Daily Manna
14.09.12

No Room For Discrimination

TEXT: EZEKIEL 47:13-22

"And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you,and to the strangers that sojourn among you,which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel" (Ezekiel 47:22).

We all have the natural tendency to choose our own friends and who to co-habit with. We develop certain cognitive qualities that help us to sift through different peoples, to develop likes and dislikes, in short, to build our own little communities after our image. This is why it is so easy for people to be discriminated against on the strength of their social status, cultural differences, and even the colour of their skins. When this thrives, it becomes a subversion of the original plan of God to make one big family of all men.

Here in our text, the Lord outlined the boundaries of the nation of Israel. And the land was to be inherited by all the 12 tribes of Israel, although each within its own clearly identified borders. Some portions were small, and some large. The tribe of Joseph for instance, was to get two portions, while others were to have one each. Of course, because this was God’s decision, no one was permitted to question or reject it. No tribe was to stray into the territory of others, or find accommodation with the nations outside the confines of their territory. There were clearly identified landmarks to help each tribe settle into its own territory. No tribe was also permitted to signify its preference for one territory as against another. Every tribe was to get its inheritance by lot. But in dividing the land and inhabiting it, no tribe was allowed to embark on ethnic cleansing of its territory. The land would belong to the Israelites as well as to all the foreigners that live among them. They and their children were to be treated as equal citizens with the Israelites in the distribution of the inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

There is, therefore, no room in either our communities or congregations to practice any form of discrimination, as this will be a clear disobedience to God’s plan. When people are born again and join a church, their social standing, race, level of education and wealth no longer matters. What is important is that they have become children of God, and should be loved and treated as brothers and sisters in the family of God.

Thought for the day: "Before God, all men are born equal"

For Details . . .

Yeah, right.

Christianity is already a discriminating religion. Just look at the theology itself and the deity being worshiped. The fact that there were no angels of other races and skin color in "heaven" presented by religion; the fact that bible god himself never reveal himself directly to black africans and had to do it via white missionaries; the fact that he stood back and watch whites take black Africans into slavery and other forms of bondage; the fact that he is the god of a jewish nation as declared by the bible OT; etc, etc.

Ofcourse you can ignore all that and pretend that they do not exist all in the name of FAITH. No discrimination my foot.