If you thought that the Jewish people had an open mind to the Canaanites, you should think again. Yahweh saved the sons of Israel from committing genocide by gradually reducing the “Canaanite” population. 

The King of Israel spared no effort to preserve his name and to ensure the preservation of the people, and more specifically, by leaving a remnant who would become functional parts of the Kingdom of Israel and judah. Case in point is the deal made with Rahab The prostitute from jericho. The people who had Moses for a leader would not have accepted a foreigner in their camp, and neither did those who had Joshua as leader. The place known as outside the camp in ancient Israel was a place where refuse and ritually unclean persons were quarantined.

Reproached revised

The father of the 12 tribes was a converted man: he disavowed his cons and the violence of his sons and made peace with his mortal enemy, his twin brother Esau.  The spark of his nobility which prevented him from returning to Padan Aram as Abraham and Isaac had done to preserve the family line showed up later in David’s generosity to the survivor of Saul’s family.

David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.” (2 Samuel 9:7)

Both Israel and David carved out a spot on the family tree that severely challenged the sons of Israel. 

You can’t eat here; no debate

• So, let us go out, over and over
• to Him (leave the gates of Jacob, temple and high court)
• outside the camp (in that place where broken and rejected things reside}
• bearing His reproach; what a great honour it is that believers are in line to bear our Lord’s disgrace

10. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. (Hebrews 13:10-13)

You, my frenemy, with your life of victory and prosperity, your great-again delusion, your unprecedented prostitution, your boldface idolatries, your weekly weekend miracles, and international crimes, will find little comfort in the presence of the Nazarene. You, so saturated with your chosen people wannabism, cannot eat here.  The stone the builders refused was destined to become the saviour and king. The journey out to the reproach district begins with out-of-the-box eating.

13. A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14. But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” (Acts 10:13-14). Opening his mouth, Peter said:  “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality” (Acts 10:34)

Herein lies the nuts and bolts of daily cross-bearing.  It is engaging the observers of our lives in the spectacular exits of the God who died.  You think your rules and regulations are mysterious and wonderful? Try going out to God, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.