1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
We’ve learned thus far that we are a chosen people, a priesthood of kings, a holy nation, and tonight we are going to look at the last phrase that Peter uses to identify God’s people…an acquired people, a treasured possession!
Now I grew up on the KJV bible and it states that we are a peculiar people. The LEB states that we are God’s possession. YLT states that we are a people acquired and the Amplified states that we are a special people for God’s own possession. While they all give us insight into what Peter was trying to convey, I believe that the Amplified gets the job done!
When I looked “peculiar” up in the Vine’s it immediately referred me to “possession”, so apparently this verse isn’t talking about us being peculiar although many think that we are. As a matter of fact, whenever someone tried to make me feel bad about being “different” because I am a Christian, I would boldly tell them that I was okay with that since I was called to be “peculiar”. Now, because I am taking time to really look at what this verse is saying to me, Peter isn’t calling me strange, he’s saying I am God’s own purchased possession. For my studious readers, the Vine’s state that this word is “peripoiesis” in the Greek and is rendered “an obtaining, an acquisition”.
I looked up “acquisition” and the Oxford online dictionary defines it as “an asset or object bought or obtained, typically by a library or museum.” An asset is a useful, valuable thing, person, or quality. These words help me to get a fuller meaning of what is being said. So basically we are valuable people bought by the Father for His own possession.
In Exodus 19:5, God told the children of Israel “you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.” Again in Deuteronomy 7:6 and Malachi 3:17, He told them that they would be His treasured possession. Peter, in this verse is telling us that we are His treasured possession. It was His heart’s desire in the Old Testament and in the New Testament it became His reality. We are, not shall be!
When I shared the definition for acquisition, remember it referenced obtaining something for a museum. I immediately thought of all the valuable treasures in a museum, how they are cared for and put on display for the world to see. They remind of us different periods, people, and events in times gone by. They are special and people go to great lengths to preserve them, to see them. Then I thought of us.
As God’s possession, His treasured possession, we are extremely valuable to Him. We were purchased with the Blood of His Son Jesus, immediately letting us know the great valued He placed on us. He trusted no one else and nothing else to redeem us, so He did it Himself. And we are on display for the world to see. (I’ll go deeper into this next time).
I remember Rick Renner describing the auction block of hell, and how nothing would do but the Blood of Jesus! He talked about the stench, the filth, the shame, the repulsion of that auction block and yet God purchased us with His Blood, removing us from those terrible conditions of sin. As a matter of truth, His love was so great towards us that while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). And He did all of that so we might be His treasured possession.
I want to share Malachi 3:17- “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.” Malachi prophesies that God will make up His treasured possession, and they would belong to Him. But this is the other part I wanted to mention, God also said through Malachi that He would spare us as a man spares his son who serves him!! Now that’s some shouting stuff!
Too many of us have believed a lie, that you never know what you going to get from God. Some even believe that the evil they receive is at His hand. But nothing could be further from the truth. He said His treasured possession would be spared. And yes, I went to the Vine’s and it didn’t help me, so I went to the reference. Verse 18 really helps us to understand what was written for us in verse 17: “Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
With this verse I am reminded of the Land of Goshen. When the plagues were going forth, there came a time when God “spared” His people from experiencing what the Egyptians were experiencing. God made a difference between them, showing the Egyptians that His treasured people were spared, simply because they were His treasured people! Even more so today! God has some special things up His sleeve, reserved for us, but we can’t experience them because we don’t understand the magnitude of His great love for us!
Can you comprehend this? Can you get this? Can you visualize the truth of what this verse is saying to us? I am beginning to, and it’s exciting! As God’s treasured possession, there are just some things that He is not going to allow you to go through! I know it’s hard to believe in a world where it seems as if no one is exempt from trouble. But the word of God to us is that we are special to Him. We belong to Him and we are His treasured people. And when I think of a treasure, I think of something that is highly valued and protected. And that’s us!! To our Heavenly Father! Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!!
So it’s time for us to stop seeing ourselves as a wretch. Yes, we were, but we aren’t! It’s time to stop seeing ourselves as just sinners saved by grace; because we were sinners and we were saved by grace, but nothing could be further from the truth as us being just sinners saved by grace! We are valuable to the Heavenly Father. We are His treasured possession bought, obtained, acquired with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ! This was and is no small matter! This is the most exciting truth in the word!! Redeemed by the Blood!! And He said if He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32) Jesus was not spared so that we would be! That’s deep! This holiday season, take some time to give thanks to the One who treasures you and calls you His own! Love you! Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Wonderful Jesus!!
Wonderful Jesus! 