Obviously, the US is not Israel, but there is a concept in this chapter that applies to every nation in every time period: God does not favor one nationality over another.
The people of Israel were God's chosen people because of God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, not because they were special in some way. We see time and again in the wilderness how they rebelled and failed to follow God as He directed. They became special because God chose them, rather than God choosing them because they were special. Any foreigners who sojourned among them were welcomed to join them and God required for those who joined them to enjoy the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as those who were native-born.
In a similar way, the things that are special or "great" about America are the things that God has done for this nation, rather than anything unique or intrinsic to us. God has blessed America. God expects those of us who call Him Lord to follow His statutes and that includes treating those who dwell with us, whether native-born, immigrant, or visitor, with dignity and respect.
Moreover, for those in Christ, even those we would judge to be an enemy, we are commanded to win over through our love and generosity. Thinking of that as foolish, naive, or stupid is to describe God as those things and to place the ultimate value on this temporal life on earth, rather than the eternal values of our Creator.
The people of Israel were God's chosen people because of God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, not because they were special in some way. We see time and again in the wilderness how they rebelled and failed to follow God as He directed. They became special because God chose them, rather than God choosing them because they were special. Any foreigners who sojourned among them were welcomed to join them and God required for those who joined them to enjoy the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as those who were native-born.
In a similar way, the things that are special or "great" about America are the things that God has done for this nation, rather than anything unique or intrinsic to us. God has blessed America. God expects those of us who call Him Lord to follow His statutes and that includes treating those who dwell with us, whether native-born, immigrant, or visitor, with dignity and respect.
Moreover, for those in Christ, even those we would judge to be an enemy, we are commanded to win over through our love and generosity. Thinking of that as foolish, naive, or stupid is to describe God as those things and to place the ultimate value on this temporal life on earth, rather than the eternal values of our Creator.
RSS Feed