Exodus 23:9 Also you shall not oppress
a stranger, for you know the heart of the stranger, because you were
strangers in the land of Egypt.
The Lord commanded the Israelites to
never forget from where they came as He instructed them to “not
oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you
were strangers in the land of Egypt.” It is so easy within our
natural man to allow ourselves to forget from where we came before
Christ Jesus delivered us from our sorrows. We soon forget that it
was us who once struggled in the depths and the bondage of sin. It was us who was held hostage by our own selfishness. It
was us who fought the battle with alcohol or drugs. It was us who
lived sexually immoral lives. It was us who were once quick to lie
and steal and were prone to outburst of rage. Yes, it was us who
were bound in the grip of our sins yet God through His grace and
mercy offered us pardon through Jesus Christ and set us free.
Therefore, we have no right to be pious or condemning toward those
who live now at our old address. Instead, we should remember that we
once lived there and bound just as they. We should never foget the heart-ache of the misery of sin. We should with empathetic
hearts extend the message of hope found only in the gospel of Jesus
Christ to them. Again, let us never forget from where we came.
