Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… to be a holy priesthood…
What is the difference between a “priesthood” and a “holy priesthood?” That is the question that comes to mind today. Peter says that those who are chosen by God, who are being “built into a spiritual house,” are going to be a holy priesthood. What can he mean?
The answer to this question lies in the difference between what God intended the Old Testament priesthood to be and what it actually was.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:5 (b) — The Priestly Function”
…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…
What kind of house do you suppose that Peter is visualizing? What kind of house would Jesus want to be a part of? I realize that Peter is using a metaphor of sorts here and he doesn’t mean a house like anything we have ever seen.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:5 (a) — Building Blocks”
… rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
There are several ways of looking at Jesus. Each one highlights a different aspect of who and what he is. I don’t claim to understand them all myself. However, as I have matured in my faith, I find that my understanding of who Jesus is has changed.
Yesterday, we explored the meaning of Peter’s reference to Jesus when he calls him a “living Stone.” (See “Cornerstone”) We learned from the comments yesterday that Jesus is also referred to as the “Capstone.” (See Zechariah 4: 7 – Thank you, Rich!) Ron gave us a collection of verses pointing to God’s nature as Alpha and Omega. He is both the beginning and the end of all things.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:4 (b) — Door to Door”
As you come to him, the living Stone—
These are the opening words of a beautiful passage. Peter is beginning a description of a house built of stone. But more than a house, it is a temple. A holy place.
The Scripture reference that he uses as the “foundation” of his own words is from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 28: 16). Isaiah is chastising Israel and Judah for abandoning the Lord. Through Isaiah, God explains his plan going forward.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:4 (a) — Cornerstone”
… now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
I don’t know why this should be, but there are some verses in the Bible that seem to jump off of the page. Then they grab me by the lapel and shout, “ISN’T THIS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER?!” For me, this is one of those verses.
Peter has been talking about nourishing our spirit using the food we feed our bodies with. Specifically, he uses the example of a newborn baby craving milk. His example is ripe with all kinds of inferences that color our understanding of what he means. Then he goes on to say, “now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:3 — Yum!”
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk…
In looking over Peter’s letter, I get the impression that he is giving us a “Cliff Notes” version of the entire New Testament in a few words. I marvel at the consistency of God’s Word. Whether we look through the lens of Luke, Paul, James, or Peter, the message is consistent.
I’ve helped to raise a couple of amazing young men from when they were very tiny babies, but that doesn’t mean that I am an expert on babies. I do know, however, that there are different kinds of babies. The kind of baby that Peter is talking about is “newborn.”
Continue reading “1 Peter 2: 2 (a) — In Search of Truth”
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Today we finish what we started yesterday; the first verse of the second chapter. What are we dealing with here? What is Peter asking us to do? What are malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander? Is there something that they all have in common?
Malice is the desire to do evil. Okay. We can probably agree that we should avoid that. We can also agree that malice is ungodly.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2: 1 — Good Riddance”
Therefore, rid yourselves of …
In our post, “Checklist for Love,” we outlined some of the key points Peter has made in the first chapter of his letter. Today we begin the second chapter with, “Therefore…” As Pastor Rich loves to remind us in Bible study: “Always ask the question, ‘What is the ”therefore” there for?‘”
Peter has finished summarizing his thoughts by saying (in effect) people die, God’s Word is forever. Therefore…
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:1 (a) — Inside Outside”
For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
Peter reaches for a simile to describe the contrast between man and God.
“All people are like grass.”
How?
Continue reading “1 Peter 1: 24-25 — Focus”
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
When Peter addresses his letter to “the elect” (verse 1) who is he writing to? This question speaks to one of the hidden assumptions that we all make when we think or talk about the Bible.
Generally speaking, people fall into one of two camps. In the first camp, let’s call it the world view camp, people believe (i.e. – assume) that the Bible was written by people about God. In the second camp, we can call this God’s view, people believe that the Bible is written by God through people. There is a radical difference between these two points of view.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1:23 — Two Camps”