Deu23v1to9 Immigration Misc

Deut 23:1-9 Immigration, Naturalization, Forgiveness, Much Else - J :) 

From a forum post: From: Jim :) (JimSmiling) To: Bob (Bobbylee7)

Bob (Bobbylee7) said...

Deuteronomy 23:3 KJV ¶ An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

Hi Len, Jim post passage in one of his posts and it goes with this discussion too. What is this about? 10 generations?

You may have been thinking originally about vv 7-8 in Deu 23. Full passage below:

Deuteronomy 23:1-9 KJV ¶ He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. 2 ¶ A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD. 3 ¶ An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee. 6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever. 7 ¶ Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. 8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation. 9 ¶ When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing. http://biblehub.com/purple/deuteronomy/23.htm

Some thoughts on the passage.

One. Membership in the congregation of Israel is the equivalent of citizenship in the Nation. It is also significant in worship in that its privileges include entrance into an inner court of Tabernacle and Temple.

Two. v. 1 has two purposes. a. Mutilation of male genitals from trivial, a nick, to castration was a frequent sign of commitment to idolatry. b. Potency is important. The proper cutting of genitalia, circumcision, depicts, in a sense, continual potency in a spiritual sense, in its likeness to erection.

Three. Ten generations includes 1023 people, less duplicates. The probability of bastardy in one's ancestry in ten generations is probably rather high. But God and those keeping silent are merciful toward a chosen Nation.

Four. Ruth, ancestor of David and of our Lord, was a Moabite. The injunction pertains to males. Mothers teach us how to be human. Fathers teach us how to relate to our society. Ruth and the other three women of Mat 1:3-6 trace the origin of the seed of the woman back to Eve rather than via Israel. http://biblehub.com/purple/matthew/1.htm vv 3-6

Five. After Abraham's and later the two angels' rescues of Lot, the sins of his descendants against Abraham's children of promise is particularly egregious. The Lord's turning the attempted curse into a blessing idicates that, as in the case of Joseph's brothers ( Gen 50:15-21 http://biblehub.com/purple/genesis/50.htm vv 15-21 ), we should be ready and willing to forgive everybody for everything, as Joseph was, and as we are instructed ( http://biblehub.com/mark/11-25.htm ). Forgiveness does not exclude, of course, the taking of proper precautions against recurrence.

Six. It takes three generations of immersion in a new society before full membership is appropriate. Citizenship after seven years of residence for protestants and Jews of western European origin was appropriate in colonial days. But is probably appropriate today only for those from the Anglosphere, of thoroughly British origin. Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany might also be considered for those exceptionally fluent in English. If we are to recover the virtues of America, we must maintain and enhance the origins of those virtues. Please note that I am not excluding others from residence. Only from citizenship for a biblical three or more generations of immersion.

Seven. There are some who should stay in other lands and find improvement there. Our number one foreign policy goal should be to open all nations to the preaching of the Gospel.

Eight. Verse 9 reminds us of the need for moral purity in any of our various ministries.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/jesus7/messages/?msg=35954.7
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