What's the deal with Deuteronomy 28? - a commentary on immigration...

There is no greater topic of controversy in the United States right now than immigration. Amid this controversy, Image Bearers have had a particular section of scripture weaponized against them to justify their mistreatment and dehumanization.  This is not the first time it has popped up. In fact, a year ago, we saw this same viral passage being weaponized for the same reasons. Today, we want to take some time to examine this passage and determine what it truly says, why it exists, and what the implications of this verse are for us today. 

DEUTERONOMY 28:43-44

The foreign resident among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink lower and lower. He will lend to you, but you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

THE ARGUMENT

The argument, as stated, is that these verses show that allowing foreigners to live in your land is a curse, ultimately leading to subjugation. This argument, which originated last summer in the Christian Nationalist camp, is that God is ultimately anti-immigrant, a segregationist,  and a kinist. 

While most of the people I have seen sharing this passage, in this context, would never agree to those types of labels, it seems they don’t realize that is the conclusion of the argument they are sharing. They see a pastor saying that a passage of Scripture says something that confirms their current politics, and share it without looking to see the context of the passage or the bias of the person making the argument.

THE CONTEXT

Deuteronomy 28, is part of a section of Scripture that has Moses giving instructions, blessings, and curses for their return to the Promised Land. 

In chapter 27, Moses instructs the people to write the law on stones as they enter the land and then gives them a list of cursed actions with it. This list includes transgressions such as idolatry, dishonoring parents, harming the disabled, cheating your neighbors, murder, incest, bestiality, and most importantly to this discussion, denying justice to a foreigner. 

From these curses, Moses then moves into a passage on blessings for the people. He tells them that if they keep the commands of the Lord, then they will experience blessing after blessing, and that these blessings would cause the foreign nations to fear the Lord. He tells the people what would happen if they disobey the commands. 

The list of curses that follows is the mirrored opposites of the blessings listed before, including our passage in question. 

Rather than the people of God being a light to the world around them, blessed by God because they have blessed others in the land promised to their ancestors, they instead would be overrun in their own land and be the servants to everyone around them. 

DOES DEUTERONOMY 28 ACTUALLY DEAL WITH IMMIGRATION?

This is a dramatically different idea from what the Christian Nationalists are trying to portray. The curse in itself has nothing to do with immigration. It is simply the opposite of the blessings promised for righteous obedience. 

It does not mean that allowing immigrants into your country is a curse, a sin, or that it will be the downfall of a civilization. It means the people of Israel, a covenant people that were freed from oppression in a foreign land by the God who heard their cries and called them out, were bound to that covenant and the law attached to it. A law that not only forbade them to forget where they came from, but also forbade them from becoming an oppressive people themselves. Not keeping that law would result in their downfall, not because of the foreigners in their land, but due to the abandonment of the God that freed them. 

This is part of why the context matters so much. 

Firstly, the context is limited to Israel and its covenant. The curse is talking about occupation and exile, not immigration. 

Secondly, the context also shows us the ridiculousness of the claims being made today. 

Remember back in Chapter 27, where we had a list of curses attached to specific actions that broke the covenant? One of these actions was directly related to how the people should treat foreigners in the land, justly. If Deuteronomy 28 was truly saying that immigrants were a curse, why would one of the curses listed call for just treatment of them in the land? How are we to treat someone justly whom we are supposed to be viewing as a curse that needs to be removed?

Thirdly, Deuteronomy 28 tells us that the current way immigration is treated in the United States would bring about the very curse listed, but not for the reasons the Nationalists, or those sharing this viral verse, intend. 

Throughout God’s law, the foreigner in the land is protected. They are to be treated fairly, justly, and cared for by the people. God reminds the Israelites repeatedly that THEY were foreigners, oppressed and enslaved, when God rescued them. 

The call of the Law towards the foreigner is decidedly in favor of the foreigner. So then, to receive the blessings of Deuteronomy 28, we must treat those who could potentially rule over us justly, caring for their needs, and preventing their oppression. This is the irony of the Nationalists' position. Their support of deportations and ICE raids would in themselves bring about this curse of Deuteronomy 28 onto the United States, not save us from it. 

It is not the foreigners who are bringing the curse. It is the pride of the people refusing the foreigners..

Lastly, the reality is that the context of these curses is not immigration, but is actually exile and occupation. 

In verses 15-57, the curses put forth are things like your food being stolen, your children being taken, your fields being taken, your military being defeated, cattle being slaughtered, and eventually being taken away from your homeland. 

This is the real context of Deuteronomy 28. We are looking at the reasons Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome would be allowed to rise. This is the same message we hear later from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. This verse in its context does not indicate immigrants to be a curse, but highlights the punishment for cursing the foreigners among us. 

WHY THIS MATTERS

In Summary, Deuteronomy 28:43-44 is part of a much larger passage of blessings and curses tied to the Covenant and Law of Old Testament Israel. It is just one of many curses that come from violating the covenant and is listed the way it is because it is the opposite result of the blessing given earlier on in the chapter. 

One of the ways to ensure this curse is applied is to treat the foreigners in the land with oppression and injustice. This means the claim of the Christian Nationalists, that this verse means immigration is a curse, is not only false, but would bring about the actual curse. 

This is why it matters for us today. Not because we should worry about an Old Testament curse, but because this passage shows us an important attribute about God and God’s commands.

GOD CARES ABOUT THE OPPRESSED IN THE LAND. God cares so much about the oppressed in the land that causing oppression will bring about ruin.

This should be the message that we see shared as this verse continues to circulate. 

The call of God is to care for those that our government hates. The God who rescued His people out of oppression in a foreign land continues to care for those in similar situations. The heart of God cares about the immigrant in the land, regardless of the documents they carry. The heart of those who claim Christ should do the same. 

So yes, Deuteronomy 28 does have acceptable application for the church today, but not because we are worried about a curse, but because we should heed the words of Moses, and seek to live out what God has called us to.

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This post was written by Andrew Fouts. The founder and main content creator for Ministry Misfits. He is also one of the writers for the Overwhelming Victory Blog, as well as one of the directors and writers for KFM Broadcasting Network.

This post was edited by Nathan Daniel Blake. Nathan is a leader In the new monastic movement in Appalachia, and writer for his own blog, the Laurel Hells at https://www.storyofndblake.com. Find out more about Nathan Daniel Blake and his other projects at https://www.ministrymisfits.com/team/nathan-daniel-blake