SANCTUARY CITY - NYOBS 68.15

SANCTUARY CITY

Are Sanctuary Cities the same as the Biblical Cities of Refuge?

First Word

·         Over the past eight years some 2.5 million undocumented immigrants were deported, some were even fleeing persecution; so this is not something new orchestrated up by the Trump administration. - For reasons that are Spiritual, Financial, and Political and perhaps even of Exploitation, some have encouraged and empowered the immigrant to avoid the law.

·         The term “Sanctuary City” has a scriptural ring to it, because it is among the laws given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. - In the Torah in both Numbers and in Deuteronomy the Hebrew phrase “arei miklat” city of refuge is mentioned describing the concept of where a person who had accidentally killed someone could take refuge, free from being pursued and killed by the victim’s family.

·         The Torah often reminds us that we were once ALSO aliens, strangers, and immigrants and commands us to not take advantage of the stranger and to not abuse him. Some of these folks are fleeing persecution and are now at their most vulnerable state and should be treated with value and humanity as they reach out to us for help.

·         Historically the United States is a land of immigrants and in a sense a nation of “run a way slaves”, and should not disregard the immigrant. -  But at the same time the first responsibility is to the security of its own legal citizens; therefore restrictions and considerations can be justified in the absorption of immigrants into our country. Our Government is obligated to vet all immigrants who arrives at its borders.

Exodus 22:21 – Don’t abuse the Immigrant – you once were also
²¹ Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.

(MSG)

Wikipedia

·         Before we begin let’s see how Wikipedia defines a Sanctuary City.

·         In the United States, a SANCTUARY CITY is a city that limits its cooperation with federal officials regarding undocumented immigrants, to help the foreign nationals avoid removal or deportation. - Leaders of sanctuary cities want undocumented immigrants to have less fear of deportation, so they will be more willing to report crimes, use health services or social welfare benefits and enroll their children in schools.

·         Municipal policies include prohibiting police or city employees from questioning people about their immigration status and not cooperating with the national government to enforce immigration law. - Such policies can be set expressly in law or observed in practice, but the designation "sanctuary city" does not have a precise legal definition.

·         Supporters of local immigration enforcement argue that it supports the mission of federal agents, while opponents argue that the duty of federal agents does not belong to localities.  Legal opinions vary on whether immigration enforcement by local police is constitutional.

·         Approximately 300 U.S. jurisdictions, including cities, counties and states, reportedly have adopted sanctuary policies.

Our World View

·         When we start with the assumption that an entire class of people, or that every member of an ethnic group, is deemed unacceptable, it is just simply WRONG; our overriding assumption should be to help these people, BUT IT IS HARD, especially in light of the destruction of the Twin Towers on  911 by Muslims, and the Muslim ISIS Terrorism; we have come to regard an entire religious group of people as persona non grata’ “Person not Appreciated”; a group of people declared to be considered unacceptable.

·         When their own prophet Mohammad and their Qur’an and the Hadith all command to KILL anyone who does not accept the Islam religion, it makes you sit up and take notice.

·         Islam divides the people on earth into Two abodes;

1.   The abode of Islam are those that have submitted to the will of Allah and

2.   The abode of War which are those who are still resisting Islam.  - Those who die in the struggle against those that resist Islam are immediately translated into paradise. - NYOBS 39.20 – ISLAM VS; CHRISTIANITY

·         There is such a difference in what Islam embraces and what Bible Believers embrace. – If you read and BELIEVE in the Qur’an and Islam, then you will come away with the belief that there are not just some Islam extremist, they are ALL extremist and want to kill us, thus the actions and the beliefs of an entire group of people are persona non grata’, declared to be considered unacceptable.

Sura 9:29 – FIGHT against those who do not believe in ISLAM

29 FIGHT against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believed not in Allah nor the Last Day

1 Peter 3:11 – Work and Search for PEACE
¹¹ Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. (NLT)

Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  (NIV2011)

Hadith 9:57 – Convert or DIE

57 I have been ordered (by Allah) to FIGHT the people till they say; None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and whoever said it then he will save his life and property.

John 11:25-26 – Believe and never die
²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die (NIV2011)

Hadith 9:57 – If you walk away from Islam – You must DIE

57 Whoever changed his Islamic Religion, then KILL HIM.

John 6:63-66 – Jesus accepted some would walk away
⁶³ The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
⁶⁵  He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
⁶⁶  From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (NIV2011)

Hadith 9:459 – Mission – CONQUER the World

459 Allah guarantees anyone who engages in holy war (jihad) for the cause of jihad alone with belief in (Allah’s) words, that He will either admit him into paradise or return him with his reward or the booty he as earned to his residence from where he went out.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – Mission – Conquer SIN in the World
²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV2011)

1 Peter 3:18 – Mission – To bring us to God
¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

(NIV2011)

Sura 9:5 – SLAY the idolaters wherever you find them LIE IN WAIT

5 When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, seize them; LIE IN WAIT FOR THEM.

Matt 22:37-40 – Only TWO Commandments LOVE - LOVE

37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the FIRST and greatest commandment

39 And the SECOND is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments

NIV

Luke 6:27 – LOVE your enemies – DO GOOD -

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, NIV

City of refuge

·         The Talmudic law allowed for blood vengeance for the death of a family member, relatives of a murdered victim were permitted, even obligated, to seek out and take the life of someone who had killed their loved one. There were cities set up to which such perpetrators were allowed by law to flee to in order to avoided being assassinated by the wronged family.

·         I feel a need to speak to this; LAWS are not made for good things, but for evil things.  People sought vengeance far above the offence thus the law, eye for eye and tooth for tooth, hand for hand and foot for foot, burn for burn and wound for wound, all LIMITED the punishment to fit the crime.  God took men’s sinful nature and protected against their excessive retribution.

·         There were six Cities of Refuge named in the Torah, three in Israel and three in Judah.  On the east side of the Jordan River; Golan, Ramoth, and Bosor, and on the west side of the Jordan River; Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron.

·         The Torah made a clear distinction that in the case of involuntary manslaughter a person would deserve protection till the matter could be resolved; he would be immune from acts of revenge.

·         Then there would be a trial to determine if it was an accident or premeditated.  – If he was found guilty he would be put to death, if he was found innocent, he must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest.  If he left the city and was killed, it was his own fault.

·         NOTE: The governing authorities between the cities were cooperating and there would be a trial; you did not get off “Scott Free” just by fleeing to a city of refuge.

Exodus 20:13 – Do Not Murder - Part of the Ten Commandments
¹³ You shall not murder. (ESV)

Exodus 21:23-25 – Eye for Eye – Life for Life
²³  But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,
²⁴  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
²⁵  burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (ESV)

Numbers 35:9-28 – Cities of Refuge
⁹ And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
¹⁰ Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
¹¹ then you shall select cities to be CITIES OF REFUGE for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there.
¹² The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
¹³ And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge.
¹⁴ You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.
¹⁵ These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
¹⁶ But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
¹⁷ And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
¹⁸ Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death.
¹⁹ The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
²⁰ And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died,
²¹ or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
²² But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait
²³ or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,
²⁴ then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules.
²⁵ And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
²⁶ But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled,
²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood.
²⁸ For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 19:4-13 – If Guilty – Hand him over -
⁴ This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past—
⁵ as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live,
⁶ lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.
⁷ Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities.
^{8   9} provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the LORD your God and by walking ever in his ways—then you shall add three other cities to these three,
¹⁰ lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you.
¹¹ But if anyone hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities,
¹² then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
¹³ Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you. (ESV)

Theocracy

·         The Key verse that was the reason for cities of refuge was that the people should not defile the land with innocent blood, that His people should reflect His Holy character. – Israel was commanded; treat the immigrant who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt, you shall not do him wrong.

·         Israel was a Theocracy; God was their government and they were subject to His laws.  Today we live in a Democracy with laws that are based on Biblical principles and concepts; the citizen and the immigrant both are subject to our government’s laws.

·         Our nation welcomes all people from every nation as long as they abide by the laws of our land. Those who choose to not enforce the laws are actually empowering the violators. -  Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD completely understand the Law. – What kind of morality teaches that it is OK to break the law?

·         It is not possible to be Godly and give a free pass to those who break the law.  - If an immigrant chooses to break the law, they are to be lawfully prosecuted and given the appropriate sentence. – It’s in the Book -

Numbers 35:34 – You must not defile the land
³⁴ You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” (ESV)

Hebrews 13:2 - Show hospitality to strangers
² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (ESV)

Leviticus 19:33-34 – Treat the immigrant with respect
³³ When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
³⁴ You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

(ESV)

Numbers 35:15 – The cities were for citizens and non-citizens
¹⁵ These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

(ESV)

Proverbs 28:4-5 – Those who seek God understand the law
⁴ Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.
⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.

(ESV)

Last thoughts

·         The presence of an illegal immigrant on American soil is a criminal act.  A City of Refuge was never intended to be a place where they could go to AVOID “The Law”, but a place where the law could take its proper course without vigilante justice.

·         Cities of Refuge were Legal cities which worked with law enforcement guaranteeing a man an opportunity for his day in court and a fair trial. 

·         Sanctuary Cities are Illegal cities and work against law enforcement to guarantee that an immigrant will avoid a day in court.

·         Sanctuary Churches should teach their congregation to reflect God’s Holy character, to treat the immigrant who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself and that would include cooperating and obeying the laws of the land.

·         Oddly enough, many Muslims have not even read the Qur’an as they were “born a Muslim”, and others that have read it, disagree with it, but to admit to such a thing would mean death. – So when you hear of a Muslim referring to a group of other Muslims as “radical extremist”, they are doing a very brave thing, they are disagreeing with the Qur’an and the Hadith and an extremist is ‘bound” to kill them. – NYOBS 59.10 – VISIONS AND DREAMS -- NYOBS 41.02 – HOLY JIHAD -- NYOBS 39.20 - ISLAM vs: CHRISTIANITY -- NYOBS 46.17 – QUR’AN ON JESUS

·         Millions of Muslims are coming to Christ at the peril of their own life.  We as Christians should be in prayer for the safety of each one who has made the decision publically as well as those privately. – Pray for your enemies and do good. – It’s in the Book -

·         America welcomes the immigrant to submit to the “process” of the laws of our land.

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                      

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney