Page 6 - May 2022 - Truth & Tidings

t its most basic level, hospitality or soup kitchens for the homeless.
means having an open home. It Thinking broadly, if we correctly discern
Aalso implies having an open heart the heart of our God, we learn that in the
and an open hand to assist others, particu- beginning He created a vast universe
larly those who are needy and who may in which was a small planet where He
cross one’s path unexpectedly. fashioned a perfect home for man. In the
There is no specific Hebrew word Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lacked
for hospitality in the Old Testament; nothing. Many years later, when the
however, the concept and principles are descendants of Abraham were set free
clearly demonstrated. There are many from bondage in Egypt, they wandered
examples of those who hosted visitors in as strangers for 40 years through an in-
their homes and afforded them kindness: hospitable wilderness. God’s presence and
in patriarchal times, Abraham, Lot and protection were evident on the journey, as
Laban; later on, we read of Rahab, an old was His provision of daily food and drink.
man of Gibeah, the widow of Zarephath However, He had prepared a promised
and the Shunammite woman. Job is worth land for this pilgrim nation, describing
mentioning too (Job 31:32). Some of these Canaan as “flowing with milk and honey.”
hosts were poor; others took a risk in ac- God was thus the perfect host, generously
cepting strangers. providing for those who could never have
In this brief study, the challenge will be managed on their own.
to look back to a Middle Eastern culture of In the language of the Old Testament,
four thousand years ago, and then deduce the stranger (ger) was commonly a person
scriptural lessons that are both practical of another nationality who lived among
and relevant to Christian testimony in the Jews. To a large extent, they were in-
the modern world. In those times of long tegrated into the nation. They were often
ago, visiting travelers were not stopped initially poor, vulnerable, and dependent
at borders and expected to produce the upon others for support. They were not to
appropriate visa along with proof of be mistreated but shown hospitality and
sufficient financial resources to support care: “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger,
themselves during their stay. There were nor oppress him: for ye were strangers
no cheap motels, convenience stores and in the land of Egypt” (Exo 22:21) ; “But
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fast-food restaurants dotted along the ¹ All Scripture quotations in this article are from
highways. There were no drop-in centers the KJV.

134 TRUTH kTidings May 2022