Category: Justice

Acknowledging and Honoring God’s Purposes for People from All Nations

Solomon’s prayer for foreigners who come from distant lands

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King kneeling on a prayer rug in front of an ancient temple altar with rising smoke

When King Solomon completed the Temple for God in Israel that David committed to build, he praised God for being true to His promise, for bringing His people out of Egypt, for choosing them to dwell among, and to have a Temple dedicated to Him in the City of David – Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 6:1-11) He said,

“Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.”

2 Chronicles 6:14 (NIV)

At the same time, Solomon acknowledged that not even the highest heavens can contain God – much less a temple built by human hands. (v.18) Our God is the Lord over all the earth, and He made a covenant with Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth.

Solomon petitioned God to hear the prayers of the people of Israel (vv.19-21), to remember them when they repent for failing to love their neighbors, to judge those who are guilty and vindicate the innocent are wrongfully accused, and to forgive them when they repent of their sin, to “teach them the right way to live,” and to fear the Lord and walk in obedience. (vv. 22-31) Strikingly, Solomon included foreigners in his prayers:

“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.“

2 Chronicles 6:32-33

Solomon was mindful not just of the people of Israel; he was mindful of foreigners “who come from a distant land” because of God – asking God to do for them what they ask. He did this “so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you.” In doing this, Solomon remembered and honored God’s great promise to Abraham to bless all the nations through his descendants.

Let us remember and honor this promise of God today in our own land and in our own lives. God is no respecter of persons – or nations – who do not align themselves with and live out the promises and global purposes of God. Just as God promised judgment and and hardship for the ancient nation of Israel if they failed to live out their own covenant promises to God, He is and will be true to that promise for His people today – wherever they are scattered around the earth.

We are blessed when we are not just hearers of His word, but only if we are doers of His word. (James 1:22-25) God does not describe exactly how we do that. We need the guidance of His Holy Spirit to discern how to live this out in the 21st Century where we live. If we want to blessed by God and faithful to Him, however, we cannot ignore these things.

I pray that we will lean into God’s great covenant promise to all the nations of the world to live out His purposes and intentions to attract all people to Himself. May we learn to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our own lives acknowledge and honor God in this way in our daily lives, individually and corporately, as the people of God.

The Ugly Story of Gibeah: Don’t Look Away

When religious people lose connection with God

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I just finished reading Judges 19-21, and I want to look away. I realize, though, that looking away is exactly the thing I should not do. This story is meant to offend modern and ancient sensibilities alike. We dare not look away and move on without understanding the poignance and significance of this passage in the Bible.

It’s a good time to state the obvious: not all passages in scripture are prescriptive. In fact, many of them are simply descriptive – a statement of what actually happened.

Further, we should recognize that Hebrew Scripture works by burying commentary subtly into the text in ways that require us to question, dig, and pull it out. Scripture is like the buried treasure and the pearl of great price that requires effort to obtain. We are not robots or data receivers. We are living beings contending with a living God and a loving revelation that requires interaction.

Scripture is also brutally candid about the human condition and the human heart. The often repeated phrase, “There is no one righteous, not even one,” is borne out over and over again to be true. All of the Bible testifies to that fact.

Hebrew scripture builds on itself. The patterns and themes we see early on are echoed in later passages. We need to pay attention to the repeated patterns, because that is where the text is signaling that we should dig.

Scripture often confronts us in ways that are highly uncomfortable. If we feel disoriented reading it, that is not a failure of interpretation. That is the point.

“The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.“

Hebrews 4:12

The closing chapters of Judges are not merely recounting Israel’s past; they are exposing what happens when a covenant people slowly, perhaps inevitably, detach themselves from the living reality of God while continuing to operate within the forms of religion. The religious structures are maintained, but the substance evaporates through spiritual neglect, idolatry (love of things more than God), and a failure to love others.

The Horror Is the Message

The brutality of Judges 19 is intentional. The narrative is crafted to unsettle us.

A Levite—one who should embody spiritual leadership—sacrifices the vulnerable to preserve himself. A town within Israel reenacts and surpasses the wickedness of Sodom. A woman is used, abused, and discarded,. And the response of the nation, though clothed in the language of justice, spirals into something equally disordered, brutal, and ungodly.

If we are tempted to distance ourselves from this story, we are already missing the purpose of the text. Scripture is not merely documenting their failure. It is revealing the potential trajectory of our own failings: the inclinations of the human heart untethered from right relation to God and people – the sin that is always crouching at the door, waiting to creep in, and ready to take hold … if we let it

Continue reading “The Ugly Story of Gibeah: Don’t Look Away” →

The Under-Emphasized Significance of Leviticus 25 in the Ministry of Jesus and Its Importance for Us

The Israelites did not follow the Jubilee instructions

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For at least 7 years, I have been drawn to the passage in Luke 4 where Jesus gives perhaps the earliest description of his public ministry. Jesus introduced his intentions by reading a select passage from the Isaiah scroll, rolled it up, sat down, and announced, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) These were the words that he read:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Luke 4:18-19

Immediately after this announcement, Jesus began demonstrating in Galilee what he came to do – teaching with authority (Luke 4:31-32); setting people free from demonic spirits (Luke 4:33-35); and healing the sick (Luke 4:36-40). At the end of this flurry of divine action, Jesus said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43) In this statement, he clarified that the good news he came to proclaim is the coming of the “kingdom of God.”

This short passage from Isaiah 61 that recalls the Year of the Lord’s Favor (Jubilee) focuses our attention back on Leviticus 25, which is the framework for the communal life God desired His people to embrace when they settled into the land of God’s promise.

The context of these words in Isaiah 61 remind of us the significance of these words that defined the ministry of Jesus and the Jubilee principles that characterized his life and message. When Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, he was incorporating God’s great plan and purpose into the announcement of his ministry.

Isaiah 61 cannot be understood apart from Isaiah 59, which recalls the iniquities of the people that separated them from God and the blood that was on their hands. (Is. 59:1-2) They abandoned the way of peace and justice. (Is 59:8-9) They walked in darkness. (Is. 59:10) No one was available to intervene. (Is. 59:15-16), so God said He would step in (Is. 59:17) with a Redeemer for those who would repent. (Is. 59:20)

Isaiah 60 announces God’s plan of redemption: “arise, shine, for your light has come.” It presages that “nations will come to your light.” (Is 60:1:3) Isaiah 60:4-16 announces God’s intention that all the nations will come to Israel “bringing your [Israel’s] children from afar” (v.9), and “foreigners will rebuild your walls” (v.10) , and “you will drink the milk of nations and be nursed….” (v.16) Isaiah 60:17-22 promises peace, no more violence, everlasting light, and righteousness.

In that context, Jesus read the opening verses of Isaiah 61 – announcing that the time had come for proclaiming good news to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming freedom to captives and release from darkness for prisoners, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.

Significantly, the Jesus left out the concluding words: “and the day of vengeance of our God….”

In doing that, Jesus signaled that he did not come for judgment. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the coming of the kingdom of God predicted in Isaiah 61 – healing, freedom, release, and blessing – because God’s people had failed to live into and live up to the plan God had for them.

The words Jesus read culminate with a proclamation of the “year of the Lord’s favor” from Leviticus 25. This is where it gets interesting to me. I have not focused on this part of what Jesus said before, so let’s dive in.

Continue reading “The Under-Emphasized Significance of Leviticus 25 in the Ministry of Jesus and Its Importance for Us” →

Foreigners, Neighbors, and Citizens of God’s Kingdom in the United States of America Today

Immigration is one of the most polarizing issues for American Christians today

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“You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born.”

Leviticus 24:22

That single line, given by the Lord to Moses, is often read narrowly: foreigners are subject to the same penalties as citizens. True—but incomplete. Law is not merely punitive; it is protective. If the same law binds the foreigner, the same law also shields the foreigner. Justice, in the biblical sense, is reciprocal.

The rules that apply to foreigners are embedded in the sacred Law God gave to Moses for His people. The Law even applied specific protections to foreigners:

  • Leviticus 19:9–10 — Leave gleanings for the poor and the foreigner.
  • Leviticus 23:22 — Harvest leftovers belong to the foreigner and poor.
  • Deuteronomy 24:19–21 — Leave grain, olives, and grapes for foreigners.
  • Deuteronomy 26:12 — Tithes every third year support foreigners.

The Reciprocity Built into God’s Law

Leviticus develops this principle further. In Leviticus 25, the Lord instructs Israel that if a native-born Israelite loses his land and falls into poverty, he is to be treated as a foreigner among them. Why? Because the law already required Israel to provide for foreigners in their midst. By placing impoverished Israelites into the same category as foreigners, God establishes a profound reciprocity:

The protections of the law given to the Israelites apply to the foreigners living among them. The protections given to outsiders become the safety net for insiders when they fall.

This is not accidental. It reveals something essential about God’s character: His justice is inseparable from His mercy.

Other passages reinforce the pattern of concern for foreigners:

  • Leviticus 19:34 — “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself.”
  • Deuteronomy 1:16–17 — Judges must hear cases fairly, whether involving Israelites or foreigners.
  • Deuteronomy 10:18–19 — God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
  • Deuteronomy 24:17 — Do not deprive foreigners of justice.

God’s intentions are reinforced over and over:

  • Exodus 22:21 — “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
  • Exodus 23:9 — Do not oppress a foreigner; you know their experience
  • Leviticus 19:33–34 — Do not mistreat; love them as yourself
  • Deuteronomy 10:19 — Love the foreigner, for you were foreigners

Israel’s memory of its own foreignness was meant to inform Israel’s identity and to shape its ethics. Their past vulnerability became the foundation of their present compassion. They were never to forget who they were and to treat people as they would want to be treated.

Set Apart—But Not Set Against

God was forming a people set apart—a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). Yet their distinctiveness was never meant to become isolation or superiority. From the beginning, God’s promise to Abraham was expansive:

“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:3

Election was never exclusion. The chosen people existed for the sake of the unchosen. We are the benefactors of God’s expansive purpose today.

Jubilee and Land Ownership

Leviticus 25 also introduces the Year of Jubilee – a system of Law that reinforces the design and purpose of God. Under this system, land could not be owned permanently:

“The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”

Leviticus 25:23

Even in the Promised Land, Israel was reminded: you are tenants, not owners.

This theme echoes throughout Scripture. Humanity has lived in exile since Eden. Abraham lived in tents (Hebrews 11:9–10), because he was waiting for a city “whose architect and builder is God.” The saints of old lived as “foreigners and strangers on earth.” (Hebrews 11:13) This is the hallmark of God’s people – their ingrained identity.

The New Testament continues the theme:

  • Philippians 3:20 — “Our citizenship is in heaven.”
  • 1 Peter 2:11 — “I urge you, as foreigners and exiles…”

The Apostle John saw in vivid detail what Abraham and the saints of old only saw from afar:

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

Revelation 21:1-2

Our true home is the New Jerusalem – where Jesus has prepared rooms for all of his people. The Kingdom of God is not of this world. The biblical story reframes our identity: no matter where we are born, God’s people live as resident aliens awaiting a better country and a City the architect and builder of which is God.

The American Tension

The United States is not ancient Israel, and the Mosaic Law is not our civil code. Yet the heart of God revealed in Scripture has not changed. The law written on stone has given way to the law written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), but its moral trajectory remains.

Continue reading “Foreigners, Neighbors, and Citizens of God’s Kingdom in the United States of America Today” →

Why I Write About Immigration Issues

The truth is complicated, but God’s heart is certain

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Mexican Border

I have friends who keep me honest, and I am grateful for that. They don’t always agree with me. In fact, they often disagree with me on various things, but they remain my friends, and I remain grateful for them.

Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I am virtually fixated on the issue of immigration right now. It may seem like a new thing—that all of a sudden I have become woke, liberal, or progressive. Some people who don’t know me well, I am sure, think that about me. The truth is more complicated than that.

I am a lifelong Republican and conservative by nature. I’m also a follower of Jesus, though, and I find that Jesus defies modern political categories and stereotypes. If Jesus looks to me like a Republican or Democrat, “my Jesus” probably is not the real Jesus, and my politics have likely influenced my view of Jesus.

Many people might look at my posts on immigration and feel like I have abandoned all sense of patriotism and national pride. They might think I have become a hater of the United States of America. Again, the truth is more complicated than that.

I grew up with a love for my country and a strong sense of patriotism and pride. I was educated, like most people my age, on the goodness of the United States of America, celebrating Christopher Columbus and Thanksgiving this time of year with idyllic depictions of pioneers living in harmony with Native Americans as our forefathers lived out their manifest destiny in keeping with a divine mandate from our creator to form the greatest, freest country on earth.

I still believe we live in the greatest, freest country on earth, but the truth is messier and more complicated than I once believed. I am grateful for a strong sense of the goodness of the United States of America I learned as a child, and I appreciate the positives in that idealized memory of America. But it’s more complicated than that.

Humanity is nothing if not messy. We are fallen, sinful creatures. We know that, but our idyllic, comforting images die hard.

The pioneers displaced the Native Americans who were here long before us. They were pushed out of their ancestral lands. They were marched in a “trail of tears” to godforsaken territories where they have had to scrape out a meager subsistence ever since then in the literal dust of the barren, rocky places to which they were consigned.

Slavery is a pox on our idyllic history. That it was supported, promoted, and defended by Christians who sought comfort in the Bible while they exploited, oppressed, and dehumanized people for the color of their skin (and wealth they could generate) is a testament to the utter bankruptcy of human beings – even religious ones.

Let’s be honest about this, also: religious people who use their religion to justify their unjust ways are not doing anything different than non-religious people who are unjust. It’s just more insidious for the fact that they contort love of neighbor to love of self.

I have learned to be honest and not to look away from these contrary images of our history and our past. God calls for repentance, and repentance requires honesty. Repentance and heart change are the only proper response to the evil of idolatry and injustice.

Honesty does not mean I do not love my country, and it does not mean that I am not thankful for being born here. I still believe that the good we have brought into the world is not any less good. It’s just complicated, and I want us to live up to the ideals we ascribe to.

In case you could not tell, I am not an idealist, though I certainly do have idealistic tendencies. Not that I am any different than anyone else. We are complicated and complex creatures; human beings. Despite the polarized simplicity of social media that pigeon holes us into two-dimensional, stereotypical ideologues, people and societies are complex.

On the issue of immigration, my “awakening” happened more than a decade ago – in 2014. During the Obama administration, as I watched the Syrian refugee crisis unfold in the news, I realized that didn’t have a robust biblical view on the subject of immigration. I have written about this often, so please bear with me if you have read what I have written before.

Continue reading “Why I Write About Immigration Issues” →