2 Chronicles 2:17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600.
Not everyone is equal! That’s right. You and I are not equal. We are equally important to the LORD, but not equal in talents, gifts, treasure, opportunities, family background, culture, geographic location or any of the many other things that seem to divide us.
We are not equal in this world. Some seem to be on the top of many categories, and some of us seem to have the short stick. But how do we judge equality? And is equality really something that can and should be strived for?
We are all Image-Bearers of the LORD and as such we have infinite value before Him. He has given us dignity and value because of our unique role here on Earth. So in one sense, equality has already happened. We follow Him and we are declared equal.
But in another sense, as measured by just this earthly score system, equality will never happen. Often this gets framed as “equality of outcome.” This means the person who puts lots of energy into life and the one who is lazy both get the same paychecks and the same everything. But this isn’t fair to the one who works really hard, is it!
In Ancient Israel this earthly kind of justice didn’t happen all the time. When Israel took over the Promised Land, not everyone was ejected from the Land. Many were taken prisoners and allowed to live. And in exchange for their lives, they became a labor force for Israel to use.
We might call this slavery. We might call it an opportunity to stay alive and take care of my family. I guess it depends on your position in the relationship.
But we must remember all the provisions for the foreigners and those at the bottom that are made in the Law. Anyone was welcome to become part of the Israelite community. They could come and worship. They could benefit from the blessings of being part of the covenant community.
Our text tells of one time when these foreigners were used as a labor force. They did all the manual labor during the building of the first Temple. They did the heavy lifting.
So what are we to make of this? I am torn. Part of me is thankful that they were allowed to live and not be killed when the invasion happened. Part of me thinks it isn’t right to force people to work.
But I work for the food I eat, and you probably do as well. If I don’t work, I don’t eat. At least these people were able to provide for their families. They were given sustenance.
They were also given the opportunity to participate in a very grand endeavor. They were part of the building of one of the greatest structures of ancient history. They could tell their grandchildren about their role in building.
As I sit in Germany, with all the old buildings, cathedrals, and castles, I wonder about the people who built them. What did they tell their children about what they did? How did they value the opportunity to earn a living, even if the conditions of employment weren’t up to our Western standards? Were they thankful for the food at the end of the day?
This I know. I am thankful for the food at the end of the day. It is there because I did some work that wasn’t exciting and fulfilling. I had drudgery work. But I had food.
Life has compromises. Equal work does not mean equal pay. This life is filled with inequalities of outcome. We should work toward equality of value, which is found in Christ.
The Arnold Journey 