“"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."”
Camped in the Mount Sinai area, just before the Ten Commandments were spoken to them, Israel heard these words from God: "if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]" (Exo 19:5-6 AMPC). Notice that, whereas "all the earth [including all mankind]" belongs to God, His intent was to have a set of people as His "own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples", if they would obey His voice and keep His covenant.