Chosen Exiles

Having made the connection between Christ's disciples and the Old Testament prophets, Peter begins using imagery and language from the Old Testament. For instance, when the children of Israel were gearing up to leave Egypt, they were to eat the Passover Meal with their "loins girded" because they were to be prepared to leave (Exodus 12:11).

One of the major themes in the Old Testament book of Leviticus is holiness. Peter picks up on this theme and the famous imperative, "Be holy for I am Holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45). A worthwhile definition for what it means to be holy, is to be "set apart for a purpose". Another way we could think of it, is that Peter was telling them to stand out from the crowd. What an interesting instruction to an exiled people. Wouldn't it be better if they just put their head down and tried their best to fit in? What's more is that Peter had a very peculiar way for how they were to be differentiated from their new neighbors.