Praise the Lord! The Lord has been good to each one of us during the past week and He is going to be super good to us in this week and all the weeks ahead. For the last couple of days I have been intently thinking about the doxology Hymn we very often sing in our worship services for the past three hundred and fifty plus years. I am sure that in these days we might be singing it more often than ever before (I suppose). The chorus of the doxology goes like this:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

What a meaningful doxology chorus it is. This doxology Hymn is written by Thomas Ken (1637-1711), an Anglican Bishop in England who also served as the Royal Chaplain to king Charles II king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The chorus of the doxology solicits everyone to praise God from whom all blessings flow. Other than blessing us with our own life, the greatest ever blessing from God the Father to us is the gift of sending His Son Jesus Christ to this wretched world to save/redeem humanity from our sin and wickedness and give us eternal life. The Act of sending His One and only Son to this sinful world reassures God’s boundless love for humanity. God loved us (though we are sinful) and sent His One and only Son to this world. Apostle John stated that For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Most of the Christians around the world celebrate the event of Christ’s birth into this world as Christmas. We are right in the middle of the Christmas season 2024. Jesus was born into this world as a human child, He was brought up by His earthly family, He grew up along with the people of His generation, traveled across the Israelite territories teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God, and healing every disease and sickness among the people, and drawing people to God (Matthew 4:23; Mark 1:14-15). At the end of His earthly life, He laid down His life for our sake, as it is mentioned in the Scripture: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16). Apostle Paul put it in a right way, saying: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). I don’t think that anyone else (including our own dear and near ones like our parents, siblings, spouse and children, friends, or anyone as such who claims that they love us so much) lavished their love on us the way God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ lavished their love upon us. Thus, God the Father, who loved us and sent His One only Son to this world to save sinful humanity, and His Son Jesus Christ, who loved the sinful humanity and laid down His life for us, are the greatest examples of someone loving sinful humanity (John 3:16; 15:13; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:9-10). This is why we need to love God and praise His holy name by singing Praise God from whom all blessings flow. It will never be too much even if we sing Praise God from whom all blessings flow every time we come together to worship the Sovereign God. Let us keep on singing the doxology every time we come together to worship the Sovereign Lord or every time we spent time before God by ourselves. God is good and He is faithful and He is the source of the manifold blessings in our life!

The Lord has blessed us with a very impactful and purpose-driven Scripture passage for our SftW meditation this week (1 Peter 2:9-10). The key focus of the passage is that the Lord God has chosen us for a special purpose. The term chosen in Greek is εκλεκτός, eklektós, which means ‘the elect.’ Everybody is not included in this particular group but only a few. The Scripture states that many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). The chosen or the elect are those who have been called by God for a special purpose that is assigned by God Himself. Praise God that you and me are counted among the chosen ones and we have some God-assigned responsibilities to carry out.

During the Old Testament time, the Lord God chose the Israelites to be His chosen people in order to carry out His purpose on earth, as it is mentioned in the Scripture: For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). God did not choose the Israelites because they were more numerous than all other peoples or mightier than the other nations on earth, rather He chose them, though being few in numbers and weak in their strength, because He set His affection on them and made a covenant with their ancestors that they will be His people and He will be their God now and forever more, as Moses reminded the people of Israel: The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; also refer to Genesis 17:7; Exodus 6:7; Jeremiah 7:23; 30:22; 31:33; Ezekiel 36:28). The whole purpose of choosing the descendants of Abraham (the nation of Israel) is described in the promise God made with Abraham:

The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:1-3)

Definitely, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17; Hebrews 6:14; 11:12) and mightier than any other nations on earth (Deuteronomy 11:23) and more privileged than any other people groups on earth (Deuteronomy 4:7-8, 32-34) because God in His mercy and love chose them to be His very own people. Although time and time again they rebelled against the God of their fathers, He still loved them and cared for them because they were chosen as a very special people for God. They were to Him:

• • A people holy to the Lord (Deuteronomy 7:6a; 28:9; Isaiah 62:12; Jeremiah 31:1)
  • His chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6b; Psalm 135:4; Malachi 3:17a)
  • His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6c; 14:2; 26:18; Psalm 135:4; Malachi 3:17b)
  • The sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3)
  • The apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8; Zechariah 2:8)
  • His anointed ones (Psalm105:15)
  • His light for the nations (Psalm 43:3; Isaiah 49:6a)
  • His means to bring salvation to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6b)
  • A people who are supposed to reflect the glory of God in the world (Isaiah 60:1-3)
  • His appointed servant (Isaiah 49:1, 3); and so on.

Despite their disobedience and rebelliousness against Him, He kept them alive because (i) He loved them (Genesis 17:7; Deuteronomy 10:15); (ii) He wanted to fulfill the promise He made to their forefathers (Deuteronomy 7:6-9); (iii) to bring out the Messiah, the anointed One, through them who is appointed to put the world in order according to the pattern the Lord God set at the creation (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 9:1-7; Micah 5:2-3; Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-5, 14; Galatians 4:4); and (iv) make salvation available for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord God Almighty (John 3:16; Titus 2:11). The Messiah will be the Lord of lords and the King of kings who would reign for ever and ever and we the chosen ones will also be with Him for ever and ever as His very own people (Isaiah 9:6-7; 42:1; Daniel 7:18; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). His reign will be super special for everyone who calls upon His name because during His reign:

• • The old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4)
  • The throne of God will be within the city (Revelation 22:3b)
  • The throne of the Lamb will be within the city (Revelation 22:3c)
  • He will vindicate the afflicted among the people (Psalm 72:4a)
  • He will save the children of the needy (Psalm 72:4b)
  • He will crush the oppressors (Psalm 72:4c)
  • He will crown His people with everlasting joy (Isaiah 35:10)
  • He will refresh the weary soul (Jeremiah 31:25a)
  • He will replenish all who are weak (Jeremiah 31:25b)
  • He has made us to be a kingdom (Revelation 1:6a; 5:10a)
  • He has made us the priests of the Most Holy God (Revelation 1:6b; 5:10b)
  • Our life will be like a well-watered garden (Jeremiah 31:12)
  • There will be no more death for He will swallow up death forever (Isaiah 25:8a; 1 Corinthians 15:26,54; Revelation 21:4; 25:8b)
  • There will be new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1)
  • The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face (Isaiah 25:8b; Revelation 7:17d; 21:4a)
  • The Lord will remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth (Isaiah 25:8c)
  • The Mountains will bring peace to the people (Psalm 72:3a)
  • The hills will bring righteousness (Revelation 72:3b)
  • There will no more be any curse (Revelation 22:3a)
  • The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard (Isaiah 65:19)
  • There will be no more mourning (Revelation 21:4a)
  • There will be no more crying (Revelation 21:4b)
  • There will be no more pain (Revelation 4:c)
  • Never again His people will be hungry (Isaiah 49:10a; Revelation 7:16a)
  • Never again His people will be thirsty (Isaiah 49:10b; Revelation 7:16b)
  • Never again will the sun beat down upon them (Psalm 121:6; Revelation 7:16c)
  • Never again will they be under any scorching heat (Isaiah 49:10c; Revelation 7:16d)
  • The Lord God will dwell with man (Revelation 21:3)
  • The Lamb will be in the center of the Throne of Grace (Revelation 7:17a)
  • The Lamb will be their Shepherd forever (Revelation 7:17b)
  • The Lamb will lead them to springs of living water (Isaiah 49:10d; Revelation 7:17c)
  • Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:21)

Elsewhere it is stated that during His reign (Him being the King of kings and the Lord of lords), the wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, as it is mentioned in Isaiah 65:25. Prophet Isaiah further states that during His reign:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6-9)

As the chosen people of the Sovereign Lord, we are entrusted with the responsibility of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God to everyone so that they will not miss the opportunity to hear the gospel of salvation that is available through Jesus Christ before the end comes, as Jesus stated: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14; [Isaiah 52:7; Mark 13:10; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:18; Colossians 1:23]). As of now, according to the Scripture, we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession in our generation that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). *If we consider ourselves as the children of God (Romans 8:16; [Psalm 100:3]), *if we believe that we became a new creation through Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1), *if we claim that we are His faithful disciples (John 8:31; 13:35), *if we believe that our transgressions are forgiven by the holy God (Ephesians 1:7b), *if we know the fact that we are saved/redeemed by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7a), *if we think that we are spiritually alive today (Ephesians 4:15), *if we believe that we keep ourselves away from the worldly pleasures and treasures and be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5), *if we have confidence that God’s presence will go with us at all times (Exodus 33:14; Matthew 28:20), then we cannot ignore the responsibility that is entrusted in our care, which is to proclaim the gospel of Christ to every one across the world starting from where we are positioned right now (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8).

Let us reread the Scripture passage (1 Peter 2:9-10) we have chosen for our meditation and briefly analyze it for our spiritual nutriment. According to 1 Peter 2:9-10…

• • We are a chosen people (2:9a)
  • We are a royal priesthood (2:9b)
  • We are a holy nation (2:9c)
  • We are God’s special possession (2:9d)
  • We are called to declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (2:9e)
  • We were not a people before we were chosen by God (2:10a)
  • We are the people of God now because God has chosen us to be His people (2:10b)
  • We have had not received mercy before we were chosen by God (2:10c)
  • We received mercy now because we were chosen by God to be His children (2:10d)

As the New Testament believers, we need to understand that any one who does not belong directly to the family of the Old Testament patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not belong to the chosen people, which means, we the New Testament believers are not directly part of the Old Testament chosen people – the Israelites. Although, we were not part of the Israelites, the OT chosen people; we are definitely part of God’s plan, and God connected us with the Old Testament chosen people through Jesus Christ, one of their own descendants. This means, we the Gentiles (1 Peter 2:10) who accept Jesus Christ (who broke down the barriers that separates people from people [Ephesians 2:14-16]) as the Lord and Savior of our life will automatically become part of God’s chosen people, as it is mentioned in the Scripture that: you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root (Romans 11:17). Thus, the New Testament Church is grafted in among the Old Testament chosen people (the Israelites); and we [the Church] are called to be the New Testament Israel (refer to: Romans 2:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15-16; Ephesians 2:11-21; 3:4-6). Now, the Old Testament chosen people and the New Testament chosen people (the Church) have become part of one community called as the people of God. Therefore, we the people of God need to be thankful to God for choosing us to be His very people. Always keep this in mind that we, the New Testament believers, are chosen not because we are extraordinary people, we are called to be part of royal priesthood not because we are honorable, we are chosen to be a holy nation not because we are  uncorrupted, we are hand-picked to be God’s special possession not because we are a fully law-abiding people, we are called to declare the praises of God not because we are having a noble character, we are favored to be the people of God not because we are trustworthy people, we are all the above-said people only because God is merciful and loving. Therefore, during this advent season and beyond, let us abide with the righteous laws and decrees the Lord God Almighty has given us and follow the exact path that Jesus Christ has set before us for we are called to declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Hallelujah! May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!