who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Truth to Learn
God shows us mercy because He wants to, not because we want Him to.
Behind the Words
The Greek word translated “once” is pote, which means “at some time,” “previously,” or “in the past.” It does not mean “one time,” as might be inferred from some translations.
“A people” is translated from laos, which refers to “a group of people joined together by a common trait.” This common trait can be ancestry, locality, experience, or beliefs.
Meaning Explained
Prior to the time of Christ, the only people who were considered the people of God were the Israelites. In fact, there is a bit of a play on words in the previous verse. The word translated as “nation” in the previous verse (holy nation) is the generic term for a race or a tribe and is the term that Israelites used for all gentiles (those who are not Israelites). The Israelites believed that any gentile was outside the choosing and blessing of God.
Here Peter is saying that we who had been considered outside the blessing of God, we who were not the people of God, now are the people of God. We, who had not received mercy because we were outside of God’s chosen few, have now received mercy because we are His chosen few.
The prophet Hosea predicted this millennia ago:
and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them who were not my people, You are my people; and they shall say, You are my God. (Hosea 2:23)
And, the Apostle Paul said it this way:
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands– that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-14)
Some people believe that the doctrine of election produces lazy Christians. After all, if God chose me to be saved, doing all the work Himself, and He has promised never to lose me, all I have to do is sit back and enjoy it, right? But if we see it through Peter’s eyes, we see how priceless the gift is, and we realize how unworthy we are. This should drive us to our knees in humble thanksgiving and cause us to lift our hands in praise to Him. It should also motivate us to serve Him in whatever capacity He has called us to, with determination and humility.
Application
Give praise to God who has broken down the wall and has drawn us to Himself out of the darkness into His marvelous light and has declared us righteous through faith. Through His grace, we have the greatest gift of all, and we don’t deserve it!
Now, what are you going to do about it?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved