God has a different purpose in every book in the Bible. Each one is like a precious jewel, with its individual shades of color seen against the background of God’s love. In this book, the believers had been Jews, who had been scattered into other lands and were suffering for their faith in the Lord Jesus. In these two letters, Peter does not tell of the wonderful heavenly position of the believer like Paul does. He tells them that they are strangers and pilgrims who suffer on the earth, and directs their (and our) thoughts toward heaven.
V.2 God knew beforehand who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what “foreknowledge” means. The true Christian life is an obedient life. “Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” means that the believer stands perfectly clean before God because he has been cleansed by the blood of Christ.
V.3 He tells them that they have a living hope based on the resurrection of Christ in contrast to only a hopeless life on earth which they used to have when they were unsaved Jews.
V.4-25 They have an inheritance which will never perish, can’t be spoiled, won’t fade away, reserved in heaven! And still we get attracted by some foolish, passing thing here on earth!
V.5 The believer is kept safe by God’s power. He has salvation ready now, and waiting to be shown to him.
V.6 He has something to make him rejoice greatly. But he also has trials and difficulties, if he needs them!
V.7 These things happen to him, in order that what is real in him, will result in praise and honor and glory when the whole world will see the Lord Jesus (see chart). It is when the Lord Jesus appears at the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the millennium. If you remember that He is coming soon for us believers, then it makes it easier to endure all the difficulties. That is, the difficulties because we are believers.
V.8 We shall not only endure, but triumph with a joy that cannot be explained.