EXODUS 19:5-6
“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
EXODUS 20:1-2
And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery….
1 PETER 2:9
9 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.
“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
EXODUS 20:1-2
And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery….
1 PETER 2:9
9 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.
Most of us grew up calling them the Ten Commandments, but a better name might actually be God’s “Ten Words.” These weren’t just ideas Moses scribbled down, Scripture says God wrote them with His own finger, not once but twice. In Exodus 34:28 they’re even called “the covenant.” They mattered so much that they were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant itself. You may recall that the Ark of the Covenant was a central sign of faith and a reminder of God’s presence among his people. The Ten Words were meant to lead God’s people to understand and embrace the heart and structure of the entire covenant relationship.
People understood them as Ten Words of wisdom, a way to live well and help a whole community thrive. They were also Ten Words of revelation, showing what God is really like: good, fair, compassionate, and deeply invested in everyone’s wellbeing. And they were Ten Words of re‑creation, God bringing His order into our chaos, His way of life into our world. All of this was meant to form a people who would be a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation,” showing the world a better way to live.
The New Testament tells us that Jesus came to establish God’s kingdom in a whole new way. One of the first things He announced was that “the kingdom of God has come near.” Everywhere He went, He showed what that kingdom looks like, healing, welcoming, restoring, lifting up people from every background. Through Jesus, God’s rule takes root in ordinary people like us, shaping us again into that “kingdom of priests” and “holy nation.” And Jesus taught us to pray that this kingdom would keep breaking in: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” If you read Exodus 20 and imagine a world that actually lived out those Ten Words, you get a glimpse of what Jesus was talking about.
So during Advent and Christmas, we remember that God didn’t stay distant. He came close. The Word became flesh. Jesus stepped into our messy world to bring order to our chaos and light to our confusion.
Maybe this season is an invitation to let your understanding of Jesus grow a little wider.
And maybe it’s a chance to ask yourself: in what ways does my life point toward that “better way” the kingdom of God offers?
Let's Pray
Gracious and Holy God,
In Jesus Christ, your Word became flesh. He drew near to heal, to welcome, to restore, and to show us what your kingdom looks like. Through Him, you are forming us again into a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, a people who point the world toward your better way.
As we journey through Advent and celebrate Christmas, let your light break into our chaos, let your order shape our lives, and let your kingdom come among us. Make us faithful witnesses of your covenant love, so that our words, our actions, and our communities reflect your will on earth as it is in heaven.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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