Deuteronomy 23:1-8: a reflection

1He who is emasculated by crushing or cutting shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly. 2A person born of a forbidden union shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one of his enter into the LORD’s assembly. 3An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the LORD’s assembly; even to the tenth generation shall no one belonging to them enter into the LORD’s assembly forever, 4because they didn’t meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5Nevertheless the LORD your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the LORD your God loved you. 6You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever. 7You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land. 8The children of the third generation who are born to them may enter into the LORD’s assembly.

Among the laws about who may enter the assembly, God gives a surprising instruction about two peoples who had been associated with hard history. Do not abhor an Edomite, he says, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land. The Egyptians had enslaved and afflicted Israel; yet God says not to abhor them, remembering that Israel had once lived as sojourners in their land. And the Edomites, though often hostile, were kin, brothers. God calls his people not to nurse an abiding hatred even toward those with whom they had a hard history, remembering their own past and their kinship.

Notice the call: do not abhor even those with a hard history, remembering your own past. The Egyptians had wronged Israel grievously; the Edomites were often enemies. Yet God does not command an abiding hatred; he says, do not abhor them. Toward the Egyptian, he grounds this in Israel's own history: they had lived as foreigners in Egypt, and were to remember it. Toward the Edomite, he grounds it in kinship: he is your brother. God calls his people to a restraint of hatred, a refusal to nurse an abiding abhorrence, even toward those with whom their history was hard, remembering their own past and their kinship. The memory of our own history and our common humanity is to temper our hatred even of former enemies.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called not to nurse an abiding hatred even toward those with whom we have a hard history, remembering our own past. We can hold onto abhorrence, an abiding hatred, toward those who have wronged us, those with whom our history is hard; but God called Israel not to abhor even the Egyptians who had enslaved them, remembering their own sojourn there, nor the Edomites, who were kin. There is a call to temper our hatred, remembering our own history and our common humanity. Do not nurse an abiding hatred even toward those with a hard history with you; remember your own past and your kinship, as God called Israel not to abhor the Egyptian or the Edomite. Refrain from nursing an abiding hatred even toward those with whom your history is hard, remembering your own past and your common humanity, as God told Israel not to abhor the Egyptian, remembering they had sojourned in his land, nor the Edomite, their brother; for the memory of our own history and our kinship with others is to temper our hatred even of former enemies, and God calls us not to nurse an abiding abhorrence.

Lord, among the laws about who may enter the assembly, you give a surprising instruction about two peoples who had been associated with hard history. Do not abhor an Edomite, you say, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land. The Egyptians had enslaved and afflicted Israel; yet you say not to abhor them, remembering that Israel had once lived as sojourners in their land. And the Edomites, though often hostile, were kin. You call your people not to nurse an abiding hatred even toward those with whom they had a hard history. Show me the call: do not abhor even those with a hard history, remembering your own past. The Egyptians had wronged Israel grievously; the Edomites were often enemies. Yet you do not command an abiding hatred; you say, do not abhor them. Toward the Egyptian, you ground this in Israel's own history; toward the Edomite, in kinship. You call your people to a restraint of hatred, remembering their own past and their kinship. The memory of our own history and our common humanity is to temper our hatred even of former enemies. Take that to my heart, for I am called not to nurse an abiding hatred even toward those with whom I have a hard history, remembering my own past. I can hold onto abhorrence toward those who have wronged me; but you called Israel not to abhor even the Egyptians who had enslaved them. Keep me from nursing an abiding hatred even toward those with a hard history with me; help me remember my own past and my common humanity, Lord, as you told Israel not to abhor the Egyptian or the Edomite.