Perhaps the word “special” has been so overused (and misused) that it has lost “specialness” when it comes to God’s use of that word in the Bible. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God identified His people as “special.” What does that involve?
God identifies His people as “a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Ex. 19:5). These are ones He “loves” (Deut. 7:6-8), has “chosen” (Deut. 7:6; 1 Pet. 2:9), has “brought” to Himself (Ex. 19:4-5), and to whom He extends His “mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9-10). If you are one of His people, do you feel “special”? You are to God!
But in every context of Scripture where God identifies His people as “special,” He equally specifies what He expects of them. “Obey My voice and keep My covenant” (Ex. 19:5), “love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut. 7:9; 26:18), “proclaim the excellencies of Him…abstain from fleshly lusts” (1 Pet. 2:9-12), being “zealous for good works” (Tit. 2:14). God’s people are “special” because of Whose they are and what they do for Him!