This letter was sent from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to his
brothers in Christ the chosen exiles. Than what does it mean to be the
exiles? What do we the Christians have to learn about exiles from this
letter?

The Chosen Exiles

The exiles here means the chosen people who were scattered to Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. We can tell that they were in
the trials and tribulations from their circumstances of being the
exiles. But the fact that they were chosen did not change even if they
were in this situation. We can find the similarity in their situation
and the story of Israel in wilderness. Except for the fact that the
chosen exiles continued to have hope in the promised glory and strived
for faith. Because when the people of Israel wandered in the
wilderness for 40 years, they rebelled against God and Moses. Even
though they rebelled, by the grace of God, He did not change the
promise that they were the chosen people.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of
the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia..."
- 1 Peter 1:1

Exiles the Holy Nation

The commonality between the exiles in 1 Peter and the people of Israel
in the Old Testaments becomes more clear in 1 Peter chapter 2. In
chapter 2 verse 10, Peter described that the exiles were once not
God's people but by mercy they became God's people. And in chapter 2
verse 9, the phrase "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people for his own possession..." comes out which also can
be found in Exodus 19:6, where God promised Israel that they will be
His kingdom of priests and a holy nation if they keep His
commandments. From this passage we can say that the exiles that comes
out in 1 Peter is like Israel of the New Testament.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
- 1 Peter 2:9

The Chosen Exiles and Israel in the Wilderness

But there is a big difference between those two stories. The reason
that Israel had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years was their
sinfulness and their rebellion against God and Moses. But the reason
that the exiles in 1 Peter were suffered was for the sake of Christ.
So the fact that they were scattered in the gentiles was to spread the
gospels among them. So the passage in 2:20 where Peter said "For what
credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?" can
be applied to Israel. And in contrast to that, what Peter said after
that can be applied to the exiles "But if when you do good and suffer
for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God".

"For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you
endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is
a gracious thing in the sight of God."
- 1 Peter 2:20

Abraham the Exile and His Descendants

We should not forget about the story of Abraham and his descendants,
when we talk about the exiles in the Old Testament. Abraham first let
Ur his birthplace, when God commanded him to and he went to all the
lands that God led him. God promised him that He will give his
descendants the land, but Abraham himself had no land on the earth.
But the land that was promised to Abraham was given to the people of
Israel.

The Strangers and Exiles on the Earth

There are many other stories in the Bible about the fathers of our
faith. And each of them are the stories about the exiles. Because, as
Paul mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, they were all strangers and
exiles on the earth who were seeking the homeland in heaven. They all
died before they receive things that were promised, but they believed
that they belong to heaven where their homeland is, so they confessed
that they are the exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13-16).

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but
having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged
that they were strangers and exiles on the earth."
- Hebrews 11:13

Jesus Christ the Exile from Heaven

God's people were not the only one who were the exiles, but Jesus
Christ our God Himself was also the exile on the earth in some point.
Because as Abraham and other fathers of faith confessed, Christ came
down from heaven where He sits on the right hand of our Father for the
redemption for the sinners. Father sent Him for the salvation that He
promised (John 17:16 - "They are not of the world, just as I am not of
the world."). So we who were saved by Christ's redemption also became
the exile on the earth and were promised that we will go back to our
true homeland. And this promise was the hope of the exiles that
received this letter for they were being persecuted for Christ's sake.

"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."
- John 17:6