Stranger in a Strange Land

Exodus 2:22

Introduction

This morning we are going to consider how Christians should approach the subject of immigration.

That sounds like a sermon about politics but I think you will see it is in fact a rejection of politics.

My concern in this and every sermon in this series is that we firmly root our thinking in God’s word.

Too many have built their thoughts on the foundation of what “everyone knows” and now that such a foundation is crumbling they are left with two poor positions:

They either hold onto what everyone used to think and are simply bigots or luddites.

Or they make the shift to what everyone thinks now which is moving so rapidly that it is hard to maintain an accurate measure of which direction the wind blows.

Far better to establish our thoughts on grounds that do not shift and principles that have the backing of the only one who matters.

One other word here is that scripture is increasingly used in conversations on this subject. I don’t preach here because I want to change US policy on immigration. I preach because Christians are using this to weigh in on the subject and by in large, they are doing so with carelessness that only brings more confusion instead of the light they ought to be bringing.

The Needy Stranger

Stranger is the most common word for an immigrant in Scripture (Ezek. 14:7).

It is not an enviable position (Deut. 14:21).

God shows particular kindness to the immigrant (Psa. 146:9; Deut. 10:18).

From His love and kindness we are to learn to do the same (Deut. 10:19).

The stranger is put alongside other categories in need of special attention.

The needy (Lev. 19:10).

The orphan and widow (Deut. 24:20-21).

Thoughtful sympathy is called for (Ex. 22:21; 23:9; Lev. 19:34; Deut. 10:19; 23:7).

God brings judgment on those who disregard these commands (Ezek. 22:7, 29; Mal. 3:5; Matt. 25:41-46).

The Rule of Law

Justice for the stranger was founded on faithful application of God’s Law (Ex. 12:49; Lev. 24:22; Num. 15:16; Deut. 31:12; Josh. 8:33-35).

These laws provided benefits and protections (Num. 35:15; Deut. 16:11, 14).

They also came with responsibilities and penalties (Lev. 18:26; 20:2).

The blessings and responsibilities all went together (Ex. 23:12).

No Political Solutions

We have an immigration problem because we have a sin problem (Deut. 28:43-44).

Immigration was meant to be a blessing to the immigrant and to the native.

When you are the head, blessings are what follow, but when you are the tail, what would have been blessings become curses.

“A healthy society has nothing to fear from immigrants but — and this is the rub — we are not a healthy society.” - Doug Wilson

The sort of political movement that could actually do good isn’t even considered (Jonah 3:6-10).

On the one hand, people think that building a wall or some other means of just keeping people out is going to fix the problem.

They think this because they think the greatest threat to our nation is lowered wages and barely give a thought to lowered standards of morality.

If they are not careful, this actually turns into mere ethnic prejudice. Which has been the policy with nearly every group who has immigrated en masse to our country.

On the other hand, people want to just do away with borders and let anyone who wants to come in.

They do this because they think compassion and hospitality can come without laws to guide it.

They think that law is entirely subjective instead of realizing that the only true laws come from the one true lawgiver.

They think strangers can live in a strange land without learning to be a part of that land.

The tremendous irony and hypocrisy here is that those who maintain that this is the greatest country on earth, would bar entrance to others. Those who think it is the most oppressive country in the world would enthusiastically invite others in.

We must act as individuals ought to act in a wicked place (2 Pet. 2:7).

This means we must maintain love for the stranger when it is in vogue to hate him and when it is not.

It means we must maintain that love as guided by God’s definitions of love and care.

It means we must preach truth to difficult situations. Even ones that would introduce heartache.

It means we cannot take up sides in a battle where both sides have rejected God.

I’m not saying you can’t go to the ballot box and choose a lesser of two evils.

Communists looked like a better option than Nazis at one time. But they were still communists.

I cannot tell whose solution is less bad because both sides continue down a path toward self-destruction and neither even hints at looking to the real solutions.

“Let them come. The queen of Sheba came, and the spirit went out of her when she saw it. But what is necessary for that to happen? You must “hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.” And to ask, eyes darting left and right, if there mightn’t be any other solution apart from such repentance is like asking if we could please have salvation without a Savior, forgiveness without a cross, deliverance without a God. We want to be saved from drowning but don’t want to leave the bottom of the pond. It doesn’t work that way.”

Conclusion

We are strangers in a strange land and must keep that in mind.

Our minds about these things must be shaped by God and not by pundits.

fh