THE ROOT OF RACISM
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Exodus 1:1-14
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
Acts 7:17-19
“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.
RACE A modern concept that classifies people into distinct ethnic groups. When applied to people in the Bible and other ancient texts, race can designate a family, people group, nation, or group of descendants.
Exodus is not only a book that teaches us about God's desire and determination to dwell with his people, but ultimately how he wants His own to dwell together in harmony. Psalm 133 speaks of God's desire for His people to dwell together in unity.
Psalm 133:1-3
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
If we look again to the beginning of the Exodus story in Genesis 12 we see our Lord's promise to bring everyone in to one family. God’s plan to save the cosmos through Christ apart from works of law was not novel with Paul’s gospel. God announces this good news to Abraham beforehand in the scripture (Gal 3:22, 27; 4:30; cf. Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 15:1-5
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Since Paul cites Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-5 in Gal. 3:6, 8, the “scripture” clearly refers to the OT scripture. The gospel has always intended to unify all things and all people through the promised seed from Gen. 3:15 to 12:1-3, 15:1-5, 18:18, 24:7, and 26:4.
God has always desired and designed to make one family on the basis of faith out of a universal and diverse people through a singular seed (Gen. 3:15; 18:18; 24:7; 26:4; cf. Gal. 3:16). Paul’s statement in Gal. 3:8 about God’s promise of the justification of the Gentiles is a fusion of Gen. 12:3; 18:18, and 22:18.
Exodus shows us the root of racism and the ultimate remedy for racism.
Exodus shows us the root of racism and the ultimate remedy for racism.
THE ROOT OF RACISM IS FEAR.
THE ROOT OF RACISM IS FEAR.
You fear what you don't understand and this fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate.
You fear what you don't understand and this fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate.
THE REMEDY FOR RACISM IS FORGIVENESS.
THE REMEDY FOR RACISM IS FORGIVENESS.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
When there is forgiveness there is love. Where there is forgiveness there is unity.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,