5 Things We Need in Order to Deal with Refugees God's Way Today

[ courtesy world vision.org -- look them up ]

Our Responsibility To Those Fleeing From Their Masters -- Deuteronomy 23:15-16

In this chapter of miscellaneous (and generally unrelated) laws given to the Israelites, we have two verses pertaining to a "slave who has escaped from his master" and come over to the land of the Israelites for refuge. The first verse (vs. 15) is clear, you are not to return them to their master.

And then in verse 16, we read that this slave that has fled is to live in the land that God had given to the Israelites, the promised land, wherever he chooses.  And finally, he is not to be mistreated.

As I read these two verses, I wondered what the message for us living today is. Is it just talking about real slaves?  Technically, slavery was abolished many many decades ago. Is it talking about those who are oppressed? Well, millions of people are oppressed today in all sorts of ways. What about refugees? Is it talking, to us at least, about how we are to treat refugees?

Oppression is big these days -- people are oppressed by various masters -- drugs, demons, poverty, sex trade, etc. Refugees are also in the millions around the world these days -- people fleeing or claiming to be fleeing from oppression in their own lands. How are we know what our response should be?

And finally, assuming the lesson or principle for us is indeed our treatment of the oppressed and refugees, what really do we owe them?

These were questions that came to mind as I studied these verses. But before I give you any thoughts that would form my personal reactions, I wanted to turn to a few commentators and see what they had to say.

There was not a lot to be found among the commentators I usually refer to.  Robert Jamieson suggests the 'slave' was "evidently a servant of the Canaanites or some of the neighboring people, who was driven by tyrannical oppression, or induced, with a view of embracing the true religion, to take refuge in Israel."

Matthew Henry has the most to say, 

"The land of Israel is here made a sanctuary, or city of refuge, for servants that were wronged and abused by their masters, and fled thither for shelter from the neighbouring countries, v. 15, 16. We cannot suppose that they were hereby obliged to give entertainment to all the unprincipled men that ran from service; Israel needed not (as Rome at first did) to be thus peopled. But, 

• 1. They must not deliver up the trembling servant to his enraged master, till upon trial it appeared that the servant has wronged his master and was justly liable to punishment. Note, It is an honourable thing to shelter and protect the weak, provided they be not wicked. God allows his people to patronise the oppressed. The angel bid Hagar return to her mistress, and Paul sent Onesimus back to his master Philemon, because they had neither of them any cause to go away, nor was either of them exposed to any danger in returning. But the servant here is supposed to escape, that is, to run for his life, to the people of Israel, of whom he had heard (as Benhadad of the kings of Israel, 1 Ki. 20:31) that they were a merciful people, to save himself from the fury of a tyrant; and in that case to deliver him up is to throw a lamb into the mouth of a lion.
• 2. If it appeared that the servant was abused, they must not only protect him, but, supposing him willing to embrace their religion, they must give him all the encouragement that might be to settle among them. Care is taken both that he should not be imposed up on in the place of his settlement-let it be that which he shall choose and where it liketh him best, and that he should not exchange one hard master for many-thou shalt not oppress him. Thus would he soon find a comfortable difference between the land of Israel and other lands, and would choose it to be his rest for ever. Note, Proselytes and converts to the truth should be treated with particular tenderness, that they may have no temptation to return."

Clearly, at least Matthew Henry, applies some limitations or boundaries as to which runaway slave or refugee we are to help. You will have to decide for yourself. Sadly, this whole thing has become a political issue these days partly because we have not looked to Scriptures for guidance, and partly because there is a scarcity of resources available to provide support for them and a country's own citizens at the same time. It is also a political issue for western countries as some parties believe in open borders in order to gain the future votes of today's refugees who would soon become immigrants.

I maintain that if we stuck to the guidance provided by Scripture, we could find and then pursue the right approach. Here is my thinking on this whole thing and I'd love to hear yours:

1. We need a definition of what a refugee is today that is in keeping with the Word of God. Clearly it is someone who is oppressed and abused and fearing for their life or safety. Currently the UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) uses this definition:

"A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries."

Is that the definition that God would have us use? I see some holes in the definition. The definition states that a refugee is one who flees their country because of "persecution, war or violence". Think about that definition. If Canada or the U.S. were involved in a war with each other, then, by that definition, everyone in Canada and the U.S. would qualify as a refugee. Major flaw in the definition.  In my opinion, the only part of the definition that makes sense is if an individual was the actual subject of 'persecution'.

It gets worse from there. Candidates also qualify, by the U.N. definition, if they have a "well-founded fear of persecution" albeit for the reasons outlined (i.e. due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group). The problem is not with the legitimate reasons for the 'fear of persecution' but rather with the fact that we have no real initial control of whether the fear is "well-founded" or not.

And reading further into the definition, there is much weight placed to the fact of whether or not they can return home safely. That's okay, but it also seems all you have to claim is that you are "afraid to do so" and you meet the definition.

I believe the current U.N. definition requires a major upgrade.

2. We need adjudicators of who qualifies that are not politically motivated, but God-fearing individuals who have God-given wisdom in making these decisions in a fair way. This is not the case today. In the last few years, for example, much has been made of the fact that these adjudicators favor certain ethnic or religious groups over others with hardly any Christian individuals or families qualifying for refugee status.

3. We need a process that makes sense. Today, it appears to me that people simply decide that they can get from their country of origin to some other preferable country by claiming to be refugees. They then make their way to those countries, legally or otherwise, or show up at that country's borders and expect to be let in. Somehow, we need a process whereby all refugees in imminent danger are moved to a designated nation or geographical place on earth (supported financially and fairly by all members of the U.N.) until the validity of their claim can be determined. Once claimers of refugee status get to their desired destination for whatever reason, before their case has been validated, it is too late. Politics then gets in the way.

4. We need to recognize the difference between a legitimate refugee and a citizen. These differences are huge. We cannot afford, nor is it fair to citizens (especially non-believers), to provide at their expense, the same privileges and benefits to refugees that citizens have worked hard to earn over time. Certainly we need not provide things which we do not provide to our own citizens or in a way that is unfair to our own citizens. I believe, as Christians, we need our nation to provide the basics for living, and anything over and above that, we can choose to provide individually out of our own pocket, maybe to individually individual refugees.

5. We need to decide what foreign practices we will allow in our country. God certainly did not expect the Israelites to allow heathen practices in their land. Neither should we. For example, honor killings and child genital mutilations are out. No if's, but's, or why's. 

Okay, let's review. God said "don't return the slave to his master".  Agreed, providing we can ascertain that he was truly a slave and that his master misused and abused him, as Henry suggests in his commentary. After that, God said "let him live anywhere he wants in your land". This would be subject to the same requirements or qualifications that others need to adhere to in order to live there. For example, he could not live in the temple, or where the Levites lived. I, today, cannot live, for example, in a penthouse downtown in my city or on millionaire's row, simply because I can't afford it. Where possible, a refugee should initially be given liveable accommodations, but not ones that are better than the majority of our citizens. Once he/she gets settles, gets a job, they should be free to move to where they can afford. Today, as happened in the U.S. during President Obama's terms, refugees who later became citizens, were all initially moved as a group to certain locals which would guarantee the election of certain candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is not right.

Finally, God says, do not abuse them. Agreed. But let us also not burden or abuse our citizens in order to appease our refugees. There is a balance that needs to be struck.

What do you think about this very relevant topic of today? Are our nations approaching the matter of refugees in the right way?

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