God’s People

by DORRICOTT, K.O. | Category: Names That Need To Be Known | Mar 2006

Who are God’s people?

When Peter wrote the words, ‘you are ... a people for God’s own possession’ in 1 Peter 2:9, who was he referring to and what did he mean? Isn’t this true of everyone? Don’t all of us on earth belong to God? He is our Maker (Job 35:10), ‘the God of all flesh’ (Jer.32:27), and ‘we are His offspring’ (Acts 17:29). Can anyone be excluded from this term ‘God’s people’?

Today there are many peoples in the world, with varying characteristics, differentiated by language, culture and background. But it wasn’t always that way. Mankind was originally unified, with one language and purpose, but that all changed about four thousand years ago. When men began to build the tower at Babel (in present-day Iraq), God said about it: ‘"Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them"‘ (Gen.11:6). They were united, but apart from God. And so He scattered them and they fragmented into many peoples. Their unity was broken and it has stayed that way ever since, with ever-increasing diversity.

This attitude of independence disqualified mankind in general from being God’s special possession. Yet He did not abandon His purpose. He had already chosen the descendants of Abram, from whom came the Israelite people. They became one of many peoples on this earth, but with a distinct identity and purpose. They were ‘God’s people’; those whom God would be with, and who would be the focus of His attention. What distinguished them was their faith and obedience to God, in contrast with the independence around them. Of them it says, ‘God is not ashamed to be called their God’ (Heb.11:16).

What does it mean to be ‘God’s People’?

For them and for us today to be God’s people means that ‘the’ one true living God becomes ‘our’ God. This is distinctly the title that He uses to describe this relationship, rather than ‘Lord’ or ‘Father’, etc. (‘"I will be their God, and they shall be My people"‘ - 2 Cor.6:16; Heb.8:10).

To have God as ‘our’ God means that He has a special care for us; He calls us ‘the apple of His eye’ (Zech.2:8). He told Israel that He had ‘set His love’ on them; they were the ones He looked to for His delight (‘The LORD takes pleasure in His people’ - Ps.149:4). He wants more than ownership of us - He wants possession, to be the centre of our lives (‘You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye’ - Num.14:14), and to be revered and served as the Almighty. He wants us to respond to Him and to follow His direction (‘"Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!"‘ - Ps.81:13). He wants to be our God in reality, not just in name. (‘‘I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people’’ - Lev.26:12). We are His inheritance, the portion of mankind that He can call His own (Deut.32:9).

In turn God offers us as ‘His’ people the benefits of His protection (Ps.125:2), strength and provision for our needs (Deut.8:7-9). (‘The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace’ - Ps.29:11). And so unlike peoples of the world we do not act independently of Him, and He will never desert us (‘The LORD will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance’ - Ps.94:14). He faithfully keeps all His promises to us. He wants us to be at rest with Him, which is what He has worked for since the time of creation (Heb.4:9-11).

What was required for Israel to become God’s people?

In God’s mind, the Israelites were His people long before He made them a nation under His law at Sinai. He had known them beforehand and He promised them to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). Years later He explained: ‘"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery"‘ (Deut.7:7,8).

Even when Pharaoh was their master in Egypt, they were still referred to as God’s people. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses chose ‘rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin’. And when God confronted Pharaoh through Moses, the demand was, ‘‘Let My people go ...’’’(Ex.5:1).

And so even in Egypt they were distinct. When He was about to bring them out God said to them, ‘‘I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians’’ (Ex.6:7). At the Passover, when the Israelite firstborn were preserved by the covering blood, no such provision was made for the Egyptians – ‘‘... that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel’’ (Ex.11:7).

In the wilderness, after they had received and accepted the covenant which united them as a people serving God, Israel was described as ‘"a people who dwells apart, and shall not be reckoned among the nations"‘ (Num.23:9). Prior to their entering the land, after hearing all the Lord’s commands, that generation was told, ‘"This day you have become a people for the LORD your God"‘ (Deut.27:9). He had separated them to Himself, and they had pledged obedience to Him. They were ready to fulfill His desire for them. But, had it ended there, we today who are Gentiles could have had no part in it.

Can we today become God’s people?

Israel had been told that it was sadly possible for any one of them to be cut off from the people of God, for such things as immorality, blasphemy, uncleanness and failure to take the distinguishing mark of circumcision. Godly lives were demanded of a people belonging to God (‘"... ‘Be holy; for I am holy.’ ..."‘ Lev.11:44). Eventually the ungodliness and unbelief of Israel culminated in their rejection of their Messiah when He came, resulting in the great majority of them being cut off. But then in His mercy God allowed believing Gentiles, who previously had no claim to Him being their God, to be included, for He is the God of Gentiles as well as of Jews (Rom.3:29). Which is why Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:10: ‘You once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy’.

But we are warned in Romans 11:22 that, just as Israel lost the privilege, so can we: ‘Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.’ Faithfulness and godliness are just as vital to our continuing to be His special possession today.

What was required to make us God’s people?

Just as Israel had to be redeemed from Egypt to function as God’s people, so we have had to be redeemed and purified - by the sacrifice of Christ: ‘Our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus ... gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds’ (Titus 2:13,14).

His sacrifice has also sanctified us to be God’s people - set us apart, separated us to God, from this world of godlessness, distinct from all other peoples. It is by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that ‘His’ God has become ‘our’ God (John 20:17). He has purchased us and called us to Himself, to be gathered together as ‘the church of the living God’ - the called-out assembly of the people of God on earth today (1 Tim.3:15). So that God’s people today, as in the past, can be united in service to Him.

And so, as Hebrews 13:11-13 explains, the place of God’s people today is outside the things of the world. ‘For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ... So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. This world is a defiled place and God’s people must be kept from everything ungodly while living in it. God says "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you"‘ (2 Cor.6:16,17).

And so years ago God set aside the rest of mankind in their unbelief but accepted Israel. Then He set aside most of Israel in their unfaithfulness but accepted us. As we remain faithful we today are also allowed to have this term apply to us, to be God’s special possession, to receive His special care and enjoy His presence, distinct among the peoples of this world. Because we are ‘God’s people’, in the fullest sense, and He is truly ‘our God’.

DORRICOTT, K.O. | Mar 2006
Names That Need To Be Known