America, Israel, and Illegal Immigrants

Living in the Bible Belt, I've bumped into a lot of people who seem to think that America is God's chosen nation much like Israel (and Judah) was God's chosen nation in the Old Testament. I hate to rain on everyone's parade, but I have to thoroughly and vigorously disagree with this presumption. When we treat America as if it were some kind of 20th and 21st century "Promised Land" with the status of God's favorite nation, at best we are cheapening the Gospel and at worst we are flat misrepresenting it.

It seems to me like the prosperity enjoyed by the United States over the last 60 years has had more to do with the fact that pretty much the entire Western world, excepting the U.S., was bombed into oblivion in WW 2 thus giving the U.S. a huge economic advantage and putting us in the position to manufacture and sell goods to the world without much real competition. At this point I suppose you could interject that the destruction experienced in Europe in WW 2 was in some way God's judgment, but that would make you much more presumptuous than me.

But let me play along with everyone for a moment. Let's pretend that America somehow has replaced Israel as God's chosen nation. I heard this on NPR this morning. Apparently the private prison industry has been lobbying law makers in the Southwestern United States to crack down on illegal immigrants. If this were to happen, these private parties in the prison industry could make a lot of money by imprisoning the illegal immigrants in question.

Well America, I know you know this, being God's chosen nation and all, but for the sake of redundancy let me remind you of Leviticus 19:33-34

"When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

I would also remind you (again I know you know this, being God's chosen nation and all that), of all the warnings spoken through the prophets concerning God's impending judgment because of the way Israel mistreated the aliens in their land (for example: Jeremiah 7:5-7; 22:2-4; Ezekiel 22:7, 29; Zechariah 7:9-10; Malachi 3;5).

But that's just me speaking theoretically. I mean, America isn't really God's chosen nation any more than Switzerland or the Democratic Republic of Congo is God's chosen nation. Because the whole point of Christ's coming was to fulfill God's mission of reconciliation given to Israel (Gen 12:1-3), and to open the door for people of all nations to become part of the people of God (1 Peter 2:10). And that's the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!