WRONGNESS OF EUROPEAN INVASION

People say that white, European conquerors came to the land of America and drove out the native inhabitants of the land. They also bought blacks from Africa and put them through the atrocities of slavery. For that reason, native and black descendents struggle with poverty. Because of this, people say, the European descendents owe the native and black descendents reparations for those atrocities.

This position is supported by God’s Law. Numbers 5:5-7 says

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged.

The problem with this position is that the biblical context deals with God’s people, the nation of Israel. Yahweh had His hand on these people to benefit them as they obeyed His Word.

El Shaddai sent His people to conquer the land that became Israel (Exodus 34:11). Jehovah-Shaphat used the Israelites to destroy the inhabitants in their wickedness. God promised all of the wealth of the land to His people – to those who followed His Law and obeyed His voice. (Leviticus 26:3-13, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 11:13-15, etc.) 

In the same way, God promised the land of America to His people, the Pilgrims and settlers of Jamestown. His plan was to create a great nation that followed His Kingdom laws, listened to His voice, and did the work to which He called them. (https://1607covenant.com/)

The inhabitants of the land were ungodly, barbaric in their treatment of others. God’s people drove out and destroyed the native tribes – instead of teaching them the Kingdom and how to live godly lives! That driving out and destruction was wrong.

However, to demand reparations is the wrong solution.

WRONGNESS OF UNBIBLICAL SLAVERY

White, European colonists and their descendents also imported blacks from Africa and put them through the atrocities of unbiblical slavery. This was an ungodly system that took the judgment of the Civil War to end.

Then the descendents of slaves were held down by Jim Crow laws. This, too, was ungodly and was fought by the Civil Rights movement. Even today, statistics show a disproportionate number of the black population is in poverty, in prison, and on Death Row. 

However, to demand reparations is the wrong solution.

GOD’S WAY TO PROSPERITY

Neither of these reparation paths follows God’s path to Kingdom prosperity. His way is to 

• forgive and lay aside the wrongs of the past
• “[strain] toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13)
• seek one’s purpose – one’s WHY
• develop one’s skills to do that work
• create value to serve to others
• exchange that for another’s value in a free market
• create wealth for both.

The white Europeans brought Christianity and the laws of God’s Kingdom to the land of America. That religion and those laws brought civilization and a great and godly nation to this land despite the wrongs of displacing the natives and enslaving black Africans.

QUESTIONS

Do you feel that you and your people have been greatly wronged? Be aware that the Comforter cares about that. (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7)

Trusting in the King to bring justice to you and your people, can you forgive and lay those wrongs aside? Are you willing to seek God’s ways to justice and prosperity?