The Avenger of Blood

Reading through the Book of Leviticus can be like taking a short walk through a big desert. It can be a struggle to get through, but when you get to the other side - paradise!

There are lots of rules in the Book of Leviticus. Many of them don't make too much sense to us, living in today's world. But, when we stop and think about them, if we do, the rules suddenly make sense. Like the Avenger of Blood and the City of Refuge.

You have probably heard the term "city of refuge" in the news recently. In today's context it applies to illegal aliens trying to escape the federal government's desire to deport them. The city of refuge in today's world is willfully disobeying federal law.

Back in the time of Moses a city of refuge was a place where someone could flee to if he or she accidentally killed someone. The Avenger of Blood, usually a family member, could not kill the fleeing person in that city. But if the fleer ever left the city. Boom!

This city of refuge concept is mentioned many times in the Bible. It must be important. So I got thinking about that concept and came up with this.

Isn't Jesus OUR "city of refuge"? When we flee from the sins we have committed, aren't we safe "in Him"? And if we should every leave Him, aren't we then doomed? You and I face death if we are found anywhere outside of our City of Refuge, Jesus.

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." - Proverbs 18:10

Our salvation is found in The Lord, our strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved.

The Name of The Lord

Vet Me

There has been a lot of talk this past year about vetting. What is vetting anyway? What does it mean to vet someone? Does it hurt? Our cat hates to go to the vet, but that's different. Why is it so important that we vet someone?

Vet - make a careful and critical examination of (something). To check, examine, scrutinize, investigate, inspect, look over, screen, assess, evaluate, appraise.

I see many Facebook posts about failed relationships and broken trust. To use the word of the day, it sounds like some people were not properly vetting their friends - weeding out the bad ones - only letting the good ones into their hearts.

As we look at whether or not to allow refugees from countries that allow terrorist activities into ours, let us remember the Ebola outbreak. What did we do with the guy on the plane who had been exposed to Ebola? Well, he was placed in quarantine, until it as proven that he didn't have it. Then he was released. Very similar.

What does God think about all this? I have no idea, but I can guess based on what I have read in the Bible. I know God wants us to love everyone of those refugees, especially our brothers and sisters (1 Peter 2:17). I also know that God commands us to cast out the evil ones among us (1 Corinthians 5:13).

There are many examples in the Old Testament about how Israel was instructed to treat people of different religions. It was never very pretty and not very politically correct. It was often bloody and complete. None being left alive.

Jesus brought a different message with Him in the message of the Good Samaritan. You can read my take on that here.

The Commands of Jesus: Go And Do Likewise

The issue of vetting refugees and immigrants splits the nation in two - detain them 48%, don't detain them 42%. So who's right? Not us humans.

Jesus will vet each one of us one day. And not every "refugee" will be allowed in.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. "

⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-33 & 46

Personally, I feel we Christians are called to take care of all the refugees, whatever their religion. But I also believe that we are to treat our Christians brothers and sister above the rest - still, at the same time, helping all. Should we let refugees for our "enemies" countries into our country? I'm not so sure about that one. I think our president is erring on the side of safety for American citizens at the expense of those seeking to get in. That's unfortunate but that's what its come down to now.

That said, we must remember that WE are not citizens of this world anymore. We are aliens in our own country. Jesus will vet us all one day. Do you have proof of who you are in God's eyes?

The Sheep And The Goats - Keith Green
Separating Sheep and Goats

The Commands of Jesus: Go And Do Likewise

There has been a lot of discussion in the news and on the Internet about whether or not we should allow Syrian refugees into our country. Our president would like to allow thousands of Syrians into our country . . . this year. On the conservative side of things, many feel there should be some screening and background checks before anyone comes walking into our land.

This later thought has gained some traction in recent days when it was discovered that one of the attackers in Paris was himself one of the Syrian refugees. That raises the question, how do we know if someone is an extremist before we let them in? Logical question, but impossible to answer.

Did you know that Jesus was a refugee? He was. There was tremendous violence in his home country. Herod was seeking to kill Jesus so Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt. I wonder . . . What was THEIR policy on immigration?

"Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." - Matthew 2:13-15

If we search a bit more in the Bible we can find EXACTLY what we should be doing as a country for these people who are fleeing their home country with only what they can carry. The story of The Good Samaritan.

"25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.  34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’  36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” - Luke 10:25-37

What is interesting is that modern day Samaria is Palestine, more specifically the West Bank. The Good Samaritan, in modern terms, could very well be a Muslim. The victim on the side of the road in the story was from Jerusalem, most likely a Jew. Their nationalities and the role they each played in Jesus' story is amazing enough but the lengths to which the Samaritan went to help someone is the main story.

Based on this parable of Jesus, what should we as a nation do for these people fleeing for their lives?

1. We should have compassion on them (v 33).
2. We should go to them now, not take the time to bring them to our own land (v 34).
3. We should take care of them, bandage their wounds, emotionally as well as physically (v 34).
4. We should transport them in our vehicles, planes, etc. (v 34).
5. We should feed them, giving them what is needed, both physically and spiritually (v 34).
6. We should take them to a place of safety. Where is the nearest "inn?" (v 34).
7. We (the nations of the world) should pay for their expenses, whatever the cost (v 35).

Do I believe we should bring these refugees into our own country? No. Why not? Which of you, if faced with a similar situation in this country and taken to some foreign land, would not want to return home one day? Syria is their home. We, as people of the world, should take care of our neighbors . . . right where they are. But it is unsafe in Syria! Then we are to take them to a nearby safe place and care for them there. This is the command of Jesus, our King. The question for us is . . why aren't we obeying?

Refugee - Tom Petty