God cho\u00adse Isra\u00adel to be his holy peo\u00adp\u00adle. The over\u00adri\u00adding mea\u00adning of holy is set apart. Thus the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel are also set apart from the other peo\u00adp\u00adles becau\u00adse they are God\u2019s own peo\u00adp\u00adle whom he has cho\u00adsen for his histo\u00adry with huma\u00adni\u00adty. In this peo\u00adp\u00adle the\u00adre are priests who\u00adse main task is the ser\u00advice of God. Their lives are enti\u00adre\u00adly dedi\u00adca\u00adted to the ser\u00advice of God. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are also part of this holy peo\u00adp\u00adle. They form a holy peo\u00adp\u00adle of roy\u00adal priest\u00adhood. The focus is on wor\u00adship, but as a roy\u00adal priest\u00adhood they also exer\u00adcise power on earth. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are holy in that they are set apart and live their lives as living worship.<\/p>\n
Isra\u00adel \u2013 God\u2019s cho\u00adsen holy people \tHow would you descri\u00adbe \u00abholy\u00bb for you? What does it mean to you when holy has the main mea\u00adning of \u00abset apart\u00bb? God has cho\u00adsen Isra\u00adel as his holy peo\u00adp\u00adle. The over\u00adar\u00adching mea\u00adning of holy is set apart. The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel are also set apart from the other nati\u00adons becau\u00adse they are God\u2019s own peo\u00adp\u00adle, whom he has cho\u00adsen for his histo\u00adry with man\u00adkind. The\u00adre are priests among this peo\u00adp\u00adle who\u00adse main task is to worship.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7071","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nThis mor\u00adning we want to del\u00adve more into the topic of God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss. In addi\u00adti\u00adon to God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, ano\u00adther cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic of God is that he is rela\u00adti\u00adonship-ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adted. He the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre choo\u00adses peo\u00adp\u00adle who beco\u00adme a holy peo\u00adp\u00adle through this elec\u00adtion. The Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment deals with God\u2019s histo\u00adry in this world in con\u00adnec\u00adtion with a sin\u00adgle peo\u00adp\u00adle \u2013 the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. In order to be able to cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse the spe\u00adcial role and also many bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adges in con\u00adnec\u00adtion with this peo\u00adp\u00adle, it is important to keep in mind what holy means. Holy has many mea\u00adnings. Syn\u00adonyms for this are, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, divi\u00adne, pious and pure. Nowa\u00addays the\u00adre are state\u00adments like \u00abBut not\u00adhing is sacred to you!\u00bb. Howe\u00adver, such words are dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to inter\u00adpret in the con\u00adtext of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. The over\u00adar\u00adching mea\u00adning of holy is set apart. This comes from the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal mea\u00adning of the Hebrew word \u00abkado\u00adsh\u00bb, which means to cut or sepa\u00adra\u00adte. If I cut or sepa\u00adra\u00adte some\u00adthing, then it stands on its side, i.e. it is set apart from the rest. The holi\u00adne\u00adss of God and ever\u00ady\u00adthing con\u00adnec\u00adted with him has this over\u00adri\u00adding mea\u00adning: holy = set apart.
\nIf we bear this mea\u00adning in mind, it beco\u00admes clear why the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel are God\u2019s holy peo\u00adp\u00adle. \u00abFor you are a holy peo\u00adp\u00adle to the LORD<\/span> your God. Of all the peo\u00adp\u00adles of the earth, you belong as a peo\u00adp\u00adle to the LORD<\/span> your God\u00bb (Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 7:6 NLB<\/span>). The peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel are not holy by their own merit, but becau\u00adse they belong to God. He has desi\u00adgna\u00adted them as his own and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre they are set apart from all other peo\u00adp\u00adles. And the sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel is so spe\u00adcial becau\u00adse this peo\u00adp\u00adle is expli\u00adcit\u00adly set apart for God. So their holi\u00adne\u00adss (sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon) also radia\u00adtes to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel, that they are holy (set apart). This is also what our ver\u00adse of the year says. \u00bb [\u2026] You shall be holy, for I am holy, the LORD<\/span> your God.\u00bb (Exodus 19:2 LUT<\/span>). But what cri\u00adte\u00adria did God use to choo\u00adse this peo\u00adp\u00adle? Did he want to wri\u00adte his histo\u00adry with the stron\u00adgest and most suc\u00adcessful peo\u00adp\u00adle? After all, at the time of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment sto\u00adries, the well-being of a peo\u00adp\u00adle was lin\u00adked to the strength of their God. A strong peo\u00adp\u00adle neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly had to have a strong God. But the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes were com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. \u00abThe LORD<\/span> did not choo\u00adse you and hold on to you becau\u00adse you were grea\u00adter or more important than the other peo\u00adp\u00adles \u2013 you are even the least important of all peo\u00adp\u00adles \u2013 but becau\u00adse he loves you and becau\u00adse he wan\u00adted to keep the pro\u00admi\u00adse he made to your ances\u00adtors with an oath. [\u2026]\u00bb (Deu\u00adte\u00adro\u00adno\u00admy 7:7\u20138 NLB<\/span>). God cho\u00adse this peo\u00adp\u00adle becau\u00adse it should beco\u00adme clear that all honour is due to God, becau\u00adse ever\u00ady\u00adthing comes from him. Isra\u00adel the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre also has a cru\u00adcial task, which the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adtes as fol\u00adlows. \u00abIt is the peo\u00adp\u00adle I have crea\u00adted to tell of my glo\u00adry\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 43:21 NLB<\/span>). This is the rai\u00adson d\u2019\u00eat\u00adre for this peo\u00adp\u00adle, that they tell of God\u2019s glo\u00adry and this is a true ser\u00advice to God.
\nThe sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from other peo\u00adp\u00adles is par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly evi\u00addent in wor\u00adship and ethics. The five books of Moses in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar are full of com\u00admandments and laws that regu\u00adla\u00adte wor\u00adship and life. The\u00adse regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons dif\u00adfer great\u00adly from what was com\u00admon prac\u00adti\u00adce in Israel\u2019s envi\u00adron\u00adment. But becau\u00adse Isra\u00adel, as a holy peo\u00adp\u00adle, belongs to a holy God, this is the logi\u00adcal reac\u00adtion. Howe\u00adver, com\u00adpli\u00adance is lin\u00adked to a pro\u00admi\u00adse. \u00abNow if you obey me and keep the coven\u00adant that I will make with you, you shall be my spe\u00adcial pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adon abo\u00adve all the peo\u00adp\u00adles of the earth, for all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a king\u00addom of priests, a holy nati\u00adon. [\u2026]\u00bb (Exodus 19:5\u20136 NLB<\/span>). By coll\u00adec\u00adtively obser\u00adving and kee\u00adping the com\u00admandments, the peo\u00adp\u00adle as a who\u00adle take on priestly func\u00adtions. But that is not enough. They will also, like earth\u00adly kings, assu\u00adme power on this earth. This is the pro\u00admi\u00adse if the peo\u00adp\u00adle keep God and keep his commandments.
\nPriest \u2013 Bet\u00adween the sacred and the people
\nAlt\u00adhough the who\u00adle nati\u00adon is sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to be a king\u00addom of priests, the\u00adre is a part of the peo\u00adp\u00adle that has the main task of per\u00adforming the ser\u00advice and con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adting to its suc\u00adcess. The\u00adse are the Levi\u00adtes. It is from this group that the des\u00adcen\u00addants of Aaron are desti\u00adned to act as priests. Unli\u00adke all other reli\u00adgi\u00adons, priests in Juda\u00adism are not inter\u00adme\u00addia\u00adries bet\u00adween God and man. Every Israe\u00adli\u00adte is direct\u00adly respon\u00adsi\u00adble. This also explains why, in part, the sin of one could mean dis\u00adas\u00adter for all the others. The priests took over the ser\u00advice at the altar of sacri\u00adfice and espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly also in the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry. They super\u00advi\u00adsed the cor\u00adrect obser\u00advan\u00adce of the dai\u00adly pre\u00adscri\u00adbed sacri\u00adfices and the service.
\nThe spe\u00adcial natu\u00adre of the tri\u00adbe of Levi and the priests is shown by the fact that they are not given land in the ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry of Isra\u00adel, but only cities and the sur\u00adroun\u00adding pas\u00adtu\u00adres. (Joshua 13:14). For through their task in the ser\u00advice of God, God hims\u00adelf beca\u00adme their inhe\u00adri\u00adtance. \u00abBut Moses did not assign the tri\u00adbe of Levi any land as an inhe\u00adri\u00adtance, for the LORD<\/span> God of Isra\u00adel hims\u00adelf was their inhe\u00adri\u00adtance, just as he had pro\u00admi\u00adsed\u00bb (Joshua 13:33 NLB<\/span>). Just as the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel are to point to God, so the Levi\u00adtes do the same within the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. But only the priests are allo\u00adwed to enter the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry of God.
\nTwo pairs of words are used in con\u00adnec\u00adtion with Israe\u00adli\u00adte wor\u00adship. The\u00adse are the distinc\u00adtion bet\u00adween holy and pro\u00adfa\u00adne and clean and unclean. Apart from the com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon of holy and unclean, every com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon is con\u00adceiva\u00adble. Holy means set apart for God and pro\u00adfa\u00adne means world\u00adly, i.e. no dif\u00adfe\u00adrent from the majo\u00adri\u00adty. Pure and impu\u00adre refer to ritu\u00adal, not hygie\u00adnic puri\u00adty. Clean means clean in a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve, ritu\u00adal sen\u00adse and unclean means pol\u00adlu\u00adted, not spot\u00adless in ritu\u00adal mat\u00adters. Howe\u00adver, in the wor\u00adship of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, ever\u00ady\u00adthing must be holy and pure, becau\u00adse holy does not go tog\u00ade\u00adther with unclean. A respon\u00adsi\u00adble approach is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre requi\u00adred of the priests. Becau\u00adse in addi\u00adti\u00adon to the fact that holy means set apart, divi\u00adne is also a syn\u00adonym for holy. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, rever\u00adence is always requi\u00adred when deal\u00ading with the divi\u00adne. Short\u00adly after the appoint\u00adment of Aaron and his des\u00adcen\u00addants as priests, the serious\u00adness of this task and the con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces of an over\u00adly flippant approach to the sacred beco\u00adme appa\u00adrent. \u00abAaron\u2019s sons Nad\u00adab and Abihu, howe\u00adver, took their cen\u00adsers, put bur\u00adning coals in them and sprink\u00adled incen\u00adse over them. So they bur\u00adned an unaut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsed offe\u00adring of incen\u00adse to the LORD<\/span> that he had not com\u00adman\u00added them to burn. Then fire came out from the LORD<\/span> and kil\u00adled the two men. Moses said to Aaron, \u00abNow what the LORD<\/span> has said will hap\u00adpen: I will show mys\u00adelf holy to tho\u00adse who are near me. I will show my glo\u00adry befo\u00adre all the peo\u00adp\u00adle. But Aaron remain\u00aded silent\u00bb (Exodus 10:1\u20133 NLB<\/span>). This is a very dra\u00adstic pic\u00adtu\u00adre of the impro\u00adper hand\u00adling of the holy and shows the important task of the priests. They are allo\u00adwed to encoun\u00adter God, but this must be done with respect and in com\u00adpli\u00adance with the pre\u00adscri\u00adbed rules.
\nFol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ \u2013 a holy peo\u00adp\u00adle of roy\u00adal priesthood
\nThrough Jesus Christ, the ent\u00adry requi\u00adre\u00adments for God\u2019s holy peo\u00adp\u00adle are shif\u00adting. Whe\u00adre\u00adas in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment it was based on bio\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal des\u00adcent and the obser\u00advan\u00adce of com\u00admandments, the\u00adse two con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons are no lon\u00adger as man\u00adda\u00adto\u00adry as they used to be. In order to exami\u00adne the ques\u00adti\u00adon of who belongs to God\u2019s holy peo\u00adp\u00adle today, let us take a clo\u00adser look at 1 Peter. For just as very few peo\u00adp\u00adle here belong to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel, this is also the case with the addres\u00adsees of this let\u00adter and we could add our own to the places lis\u00adted. \u00abPeter, an apost\u00adle of Jesus Christ, wri\u00adtes this let\u00adter to all the peo\u00adp\u00adle whom God has cho\u00adsen and who live as stran\u00adgers ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre in Pon\u00adtus, Gala\u00adtia, Cap\u00adpa\u00addo\u00adcia, Asia and Bithy\u00adnia among peo\u00adp\u00adle who do not belie\u00adve in Christ\u00bb (1 Peter 1:1 HFA<\/span>). Faith in Jesus Christ is the decisi\u00adve dif\u00adfe\u00adrence. So what are the cri\u00adte\u00adria for belon\u00adging to the holy (sepa\u00adra\u00adted) peo\u00adp\u00adle of God? \u00abYou belong to God our Father. He pre\u00addesti\u00adned you for this from the begin\u00adning. Yes, through the Holy Spi\u00adrit you have beco\u00adme his pro\u00adper\u00adty \u2013 peo\u00adp\u00adle who obey Jesus Christ and are freed from all guilt by his blood. I desi\u00adre that God\u2019s grace and peace may fill you more and more\u00bb (1 Peter 1:2 HFA<\/span>). In order to belong to this holy peo\u00adp\u00adle, obe\u00addience to Jesus Christ is neces\u00adsa\u00adry. This is a con\u00adscious decis\u00adi\u00adon that must be made if you also want to belong to this people.
\nBelon\u00adging to this peo\u00adp\u00adle is also lin\u00adked to a task. \u00abAnd now let God build you into his spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal temp\u00adle as living stones. You are to be God\u2019s holy priests and bring him spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal sacri\u00adfices, which he accepts through your fel\u00adlow\u00adship with Jesus Christ!\u00bb (1 Peter 2:4\u20135 NLB<\/span>). All fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of him are holy priests. They are set apart for ser\u00advice to God. Yet this ser\u00advice is not sta\u00adtic, but as ali\u00adve as you are. Spi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal sacri\u00adfices are prai\u00adsing God, doing good, being gene\u00adrous with pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons, ser\u00adving your neigh\u00adbour. But all of this ari\u00adses from the fact that you are part of God\u2019s holy peo\u00adp\u00adle. You are set apart for such sacri\u00adfices \u2013 not the other way round. Belon\u00adging comes first, only then does the effect (sacri\u00adfice) follow.
\nThis state\u00adment by Peter ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly leads to the descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ. \u00abBut you are dif\u00adfe\u00adrent, for you are a cho\u00adsen peo\u00adp\u00adle. You are a roy\u00adal priest\u00adhood, God\u2019s holy peo\u00adp\u00adle, his per\u00adso\u00adnal pro\u00adper\u00adty. So you are a living exam\u00adp\u00adle of God\u2019s good\u00adness, for he has cal\u00adled you out of dark\u00adness into his mar\u00advell\u00adous light\u00bb (1 Peter 2:9 NLB<\/span>). Based on this ver\u00adse, two things need to be empha\u00adsis\u00aded. On the one hand, the\u00adre is the priest\u00adhood of all the saints. In other words, all who are set apart \u2013 who fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ \u2013 are addres\u00adsed. On the other hand, the ques\u00adti\u00adon ari\u00adses as to the rela\u00adti\u00adonship of the roy\u00adal priest\u00adhood. Some Bible trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons also wri\u00adte kings and priests. Howe\u00adver, the adjec\u00adti\u00adval use of roy\u00adal here pro\u00advi\u00addes a more detail\u00aded descrip\u00adti\u00adon of the priest\u00adhood and shows how it should be unders\u00adtood. The priest\u00adhood descri\u00adbed here is a divi\u00adne ser\u00advice that also has an impact on this earth. Howe\u00adver, the focus is on wor\u00adship and not on the earth\u00adly exer\u00adcise of power.
\nIn the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing ver\u00adse, Peter makes it clear that the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ wit\u00adhout Jewish roots did not belong in the past. But Jesus has made this pos\u00adsi\u00adble. \u00abForm\u00ader\u00adly you were not a peo\u00adp\u00adle; now you are the peo\u00adp\u00adle of God. Form\u00ader\u00adly you did not recei\u00adve God\u2019s mer\u00adcy, but now you have recei\u00adved his mer\u00adcy\u00bb (1 Peter 2:10 NLB<\/span>). But this new peo\u00adp\u00adle includes peo\u00adp\u00adle out\u00adside and from the first holy peo\u00adp\u00adle of God. This was alre\u00ada\u00addy pre\u00addic\u00adted by the pro\u00adphet Hosea. \u00ab[\u2026]. I will love tho\u00adse I once cal\u00adled \u2019non-bel\u00adoved\u00bb. And to tho\u00adse I cal\u00adled \u2019not-my-peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb I will say, \u00abYou are my peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb. And they will ans\u00adwer, \u00abAnd you are our God\u00bb \u00bb (Hosea 2:25 NLB<\/span>). This means that non-Jews also have a share in this very own mis\u00adsi\u00adon of the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel, name\u00adly to be God\u2019s holy, i.e. set-apart peo\u00adp\u00adle and to tell of God\u2019s glo\u00adry (Isai\u00adah 43:1). This in turn gives rise to a holy ethic of its own, which dif\u00adfers from the world\u00adly ethic. All ethi\u00adcal con\u00adside\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons that fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ make are to be unders\u00adtood in terms of this holi\u00adne\u00adss, i.e. sepa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon from God.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: 1 Peter 2:1\u201312<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat might it look like if a peo\u00adp\u00adle were a king\u00addom of priests? What could be the main task of such a people?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand the func\u00adtion of the priests of Isra\u00adel? What stands out to you in particular?
\n\tWhen did you con\u00adscious\u00adly deci\u00adde for Jesus Christ? Did you rea\u00adli\u00adse that you now belong to a holy people?
\n\tWhat living sacri\u00adfices do you make? If it feels like a col\u00adlo\u00adquial sacri\u00adfice to you, what could that be? How could you get to this point that it is no lon\u00adger per\u00adcei\u00adved as a cut for you, but as a gain?
\n\tAs a fol\u00adlower of Jesus Christ, whe\u00adre do you live accor\u00adding to a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent holy (set apart) ethic? Why does this make sen\u00adse to you?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"