1 Peter 2 KJV
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Referencing Exodus 19 KJV
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel(Not the body of Christ-my note) were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye(Again-the children of Israel, not the boc-my note) shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye(Again-the children of Israel, not the boc-my note) shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Isaiah 61 KJV
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
Isaiah 66 KJV
21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.
Revelation 1 KJV
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
Revelation 5:10 KJV
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The plan.... The LORD God will bless all non-Jews through the nation of His own creation Israel. Israel is created as God’s chosen people, His "elect" for service(holy/sanctify=to be set aside, separated, "severed" for God's use/purpose). God created the nation Israel to have a privileged status before Him as a "peculiar", "different", separated("holy"=sanctified) people:
"But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel." Exodus 11:7 KJV
"Now therefore, if ye 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 KJV
"For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth." Exodus 33:16 KJV
"But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people." Leviticus 20:24 KJV
"For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." Numbers 23:9 KJV
"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." Deuteronomy 7:6 KJV
"Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day." Deuteronomy 10:15 KJV
"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." Deuteronomy 14:2 KJV
"Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken." Deuteronomy 26:17-19 KJV
"And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods." 2 Samuel 7:23 KJV/2 Chronicles 17:21 KJV
"And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant." 2 Kings 5:15 KJV
"For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure." Psalms 135:4 KJV
"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." Psalms 147:19-20 KJV
"You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Amos 3:2 KJV
Zechariah 8 KJV
3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.....13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.....23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
And thus, Israel was to be the LORD God's vessel(Jeremiah chapter 18, 19:11 KJV; Isaiah 52:11 KJV) by which "all families of the earth(shall) be blessed"(Genesis 12:2-3 KJV) through the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel was to be the appointed channel and were to be delivered from the curse of the law in order that the blessing of Abraham might come through the Lord Jesus Christ:
References: Genesis 12:1-3 KJV, Gen.22:16-18 KJV, Gen.49:10 KJV; Exodus 19:5-6 KJV; Psalms 67:2 KJV, Psalms 96:3 KJV, Psalms 98:1-3 KJV; Isaiah 41:8 KJV, Isaiah 42:6-7 KJV, Isaiah 44:1 KJV, Isaiah 49:6 KJV, 56:6-8 KJV, Isaiah 60:3 KJV, Isaiah 61:6-9 KJV; Jeremiah 33:9 KJV; 2 Chronicles 6:32 KJV; Zechariah 8:13-23 KJV; 1 Kings 8:41-43 KJV; Matthew 5:16 KJV, Matthew 28:18-19 KJV; Mark 16:15 KJV; Luke 2:30-32 KJV, 24:46-47 KJV; John 4:22 KJV; Acts 1:8 KJV, Acts 3:25 KJV; Romans 3:1-2 KJV, Romans 9:4 KJV, Romans 15:8 KJV; Galatians 3:16 KJV
For eg.:
Isaiah 61
6 But ye shall be named the priests of the LORD: men shall call you the ministers of our God.
This will be fulfilled, occur, realized during the kingdom reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, on earth, when Israel is dwelling in her land and the nations find salvation and blessing through her instrumentality-priest, ministers, witnesses..... This also explains Zech. 8:23 KJV-Israel will be a nation of priests, the channel instrument, for blessings to the world, in the prophetic program:
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
Thus, the river Jordan now makes sense....The "initiation" rights, for the repentant, believing remnant of the nation Israel, fulfilling their appointed role as a "kingdom of priests," going "through the water"
(Survey Numbers 31:21-24 KJV.) as a priest must, per Exodus 29:4 KJV.
With this context.............of all the people/ things to be "baptized", in the OT, it was the priest who stood foremost. Again-Exodus 29 KJV sets forth the procedure for "initiation ceremony," induction into the priest's office, the "initiation rights", so to speak. The 2 steps:
First , cleansing-a washing with water:
"And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and SHALT wash them with water." Exodus 29:4 KJV
See Leviticus 8:6 KJV
Second, the anointing with oil:
Exodus 29 KJV
7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
The pattern: wash in water, oil, blood(Leviticus 8:21 KJV}
The bible.... a book of details...
The Lord Jesus Christ comes to the Jordan, is baptized(washed), the Holy Spirit comes upon him(oil), and later he is baptized on the cross with blood, on the cross...:
Just as the sons of Aaron were the priests through whom the people of the children of Israel could approach a holy LORD God, so the nation Israel itself will one day be "a kingdom of priests and an holy nation," through whom the Gentiles(not the boc) will draw near to God (Genesis 12:1-3 KJV; Gen.22:17-18 KJV, Isaiah 60:1-3 KJV, Zechariah 8:20-23 KJV..............). It is in this context, that John the B appears on the scene preaching his "...baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel" (Acts 13:24 KJV).
I.e., the Baptist's "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4 KJV) was a method of national repentance, and preparation to fulfil their role, their honor, as "elect" to service(not salvation) as the kingdom of priests God, in His grace, ordained that favored nation to be. Survey Matthew 3:1-2...
All of this awaits Israel's future redemption-including physical. The "If ye will obey...then ye shall be" principle of the law assured that this "knowledge of sin" would be everywhere. However, Israel's failure, the nation Israel soon found herself in need of a Saviour, a redeemer, to restore that which was lost, buy them back. Their kinsman redeemer. Thus while the hope of Israel looked to the promised coming kingdom,under which the physical and spiritual benefits of the New Covenant will be realized, in their fullness, the need of the nation for "through the water cleansing" was first needed.
The body of Christ is never described as a "nation," as its membership is out of all nations.
Acts 2 blenders: It all says the same thing....details, differences, don't matter....
Cricket...Cricket...Cricket...
Masters time, and Miller time.....