Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Discover the biblical view of immigration and how this applies today.

How should Christians view immigration?

How should Christians vote on immigration?

How should Christians respond to immigration?

What is immigration?

to enter and usually become established especially: to come into a country of which one is not a native for permanent residence

Immigration is not the same as sojourning.

to stay as a temporary resident

Key Terms

tô·šāḇ (תּוֹשָׁב): Sojourner (14X in OT)

tô·šāḇ (תּוֹשָׁב): Sojourner (14X in OT)

A temporary guest or sojourner was usually someone who wanted to take up temporary residence or had moved from one tribe or people to another, and then attempted to obtain certain privileges or rights belonging to the natives

Refugee

Stranger

tô·šāḇ (תּוֹשָׁב): Sojourner (14X in OT)

tô·šāḇ (תּוֹשָׁב): Sojourner

tô·šāḇ (תּוֹשָׁב): Sojourner

appar. of a more temporary and dependent (Lv 22:10; 25:6) kind than the גֵּר (with which it is often joined)

This term occurs thirteen times in the OT, always in conjunction with another term: with “hireling” (Ex.

12:45; Lev.

22:10; 25:6, 40); with gēr (Gen.

23:4; Lev.

25:23, 35, 45, 47; Nu. 35:15; 1 Ch.

29:15; Ps. 39:12 [MT 13]).

Since the expression never appears alone, its precise significance is not clear.

Its root, Heb.

yšb, suggests some type of resident alien, but the distinction between the gēr and the tôšāḇ is perhaps minor; the terms were readily interchanged.

Two technical distinctions

Two technical distinctions

Two technical distinctions

First:

temporary resident, sojourner, stranger, i.e., an alien living in an area that is not one’s normal country, as a class of people with less social rights (Ge 23:4; Ex 12:45; Lev 25:6, 23, 35, 40, 45, 47; Nu 35:15; 1Ki 17:1; 1Ch 29:15; Ps 39:13[EB 12]+), note: for NIV text in 1Ki 17:1

Second

guest, i.e., one associated as a temporary resident with a family, but still of the same ethnic class (Lev 22:10)

This term occurs thirteen times in the OT, always in conjunction with another term: with “hireling” (Ex.

12:45; Lev.

22:10; 25:6, 40); with gēr (Gen.

23:4; Lev.

25:23, 35, 45, 47; Nu. 35:15; 1 Ch.

29:15; Ps. 39:12 [MT 13]).

Since the expression never appears alone, its precise significance is not clear.

Its root, Heb.

yšb, suggests some type of resident alien, but the distinction between the gēr and the tôšāḇ is perhaps minor; the terms were readily interchanged.

Abraham is both a תּוֹשָׁב and a גֵּר among the Canaanites.

Abraham is both a תּוֹשָׁב and a גֵּר among the Canaanites.

Abraham knew his place in the land.

He asked for a place to bury his wife and was willing to pay for it (full price).

No freebies.

No demands.

No pouting.

If denied, every indication (by the fact he lived respectably in the land with those who it belonged to) he would have accepted their decision.

: תּוֹשָׁב may partake of the Passover (though circumcised slaves bought with money may eat the Passover as well as גֵּר).

Leviticus

Different rules and levels of societal involvement governed the lives of strangers, sojourners, and other foreigners.

The תּוֹשָׁב was not allowed to partake of the the priestly offerings (though some slaves, because they were considered family, could partake)

The definition of an “outsider” (v.10) is interesting.

He was a temporary visitor or workman.

The slave was considered family.

The principle is that an outsider should not eat of the holy things (vv.12–13).

A married daughter with a nonpriest husband was no longer in the priest’s family.

A widow or divorced daughter with children might bring a stranger’s children into the family.

This was not allowed.

But a priest’s daughter without children would revert to her childhood status.

A holy thing: that is, the offerings given to God by the people of Israel.

Because a priest’s holiness was shared by the members of his family, they too could participate in the food reserved for the use of the priests.

This privilege, however, was denied to those who were not priests (RSV ‘outsider’; NEB ‘stranger’), or who were the priest’s visitors or hired servants.

A non-Israelite slave who was part of a priest’s family was permitted to eat consecrated food, being a regular member of the household.

the תּוֹשָׁב (foreigner in NASB) could partake in the Sabbath products of the land for food (slaves, hired help, foreigner residents, and aliens in the land).

land of Israel not to be sold permanently because the Jews were גֵּר and תּוֹשָׁב with God!!!

If a Jew cannot pay his debt, then other Jews were to sustain him as a גֵּר and תּוֹשָׁב.

A poor countryman shall be as a תּוֹשָׁב or hired man (seems to equate these two), the poor countryman to serve until the year of jubilee

Stranger: גֵּר

Leviticus 25:47

Sojourner: תּוֹשָׁב

Either of these two could become wealthy in Israel

cities of refuge for תּוֹשָׁב as well as Jews and the גֵּר

settler (תּוֹשָׁב) Elijah the Tishbite (follower of YHWH, prophet during Ahab’s reign).

Elijah was a תּוֹשָׁב of Gilead

King David recognizes that he is also a תּוֹשָׁב

This cannot refer to the land per se but his being a תּוֹשָׁב on this earthy (spiritually)

He also identifies with being both a גֵּר and תּוֹשָׁב “like his fathers”.

David and the Jews are תּוֹשָׁב before the Lord (like their fathers)

Hired man, day laborer

Sakir (שָׂכִיר) Hired man, day laborer (17x in OT)

a worker under contract to work for a wage, usually of lower social/economic status

the שָׂכִיר may not eat of the Passover

the שָׂכִיר may not eat of the Passover

the שָׂכִיר do not get reimbursed for losses, but they get their pay.

()

()

pay שָׂכִיר right away.

Implication: they have basic rights too (if they work for you)

the שָׂכִיר cannot eat of the offerings of the priests

שָׂכִיר can partake of the Sabbath products of the land for food

A broke Jew shall be as a שָׂכִיר, a worker.

redeeming a family member (price wise) is as if he was a שָׂכִיר, paid for the work completed (day wages…with no commitment beyond?)

implies that the שָׂכִיר is a day worker (worthy of day pay) but not able to rule over Jews

שָׂכִיר do not give as much service as the slave (which is a family member)

שָׂכִיר have rights.

Can be either a countryman or an alien (it is a low level position in society which may or may not be a foreigner).

three years according to how a שָׂכִיר would count them (three years exactly).