Week 34: August 20, 2017

Topic: Hospitality – Part 2

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 4: 1-9

This study shall continue by discussing what the Bible says about mistreating of a stranger.

Do not Mistreat any Stranger/Sojourner

Do not mistreat any stranger/sojourner that resides in your community. You must neither do any wrong nor cheat the aliens in your country. You must not molest any foreigner that is living in your nation. The Bible says, “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him” Leviticus 19: 33. Therefore do not take advantage of strangers/foreigners who live among you in your land, but be hospitable to them.

Remember that at a particular time you yourself have been a tourist/stranger in a foreign city/state/country. For this reason you must never hurt a stranger, but be hospitable to him/her. It is written that “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” Exodus 22: 21. Anyone that exploits or mistreats sojourners/foreigners in any way has disobeyed the Lord. So remember that you yourselves were once tourists/strangers in another city/state/country, and reciprocate the care that was given to you by being hospitable to the strangers.

Never forget to entertain people

The Bible says “It is more blessed to give than to receive” which means it is more blessed to be hospitable to people than to mistreat them Acts 20: 35. Be an entertainer and not an oppressor, receive and entertain people courteously because there is reward in doing so. Paul apostle and his group were accepted and warmly welcomed by Publius. He entertained them with hearty hospitality for three days. When Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery, Paul went into his room and prayed for him and he laid his hands on him and healed him Acts 28: 7-8. The healing of Publius’s father is an indirect reward for his hospitality to Paul and his group. You too receive strangers in friendly manner, and be nice to the poor. Treat sojourners kindly and be hospitable to everybody.

Do not refuse to extend hospitality to strangers, do not neglect the poor and share whatever the Lord has given to you for the benefits of others. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers and sojourners, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it Hebrews 13: 2. Extend your hospitality to everybody around you, so that it shall be well with you throughout their lifetime.

Commandments of the Lord concerning Hospitality

The following are some of the commandments of the Lord written in the Bible concerning hospitality.

Be fair and deliver justice to the strangers: Do not twist the judgment in any dispute between the citizens and the foreigners. Do not delay justice in any legal case involving the alien/sojourner living in your land because justice delayed is justice denied. The judges must be fair in all their dealings, most especially any case that involve the stranger/immigrant; they must never misrepresent the case. God commanded the judges saying “Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him” Deuteronomy 1: 16. Judges and people in position of authority must never justify the wicked or punish the innocent, but they must be fair to all the parties involved.

Do not hate your relatives or strangers: You must never hate your relatives or the strangers for any reason. If there is an issue between you, find an amicable way of resolving it. Never detest human beings that are created in the likeness of God but be hospitable to them so that their Creator will bless the work of your hands. The scripture stated that “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land” Deuteronomy 23: 7. Be hospitable to people and never hate anyone.

Do not oppress the foreigners: Since the Lord commanded that there must be one law/statute for the citizens and the foreigners, then do not maltreat or abuse foreigners. You must neither oppress nor persecute the strangers/aliens. The Bible says “Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt Exodus 23: 9. Therefore you must not take advantage of immigrant workers, do not extort from a hired worker who is poor and needy. Stop the exploitation of hired workers, most especially those that are poor and needy, whether they are citizens or foreigners. Don’t abuse labourers who are destitute and needy, don’t withhold their wages, pay them according to your agreement, since they are living from hand to mouth. It is written that “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates” Deuteronomy 24: 14. Never oppress anybody most especially hired workers, whether they are citizens or foreigners. Pay them their wages or what is due to them each day before sunset, since they are poor, and they need the fund right away (immediately); otherwise they may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be counted as a sin against you.

Judgment of the Lord

The judgment of the Lord will come upon those people who are not hospitable to others, but mistreat them.

They will be judged in this world: Though Almighty God will judge the sorcerers, the adulterers, and those who swear falsely. He will judge those who cheat the hired labourers of their wages, those who oppress the widow, the fatherless and deny justice to the aliens. Anyone who robs foreigners of their rights does not fear the Lord. “I am on my way to visit you with judgment says the Lord of Hosts: I will present compelling evidence against sorcerers, adulterers, liars, those who exploit workers, those who take advantage of widows and orphans, those who are inhospitable to the strangers because they neither fear nor honour Me”.

Either you believe or not, whether you like or not “At the appointed time My punishment will be quick and certain; I will move swiftly against wicked men who trick the innocent, against adulterers and liars, against all those who cheat their hired workers, who oppresses widows and orphans or defraud strangers and do not fear Me” says the Lord of Hosts Malachi 3: 5. Since God will put you on trial and He is eager to witness against you, then do not cheat employees of their wages or deprive the foreigners living among you justice, but be hospitable to them.

Heavenly Judgment: Jesus Christ will pass judgment on the inhospitable people. When He is judging the Nations of the world, He will tell them “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me”.

“Then they also will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them saying ‘Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me’, And these will go away into of these, you did not do it to Me’, And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” Matthew 25: 41-46. Learn how to be hospitable if you don’t want to spend your eternity in hell fire.