You asked

where do modern societies or communities create 'unlawful' barriers between different groups?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Exodus 12:49

“The same law shall be to him who is homeborn, and to the foreigner who lives as a stranger among you.”

This verse comes from the book of Exodus, which recounts the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is part of the instructions for observing the Passover, a foundational ritual commemorating their freedom, given by God through Moses to the newly forming nation.

What systems or customs in our communities today create different rules for different people, and how might we challenge them?

Then — the setting

Exodus was likely compiled and edited over centuries, but these laws reflect the concerns of a community forming its identity in the ancient Near East, probably around the first millennium BCE. The instruction is given to the Israelites as they are establishing their covenant with God and their societal norms. In many ancient societies, resident foreigners (gerim) often had fewer rights and protections than native-born citizens. This verse, given in the context of a sacred ritual, elevates the status of the 'foreigner' to be equal under this specific religious law, which has broader implications for social justice.

Across the Testaments

This Old Testament principle of equal law for the 'homeborn' and the 'foreigner' lays a foundational ethical framework for inclusive justice. In the New Testament, this idea is deepened and universalized, often transcending ethnic and national boundaries. For example, Galatians 3:28 declares that 'there is neither Jew nor Greek,' emphasizing a spiritual unity that overrides traditional distinctions, echoing the spirit of Exodus 12:49 by dismantling 'unlawful' spiritual barriers.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Numbers 15:15-16
This passage reiterates the principle of one law for both native-born and resident foreigners in the wilderness.
Leviticus 19:33-34
It commands the Israelites to treat foreigners among them as native-born and to love them.
James 2:1-4
This New Testament passage strongly condemns showing favoritism based on social status or appearance within the community.

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