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. 1 Peter 2:9
high priest
Peter, for all his awkwardness during the earthly ministry of Jesus, definitely pulled things together when he wrote his epistles. This verse in his first epistle is just marvelous. The whole section in 1 Peter 2 is worth an in-depth study. The mention of us (the church) being a priesthood is especially interesting given its very “Jewish” flavor.
Of course, there is nothing new under the sun and Peter lifted this imagery, probably very intentionally, from Exodus 19:5-6 where Moses is given this to tell the children of Israel by God:
A couple of quick observations:
- Priests in the Old Testament had privileges that no other member of the society Israel, namely they were the only ones with access to God and the only ones allowed to make sacrifices to God
- The limited access to God of the Old Testament was represented by the separations in the Tabernacle (Gate, Court, Holy Place, Most Holy Place) and later the temple. The veil represented the separation between God and man. Only the High Priest could go past the veil into the Most Holy Place and then only once a year to make atonement for the people
- When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn and the separation between God and man was removed
- We have access to God by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross
As a final thought, let us consider our purpose as this “chosen generation,” “this royal priesthood,” and “this holy nation.” For Peter does tell us the why: “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
