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Third, God ordains civil government. Earthly authorities are his agents to restrain evil, protect the innocent, and punish the wrongdoer.

Romans 13:1-7 describes the divine ordination of civil authorities. It reads in part, "The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. … "

Civil governments are part of God's common grace to protect people in a fallen, sinful world. It's why we appropriately owe allegiance to governing authorities of this world. It's also why courts of law assess punishment for lawbreaking, rather than mob rule or a tyrant's whim. This is a characteristic under common grace, the rule of law.

Fourth, the Lord providentially establishes particular governments for particular groups of people in particular places at particular times. This can mean specific forms of government and specific rulers and officials. Daniel 2:21 says, "He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them." The same general principle is seen in Acts 17:26 and Deuteronomy 32:8.

Getting specific
After these five general principles, we now can consider immigration in light of four more specific biblical principles.

First, the Scripture passages sometimes referenced in connection with immigration actually speak more to immigrant policy than immigration policy. These are verses such as Leviticus 19:33-34 and Exodus 22:21. The latter passage reads, "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt."

Such verses call for fairness toward aliens and strangers, the same as how other passages say to treat widows and orphans. Importantly, these passages address treatment of aliens once they are in a country. They don't say anything about the criteria or the process by which aliens originally gained admittance into the nation.

Second, the law in Old Testament Israel required resident aliens to assimilate. They were to adapt to Israel's ways, not impose their own. For instance, Deuteronomy 16:9-15 requires all residents to observe the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. This includes foreigners.

Also, some laws accorded only Hebrews certain privileges. For instance, Deuteronomy 15:3 allows the exacting of credit loaned to a foreigner in the seventh year, when Hebrew debt was forgiven. Yet, the Lord didn't contradict his own commands, nor are they "discriminatory" and unfair towards aliens.

Third, making immigration policy is a legitimate role for civil government. It falls under civil authority's responsibility, acting as God's agent, to determine how many people, and on what basis, by what priorities, through what process to regulate the visitation, permanent residence, and acquisition of citizenship of foreigners.

Immigration regulation is a matter of the government's exercise of prudential judgment. It must rely on assessing the best, most valid and reliable data to make its decisions. And a government's primary duty is to protect the interests of its own citizens.

Fourth, when civil government makes a reasonable (or just) law, moral implications attach. This exemplifies the core Judeo-Christian concept of the rule of law.

Though some things aren't inherently evil, laws develop regulating certain conduct for the public good. Paul Marshall has illustrated this principle regarding driving on the left or right side of the road. He says, "Only after the law is passed do these actions take on a whole new context and become matters of morality."

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September (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50