Aliens Among Us

Psalm 119:17-19 (Opening) 17  Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. 18  Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19  I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! Introduction We were driving home from my dad’s house on Wednesday morning last week. We got on Interstate 95 southbound in Lincoln. About half way to the next exit, Howland, I saw signs saying, “Left lane closed ahead”. Ok, no big deal. It’s summertime, that’s when all the construction happens anyway. As we got closer to where the cones were blocking off the left lane, there was a sign that said, “Be prepared to stop”. Stop? On the Interstate? That’s odd. The closer we got to where the cars were stopping, the more I could see and figure out. The cars were stopping near one of the “authorized vehicle only” cross over points. And there were a lot of cars parked in the crossover. And a canopy with chairs, a table, and a cooler on the table. And there were about 20 people in green uniforms wearing orange safety vests. When I got close enough to read the patch on their shoulders it all made sense. Border Patrol. What was the Border Patrol doing on the Interstate near Howland? Why were they so far from the actual border? All I know is when I stopped, the gentleman asked me if we were both US citizens, and when we said yes, we were waived through. For me, that event brings up some fourth amendment questions; was that an unreasonable search? Was it even a search, since they didn’t physically go through my car? Although they were obviously searching for something. They were searching for people who had entered the country without proper authorization; they were looking for illegal aliens. Over the past few years, the immigration debate has become a hot-button issue. Debate is a good thing, it’s healthy. We should talk about and calmly debate issues that confront us as a society and as a nation. The operative word there is calmly. Though debate, both sides of an issue are discussed and points are argued for and against. Some people are engaging in calm debate, and some aren’t. But my problem is that people on both sides of the issue are quoting Scripture to support their argument. When that happens, people get confused, and begin to wonder if the Bible contradicts itself. I want to look at some of the scriptures that are being used in the debate about immigration, and see if we can understand what is being said in those scriptures, so we can make informed, intelligent, and godly decisions based on what we discover. Sojourner My past two sermons were about different sojourners in the Bible. We started by studying Abraham and his sojourns. Then we looked at Joseph, the entire nation of Israel, and Moses and their sojourns. Hopefully you remember some of what we talked about. The best way to start this discussion of the biblical aspects of immigration is to start back at the beginning. Abraham left his homeland in Ur, and after his father died, he left Haran and went to Canaan. He didn’t settle there, he was a nomad, grazing his flocks and herds wherever he could find good grazing land. When his wife Sarah died, Abraham suddenly had a need for a plot of land; someplace to bury his wife. Genesis 23:3-4 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” Part of the problem with understanding how Abraham identifies himself is because we don’t translate these two words into English consistently. The ESV has these two Hebrew words as sojourner and foreigner, the New International Version has foreigner and stranger, the Revised Standard and the King James has stranger and sojourner. Similar concepts, but each one lends a different connotation to Abraham’s argument. What point was Abraham trying to make to the Hittites he was talking to? Another place where we see similar problems in translating this idea is in Exodus, specifically where God is explaining the rules for Passover to Moses and Aaron. I’m going to use the NIV for this one because it highlights what I’m talking about. Exodus 12:43-45 (NIV) 43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal: “No foreigner may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker may not eat it. God starts out by saying no foreigner can eat the Passover meal. That makes sense because it’s a Jewish festival, and it commemorates their salvation from slavery in Egypt. God goes on to explain that a slave that has been circumcised can eat it, but not someone who is visiting from another country or someone you’ve hired from another country, temporary resident or hired worker. Let’s keep reading. Exodus 12:46-49 (NIV) 46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. 48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.” Here’s where it gets confusing. God said in verse 43 that no foreigner can eat the Passover meal, but in verse 48, He says a foreigner can if he and all the males in his household, that would include children and male slaves, were circumcised. Did God just contradict Himself? And within five verses at that! Obviously, the answer is no, God didn’t contradict Himself. The problem is the translation of Ancient Hebrew words and concepts into English. Let me see if I can start to clear this up. There are four different groups listed in these verses. First of all, we have the Jews, the community of Israel as it’s stated in verse 47. They are all obliged to share the Passover meal. Then we have the foreigner mentioned in verse 43. The Hebrew word translated as foreigner here is ne-KAR. Ne-KAR is sometimes translated as “stranger”, but it basically means someone from a foreign nation that still lives there but is currently within the borders of Israel, for whatever reason. He could be a traveling salesman, he could be on vacation, he could be a spy, or he could be part of an invasion. The word translated as “temporary resident” in verse 45 is to-SHEV. This is the second word Abraham used to describe himself to the Hittites when he was trying to buy a place to bury Sarah. Temporary resident could be a good translation of to-SHEV. Abraham wasn’t a permanent resident of Canaan, but he did live there. The best analogy I can come up with in our society today is the difference between a ne-KAR and a to-SHEV is approval and duration. The ne-KAR can visit but must eventually go home. The to-SHEV still has ties to their homeland but can remain in Israel. It’s like the difference between having a tourist visa and having a green card. The fourth and final group is in verse 48. In the NIV, they translate this other Hebrew word as foreigner. That word is gyr. This is the word that’s translated as sojourner most of the time in the ESV. Some other groups translate it as alien. Gyr is one of those complicated Hebrew words that can be used as a noun or a verb. All the scriptures from the Old Testament that I’ve heard used in the immigration debate have the Hebrew word gyr in them, but depending on the translation they use, has a different English word translating it, like immigrant, alien, stranger, sojourner, or foreigner. We need to dig back into the Ancient Hebrew context of these scriptures so we can understand what gyr actually meant to them, before we can understand how it applies to us and our situation. In the Torah If you look back at Exodus 12:43-49, I want to point something out. God says in verse 47, talking about the Passover, Exodus 12:47 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And then in the next verse, God says that gyr who want to partake of the Passover must be circumcised, along with the rest of the men in their household. That implies to me that the gyr who is circumcised would be a member of the congregation of Israel, since it says all the congregation of Israel shall keep the Passover. The translators of the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, seemed to think that way too, because everywhere the word gyr appears in the Torah, the Law of Moses, it’s translated into Greek as Proselatos, the word we get proselyte from. And a proselyte is a convert from one religion or no religion to another. It’s interesting that the Greek word proselatos is not found in any Ancient Greek literature that isn’t related to Judaism or Christianity. It’s like it was made up by the Jews to identify people converting to Judaism. You find more support for the argument that gyr are proselytes earlier on in Exodus chapter 12. In explaining the Passover to Moses and Aaron, God also explains the feast that immediately follows Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Exodus 12:19 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. The word translated “sojourner” here is the Hebrew word gyr. Logically, you need to be included in the congregation of Israel before you can be cut off from it, so that implies that gyrim or sojourners were to be included in the congregation, including obeying all the laws and participating in all the feasts and fasts. Gyrim, the plural of gyr, were foreigners who came to Israel, developed a belief in the One True God, and then committed to obeying His laws, beginning with circumcision. But they couldn’t just walk up to the Temple and say “Hey, I think I want to be a Jew now.” There was a process. It involved being “sponsored” so-to-speak, by a man who was born a Jew and could trace his lineage. Then, the man who professed belief in the One True God, called a “God-fearer”, was educated in the Law, so they would know what they were committing obeying. Once that was done, the man would be circumcised, and then after a specified period of time would be immersed in the mikveh for a ritual cleansing, and then he would offer a sacrifice at the Temple. After that, he would be considered a Jew. That’s why we get scriptures like the ones we find in the Torah. Leviticus 19:33-34 33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. And Leviticus 24:22 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” In other words, Jews were not to discriminate between people who had fully converted to Judaism and one who was born a Jew. They were to be treated the same and were bound by the same laws. In the New Testament But we run into some difficulties with our discussion using Torah scriptures to talk about our current immigration debate. The US is not Ancient Israel. We are not a theocracy. Israel was set up with God as their King, providing all the laws of the nation, with judges or earthly kings to be the visible rulers and the people who would interact with other nations and their representatives. It makes sense that to become a citizen of Israel you would have to submit to obey the God of Israel, since He was their true King. Submitting to the God of Israel meant becoming a Jew religiously. Religion and citizenship were tied together. That all came crashing down when there was no more nation of Israel. After being exiled to Babylon, there wasn’t a physical nation of Israel, just a people of Israel. After they returned from Babylon they occupied the same general area of land, but they weren’t autonomous, they weren’t a nation, they were subject to rulers of distant nations; first to Persia, then Greece, then Rome. After the loss of nation status, being a proselyte lost half of its meaning. Now it’s just a religious conversion, not a change in citizenship status. At least, not a change in earthly citizenship status. So, since the New Testament was written during those times when Israel was no longer a nation, what can we find there about how to interact with foreigners and strangers? In Matthew, Jesus talks about the Day of the Lord and the judgement, when all will be raised and judged. One of the points of judgement seems to be compassion and hospitality toward strangers. Matthew 25:35-36 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Isn’t that the kind of compassion any person would want? As children of God, and followers of Jesus, isn’t it our responsibility to do just that? Like the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are supposed to show compassion to our neighbor, and our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with. That sure can make life challenging, but that’s what we’re called to do. The funny thing about strangers is you don’t know who they are, or who you’re helping. You may see someone broke down on the side of the road and stop to help them, and later find out that you helped someone of some importance or with some influence. Maybe they’ll be able to help you someday. You never know. That’s not the reason to help people, but it is an added benefit. The writer of Hebrews looked at it slightly differently. Hebrews 13:1-2 1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Both of these verses are imperative commands. In other words, they would be considered direct orders. Keep loving each other. Be hospitable. Every time I read this verse, all I can think of is my dad, picking up hitchhikers on the Interstate back when I was a kid. Sometimes we just gave them a ride to their exit. Sometimes, rarely, we would bring them home, give them supper and a place to sleep for the night. The world is different now than it was then, or at least it seems like it is. People are less likely to stop to pick up a stranger on the road or help a stranger that has broken down on the highway. The writer of Hebrews seems to be rehashing Jesus’ comments that we just looked at. Be compassionate toward people, even if you don’t know them. Show hospitality to strangers. Does this apply only to people we know belong where we find them? Only to citizens? Compassion and hospitality are important, but we’re also told to obey the law. Not just God’s Law, but man’s law also, as long as it doesn’t conflict with God’s Law. Both Paul and Peter had something to say about this. Romans 13:1-2 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. If you believe that God is in charge, then you should believe that He puts people into positions of authority. He puts kings and rulers in place and takes them out. He’s in complete control. So, if a person is put into a position of authority in the government, we should believe that God put him or her there for a reason. Maybe the reason is to do positive things and help godly people. Maybe the reason is to cause problems for godly people to strengthen them and make them grow to trust God more. Either way, even when it’s hard, we need to obey those in positions of authority unless they are requiring us to do things that are against God’s laws. And speaking about hard, think about Peter’s experiences with those in authority. 1 Peter 2:13-14 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. Peter’s experience with governors and the emperor of Rome were not positive ones. Herod had him put in prison and was going to have him killed. Tradition says that Nero imprisoned Peter in Rome and had him crucified. But Peter tells us that we are subject to these people because God put them in place. No matter what your political affiliation, you’re eventually going to disagree with someone who is in political office. But God put them there for a reason. To apply this to the immigration debate, those who are in office are supposed to enforce the laws, but sometimes they chose which laws they will enforce and which they want ignored. As Christians, we don’t have the option of ignoring laws that God has put in place. If man’s law is obviously contrary to God’s law, we have an obligation to disobey that law and obey God’s law. Conclusion Like I said when I started, the immigration debate is a complicated one. On one hand, we’re supposed to be compassionate and hospitable. On the other hand, we’re supposed to obey the laws and the authorities God has put in place. Who do you believe? What do you do in these situations? Honestly, I believe this is one of those situations where we need to personally weigh the evidence and decide for ourselves. The Bible doesn’t contradict itself, but men can twist the Bible to say what they want it to say. If you don’t have the ability to research the information for yourself, you can easily be misled. Those people who use scripture to intentionally mislead others will face a harsher judgement than others. God’s judgement is coming. Just like Jesus talks about in Matthew 25. We will all stand before Him one day, and He will separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be those who obey His word and were compassionate and hospitable. The goats will be those who disobeyed Him and did what they wanted to do, no matter what. Which group do you want to be in? 1 Peter 4:7-11 (Closing) 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Bible Study Psalm 15 1  O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2  He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3  who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4  in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5  who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.