Principles From the Past

I am reading with interest a book called, Just Who Does God Think He Is? By Charles P. Hooten.  The book goes into some depth regarding God declaring his person and his purpose.  It talks about God declaring his deity, his character, his emotions.  It’s an interesting, but in-depth read.

One of the chapters talks about the holiness of God and the necessity of his people to also be holy.  One of the points in that discussion is that a holy person will, like God, receive an alien into the community with the grace of God.  The point is made that in the days of Israel in the Old Testament, God gave specific instructions to Israel to accept the alien and sojourner into the Israeli flock.  The specific text is found in Leviticus 19:34.  “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.”  Leviticus 24 says that there is one standard in keeping the Law for both the stranger (alien) as well as the Israelite.

We can learn a lot for our modern day issues such as illegal immigration from the principles found in the Bible.  Yes, the passages we are talking about are from the Old Testament.  But remember that even though we are no longer under the Law, the principles that are inherent in the text may well apply to us today just as they applied to God’s people then.  Because, you see, God doesn’t change.  What he thought then he thinks now.  How he wanted his people to live and act then is how he wants his people to live and act now.  The specifics of the rules may change; the principles do not.

So, what can we learn from the way God told his people Israel to treat the stranger and alien?  First, we are to love them as we love ourselves.  Second, the alien is to assimilate into the culture and abide by the societal expectations of the native.  That’s what it means when it says that the standard is the same for both the native and the stranger.

We know that any foreigner who wished to be a part of the Israelite nation and align himself with Israel was obligated to reject any prior idolatrous ways and take on the requirements of Israel’s covenant with God. A key part of that covenant was circumcision, the sign of God’s covenant with Israel.

Now, I’m not advocating circumcision for all aliens who hit the shores of the United States.  Remember, I said the PRINCIPLE holds…not necessarily the rules.  So where does it leave us when we look at the principles that come from this passage of sacred text?

The principle is, it seems to me, that whoever comes to be part of this (or any) nation, must first be loved by the natives.  Second, the alien should do all he can to assimilate himself into the fabric of the society.  Legal status seems to be the prime mover here.  Closely following that might well be productivity and participation in the community, with the eventual goal of naturalization.

Conversely, the native society must not make the process so onerous that it is impossible or virtually impossible to assimilate and become part of the fabric of the community.  Sensible laws and regulations seem to be co-existent along with the obligation of the foreigner.

I know this is just my opinion, and the opinion of the author of the above-mentioned book.  But the opinion is worth pondering, even as we look even more fully into the words of God to extract principles for living today.  And for the Christian, my presumption is that the admonition to love the foreigner as one loves oneself is not optional.  Both the Old and New Testaments, and even Jesus Himself have been very clear on our obligation to love one another.  I think that if we even do that as God asks, the rest will follow rather readily and quickly.