Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” – Exodus 1:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 11, 2018): Exodus 1

He spoke the words while on the campaign trail. “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countries representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” The words have colored the opening years of his presidency.

Along with appearing to insist that Muslims have all been radicalized, he also insists that all Mexicans and Latino’s are criminals. As much as we might not want to believe it, the United States has increasingly become the “home of the white.” For years, a radical wing of the political right had insisted that the people of the United States were losing their home and influence to people of different races and religions. But in the last few years, that right wing has begun to play a more central role in politics. It may well be that Donald Trump felt that he had no choice but to play to this right wing of the nation to get elected, regardless of what his personal feelings on the subject might be.

But it is an ancient argument. The question for any country with a large number of immigrants seems to be this; where will your allegiance fall in times of war. The question of allegiance in times of war prompted the internment of people of Japanese descent in North America following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States and Canada were at war with Japan, and the question that reverberated was whether or not people of Japanese descent were a danger to the security of the nations. Was it possible that they could bring the war home? Were they loyal to their native Japan or to the Western Nations where they had chosen to live? In hindsight, the reaction was unfair. But in the heat of the moment, the decision to inter over 100,000 Japanese people was a logical response to the external situation.

And in Egypt, after the sons of Jacob had died, it was this question that was being asked. The Israelites had become numerous. But they also remained separate and isolated. They continued to live within their own communities. Partially this separation was mandated by the societal structure within Egypt. The children of Israel were different and segregated because Egyptians did not want to have interaction with them. The citizens of Egypt were happy that the Israelites kept to themselves. The people groups differed in many ways, including race and religion. And the question that the Pharaoh could not answer was a simple one; in times of war, on which side will they fight? Will they stand with us, or fight against us?

The risk that the answer was the latter was too great. And so the Israelites were gathered up and placed in what amounted to Egyptian internment camps. They were punished, exiled or made into slaves. They were denied rights of reproduction. All because the nation feared what they did not understand, and they did not want to lose their nation to foreign interests one more time. And as misguided as the reaction might have been then, or now, it made sense to those who ruled over the nation.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 2