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Exodus 23:9

You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 400 years, so they had a huge experience of being foreigners. Throughout that time, they knew their true home was elsewhere, and that one day they would enter the land that the Lord had given them. This meant that, of all people, they had reason to be sensitive to the vulnerabilities of the foreigners in their community. Time and again, the law of Moses reminded them of this important responsibility.

When I lived in India, I had the huge privilege of living with an Indian family. They generously took me into their home where we shared meals, worship, leisure and a lot of laughs. They couldn’t have been more generous. However, I didn’t speak their language at all at first, and was never fluent. Their customs were very unfamiliar to me and I often felt rather lost. It was only the kindness and consideration of the lovely family which meant that I felt secure and at peace. I certainly learned what it meant to care well for a foreigner!

The duty to care for foreigners is one that God places upon all of us, and the challenge is constantly increasing. The number of migrants internationally is now nearly 300 million people – almost double the number from 1990 and three times the number from 1970. This poses a huge challenge to Christians throughout the world, and it is great to see churches involved with many networks to support these people, recognising the colossal challenges that they face. One of the key needs is for them to learn the language of their new host country and to be offered a place to meet with other people from their home country. Such initiatives are an exciting, contemporary way of living in obedience to God’s ancient law.

Question

In what way are you and your church able to reach out to foreigners in your own community?

Prayer

Loving Father, help me to show Your love and care for foreigners. Amen

Today’s readings come from Proverbs 11:9-18, John 4:1-26, Judges 1:1-2:5

Today’s readings come from Psalm 55:12-23, John 3:22-36, Joshua 23:1-24:33

Exodus 23:8

Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth.

I had never really thought about bribes until I spent two years living in India. There, we spoke about bribes on a regular basis. Soon after I arrived there, a servant girl was murdered near where we lived. Her body was found at the bottom of a well. I was very alarmed by this, as you can imagine, and was relieved when my Indian host told me that the murderer had been found. I asked what would happen to the murderer and my host explained straightforwardly that nothing would happen because he had bribed the police. I was deeply shocked.

Bribery takes place in many countries on a regular basis. In India, it was well known that the only way to get a delivery of full gas canisters was to bribe the delivery driver. Bribery was just a normal part of life, so this led to endless conversations as to how Christians should respond. Some Christians, including my wonderful host, were very clear that they would never bribe anyone. But many others acknowledged that it was an inevitable part of living in a poor society and that they would pay whatever it took to get the goods and services they needed. The people of Israel were clearly very familiar with this whole issue and knew the power of bribes to make even really good people twist the truth.

Bribery may not be a big problem in our lives, but we all live with the challenge of making wise, ethical decisions day by day. Whether it’s paying tradesmen in cash to help them avoid paying tax or making inflated insurance claims, we all live with the temptation to bend the truth. God calls us to be truthful and just, whatever the situation and however great the temptation.

Question

How would you respond if bribes were a regular expectation in our society?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to act in a way that will honour You, however great the pressures. Amen

1) Do you think Job 41, Isaiah 27:1, and Revelation 12:7 are references to the devil?2) Since Jesus fulfilled the Law did He also fulfill the Sabbath rest as indicated in Matthew 11:28?3) "Why Four Gospels?" part 2

In Psalm 139, King David comforts himself by reflecting on how God is present and sovereign everywhere—even in death! Does this mean God is everything, and everything is God? Study along as Alistair Begg walks us through the answer on Truth For Life.

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This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today’s program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!