The People of God

"The People of God" – Exodus 19:5-6 "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people... and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." The study begins with the condition —"if ye will obey"— to argue that being God's people was never automatic, but a relationship founded on obedience. From there it goes to the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12 and arrives at 1 Peter 2:9, where what Israel was is now the church in Christ: a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. And it closes on the purpose: not only to be, but to proclaim.

I. Have we understood that we are the people of God?

A. Understood and reasoned through; otherwise we would be merely hearers and not doers.

B. The effect shows in the footsteps you leave on the earth. You do not see them, but the angels do, and there is a perfect contact between God and them that is no mere tale.

C. The more God gives us His divine presence, the more dangerous it is for a mortal.

D. The closer you come to a living God, the more you become one who fears God, and His blessing can come. But when what we give Him is crumbs, the law of sowing and reaping does not run.

E. Life on earth is not eternal, and what we waste here has consequences and has its wages.

F. If there is anything we must develop it is the fear of God, because we are each living as we please, as though there were different terms for different mortals.

G. If we opened our heart and gave this life of prayer to God, we would understand much, and the family would not be perishing: the loss is the absence of contact with God.

H. What is scarce is what has not been sought; what is missing is what you have not fought for.

I. If only we sank deep roots and sought the water far down in the soil… That is how wells are dug, and how the spiritual life is lived. But much of what is lived is empty, and the empty bears no fruit.

II. Why the subject matters

A. "The people of God" is one of the most important themes in all the Bible, unfolding from the Old Testament to the New.

B. This book unfolds to teach us, correct us and rebuke us, and to make us men and women who speak wisdom.

C. The more the word is loved, the more faith increases; and in faith are the miracles.

D. We must invade the Scriptures: nothing is built without knowing the instructions.

E. And the matter is not the music: music has no power to convey a message, it produces feelings and emotions. It is the word that brings the truth.

F. How is the chain broken? When your children and you love the word and are able to read it every day. That will be the day good comes to your house.

G. The worst thing in life is lukewarmness: it is like drinking a lukewarm coffee.

H. If you do not seek salvation, your house will be lost; and he who does not sow will not be able to reap.

I. Life is not applauding and patting backs: it is telling the truth, being a warrior, and seeing what is in front of you. We never finish dying so that others may live.

III. God calls Abraham (Genesis 12:1)

A. God called Abraham; and when God calls, there must be a whole feast of angels ascending and descending: God is speaking, there is a moving.

B. That is what we need: the moving of God. But if the angels see you in the flesh, no angels ascend or descend: demons move instead, and the light is dimmed.

C. If you want to believe, think that God called you. Because when I stand before God I will stand alone, and no one will be able to defend me or speak for me.

D. There the books will be opened. And who writes? The angels. In heaven no secrets are kept: here you keep yours, but they write it and carry it to God.

E. God formed a nation through his descendants, brought him out of Egypt by Moses and gave the law at Sinai: "ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."

F. Now the question: and your descendants, where are they? What fear of God do they have?

G. Where God calls, He is the one who prepares the people for good. No one is qualified to do what God wants; but God makes us promises, as He made them to Abraham.

H. Those had no Christ; we have the Messiah. They had only a tent, and walked on until they reached the promised land, which Moses never set foot in.

IV. The condition: "if ye will obey my voice"

A. Verses 5 and 6 define what it means to be the people of God, and they open with a condition.

B. God establishes a conditional relationship: hear His voice and keep His covenant.

C. Being the people of God was not automatic: it was a relationship founded on obedience.

D. And that is what we must learn. For we are shrewd in what we say and in what we claim, and we lie as though it cost nothing.

V. "A peculiar treasure"

A. In Hebrew the expression implies something precious, unique, reserved for Him alone.

B. This means God distinguishes His people: the people of God is not common, and you are not like the rest.

C. It must keep God's rules, because it has His blessing, because it has salvation, and because the Holy Spirit is supposed to be in it.

D. And so that when the word is preached there is a conviction that troubles the ear and reaches the heart.

E. In the people of God there is no room for common people: we must be the people who have the blessing and the authority, who are warriors and have the Holy Spirit.

F. We are valuable because we represent God. And not by merit —there is none— but by election.

G. And if there is election, learn it: one cannot go on being so common. The one chosen must speak by God's voice; they are the ones who pray, who work miracles, who cast out demons.

VI. "A kingdom of priests"

A. The whole people had a priestly calling.

B. And what does a priest do? He represents God before the people, and represents the people before God.

C. There is fellowship and there is self-giving: one does not live so much for personal ambitions, but for what must be fought.

D. The people of God lives as a bridge between God and the world.

VII. "And an holy nation"

A. What is a holy person? A separated person, a set-apart person.

B. They are not ordinary people as regards disorder, the world and loose living. It shows in what is talked about, in how one looks, walks and acts.

C. Do we look at anyone with eyes of pity? Does anyone grieve us just to see him? Or are we too taken up with ourselves?

D. A holy people: those set apart for God, who do not mix with the system and are different in conduct.

E. And that is not perfection. What we have is not perfection: it is consecration, and that is what must be learned.

F. We were worldly and ungodly; God wants to give us consecration and to set us apart. And so your children will be consecrated too.

G. For two cannot walk together except they be agreed, nor can we fight the darkness if we are not agreed. "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered."

VIII. From Israel to the church (1 Peter 2:9)

A. The same language reappears in 1 Peter 2:9, and there is the full manifestation of grace and of Jesus Christ.

B. The hardest thing to read is the Bible, and what is least understood is Scripture, because many of these words are not the everyday ones. But they are there for us to learn.

C. "A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people": what Israel was is now the church in Christ.

D. Being God's people is not a title: it is a call to live differently. And if we do what does not please God —lies, deceit, passions, disorder—, know that God is not there.

E. A chosen generation: not chance, but divine election. God chose before the founding of the earth; it was thought of before, prepared before, written before.

F. God chose you, and you belong to a heavenly family; defined not by natural blood, but by faith in Christ.

G. A royal priesthood: it connects straight to Exodus 19. We have direct access to God, we can intercede, and we represent God on the earth.

H. And whom do we represent if we lie, if we take what is not ours, if we say what should never be said, if we raise a fist against a neighbour?

I. There was once a dispute with a neighbour over a boundary; though the ground was hers, an agreement was made and there was peace. When you rise up as God wants, you are a royal priesthood again.

J. An holy nation: the angels see us and heaven sees us. Though we are in the world, our citizenship is spiritual, and we live by the kingdom's principles, different in values and conduct.

K. Today everyone speaks of purpose. Well, the purpose is to be brave and to do what must be done; and what you do not dare to do, you do not dare because you do not pray.

L. A peculiar people: we were bought with the blood of Christ. We deserve nothing; and if we were bought, we do not belong to ourselves, so there is no room for "I like this, I do not like

that."

M. The Father, seeing the blood of His Son, is the only way we have forgiveness of every sin and of all the hatred held. For to say "I cannot stand that person" is hatred.

IX. The purpose: "that ye should shew forth"

A. There is the purpose for which the people exists: not only to be, but to proclaim.

B. That you and I may testify to our own and preach what we are. And do we preach during the day? For there is more nonsense to talk about than things of weight.

C. What does not edify does not profit, and what does not profit condemns me.

D. The admonition is so that eyes open and people become warriors, because war is the only way battles are won.

E. "Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." The people of God is not only chosen: it is sent.

F. And how will you preach? Leave the frivolity, stop showing off, stop raising other subjects. Why not speak of Christ and teach who it is that can do something for you?

X. Application

A. Look at the condition before the privilege: hear His voice and keep His covenant. None of this is automatic.

B. Stop being common: the one who is chosen does not keep feast with everyone nor blend into the system.

C. Do not seek perfection, seek consecration, and consecrate your household with you.

D. Represent God in the concrete thing: in the boundary with the neighbour, in what you take, in what you look at, in what you say.

E. Trade complaint for prayer: what you do not dare to do, you do not dare because you do not pray.

F. And proclaim: the people is not only chosen, it is sent.