THE BIBLE AND IMMIGRATION II
SOME SCRIPTURE FOR THOUGHT
You shall not be violent toward an alien.* You shall not oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21 (see also, Exodus 23:9)
And when an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress him. As the native among you so shall be the alien who resides with you. And for you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 33-34
... you who then were not a people, but now are the people of God; the one not pitied** then but now pitied. I Peter 2:10
* Immigrants are referred to as aliens, sojourners and strangers in the scripture.
** Pity is interchangeable with mercy.
The roots of the United States of America are embedded in immigration. From those who crossed the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska during the ice age to the early European explorers and colonists, the Americas were first populated by those who came from somewhere else. We who call ourselves American descend from people searching for a better life and access to basic human needs. Our people were indentured servants and slaves and the persecuted and oppressed, and even criminals. The colony of Georgia was a penal colony. In the early 1700s, Britain alone "transported" or banished 50,000 convicts who made up one quarter of the the number of British citizens in the colonies at that time.
My immigrant ancestors include those who left their homelands because of political oppression, religious persecution and for economic betterment. We probably share very similar family histories. Our people were pushed to the fringes of society, harassed and denied human freedoms ... very much like the Hebrews, who with a change in the power regime, found themselves enslaved in Egypt.
After Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, God spent the time in the wilderness setting the foundations for a people who would be a nation of priests, witnesses to God to the other people of the world and to bless all peoples. (see Exodus 19:6, I Peter 2:9, Genesis 12:2-3) As a frame work around which the people were build a community based on a right relationship with others and with God, God gave them the Ten Commandments and others, like, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) which basically says the same thing as the Golden Rule. There were also guidelines on how to treat the least among them, like the poor, widows, orphans and immigrants.
What God told the rescued Israelites, I believe is this. "Once you were immigrants fleeing a famine and became aliens in the land of Egypt. New rulers politically and economically oppressed you and took away your freedom. Remember what that was like. Remember, you are a delivered people and have been blessed by God. Don't treat the immigrants you come to live among you seeking a better life for themselves and their families like you were treated in Egypt. Instead, treat them as if they are one of you."
As Christians, I Peter 2:10 reminds us that once we were enslaved to sin and death, living as a lost people. Through Jesus Christ, God called us to be His people and offered us the mercy of forgiveness and salvation through the grace of Christ. Like the Hebrews, we are called to be a holy nation of priests (I Peter 2:9), blessed to be a blessing. Remembering what is was like before we were saved by Christ, remembering our roots as descendants of immigrants, what then is our merciful response and responsibility to the aliens, the sojourners, the strangers, and the immigrants among us?
Questions for Discussion
You shall not be violent toward an alien.* You shall not oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21 (see also, Exodus 23:9)
And when an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress him. As the native among you so shall be the alien who resides with you. And for you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 33-34
... you who then were not a people, but now are the people of God; the one not pitied** then but now pitied. I Peter 2:10
* Immigrants are referred to as aliens, sojourners and strangers in the scripture.
** Pity is interchangeable with mercy.
The roots of the United States of America are embedded in immigration. From those who crossed the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska during the ice age to the early European explorers and colonists, the Americas were first populated by those who came from somewhere else. We who call ourselves American descend from people searching for a better life and access to basic human needs. Our people were indentured servants and slaves and the persecuted and oppressed, and even criminals. The colony of Georgia was a penal colony. In the early 1700s, Britain alone "transported" or banished 50,000 convicts who made up one quarter of the the number of British citizens in the colonies at that time.
My immigrant ancestors include those who left their homelands because of political oppression, religious persecution and for economic betterment. We probably share very similar family histories. Our people were pushed to the fringes of society, harassed and denied human freedoms ... very much like the Hebrews, who with a change in the power regime, found themselves enslaved in Egypt.
After Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, God spent the time in the wilderness setting the foundations for a people who would be a nation of priests, witnesses to God to the other people of the world and to bless all peoples. (see Exodus 19:6, I Peter 2:9, Genesis 12:2-3) As a frame work around which the people were build a community based on a right relationship with others and with God, God gave them the Ten Commandments and others, like, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18) which basically says the same thing as the Golden Rule. There were also guidelines on how to treat the least among them, like the poor, widows, orphans and immigrants.
What God told the rescued Israelites, I believe is this. "Once you were immigrants fleeing a famine and became aliens in the land of Egypt. New rulers politically and economically oppressed you and took away your freedom. Remember what that was like. Remember, you are a delivered people and have been blessed by God. Don't treat the immigrants you come to live among you seeking a better life for themselves and their families like you were treated in Egypt. Instead, treat them as if they are one of you."
As Christians, I Peter 2:10 reminds us that once we were enslaved to sin and death, living as a lost people. Through Jesus Christ, God called us to be His people and offered us the mercy of forgiveness and salvation through the grace of Christ. Like the Hebrews, we are called to be a holy nation of priests (I Peter 2:9), blessed to be a blessing. Remembering what is was like before we were saved by Christ, remembering our roots as descendants of immigrants, what then is our merciful response and responsibility to the aliens, the sojourners, the strangers, and the immigrants among us?
Questions for Discussion
1. What
should be our merciful response to immigrants to this country and why?
2. What
prevents us from being faithful to God’s commands in this area?
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