DAY 8 - Terms of Endearment

Day 8 - Terms of Endearment

Exodus 19:5-6 (ESV)  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

What do you call the people you love most? Probably something more than their name. For some people we come up with terms of endearment, things like “honey,” “sweetheart,” “pumpkin,” or other customized terms, which are so personal or quirky we would embarrassed if they slipped out in public. For some people we come up with grandiose labels: “my beloved daughter,” “the best of the best,” “one-in-a-million.”

When the Israelites were camped at Mount Sinai, soon after the Exodus from Egypt, God explained how he had “carried [them] on eagles’ wings and brought [them] to himself” (Ex. 19:4). This is a powerful statement. God swept the people up to be with him. There in the desert, with the mountain as eternal witness, God bestowed his covenant on his people. Truly a marriage made in heaven, solemnized with terms of endearment: “treasured possession,” “kingdom of priests,” “holy nation.”

The whole earth is God’s, but these people would be “treasured possessions.”

Some of them would have the job of “priest” (which means someone who “stands” for God before the people), but all of them would be priests—a kingdom of priests—because every man and woman would stand for God.

God is Lord over the nations, but the Hebrews were called to be a “holy nation,” which means “different” or “distinct.”

In 1 Peter 2, in the New Testament, these terms of endearment are repeated:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

To understand what it means to be called, we need to comprehend the terms by which he calls us. God’s call is not the command barked by a drill sergeant. Not pleading. Not negotiating.
God’s call bestows identity on us. It makes us who we are. Treasured, priestly, holy.

PONDER: How will this week be different if you “stand” before God and “stand” for God in the world?

DISCUSSION or REFLECTION
Nicknames can be a really fun way to learn about another person. When we hear a nickname we can tell certain things about that person. If you are discussing with someone, talk about all of the nicknames you have for one another. Are some sweet? Are some funny? Name as many nicknames as you can. Afterward read Exodus 19:5-6 together.
What “nicknames” does God give his people in these verses? Read John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Ephesians 2:10. What does God say about us in these verses? God calls us his “children”, “new creations”, and “treasured possessions.” How do you feel knowing that this is what God thinks of you?