Thursday 12 November 2015

Psalm: Psalm 123

Background

In verse 1 Peter is clear about what holiness is not: malice,guile, insincerity, envy and slander; and in verse 2 he tells usthat we should desire "pure, spiritual milk" like newborn babies.It would seem that the question of our desires depends on what itis that we desire. The purpose of this is to grow in salvation orin other words to become holy. But what is this spiritual milk? Wemay assume it is the teaching and truth of the gospel message.

This section is full of metaphor and in verse 4 the imagerychanges again to stones and a house. Peter is drawing on Psalm118:22, Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 8:14 all of which point towards thefact that Christ was chosen by God but rejected by his people. Butdespite the fact that Jesus suffered and died, he rose again; anidea that is perhaps given greater meaning by the imagery of alifelessness stone that has been brought to life. But theinvitation is for the readers to become a living stone with Christand to let ourselves be built into this new house of God.

Within this Peter uses a further image, moving away from aphysical house towards the idea of a house as a group of people.This house of God is occupied by people who are described as a holypriesthood in verse 5 and a royal priesthood in verse 9. We may notbe part of the House of Windsor but we are part of God's householdand have a status that is both royal and priestly. We may not havebeen born into this family as Princess Charlotte was born into theRoyal Family but we have been adopted, or to use the phrase oftenused by adoptive parents, we have been chosen.

To Ponder

• What difference does the idea of being part of a royalpriesthood make to how you live your life today?