God wants us to be kind and compassionate to the foreigners and strangers in our land. Just like what he commanded Israel to do - to be kind to the strangers living in the lands of Israel. God commanded them to treat strangers kindly, as if they are native-born. (Leviticus 19:34). God wants me to be kind to my people, even people who lived inside my country, but who does not speak my language or share my religion. God wants me to treat them nicely, humanely, with respect and with compassion. Thank you LORD for this reminder.
Text: Leviticus 19:32-37 NIV
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah[a] and an honest hin.[b] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
37 “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
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INSIGHTS:
[From Our Daily Bread] Everything felt drastically different in their new country—new language, schools, customs, traffic, and weather. They wondered how they would ever adjust. People from a nearby church gathered around them to help them in their new life in a new land. Patti took the couple shopping at a local food market to show them what’s available and how to purchase items. As they wandered around the market, their eyes widened and they smiled broadly when they saw their favorite fruit from their homeland—pomegranates. They bought one for each of their children and even placed one in Patti’s hands in gratefulness. The small fruit and new friends brought big comfort in their strange, new land.
God, through Moses, gave a list of laws for His people, which included a command to treat foreigners among them “as your native-born” (Leviticus 19:34). “Love them as yourself,” God further commanded. Jesus called this the second greatest commandment after loving God (Matthew 22:39). For even God “watches over the foreigner” (Psalm 146:9).
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Besides obeying God as we help new friends adapt to life in our country, we may be reminded that we too in a real sense are “strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11:13). And we’ll grow in our anticipation of the new heavenly land to come. - By Anne Cetas
[From Bible Commenyary / SCRIPTURE INSIGHT] The commandments found in Leviticus 19 are rooted in the calling of God’s people to be holy like God (Leviticus 19:2). This chapter reveals that being a holy people— set apart and devoted to God— includes being devoted to justice for the poor and marginalized (vv. 9–10, 13–16, 33–34). Pursuing justice is a way of loving our neighbor, and love for God and neighbor is at the heart of God’s law (Matthew 22:37–40).
Leviticus 19 emphasizes that the “neighbor” who Israel was called to love included foreign residents. They were called to treat foreigners with justice as if they were “native-born” (v. 34). They were to “love them as [themselves], for [they] were foreigners in Egypt” (v. 34). Treating outsiders with compassion and justice is commanded repeatedly in Scripture, often connected to the Israelites’ own experience of being exploited while in a foreign land (Exodus 22:21; 23:9; Deuteronomy 24:17–18). - Monica La Rose
[From me] God wants us to be kind and compassionate the foreigners and strangers living in our land. Just like what he commanded Israel to do - to be kind to the strangers living in the lands of Israel. God commanded them to treat strangers kindly, as if they are native-born (Leviticus 19:34). God wants me to be kind to my people, even people who lived inside my country, but who does not speak my language or share my religion. God wants me to treat them nicely, humanely, with respect and with compassion. Thank you LORD for this reminder.
March 12, 2023
