You shall not hate your fellow countryman

[Aimekim Eben-Ezer]

“You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:17-18

This imperative statement from God has been neglected and abused by many peoples and nations. One would find out the application of this statement constitutes the backbone of eternal salvation, national security and community cohesion. This part of Scriptures is one of the many imperative statements that God had ever addressed to humanity.

We should understand that God is the maker of the universe and has a clear mind of the organizing principle of the world.  Long time ago since the antiquity, God has revealed Himself to the World by first revealing Himself to a man called Abraham. God voluntarily chose Abraham to be a channel by which He would show the peoples of the world His redemptive intention.

In light of the principle that a single man cannot achieve much, God has made a nation through Abraham and this nation is Israel. Israel would play a divine representative role to other nations.  Thus God issued this statement to Israelites: Israelites have to consolidate their brotherhood first if they want to be suitable to fulfill their divine task. Why consolidate brotherhood first? One may know that throughout history Israel was surrounded by many nations, empires and kingdoms. These ones had their particular way of dealing with their peoples. You would know that these “nations’ used unorthodox way to treat their citizens and aliens. For example, Assyria was noted by its ways extra judicial execution of peoples, rape, body mutilation, etc. Later, Rome was famous in harshly treating its occupied peoples. One would remember how the “Proconsul cum imperio” unilaterally exercised authority in their districts they governed.

In my ministry I always advise peoples and leaders to adopt the Judeo-Christian principle in dealing with humans and their resources because this principle possesses the greatest reward in this world and in the world to come for those who apply it. It connects our earthly destiny to the heavenly one because God is greatly interested in the affair of humans.

In our today text we clearly find five key sub-statements that would lead us to understand what God intends us to do:

1. You shall not hate.
2. Your fellow countryman or the sons of your people.
3. Your neighbor.
4. Reprove your neighbor but do not sin.
5. In your heart.

I.                   You shall not hate

Hatred does not come from God. It is the outcome of work of darkness in the heart of an individual. Briefly speaking, hatred is prejudiced hostility or animosity. One might see clearly in the word “animosity” we perceive the word “animal”. An animal does not have any personality neither animal has the fear of God. Therefore, a man who is driven by “hatred” acts uncontrollably like a wild animal. A good man cannot allow any emotion or feeling that triggers hatred to dwell in him for a long time. God is light and love and He wants everybody to be driven by love not by hatred.

The one who hates someone he will not see God but his place is in the hell

“The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.  The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him but the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 1: 9-11

These verses outline two principles of life that constitute of principle of light and principle of darkness. Everyone is free to choose what principle that can lead his/her life in this world. When God calls us to love “peoples” He is calling us into Himself and in His eternal kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the kingdom of light and love. When we choose “hate” instead of “love”, we depart ourselves from God’s love and we embark into the boat of the devil which transports us into eternal darkness of hell.

“Love” calls us to sacrifice for others

The “love” that we talk about here is the genuine love, the divine love. Jesus Christ has set an example for genuine love when He laid down His life on the cross for our salvation. This “love” once abides in us helps us to act according the will of God when we are confronted with challenges of life. This “love” opens the eyes of our heart to see what God had stored for us in the heavenly realm. Also, this “love” helps us to avoid the ephemeral and earthly glory that triggers “hate and assassination” of our fellow people made in God’s image.

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” I John 3: 15-16

This verse does not mean that we have to kill yourselves physically for the sake of others. Because this physical sacrifice had been already done and completed by Jesus Christ on the cross. Rather it calls us sometimes lose our rights, interests, and privileges for the sake of others.

II.                Your fellow countryman

We should understand that everything in the world has a root or a beginning or a germinative force. When I first read this text of the Bible I got the skin goose and I ask myself do I have someone in this world that I hate? I graciously find out that “man” is the center of everything God does. Everything gravitates around “man” and without “man” the world is meaningless. Furthermore, I read in the Bible that in the beginning God prior to creating “man”, He had devoted five days to secure the environment in which “man” would dwell. God wanted “man” to be in a secured environment in order to fairly live well.

We have macro and micro environments. In macro environments, we have continents, countries, cities. In micro environments, we have families, communities, churches, etc.

When God says not to hate “Your countryman”, He refers to someone with whom you are related. How can you be related to someone? Among the elements that relate us to others, we have Blood and Land. Biblically speaking, we all come from one blood of one man and woman, Adam and Eve. And they have been established in a land where they can multiply and prosper. These two elements, blood and land, are unalienable and wealthy heritage that God has ever granted to “man”. People of the same country share the same land and even though it may exist diverse ethnics in the same land, these people may have a common ancestor whose children scattered through that particular land.

God instructs people of Israel to love first their “fellow countryman”. The Israelites could not accomplish their divine duty to bless other nations if they are not united. They have not to jump ahead to love others unless they first have a genuine love among themselves first. Their self love might not be considered xenophobic but a driving force which would propel them to bless others. It is in their national security and community cohesion interest to love one another. This principle is true for peoples of every nation of the world. Nations that have applied this principle have been blessed. When you hate one another, an outsider will come in and infiltrate your country, community or family and he will destroy all your potentialities. Both you and your countryman will come out defeated and shameful. In the meantime the outsider laughs at you and celebrates over your blindness and foolishness

God calls people of any particular group to be united in order to bless others. For example; a good husband cannot love another woman if he does not love his own wife first, a good governor cannot help other people if he does not help his own people first.

It is what I call the exclusivity and the inclusivity of love. Prior to loving outsiders, we have to love ours first.

III.             Your neighbor.

A neighbor is anyone who lives nearby or in your vicinity. He/she may be someone with whom you share temporarily certain things of everyday life. We can have neighbor in school, work place, etc. Even countries have neighbors too. God wants us to be peacemaker people, people who are able to amend our differences in order to uphold the cohesion of the environment we live in.

There is no excuse to hate your countryman or neighbor on basis of religion, ideology, opinion, interest and life status.

IV.             Reprove not sin

It is vital for us to know that this text does not preclude disagreement or conflict among peoples. God paves a way in solving problems that can arise among his people. That is why He instructs them not to sin while being in disagreement. God clearly attests that you have to reprove your brother but you have not to sin. “Sin” here means “to hate in your heart”. God calls us to have a gracious attitude toward people; we have to forgive others because we are vulnerable to making mistakes too.

Conflict mostly breaks out when there is a misunderstanding or different opinions among peoples. It is a fertile ground for temptation that can lead peoples either into sin or into forgiveness. In order to have forgiveness or reconciliation, one of the parties in conflict must choose to honor God even though he feels he is right or wrong in that conflict. In the contrary, persisting in conflict leads to sin of hatred.  Do not allow anger, wrath, jealousy, haughtiness to govern your relationship with peoples.

V.                In your heart

God abhors “lip service”. God wants us to love people in our heart of hearts. Why? Because nobody can see a heart of another man only God does. The Bible says in the last time He will judge even the thoughts of our heart.

Let me ask you this simple question. In your heart there is someone whom you do not love?  Do you have a person whose death, failure and misfortune will cheer you up?

We can know we have love when:

1.  We rejoice over the life, success and prosperity of someone.
2. We come along someone who needs help.
3. We defend the poor, weak and fatherless.
4. We do not attack others.

Everything will pass away but the word of God will not pass away. This is the time to give our heart to God.

Aime Eben-ezer

Love Evangelical Church

Message reproduced on 01-17-2016