The following is just some thoughts I had concerning a Hebrew word and its meaning in relation to the House of Israel and to us. I wrote this a while back and have decided to post it on this blog now (don't ask me why I waited).
The Hebrew word segullah is rendered in English "peculiar treasure". The first usage of this word can be found in Genesis 19:5 where the Jehovah states, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure [segullah] unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."
The word segullah denotes an idea of exclusive ownership. The title, given to those in Israel who keep the God's covenant, links Israel with God in a very personal way. God used the term "segullah" because he knew that the people of that time would understand its significance. God may well have said, "for [as] all the earth is mine, [so are ye]". Hence, the council from Paul to the covenant people in the church at Corinth; "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." However, this type of ownership for God is peculiar in and of itself because we are only God's as we allow ourselves to be His. While it is true that we are spirit offspring of our Father, and that he created our physical bodies through Christ, he also gave unto us free agency. We are agents unto ourselves to determine who our true master is.
Moses had to learn this lesson prior to taking the Children of Israel on their 40 year trek. Remember that prior to Genesis 19, which took place when Israel was deep in the wilderness, Moses had a very eye opening experience with God on top of an "exceedingly high mountain". In Moses chapter 1, in the Pearl of Great Price, God does a good job of teaching Moses the true meaning of segullah. "Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty," says God unto Moses, "and Endless is my name...all my works are without end". After God makes a tremendously impressive entrance, and declares his greatness, he then ties Himself to Moses in a very special and peculiar way, He says, "and behold, thou art my son...in the similitude of mine only begotten...[who] is and shall be the Savior". Then God proceeds to show Moses all things from the beginning to the end of the world. At his moment in the life of Moses, I believe he has a major paradigm shift. The grandeur he had known as Egypt, with all of its earthly glory, eroded into oblivion in his mind so that all he could think to say was, "now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I had never supposed." What he meant was that things were now put into perspective. The man of the world is nothing. Man without God is nothing. Moses learned that it is our identity as pertaining to our eternal Father that makes us great. It is our relationship with God through covenant that makes man special and peculiar to Him. This is why a few verses later Satan didn't have a chance, Moses now knew who he was, where he came from, and why he was here, and Satan had nothing to offer him. Now Moses was able to take this to the Children of Israel to help them recognize their identity as well.
Segullah reminds us to whom we belong, but it must be our choosing.
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