Ethics and the Christian Immigration

What does the Bible say?

The nation of Israel was to treat immigrants well A.Ex. 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex (do violence to) a stranger (alien), nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt B.Ex. 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. C.Deut. 26:12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

They were protected by Jewish law, expected to abide by Jewish law, and could enter into the covenant community.

A.They enjoyed the protection of Jewish law: Ex. 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. 1.Repeated in Leviticus and Numbers, B.They could enter the covenant community: Ex. 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

C.They were expected to abide by Jewish law: Ex. 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For Israel A.This was one way for them to fulfill the command to love their neighbor as themselves B.Lev 19:33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. Lev 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. C.Deut 10:19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

All of this was built upon the concept of Israel being obedient to God. But what if they weren't?

Then aliens would become a curse A.Deut 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: B.Deut. 28:43 The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. Deut. 28:44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

But we need to remember this A.Mistreating aliens was a large aspect of their disobedience. B.Jer 7:5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; Jer 7:6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: C.Eze 22:7 In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.

D.Zech. 7:10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. E.Mal. 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

But what does all this mean to the U.S.? A.Because we are not the covenant nation B.And “The people of God” today are the people of the Church, not any particular national entity. C.And the Church is clearly meant to be “multi- national.” Acts 2

Observations A.This is much larger than simply a political issue. B.This has its roots in Genesis 11—the Tower of Babel. C.America’s history of Immigration policy is one of trying to ban or strictly limit the number of “undesirables.” 1.Whether they be Catholics, Asians, or Hispanics. D.God has plainly stated that He forms nations and ethnicities. Acts E.Laws should be obeyed. F.Laws that are ignored should be modified or rescinded G.Remember that almost every political solution today is the response to a failed political solution in the past