The Hebrew word “Gera” appears in the Bible almost 100 times. It’s translated stranger, alien, sojourner, foreigner and in certain contexts guest. An alien in ancient society, contrary to God’s will, was poorly treated. They were victims of abuse, injustices, taken advantage of and ostracized. Just as the Egyptians degraded the value of the Hebrews because they were known as shepherds, so prejudice was rampant against aliens in ancient times.
Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that God loves the foreigner. He watches out for the alien (Ps. 146:7-9). God’s attitude toward minorities is miles apart from sinful cultural mores.
He is the helper of aliens (vs. 5). When considering race relations, this divine attitude toward minorities is most enlightening. The Bible commands that the alien is not to be mistreated (Ez. 22:29). Rather, they are to be protected from abuse and injustice (Jer. 22:3). They are to be loved because God loves them. The Hebrews were taught how to love aliens through the experience of being aliens themselves in Egypt. They knew what it was like to be rejected because your beliefs and lifestyles are different from the majority. God taught them to never forget that they were foreigners in a foreign land. This directed them in how God wanted them to treat the minorities that chose to live among them. He loved and cared for them, so they should love and care for others just as the LORD cared for them (Deut 6:12).
God is an alien
God understands the issues surrounding the treatment of minorities. He describes himself as the Hope of Israel, and yet, he appears to them as a stranger (alien) traveling through a foreign 
country (Jer. 14:8-9). Jesus literally experienced this when Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to save his life from the tyrant King Herod. While the babies in Bethlehem were being slaughtered, Jesus was headed to Egypt to live as an alien. Joseph had to support his family in a land where foreigners, especially Jews, were not welcomed. There is a high probability that the treasures the wise men gave them were used to sustain them as Egyptians were not in the habit of hiring aliens. Jesus lived in Egypt until Herod died and then returned to his people. God knows what it feels like to be mistreated because you are a minority.
Sometimes the Jews felt like doing God’s will was strange to them (Isa. 28:21). Isaiah claimed that God’s people frequently live in such a manner as to treat God like an alien, that is, they treated him with disdain. When God appears alien it’s not because he is an alien. It’s because of people who, through immoral acts and a lack of faith, estrange themselves from him. We distance ourselves from God (alienate ourselves) and as a result, God feels like a stranger to us.
Everyone is naturally alienated from God. Only a divine sacrificial act of mercy and grace has the power to overcome the sense of being an alien before God or can stop us from treating God as an alien. Someone must die to free us from the evil influence of racism and bigotry so that, like Abraham in losing Sarah, we can inherit the land. This literally happened to Abraham. It was the death of Sarah that caused Abraham to become a permanent resident in Canaan. In this sense, Sarah is a type of Christ figure. Through her death, Abraham gained a footing in the Promised Land. Likewise, through the death of Christ believers gain access to God as an adoptive father. Christians become sons and daughters of God by his sovereign grace and kindness. We are no longer strangers or aliens before God. God adopts every one who places their faith in the finished work of Christ.
Fear drives racism
God’s adoption has significant implications for how Christians are to treat minorities.
As mentioned previously, not only has Abraham, Moses, and God experienced prejudice as a hated minority, the Hebrews experienced being a despised minority population in Egypt. They were enslaved for fear they might dominate the country (Ex 1:8). Fear fueled the ancient Egyptian’s racism and led to the eventual slavery of the Hebrews (Ex 1:11). Fear is a powerful motivator and a difficult attitude to exterminate.
The biblical answer to fear-driven racism is personal reform. To elevate a person’s moral standards and deeds so they reflect God’s characteristics requires a transformation by God’s Word (Jer. 7:2-8). Jeremiah proclaimed that the fear of loss and a sense of security don’t come from trusting in deceptive words, but in changing our ways and actions to conform to God’s Word. This specifically meant not oppressing the alien (vs. 6).
Unfortunately, Israel eventually transferred its trust in a personal God to the thought that because God’s throne was in their city (inside the temple) he would never allow aliens to invade their country. Their assurance rested on the fact that they lived near God’s house, a building dedicated to God, rather than living a life near and dedicated to God himself. This improper and misdirected faith in a building provided a false sense of assurance. The prophet Malachi taught blessings from God only come from honoring him (through tithes and offerings). Such godly behavior would ensure a bounty of goods, so much so that all the nations would take notice of the goodness of God (Mal. 3:11).
Racism, driven by any form of fear, produces segregation, injustices, violence, a lack of concern or compassion for minorities, and many other unbiblical practices. It is destructive to society because racists words, actions, and beliefs are contrary to the nature and will of God.
God understands racism
As illustrated earlier, being considered an alien is to experience minority status in society. For Christians to be able to identify racist tendencies in their own lives, it helps if they are first aware of the effects being an alien had on Abraham and Moses. Secondly, they must become aware that ultimately God experienced what it’s like to be treated as a foreigner or stranger. He knows what minorities go through and he understands how hard it is to feel safe and welcomed when you are villainized as a stranger.
We read earlier that God is the Hope of Israel. He is Israel’s Savior (Jer 14:8). We now know that God to be Jesus Christ. Jesus, as God and Savior, experienced and understood what it was like to be mistreated as a minority—an outsider. He was rejected and despised because he was so different from others (Isa 53:2-5). Therefore, we are not to worry when we are mistreated due to prejudice beliefs. We don’t need to fear for we have been accepted in Christ. When the waters seem overwhelming and the fire threatens to burn us–there is hope. The hope of Israel is our Savior who knows us by name (Isa 43:1-3).
Cover photo from: African Chess Pieces
https://www.stockfreeimages.com/2531485/African-chess-army.html
