Those who are wicked display certain behaviors that define them thusly. I am wicked if I deny and hide my own sins. I am wicked if I murder my neighbor or seek to seduce his wife. I am wicked if am unable to follow the Lord in faith alone or if I turn to idols. I am wicked if I do not care for the needs of widows and orphans. And I am wicked if I oppress aliens.
Psalm 94:1-8
O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.
Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.
How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant?
They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.
They crush your people, O LORD; they oppress your inheritance.
They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.
They say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed."
Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?
The wicked are proud, aggressive, violent, and show no apparent concern for those amongst them who are vulnerable.
Compare this to what we find in Psalm 146:7-9:
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord, in direct contradiction to the ways of the wicked, shows preference for those who are suffering and being mistreated by others. And He despises the behavior of people that causes such suffering. He wants us to be about what He is about.
The Prophet Malachi records the Lord's words of judgment in this regard (3:5):
"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.
The way we treat others and give them opportunities for life is clearly important to the Lord. He desires for us to live by His standards, not by our cultural common sense, not by personal deductions informed by ruminations.
Anything less is wickedness.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Immigration 5
God commands His people to treat aliens with respect and love and to care for them because the Israelites themselves knew oppression and slavery.
Is there any other reason that He would command such?
Absolutely. God's command to treat aliens justly is a reminder to His people that what they possess by God's grace, they do not own.
The Lord reveals this fact to His people when they are tempted to cling too tightly to what the Lord has granted as a trust: "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants" (Lev. 25:23). The land does not ultimately belong to anyone but the Lord. It is therefore not to be horded or regarded as a personal possession to the exclusion of others.
This certainly seems to be an attempt by the Lord to help His people reframe their conception of property. If I own my property, I can do with it whatever I please. If the Lord owns it and I am just a tenant, I need to care for what I have been lent, share it, and remember that Lord encourages me to be generous with what He has provided.
Pharaoh, as he impeded the Israelites from leaving Egypt, needed to be reminded that the earth belonged to the Lord and not to him. Ex. 9:29b - "The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's."
David reflected on this reality in Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it..."
We see this understanding in the NT, within the Spirit-led church of Jerusalem, even practiced in a radical way, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:44-45).
Jesus Himself was critical of the impact that possessions had on the lives of His followers, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Lk. 12:15). At the heart of this is surely the understanding that God's dominion is all-encompassing. Our possessions really aren't ours. If we insist that they are and hold fast to them, they end up possessing us.
So what does any of this have to do with immigration?
Behind any resistance to aliens living in a given land is fear from natives that what they now have will be taken away or diminished. If there are aliens receiving the good of the land, that will mean less for them. Instead of seeing the Lord as a God of abundance and blessings, we too often see God as one who is miserly, providing barely enough for survival, therefore we must cling tightly to our "possessions." Ironically, this seems to be a phenomenon more common in rich countries than in poor ones!
The Word of the Bible flies in the face of this ungodly selfish attitude. Instead, it constantly encourages trust in God and selfless generosity, and seldom encourages us to take care of what belongs to us. This is the radical, unrealistic, challenging Word of Truth, and it should shape every one of our attitudes and beliefs.
Next: What does it mean to oppress an alien?
Is there any other reason that He would command such?
Absolutely. God's command to treat aliens justly is a reminder to His people that what they possess by God's grace, they do not own.
The Lord reveals this fact to His people when they are tempted to cling too tightly to what the Lord has granted as a trust: "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants" (Lev. 25:23). The land does not ultimately belong to anyone but the Lord. It is therefore not to be horded or regarded as a personal possession to the exclusion of others.
This certainly seems to be an attempt by the Lord to help His people reframe their conception of property. If I own my property, I can do with it whatever I please. If the Lord owns it and I am just a tenant, I need to care for what I have been lent, share it, and remember that Lord encourages me to be generous with what He has provided.
Pharaoh, as he impeded the Israelites from leaving Egypt, needed to be reminded that the earth belonged to the Lord and not to him. Ex. 9:29b - "The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's."
David reflected on this reality in Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it..."
We see this understanding in the NT, within the Spirit-led church of Jerusalem, even practiced in a radical way, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:44-45).
Jesus Himself was critical of the impact that possessions had on the lives of His followers, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Lk. 12:15). At the heart of this is surely the understanding that God's dominion is all-encompassing. Our possessions really aren't ours. If we insist that they are and hold fast to them, they end up possessing us.
So what does any of this have to do with immigration?
Behind any resistance to aliens living in a given land is fear from natives that what they now have will be taken away or diminished. If there are aliens receiving the good of the land, that will mean less for them. Instead of seeing the Lord as a God of abundance and blessings, we too often see God as one who is miserly, providing barely enough for survival, therefore we must cling tightly to our "possessions." Ironically, this seems to be a phenomenon more common in rich countries than in poor ones!
The Word of the Bible flies in the face of this ungodly selfish attitude. Instead, it constantly encourages trust in God and selfless generosity, and seldom encourages us to take care of what belongs to us. This is the radical, unrealistic, challenging Word of Truth, and it should shape every one of our attitudes and beliefs.
Next: What does it mean to oppress an alien?
Immigration 4
So far we have examined the matter of immigration during the age of the patriarchs from the perspective of God's people, noted the impact of being aliens on God's people, and briefly inspected the experience of Anabaptists as aliens in practically every setting they have ever found themselves in.
Let's focus now on the reality that aliens were an expected, normal part of Israelite culture.
At the institution of the Passover recognition, the Lord uttered these words to Moses (Ex. 12), "For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born." The assumption is that aliens (non-Israelites) will be living amongst the Israelites. The consequences of consuming foods containing yeast pertains to both the kin of Abram as well as those who are strangers.
This assumption is confirmed in Leviticus 24:22, "You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born." Israelites will have aliens amongst them and if they are living as a part of the Israelite culture, are to be come under both the privileges and responsibilities of God's Law.
The Lord knew that aliens were going to be naturally vulnerable living within Israelite parameters. He therefore set up guidelines to aid His people in relating to these folks. Check out this three-verse stretch in Exodus 22: "Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan."
In between a very strong admonition for the Israelites to stay away from false gods and a command to not abuse widows and orphans, the Lord instructs the Israelites to avoid mistreating aliens amongst them. Why? Because the Israelites themselves were once aliens themselves and were oppressed and enslaved by a tyrannical people. The Lord is making it clear that such behavior is not in keeping with the ways of righteousness and His people are to behave differently.
This command is so important to God that it is repeated in the very next chapter, "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt" (Ex. 23:9). For good measure, take to heart the words of Deuteronomy 24:17-18. Notice how the words of the OT often place widows, orphans, and aliens together. "Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this."
Not only are God's people to avoid mistreating aliens, they are also to make special provisions for their well-being and are to love them. Such behavior leads to blessings from the Lord.
But that is not the only reason...
Let's focus now on the reality that aliens were an expected, normal part of Israelite culture.
At the institution of the Passover recognition, the Lord uttered these words to Moses (Ex. 12), "For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born." The assumption is that aliens (non-Israelites) will be living amongst the Israelites. The consequences of consuming foods containing yeast pertains to both the kin of Abram as well as those who are strangers.
This assumption is confirmed in Leviticus 24:22, "You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born." Israelites will have aliens amongst them and if they are living as a part of the Israelite culture, are to be come under both the privileges and responsibilities of God's Law.
The Lord knew that aliens were going to be naturally vulnerable living within Israelite parameters. He therefore set up guidelines to aid His people in relating to these folks. Check out this three-verse stretch in Exodus 22: "Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan."
In between a very strong admonition for the Israelites to stay away from false gods and a command to not abuse widows and orphans, the Lord instructs the Israelites to avoid mistreating aliens amongst them. Why? Because the Israelites themselves were once aliens themselves and were oppressed and enslaved by a tyrannical people. The Lord is making it clear that such behavior is not in keeping with the ways of righteousness and His people are to behave differently.
This command is so important to God that it is repeated in the very next chapter, "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt" (Ex. 23:9). For good measure, take to heart the words of Deuteronomy 24:17-18. Notice how the words of the OT often place widows, orphans, and aliens together. "Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this."
Not only are God's people to avoid mistreating aliens, they are also to make special provisions for their well-being and are to love them. Such behavior leads to blessings from the Lord.
- Lev. 19:10, 33-34 - "Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
- Dt. 10:18-19 - "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt."
- Dt. 14:28-29 - "At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands."
But that is not the only reason...
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Immigration 3
As I wrote in Immigration 2, the Israelites of yore knew full well the severe challenges of being constantly nomadic.
So did our spiritual ancestors, the Anabaptists. Anabaptist groups emerged in Europe in the early 16th century amidst a hostile world. Because their doctrine differed from that of both Protestant and Catholic state-churches, they were persecuted in practically every locale. For instance, Anabaptists of the 1520’s were relentlessly hunted in their native Austria and mercilessly killed if caught. Many had no choice but to flee to the much safer Moravia and genuinely hope for religious liberty (Dyck 51-2). There they lived as tolerated aliens - at least for a spell.
For the next 200 or so years, Anabaptist groups were on the move. They relocated when the persecution they experienced in a particular setting became too severe to tolerate. This culminated with eventual mass migration from Europe and Russia to North and South America in several waves.
It was a group of Amish-Mennonites worn by petty persecution, the militarism of Europe, and poverty that made the voyage from Switzerland and France to the United States in 1834, eventually settling and subduing the wilds of early Fulton County, Ohio. These German-speakers were welcome to make their way as aliens in a land formerly lightly inhabited by Native Americans. For many Central Mennonites these settlers were direct blood kin.
The relationship between these Mennonites - who eventually dropped the Amish identity - and their neighbors was often uneasy in the past, particularly during war-time. As pacifists, they refused to enter military service for reasons of conscience. As a result, they were at times deemed cowardly and almost always seen as unpatriotic; less than ideal citizens.
This was a reminder to the NW Ohio Mennonites that though their families had lived in this nation for 100 years, they were yet revealed to be theological aliens during times of national conflict.
Next: God teaches Israel about aliens
So did our spiritual ancestors, the Anabaptists. Anabaptist groups emerged in Europe in the early 16th century amidst a hostile world. Because their doctrine differed from that of both Protestant and Catholic state-churches, they were persecuted in practically every locale. For instance, Anabaptists of the 1520’s were relentlessly hunted in their native Austria and mercilessly killed if caught. Many had no choice but to flee to the much safer Moravia and genuinely hope for religious liberty (Dyck 51-2). There they lived as tolerated aliens - at least for a spell.
For the next 200 or so years, Anabaptist groups were on the move. They relocated when the persecution they experienced in a particular setting became too severe to tolerate. This culminated with eventual mass migration from Europe and Russia to North and South America in several waves.
It was a group of Amish-Mennonites worn by petty persecution, the militarism of Europe, and poverty that made the voyage from Switzerland and France to the United States in 1834, eventually settling and subduing the wilds of early Fulton County, Ohio. These German-speakers were welcome to make their way as aliens in a land formerly lightly inhabited by Native Americans. For many Central Mennonites these settlers were direct blood kin.
The relationship between these Mennonites - who eventually dropped the Amish identity - and their neighbors was often uneasy in the past, particularly during war-time. As pacifists, they refused to enter military service for reasons of conscience. As a result, they were at times deemed cowardly and almost always seen as unpatriotic; less than ideal citizens.
This was a reminder to the NW Ohio Mennonites that though their families had lived in this nation for 100 years, they were yet revealed to be theological aliens during times of national conflict.
Next: God teaches Israel about aliens
Immigration 2
In Exodus, we find that Abram’s descendants have remained in Egypt, in Goshen. Joseph has truly spoken a prophetic word and now his family is prospering and multiplying in a foreign land (Ex. 1:5-13). These descendants of Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph – the Israelites - are so successful that the Egyptians begin to fear them and take measures to control them (Ex. 1:8-14):
Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.
We can see in this that the Israelites were made into slaves in order to curtail their population growth and to inhibit their becoming an internal enemy. Additionally, there is the clear message that though the Egyptian pharaoh feared what might happen if the Israelites conspired with enemies against him, he also feared what might happen if they were to leave Egypt (v.10). They were considered at once liability and asset.
Even to the time of Moses, the most important of all Israelite prophets, these people were still seen as aliens in a land they had inhabited for nearly 400 years (Ex. 2:14-22).
Moses himself understood what it meant to be an alien. After killing an Egyptian, he fled the land of his birth, Egypt, when Pharaoh sought to kill him for his crime. He took up living in Midian where, ironically, he was confused for an Egyptian (Ex. 2:19)!
Even when the Israelites were rescued by God from the chains of the Egyptians, they yet ended up spending another 40 years wandering around in the desert, plodding through and living on land that did not belong to them. For hundreds of years they were perpetual aliens completely dependent on the Lord.
Later, the Lord used the Israelites' experience as aliens to teach them how to treat people who became aliens in the land they came to possess by God's grace.
Next: the Anabaptists
Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country."
So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.
We can see in this that the Israelites were made into slaves in order to curtail their population growth and to inhibit their becoming an internal enemy. Additionally, there is the clear message that though the Egyptian pharaoh feared what might happen if the Israelites conspired with enemies against him, he also feared what might happen if they were to leave Egypt (v.10). They were considered at once liability and asset.
Even to the time of Moses, the most important of all Israelite prophets, these people were still seen as aliens in a land they had inhabited for nearly 400 years (Ex. 2:14-22).
Moses himself understood what it meant to be an alien. After killing an Egyptian, he fled the land of his birth, Egypt, when Pharaoh sought to kill him for his crime. He took up living in Midian where, ironically, he was confused for an Egyptian (Ex. 2:19)!
Even when the Israelites were rescued by God from the chains of the Egyptians, they yet ended up spending another 40 years wandering around in the desert, plodding through and living on land that did not belong to them. For hundreds of years they were perpetual aliens completely dependent on the Lord.
Later, the Lord used the Israelites' experience as aliens to teach them how to treat people who became aliens in the land they came to possess by God's grace.
Next: the Anabaptists
Immigration 1
It's been a while...
There is much hubbub in the media and in our denomination (Mennonite Church USA) in regard to the national impact of Latino immigration, particularly in the southwestern part of our country. This issue has been politicized to such an extent that it is hard to think about it without the voices of left and right wing pundits exploding in our heads. Perhaps this is the best reason to simply look at the Scriptures to discover what they have to say about the matter. I plan to do this in several parts, this first being an exploration of the issue in Genesis.
The terminology used in the OT for immigrant or refugee is alien, stranger, foreigner, or sojourner – depending on the translation. I will be using the terms alien and stranger below.
Abram was sent by the Lord from his homeland of Haran to Canaan (Gen. 12:1). Later he was told by God that the land that he was living in as an alien – Canaan - would become the eternal possession of his descendants (Gen 17:8). Before settling more permanently in Canaan, Abram was forced to move himself and his family to Egypt because of a severe famine (Gen. 12:10). Abram got booted out of Egypt because of the deceit he practiced in having Sarai tell the Egyptians that Abram was her brother and not her husband (Gen. 12:19). Subsequently, Abram (Abraham) spent the duration of his life living as an alien here and there in Canaan and dealing righteously with the hosts who allowed him to live in their lands.
Abram’s grandson, Jacob, was the head of Abram’s family line when famine struck the whole world (Gen. 41:57) and only Egypt had adequate food-stores. Jacob sent his sons to purchase food in Egypt so that the family might live. They were at the mercy of a mighty nation that was filled with necessary resources. Fortunately for Jacob’s sons, their long-lost brother, Joseph, was a brilliant official working for Pharaoh. He did have mercy on them, the whole family was saved, and eventually came to settle in Egypt because the severe famine lingered (Gen. 45:8-11). There they lived and worked as shepherds in a territory called Goshen.
It is interesting to note that Egyptians despised shepherds (Gen. 46:34). This was the reason that Jacob and family were relegated to Goshen: presumably to stay out of the way of the intolerant Egyptians.
In Genesis, it is clear that Abram and his family as wandering aliens were often dependent on the benevolence of powerful people on whose land they were living. It is also clear that Abram and his family most often attempted to be humbly conscientious of their predicament as aliens living in territory that belonged to others. They knew they were at the mercy of their hosts.
Next post: Exodus
There is much hubbub in the media and in our denomination (Mennonite Church USA) in regard to the national impact of Latino immigration, particularly in the southwestern part of our country. This issue has been politicized to such an extent that it is hard to think about it without the voices of left and right wing pundits exploding in our heads. Perhaps this is the best reason to simply look at the Scriptures to discover what they have to say about the matter. I plan to do this in several parts, this first being an exploration of the issue in Genesis.
The terminology used in the OT for immigrant or refugee is alien, stranger, foreigner, or sojourner – depending on the translation. I will be using the terms alien and stranger below.
Abram was sent by the Lord from his homeland of Haran to Canaan (Gen. 12:1). Later he was told by God that the land that he was living in as an alien – Canaan - would become the eternal possession of his descendants (Gen 17:8). Before settling more permanently in Canaan, Abram was forced to move himself and his family to Egypt because of a severe famine (Gen. 12:10). Abram got booted out of Egypt because of the deceit he practiced in having Sarai tell the Egyptians that Abram was her brother and not her husband (Gen. 12:19). Subsequently, Abram (Abraham) spent the duration of his life living as an alien here and there in Canaan and dealing righteously with the hosts who allowed him to live in their lands.
Abram’s grandson, Jacob, was the head of Abram’s family line when famine struck the whole world (Gen. 41:57) and only Egypt had adequate food-stores. Jacob sent his sons to purchase food in Egypt so that the family might live. They were at the mercy of a mighty nation that was filled with necessary resources. Fortunately for Jacob’s sons, their long-lost brother, Joseph, was a brilliant official working for Pharaoh. He did have mercy on them, the whole family was saved, and eventually came to settle in Egypt because the severe famine lingered (Gen. 45:8-11). There they lived and worked as shepherds in a territory called Goshen.
It is interesting to note that Egyptians despised shepherds (Gen. 46:34). This was the reason that Jacob and family were relegated to Goshen: presumably to stay out of the way of the intolerant Egyptians.
In Genesis, it is clear that Abram and his family as wandering aliens were often dependent on the benevolence of powerful people on whose land they were living. It is also clear that Abram and his family most often attempted to be humbly conscientious of their predicament as aliens living in territory that belonged to others. They knew they were at the mercy of their hosts.
Next post: Exodus
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