In this you rejoice,
even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that
the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though
perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and
honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. vvs. 6-7
Peter’s audience rejoices in what they have received
by the mercy of God. What they have
received is a cosmic-level change of life and circumstance. It is nothing less than God providing to them
a covenant that cannot fail, God setting up a system that is not dependent on
how the people act. It is not an excuse
to live lives of sin and evil, simply assuming God covers all the bad we
do. But God knows and judges the heart. It is a cosmic-level
knowledge that God knows the true intention of our hearts even in the midst of human failure.
They can rejoice because the new birth, the living
hope, these were accomplished through the resurrection of Jesus. A real, permanent event took place to
solidify the promise of God. Understand
what took place before, temporary sacrifices of animals to take the place of
the sinner, taking on the punishment of death that is judgment for sin. Those sacrifices could not end, for sin did not end.
To the Jews who lived with easy access to Jerusalem,
the sacrifices could be brought with relative ease to the temple. But these are Jews of the Diaspora, scattered
across the Roman Empire. They returned to
Jerusalem as they were able, maybe once a year, maybe not, maybe never. What Peter is preaching is freedom from the
geographic binding they have to the Promised Land.
This did not mean they could not return, it simply
meant that they could return from a desire, not an obligation. It was liberating.
But in opposition to the rejoicing taking place at a
cosmic level, there are trials because of the faith going on in their daily
lives. Peter starts with reminding them
of the joy they have as a foundation to deal with those trials.
Which we will look at more tomorrow.
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