Do you remember what it was like as a child when, as you were headed out to the playground at recess, someone was already choosing teams for the morning or afternoon competition? How did it feel to be the last one chosen?

Maybe you weren’t ever in that position of being the last one chosen or “not quite good enough” to be in demand for a team. Even if that is the case, you remember how it affected those who weren’t good enough.

Being chosen was not all there was to the competition. Everyone had to follow the rules; otherwise there would be chaos.

Our lives are filled with times when we are “chosen” or “not chosen”. Whether it is for a date, a job, a promotion, or an award, being chosen is important to most of us.

One would think that being chosen by God would fill a person with honor, respect, and dedication. Let’s see if that holds true.

God spoke these words to the Children of Israel, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the people who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV). 

He also said, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 14:2).

God spoke these words to the Hebrew people, but being chosen was not enough for them. Being a treasured possession was not enough. Why do you suppose it wasn’t enough?

Let’s return to the book of Exodus, and I think we’ll see why. God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, before giving him the Ten Commandments and the other laws. Here is what God said, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all people, 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” (Exodus 19:5-6).

 Do you see anything in that passage that would be a problem for the people? One phrase, “if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant”, was the key to why being chosen was not enough.

Throughout the history of the Israelites, in their travels, their wilderness wanderings, their choice of leaders, their intermarriage with other nations, their worship of idols, we can see their disobedience. They did not obey the voice of God, and they did not keep God’s commandments.

Being chosen was not enough. Even though they were chosen, they had to obey the rules. That has been true of God’s people from the beginning of time, and it is true of us today.

Peter conveys this same message when he said, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received” (First Peter 2:9-10).

 He is talking about us. We are God’s chosen people. Like the Children of Israel, we have rules; and we can find them as we continue reading the chapter:

• “Abstain from the passions of the flesh”, verse 11.
• “Keep your conduct…honorable”, verse 12.
• “Be subject …to every human institution…”, verse 14.
• “…Live as servants of God”, verse 16.
• “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood, Fear God. Honor the emperor”, verse 17.

Peter then relates how Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example. Why did He do this? “…leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (verse 21).

 Paul told Titus that Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

Paul explains in Ephesians 2 the price Christ paid for His possession. He replaced the old law with a new one (verse 15). We are joined together through His blood and obedience to His commands.

Yes, we are chosen; but we have to obey the rules. Will we be like the chosen people of Israel and defy His laws, or will we be obedient?

Sandra Oliver