What does it mean that "you are a chosen generation" (1 Peter 2:9)?

How came it that those to whom Peter wrote were a chosen generation? The first chapter answers this question. They were "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" they were, "redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ:" they were, "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God:" and that, as we elsewhere learn, by the Spirit of God. The Triune God had thus acted to produce a race of a new order — a generation not in Adam but in Christ.

Hence there was now a "royal priesthood." something more vital and elevated than anything the sons of Aaron knew. They were also an "holy nation," because really separated unto God — the "nation bringing forth the fruits thereof," of which the Lord spoke in Matthew 21:43. They were a people for God's special or "peculiar" possession.

The contrast between law and grace is complete. Law says, in effect, "If you obey, you shall be." Grace says, "You are, and because you are, certain things should mark you." Such is the drift of that verse in Peter's epistle.

Against so dark a background how beautiful is the contrast of verse 9, "Ye are a chosen generation." Here is the true election of God, those chosen by Him whose knowledge brought Into consideration every circumstance long before creation. Precious, wonderful truth!--much higher than that of Israel's being God's chosen earthly people. "A royal priesthood" is the counterpart of "a holy priesthood." (v.5), the latter toward God, the former toward men, for it is royal character to bear God's witness toward the world (Cf.In.18:37). Precious is such dignity conferred Upon sinners saved by grace! "An holy nation" is in contrast to Israel in the flesh, In her unholy disobedience. It speaks of a vital sanctification for the glory of God, a setting apart to Himself. "A peculiar people" has the sense of being peculiar to Himself, that is, virtually bondslaves rather than hired servants, as Jews under law considered themselves.

All of this positive, eternal blessing of course has an end In view, and the present result of it is that believers "should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." It is not merely telling those praises, but showing them, the whole life character of the saint being involved in this. Having been called out of darkness into His marvelous light the evidence of this should shine forth brightly in every department of our lives

The second priesthood of which the apostle speaks is to show forth the virtues of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Its description is taken, as we have seen, from Exodus 19. It is a chosen generation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood. I only allude to the Melchisedec priesthood to show the character of a royal priesthood. Priests, among the Jews, drew near to God. God had formed the people for Himself: they were to show forth all His virtues, His praises Christ will do this perfectly in the day of His glory. The Christian is called to do it now in this world. He is to reproduce Christ in this world. It is the second part of his life.

Once more Peter mentions the fact of the Christian priesthood. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the excellencies of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (Hosea 2:23). Israel was chosen, Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, they were called "to show forth His praises." They never attained it, because they were not a holy nation, though constituted a separated nation by God's calling. But these believing Jews through grace in Christ had become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. As a remnant of the nation they possessed now what the nation never possessed. Of course that remnant was embodied in the church, and is a part of the body of Christ. Yet the application to them as a remnant must not be lost sight of.

It is obvious that this “nation” cannot refer to any particular Gentle nation. It may more likely look forward to the Millennium, when a renewed Israel will bring forth fruits worthy of the kingdom; yet it may also have a present application as seen in 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” Peter speaks here of a people chosen of God from among all the nations, not with any earthly basis or center of gathering whatever. This of course the Jews would not understand, but it was not necessary that they should.

Verse 9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” This is another side to the priesthood; but believers have both, they are holy priests and royal priests. Holy priests offer up the sacrifices in the spiritual house, the stones and the priests are one—they offer up sacrifices to God, they approach God to present Christ to Him. A royal priest is the same person presenting God to man. Why did not God take you to heaven when you were converted? He wanted you here. What for? What are lights for in this city, and why in a very dark, wretched corner do you generally get a good light? It is to shine, to drive away the darkness because of the evils that abound in the city; it would be a terrible thing if there were not these lights. Well, you are lights in the world, and God may put you in a very dark corner; indeed the whole world is in darkness, but we are here to shine in it. But how do you shine? By presenting Christ to men. You come out here in the beautiful characteristics of Christ’s life; you shine for Him in your words, and in your walk, and in your ways; you whole behaviour here is to set forth Christ. It is well to be a royal priest, but we are both holy priests and royal priests, and the great thing is to exercise the functions of holy priests, and as we exercise the functions of holy priests, we are able to exercise the functions of royal priests; you come from God’s presence where all the light is to shine in the darkness; the better you are able to approach God, the better you are able to approach men; the better you are able to exercise the functions of an holy priest, the better you are able to exercise the functions of a royal priest. If you cannot bring Christ to God, you will never be able to bring Christ to men. It is only in the measure that you can bring Christ to God that you are able to bring Christ to men. Jesus was here as the light because He showed God in His true character, and that is what you are here for, along with being here to learn more about God and His marvellous grace, and His counsels, we are here to shine as lights in this world. We are here to shine, shine in the light of Christ, just as the moon shines—it shines not in its own light; it shines in the light of the sun; it sees the sun when we do not see it, and the sun shines upon it, and it shines upon us here in this world, so God says, “Arise, shine.” That will be said to the Jew one day, but it can be said to us now. He has shined upon us now, and if He shines upon us, we shall shine here in this world; but we cannot shine ourselves, we must get occupied with Him, and then when we are occupied with Him, we shall be able to come out like Him here in this world, and be witnesses to all those that walk in darkness.

"Ye are," he says, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a purchased people." These are almost the words of Exodus 19. He goes on: "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; who formerly had not obtained mercy, but have now obtained it." These are the words of Hosea 2. This sets before us, in the most interesting way, the principle on which the blessing is founded. In Exodus the people were to have this blessing if they exactly obeyed the voice of God. But Israel had not obeyed, had been rebellious and stiff-necked, had gone after strange gods, and rejected the testimony of the Spirit; yet, after their unfaithfulness, God Himself has laid in Zion a Stone, a chief corner-stone, and whosoever believed in Him should not be confounded. It is grace that, when Israel had failed in every respect, and on the ground of obedience, had lost everything, God should bestow on them by Jesus, through grace, that which was promised them at first on condition of obedience. In this way all was secured to them.

(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.

Then again they are "a holy nation," when the nation, who ought to have been so, stood with the stamp on it of evil to the uttermost, not of idolatry alone but of disdaining the Holy One of God, the Messiah. Had they not cried in their blind and mad hatred, His blood be on us and on our children? The remnant, on the contrary, who owned Him and were washed from their sins in His blood, were now "a holy nation" accepted in His name.