Scattered and Gathered: Humbled and Blessed
- Raymond Melendez
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
At TheGoodNewsCast.com, we believe that every foreigner possesses a spiritual "wall of fire" that guides them through unfamiliar territory and brings them back home enriched and with a profound understanding of what it means to be called "God's people."
The history of a people scattered and gathered has always carried a deep purpose. In scripture, a dispersed people was not rejected; rather, they were sent for something greater. Zechariah 2 paints a vivid picture of the Almighty God sending people out to be humbled, blessed, and ultimately alter their future.
In a strikingly similar way, the United States now finds itself in a moment of unexpected shifts—or rather, the slowing of them. After years of intense debate over immigration, the nation is experiencing one of the steepest declines in migration in half a century. Border encounters have dropped, visa-based entries have tightened, and the once-surging flow of newcomers has sharply receded (Doe). This shift arrives at a time when immigration remains a central issue, creating a landscape defined by heightened enforcement and narrowing pathways.
Both stories reveal a single truth: migration, whether spiritually orchestrated or politically regulated, often signals a time to be humble.
Scattered and Gathered: Perfected
Zechariah 2 opens with the Almighty addressing a people dispersed among the nations—not as castaways, but as those undergoing a season of spiritual maturity. God's call, “Escape… you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon,” signals that the end of this season was drawing near.
A people once confident in their land, culture, and strength suddenly found themselves dependent, vulnerable, and in need of God once again. In scripture, those who grow tired of God are frequently dispersed to aid in their development. As Isaiah 48:10 declares, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
Similarly, the United States now faces its test. The nation is witnessing the lowest level of unauthorized border crossings in more than half a century. U.S. Border Patrol recorded 237,538 encounters in Fiscal Year 2025—a dramatic fall from the 1.5 million encounters in FY 2024 and the more than 2 million recorded annually between 2022 and 2023 (Smith). Rather than facing an overwhelming surge, the country is experiencing a profound decline, driven by deterrence, enforcement, and conditions beyond U.S. borders.
Both stories reveal a deep truth: whether God is disciplining a people or a nation is entering a new era of migration, these tensions drive them to discover something much greater than themselves.
Protection, Accountability, and Blessings
Zechariah's vision presents a vivid image of "a wall of fire," representing God's protection that persists even when the exiled endured affliction. Though Israel was scattered among the nations, God warned that they were not to be exploited:
“Whoever touches you touches the apple of My eye.” Zechariah 2
The vulnerable condition of these foreigners was not an opportunity to exert control over them—a temptation the nations could not resist. God promised to act against such injustice, declaring, “I will wave My hand over them,” turning the tables on anyone who took advantage.
That tension between opportunity and responsibility still pulls in today’s migration shifts. After reaching a peak of 2.7 million arrivals in 2024, U.S. immigration numbers—both legal and unauthorized—have fallen sharply, dropping to 1.3 million in 2025 and projected to fall near 321,000 in 2026. Some analysts even suggest the nation may enter an unprecedented period of negative figures, with estimates for 2025 ranging from a modest loss of 10,000 people to a dramatic decline of nearly 300,000. Yet despite the downturn, the United States still holds a historically large immigrant population: 51.9 million foreign-born residents as of mid-2025 and an estimated 14 million unauthorized immigrants in 2023 (Johnson).
Both the biblical record and current data point to the same truth: the weary foreigner—arriving through exile or any other path—uncovers the true disposition of those who take them in. Today, with migration patterns changing and numbers fluctuating, the question is how migrants will be treated—will the nation recognize the apple of God's eye?
Exile and Borders: A Nation Tested
Zechariah’s message offers a profound insight into the migration of people across borders: exile is never a one-sided experience. When Israel was scattered among foreign nations, they were not the only ones afflicted by unfamiliarity—the nations that received these foreigners were challenged as well. The mere presence of foreigners served as a testament to God's everlasting love, while the character of the nations was tested. The Torah’s command to “love the stranger” reminds every nation that the way it responds to outsiders reveals its true nature. In this sense, exile becomes a classroom for both Israel and the nations, each learning who they are through the presence of the other.
That classroom remains open in the United States’ current season of immigration reform. Since January 2025, the Trump administration has undertaken sweeping reforms to the nation’s immigration system, expanding enforcement, tightening restrictions, and improving national security. Measures have included suspending entry for certain non-citizens at the southern border, limiting asylum eligibility, reducing refugee admissions, and implementing new regulatory standards for work, student, and family-based visas (Taylor). New instructions for immigration officers and diplomats have further complicated the application process.
These reforms mark a pivotal moment, not only for policymakers but for the nation itself. As laws tighten and pathways narrow, the United States—like the nations of Zechariah’s day—finds itself confronted with a deep question: Who decides the final outcome? Immigration policy may strengthen its borders, but the treatment of foreigners reveals its true character.
In this unfolding chapter, America is not merely managing strangers across its boundaries; it is revealing who she is and what she stands against.
The Heart of A Nation: A Defining Hour
The promise spoken through Zechariah’s message is unmistakable: exile is not where it ends. Though the people are dispersed, it is temporary, purposeful, and ultimately blessed. God assures them that they will return home—not empty-handed, but enriched with a deeper understanding of God's ways and what it truly means to be God's people.
The prophecy is powerfully affirmed in the Book of Mormon:
“God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations in bringing about his covenants and his gospel to those who are of the house of Israel.” 1 Nephi 22
That prophecy now casts its shadow over the United States’ present moment. The nation stands at a crossroads as migration numbers fall sharply and policies tighten. The dramatic decline in arrivals raises pressing questions about its future—its workforce, its demographic trajectory, and its identity: a land long known for immigration, both historically and by sheer volume. At the same time, the administration’s approach signals a firm priority: safeguarding the nation and its citizens above all else.
Whether "The Trump Wall" marks a needed adjustment or a retreat into hardened boundaries, one truth is clear: America stands in a defining hour. Just as Israel’s exile and return revealed the heart of nations, the outcome ahead will show whether God’s hand strips her bare or becomes the glory that shines within her.
Works Cited
Doe, John. "U.S. Immigration Sees Largest Drop in Decades." The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026, www.nytimes.com. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Johnson, Robert. Trends in U.S. Immigration: A Turning Point in Migration Patterns. Migration Policy Institute, 6 Jan. 2026, www.migrationpolicy.org. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Smith, Jane. U.S. Border Patrol Encounters: A Historic Decline in Unauthorized Crossings. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 3 Feb. 2026, www.dhs.gov/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Taylor, Emily. "Trump Administration’s Immigration Reforms: A New Era of Restrictions." The Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
