who in time past were no people, but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

 (i) Christians are a chosen people. Here we are back to the covenant idea. Exodus 19:5-6 is from the passage which describes how God entered into his covenant with Israel. In the covenant he offered a special relationship with himself to Israel; but it depended on the people of Israel accepting the conditions of the covenant and keeping the law. That relationship would hold only "if you will obey my voice, and keep my covenant" ( Exodus 19:5). 