And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (Exodus 19:6).
These were the words of God to Israel, even before they received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. As a priest serves as an intermediary between God and men, so this kingdom of priests had been called by God to bring Gods word to man. As a holy nation with such a high calling, its people also should have been holy (that is, consecrated to God) in life and witness. But instead, after almost 2000 years, God had to lament: All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people (Romans 10:21).
There will still come a day when all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:26), but God has, in the meantime, chosen a new people, in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). We are now one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans 12:5).
We now have been given the same high privileges long ago given to Israel. We who belong to Christ have been born again into the kingdom of God (John 3:3), and this is nothing less than a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. The apostle Peter said: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (I Peter 2:5).
Not only are we a holy priesthood, we are a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priest-kings. Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9). We, indeed, have a high calling, and should devote our lives to showing forth His praises, for He hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever (Revelation 1:6). HMM