers are now viewed as taking the place of Israel as a witness to God before the world. The Apostle quotes the prophecy of Hosea, which tells us that in a day to come Israel will again be taken up. In the meantime, the prophet's words are applied to the believing remnant of the Jews. Such, under the eye of God, form a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests, to show forth the excellencies of God, who has called us out of darkness into the marvellous light of the full revelation of Himself.

We mark a great change in the order when Israel was called out to be the people of God in the earth. God dwelt among them in the tabernacle, an inestimable privilege and blessing quite unknown by man before, either in his fallen state or in the condition of innocence. This involved the institution of the priesthood, for man in his natural condition is unfit to draw near to God. Sacrifices had always been (though not defined so clearly as in the opening chapters of Leviticus); for Israel the priesthood was added. But this necessarily put the people at a distance. It was the desire of God that they should be "a kingdom of priests and an holy nation" (Ex. 19:6), but the realization of this awaits another day when they are restored to God on the ground of sovereign grace. In the past the priests acted for them. They dealt with the blood of the sacrifices and they presented the sweet incense before Jehovah in the sanctuary.

Thus they undertook to fulfil the law as the condition of continuance in relationship to God according to His nature. They must be a "holy nation," to suit His holiness. They would be a holy nation if they obeyed His voice, and so, as a "kingdom of priests," have continual access to Himself.

Yet had He marked out a great place for them, as I have said. He calls to them in the love that they had so wantonly despised, and He says, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people [the Gentile nations] according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance” (Deut. 32:7-9). Israel was to be the centre of the nations, a kingdom of priests, God’s peculiar treasure, through whom the nations would get light and nourishment; with God in their midst they would bear rule over the whole earth.