I agree with @Andrew.
Regarding treatment of foreign nationals, I appreciate the compilation of the word “foreigner” (stranger) as it appears in the Bible (30 verses on immigration), but we must not allow ourselves to think our modern American use of this word is equivalent with the ancient Israelite use of the word. There are some very stark and important differences.
Israel was a National Theocracy, established by God Himself. It was a unique nation of His own home-grown people intentionally cultivated from the root of His own chosen Abraham, and placed at the center of civilization as a testimony of Himself to a lost and sinful world. National Israel was designed to stand-out against the rest of the world; instructed by law to maintain their unwavering purity, unsullied spiritual cleanliness, unmixed with the ways of the world, shining example of followers of the One True God. The laws mentioned in the provided verses were laws for testimonial Israel, laws that testify of who the God of Abraham is; many of which stood in stark contrast to the laws of the surrounding nations. These laws were both ecclesiastical and national, because there was no separation of the two; ancient Israel had no “First Amendment” which governed their national policy. The national law was also God’s divine law, word for word, handed down from God Himself to His chosen nation. Many of these provided verses (above) must be read and understood within this ecclesiastical context. Israel was never to mix with the surrounding nations; they were to strictly guard against influence from other nations, never to intermarry, to reject foreign customs, to prohibit all foreign entanglements and dependencies. Foreigners were considered heathen. Gôyim, gentiles, alien nations, etc. The traveling alien was unclean, uncircumcised, unchosen, one of the outsiders. Even so, God instructed His national Israel to treat alien sojourners justly, in the same way one would treat a fellow Israelite, as a testimony to them of who God is. Unfair treatment would be acting like the goyim, and would not be testimonial.
The reasonable new covenant counterpart to the ancient nation of Israel is the church, the ecclesia, the minority called out from the world (nations). We, The Church of God, treat all mankind, even those outside the church, with justice, equity, respect, and dignity; in the same manner we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing our outward conduct toward the world is testimonial of who God is.
The United States of America, however, is not a theocracy; it is not a chosen nation, is not God’s testimony to the world. Of course, all followers of Christ, who are also citizens of The United States of America, want our national government to submit to God, because that is what is best for all mankind. Of course, we speak-out for justice for all, for equity in treatment, and human dignity and respect for all who are in our country from another nation. But remember, justice means equity under the law. If a national resident breaks the law there are punitive consequences, and so justice demands that immigrants who have broken national laws are subject to “just” treatment, “just” as nationals would be punished. God does not promote injustice.
I believe we need better immigration legislation; smoother paths to entry, and easier paths to citizenship. Our laws should encourage immigration while protecting our country against foreign terrorists, illegal opportunists, and migrant criminals. It is not a question of should we open or close our boarders, but of how can we open our arms to the world while protecting those within.
My morning rant
KP
