As the debate concerning Middle Eastern refugees being brought into this country heats up, some in the so-called “Christian community” are accusing those who resist the immigration flow of being “haters” and “bigots”–of not having love for the suffering masses. The accusation invariably involves the accuser quoting Scripture which he/she has either misinterpreted, misunderstood or taken out of context. Or, as is normally the case, it shows the finger-pointer’s lack of knowledge of and belief in the Word of God. This Scriptural infirmity is caused by a refusal to follow God’s instructions for Bible study found in Isaiah 28:9,10,13 where He directs us to STUDY ALL SCRIPTURES RELATED TO THE SUBJECT IN QUESTION, not just the verse that seems to confirm one’s preconceived idea.

Favorite passages used to browbeat the accuser’s opponents involve God’s commands to not oppress strangers, but to welcome them and treat them with compassion–to love them. This is all well and good, provided we study and obey all the other Scriptures God gave us relative to those who want to join us. Unlike those who adhere to the Social Gospel (see the posting by that name), Truth-seekers reject man’s version of Christianity (Catholicism/Protestantism) and deal with life’s situations according to the Lord’s written Instructions. The Book of Exodus offers an excellent example of this technique.

When God was bringing the nation of Israel out of Egypt “a MIXED MULTITUDE went up ALSO WITH THEM” (Exo. 12:38). These “strangers” were Gentiles–non-Israelites (12:19). The words “mixed,” “also” and “with” prove that they were not God’s people. They were probably slaves captured during Egypt’s war efforts. Whoever they were, THEY WERE NOT THE PEOPLE GOD VOWED TO BRING OUT OF EGYPT. Yet the Israelites welcomed them BECAUSE THEY EMBRACED AND OBEYED ISRAEL’S GOD by strictly observing the pre-exodus Passover (Exo. 12:1-13). Anyone who did not follow the Lord’s explicit commands would be cursed along with the Egyptians and would not be allowed to leave the country. These “strangers” did what the Israelites did. Because they obeyed God they were allowed to leave with the Israelites. Following the exodus, Israel, along with the strangers among them, would thereafter observe an annual Passover festival (12:14-20). Anyone–Israelite or stranger–who failed to do so would be put to death. Note that following the exodus God made no distinction between the Israelites and the “strangers” saying, “One Law shall be to (rule) him who is homeborn (Israelite) and to (rule) the stranger (Gentile) that sojourns among you” (12:43-49). This decree included circumcision of their males. It also included the Ten Commandment Law God would later dictate from Mt. Sinai. The word “sojourn” meant one who had become one with Israel, as did the Exodus Gentiles. Note that following this episode the mixed multitude (Gentiles) who came out of Egypt with Israel are never again mentioned as a separate group BECAUSE THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL. Why did Israel absorb them? BECAUSE THEY EMBRACED AND OBEYED ISRAEL’S GOD. Fact: If the Gentiles had refused to accept and obey Israel’s God they would not have been welcomed into their nation and would not have been allowed to leave Egypt. The premier example of how to become part of a nation is found in the attitude and actions of Ruth the Moabitess when she left her people and their gods and went to live in Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi. Her verbal commitment to her new nation is the gold standard for social inclusion: “Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Both Ruth and the Exodus Gentiles readily embraced and obeyed Israel’s God when they became part of the nation. In so doing they became God’s people. Question: Was there a spiritual LITMUS TEST for allowing people to live among God’s people? ABSOLUTELY–BECAUSE LEAVEN LEAVENS THE WHOLE LOAF (Lk. 13:21). The loaf does not unleaven the leaven. The leaven principle is a God-given Law that some in the Institutional Church reject because they do not accept His Word as Truth, which Jesus declared it to be in John. 17:17. God knows that when evil and good unite, evil corrupts good. Question: Do the refugees vow to reject their god, convert to Christianity and obey the Christian God as did Ruth and the Exodus strangers? ABSOLUTELY NOT. They have no intention of accepting the Biblical God. Nevertheless, many self-proclaimed Christians anxiously await their arrival. Some have invited the heathen to live with them. Apparently they know more than God; their way trumps God’s Way. Is it any wonder that He is loosing the heathen masses on this God-rejecting nation? This Trojan horse will destroy the nation from within as love-saturated, God-rejecting churchites wonder why. America has sown the wind; now comes a pagan whirlwind from all directions. As our administration is pulling in millions of heathen (voters) from the South it is simultaneously bringing in thousands more from the East. The current and future results of this God-orchestrated curse will be discussed in the next posting. L.J.