A Covenant to Live By

KEY VERSE: “Now, therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine.” —Exodus 19:5

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Exodus 19:1-6

ABRAHAM and his descendants were God’s chosen people. They had been chosen to be the channel of God’s blessings to all the families of the earth—but they were not to occupy this position in the divine plan unconditionally. God expected them to prove their worthiness of it by obedience to the terms of the covenant into which they entered with him.

In this text, God reminded Israel of his ability to care for them, and to fulfill his promises toward them. “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself,” he said to them. (vs. 4) “Now therefore,” the Lord continued, “if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.” (vs. 5) Verse six continues, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”

Later God established a priesthood within Israel. The function of the priests was to offer sacrifice, and upon the basis of the sacrifices offered, to extend the blessings of the Lord to the people of the nation. God’s proposal, conditioned on obedience, to make them a kingdom of priests suggests that the entire nation would serve as a priesthood for the other nations of the earth. It was to be a kingdom of priests, indicating kingly authority and power.

This promise of God continued with Israel throughout the centuries, although the nation never did qualify to inherit it. The promise was still theirs, however, when Jesus came. But because they rejected him, the one Jehovah had sent to be their Messiah and king, he said to them that the kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a nation bringing forth the proper fruits of righteousness. This new nation is identified by the Apostle Peter. (Matt. 21:43; I Pet. 2:9,10) It is made up of the faith ‘seed’ of Abraham.—Gal. 3:16,27-29

Those called to this new arrangement for a priesthood to fulfill God’s promised blessing, are referred to in Malachi’s prophecy, with a similar use of language: “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” (Mal. 3:17) The Hebrew word here translated jewels means ‘a peculiar treasure’.

Our Heavenly Father’s heart of love has long been planning and working to have a special treasure for himself. The making, or bringing into being, of this new creation is a mighty and wonderful work. This is God’s masterpiece. It is a work of surpassing strength and beauty, bringing into fullest action exhaustless resources of divine power, sounding the depths of unfathomable wisdom, and compassing eternity in the stupendous purpose of God. This is indeed a divine family—immortal!

During the Jewish Age, and even before that time, there was no heavenly calling. Consequently there is no mention in any of the promises made to Israel, that they would obtain a spiritual inheritance, to the divine nature. Theirs were earthly promises. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus was not opened until subsequently, and it opened as a result of our Lord’s first advent.

This glorious high calling, the invitation to the spiritual, heavenly phase of the kingdom, was first extended to the Jews—but only a remnant of that people responded. Because faith and obedience were lacking in Israel—God’s elect, chosen nation—that house of Israel was left unto them desolate, deserted.

And so it will be the privilege of spiritual Israel to bless all families of the earth. This is the greatest and grandest theme and position in the whole universe! Soon this divine family, Christ and his glorified church, will be complete beyond the vail, and will shed forth the light of knowledge of the glory of God for all people. This glorious, holy, and long-awaited divine family—kings and priests of God—will be instrumental, with Jesus, in raising all those who are in their graves, and in establishing fully and completely the glorious kingdom of God in the earth.

“Fear not, little flock,” Jesus said, “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 13:32) With what great pleasure, then, does our Father exclaim regarding his true people: “They shall be mine … in that day when I make up my jewels”—my special treasure!

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