What does being God's peculiar treasure do for the nation of Israel?
Being God's peculiar treasure lifts the nation of Israel out of the mainstream of humanity and places them into a covenant relationship as God's favored, chosen people. It marks them as above all people, conditioned on obeying His voice and keeping His covenant.
Les explains that God was giving Israel the Law, the priesthood, and the whole system of sacrificial worship to make them aware of His holiness, His sovereignty, and to prepare them for a future role amid the pagan idolatry around them. The whole world was steeped in idolatry except for the offspring of Abraham. In Exodus chapter 19, Moses is up on the mountain talking with God, and God says that if Israel will obey His voice and keep His covenant—the covenant of Law He is about to give—then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people. Les teaches that this peculiar-treasure status does something specific for Israel: just like the lion on the board, it lifts them out of the mainstream of humanity and puts them into that place of covenant relationship as God's favored, chosen people.
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
More Questions
What does 'peculiar treasure' mean when God says Israel will be His peculiar treasure?
The word 'peculiar' in 'peculiar treasure' means a treasure of intrinsic value that is beyond comprehension and cannot be valued, not merely an ordinary treasure of a few thousand or million dollars.
Why could God say to Israel, 'you are a treasure unto Me above all people'?
God could call Israel a treasure unto Him above all people because all the earth is His.