The law concerning Treatment of Gentiles

 

 

 

 

 The law concerning

Treatment of Gentiles

 

40. To love the stranger (Deut. 10:¹⁹ “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.) Many people think of Judaism as the religion of cold, harsh laws, to be contrasted with Christianity the religion of love and brotherhood. This is an unfair characterization of both Judaism and Hebrew law. Love and kindness has been a part of Judaism from creation. Pirkei Avot, a book of the mishnah, teaches that the world is based on three things: on Torah (law), on service to YAHVEH, and on g'milut chasadim (usually translated as "acts of loving-kindness"), perhaps drawing from Psalm 89:3, "the world is built on kindness" more commonly translated as "forever is mercy built". The Talmud says that g'milut chasadim is greater than tzedakah (charity), because unlike tzedakah, g'milut chasadim can be done for both poor and rich, both the living and the dead, and can be done with money or with acts. The Mishnah describes g'milut chasadim as one of the few things that one can enjoy the fruits in this world, and the principal remains intact in the world to come.

 

41. Not to wrong the stranger in anyway (Ex. 22: ²¹“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.) As former slave in Egypt we were mistreated, not because someone is not part of the redeemed community, one way to bring them in it, is by our fairness to all. We must be exemplar to all who come into contact with us.

 

42. Not to wrong the stranger in buying or selling (Ex. 22:²¹ “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.) Even though we are commanded to charge interest to the gentile, we must make sure we are fair with them. Stranger also means those who are unsaved. We as believers must consider that as the Hebrews were slave in Egypt, the unsaved are slave to sin, this does not mean that we condone their sinning ways, but we sympathies with them for they are lost and every soul is important in YAHVEH eyes.

 

43. Not to intermarry with gentiles (Deut. 7:³ Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. ⁴ For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other elohim. The word marries means to have sexual relation with. For the two shall become one. Nor must a father gives his daughter away to an unsaved male; nor take an unsave woman for his son. Notice it say that the son will be affected by the unsaved woman. If a small drop of dirt is placed in a clean glass of water, it will contaminate the water. A drop of clean water in a cup full of dirt will not make the cup of dirt clean. King Solomon eroded because he took wives from the unsaved people and they lead him away to worship other Gods. The children of a save and an unsaved person, the greater percentage of the time those children will grow up unsaved. One drop of unclean water will contaminate the whole glass of water unclean, while one drop of clean water will not make an unclean water clean.

 

44. To exact the debt of an alien (Deut. 15:³ Of a foreigner you may require it;) Although we are told to forget a debt every seven years it is not so with a foreigner. Elohim forgives the sins of those who become saved, however those who have never accepted Yahushua as Lord will not be forgiven.

 

45. To lend to an alien at interest (Deut. 23:²⁰ To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest,) This command teaches us to charge Interest from the unsaved. This command does not exempt gentiles from the laws of interest; therefore a Hebrew may take interest from him or pay interest to him. Furthermore, since the verse states that Elohim would bless those who do not take interest, such payment could not be a crime in the normal sense, the Torah blesses those who perform deeds of kindness and the like. The Torah requires that, just as believers must give charity to one another, they should also lend money to one another free of charge. This is regarded as a compulsory benevolence to one’s brethren, and therefore does not apply to gentiles, because a gentiles is not our neighbor).