The history of Israel provides a profound example of migration and the treatment of foreigners within a nation. The people of Israel migrated from Canaan to Egypt, and after generations in bondage, they returned to Canaan following their redemption. Centuries later, when Assyria conquered Israel around seven hundred years after their return, the Israelites were forcibly taken to the land of the Medes, and Mesopotamian peoples were sent to replace them in Palestine. This pattern of displacement and migration continued as the descendants of Israel moved over many centuries from the Caspian Sea region to northwestern Europe, and eventually to the New World and beyond. In the context of foreigners within Israel, biblical principles address their integration and responsibilities. As outlined in Exodus 12:43-49, no outsider was permitted to partake in the Passover service unless all males in his family were circumcised, symbolizing their agreement to abide by Israel's laws and accept the covenant made with God. Once this commitment was made, the law was to be the same for both the native-born and the stranger sojourning among them. This meant that no outsider could enjoy the benefits of citizenship without first taking on its responsibilities, after which they were to be treated as if they had been born in Israel all their lives. Other scriptural references reinforce this principle, emphasizing that integration required adherence to the established standards of the nation.

During the Exodus, God extended His mercy to Egypt's mixed multitude, offering these foreigners a chance to join Israel. This opportunity was not widely extended again until the days of the apostles, when God offered spiritual salvation to the Gentiles He called. In the post-exilic period, as recorded in Nehemiah 13, God rejected whole Gentile nations, such as the Ammonites and Moabites, from entering the congregation of God after the remnant of Judah and Benjamin returned from Babylon. Historically, there were two mixed multitudes: one in Moses' time, which God accepted, and another in Nehemiah's time, which He did not. The mixed multitude of Exodus was judged clean by God, while that of Nehemiah remained unclean, suffering from the leprosy of sin. God never reveals why He accepted one group and rejected the other; as sovereign ruler, He is under no obligation to explain His choices. In the time of the apostles, God made it clear that He is capable of cleansing Gentiles, though not all at once, calling only some from every nation who fear and obey Him to be acceptable.