(The fifty-first in a series of sermons on Exodus, preached January 22, 2012.)
Exodus 21:1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.[1]
Are you embarrassed? As we read this passage, it seems that the Bible condones slavery, a profoundly immoral institution, and a source of incalculable human misery. When we think of slavery, we think about the heart-wrenching African slave trade. Between 1510 and 1868, some 15 million Africans were kidnapped, herded like beasts to the African coast, chained and packed into the holds of ships like corpses in a morgue, and dispatched across the ocean as human cargo. Conservative estimates put the death toll from Africa’s interior to the New World at 5 million souls. Conservative estimates put the death toll from Africa’s interior to the New World at 5 million souls.[2] And here, of all things, we have the Bible countenancing that vile institution. Skeptics won’t take this book seriously because it puts the divine imprimatur on slavery. And many Christians avoid the embarrassment by conveniently skipping this and most of the Old Testament.
Let’s set the record straight. Though some advocates of slavery in the antebellum American South cited passages like Exodus 21 to defend race-based slavery, the Bible unequivocally condemns their behavior - not just the Bible in general, but Exodus 21, the very chapter we study. Look at verse 16, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). The Law prescribes execution for this kind of slave buyer and seller. 1 Timothy 1 condemns a list of “unholy and irreligious” men who practice wickedness, including “slave traders” (1 Timothy 1:10 (NIV). Had Protestant Christians taken to heart these verses, there would have been no African slave trade. Everything about America’s slave trade is an abomination to God.
Back to Exodus.
This morning we continue to study of a section of Exodus known as the Book of the Covenant. It extends from the end of the Ten Commandments to chapter 24. The name Book of the Covenant comes from Exodus 24:7.
Last week we looked at laws pertaining to Israel’s worship. Today’s passage begins: “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1). Roughly 40 cases flesh out how the abiding principles of the Ten Commandments are worked out in the day-to-day situations in Israel’s civil life. These laws don’t cover every conceivable situation, but they do give Israel’s elders precedents for handling disputes.[3] These civil or political statutes applied only to Israel; they were never intended to be the laws of any other nation. Nonetheless, they have much to say to us about principles of fairness and how to forge a God-honoring life in a fallen world.
Let’s pause to think about this Book of the Covenant – a written document. It is significant that there is a law that binds every Israelite to obedience – rich and poor, affluent and weak. Israel is a nation of laws.
What was Egypt’s law? Egypt’s law was the word of Pharaoh.[4] Period. Stand before the king of Egypt, and you’re completely at his mercy. No law restrains him; his spoken word of judgment is final. Depending on his mood, his opinions change by the hour. The king’s word is the spoken law of the land.
But Israel is different. Here’s the principle of Lex Rex: the Law is King! Israel’s leaders must submit to God as he rules by his Law, a Law that God puts in writing.
Pharaoh has his modern disciples. A mere seven decades ago war raged in Europe because one man, Adolf Hitler, became a law unto himself. Beginning in the 1930s, German judges no longer took vows to uphold the laws of Germany. They took vows of allegiance to Hitler. The prototypical dictator - submissive to no law, accountable to no standard. Israel is not like that; it is a nation of laws.
Another truth the Book of the Covenant teaches us is that God is concerned about society. Biblical religion is not a form of individual therapy or personal self-help. The Lord aims to establish order and community righteousness in Israel. His concern is for individuals, most certainly, but individuals living in community.
Now to the issue of slavery: The first laws of the Book of the Covenant pertain to slavery. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. After all, the Ten Commandments begin with, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). And where does Israel’s story in Exodus begin? It begins with Israel in Egypt, where they “ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves” (Exodus 1:13). Just months earlier, Israel had been a nation of slaves – tyrannized, without property, without rights.
And now, freed from bondage, they must never forget their past. Five times in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord admonishes Israel to remember they were once slaves, and on that basis to show kindness to the weakest among them – its servants, sojourners, fatherless, and widows.[5]
Exodus 21:1-11 divides into two sections. Verses 2-6 contain laws regarding the treatment of Hebrews slaves, and verses 7-11 contain laws regarding the treatment of female slaves.
First we must define our terms: What do we mean by the word “slave”? It’s not as obvious as you might think, and “slave” might not be the most helpful translation. The word we translate slave, in both English and Hebrew, has a wide range of meanings. It can refer to involuntary servitude, like Egyptian and American slavery, or a voluntary arrangement in which one enters into servitude for a specified period in order to pay off debt or to advance economically. I am not arguing that any of us would find this type of arrangement pleasant or that it should be practiced today, but it is a far cry from American and Egyptian slavery, so far in fact, that some translations, like the NIV, translate the Hebrew word here as servant – not slave – so that there will be no confusion.
Hebrew slavery was not perpetual. Israelites were not involuntarily consigned to a lifetime of slavery. In fact, the period of service is based on the Fourth Commandment, which is a Sabbath principle: “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.”
During that time a poor slave, perhaps impoverished by debt, could learn how to manage his affairs under the direction of his master.
Fast-forwarding and moving to the Roman world – in Pompeii last year, I visited the ruins of the homes of the affluent. Frequently, the front rooms contained shops once operated by slaves, who benefitted financially from their trades. After a slave purchased his freedom, his former owner might choose to become his patron, helping him establish a business.
Greek slaves owned property, and slaves owned other slaves. Slaves took on additional employment unrelated to their duties as slaves. Slaves frequently lived in better conditions than free laborers, and many people sold themselves into slavery for security and social advancement. As much as one-third of the Greek and Roman population were slaves – some of them teachers, accountants, and businessmen.[6] This is very strange world to us. None of us would want to live in it, but we mustn’t assume that American slavery was identical to Hebrew and Greco-Roman slavery – it wasn’t, not by any stretch. Most significantly, Greco-Roman slavery was not race-based. In the ancient world, there were occasional slave insurrections in response to brutality. But as far as I know, none of them had abolition as a goal.
Let’s move on: “If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him” (Exodus 21:3). “If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone” (Exodus 20:4). At first glance this seems extremely cruel, but it is not. The slave could purchase his wife’s and his children’s freedom.[7] And if while in her master’s household her husband proved himself immoral or dangerous, she and her children could remain under her master’s protection.
Verses 5-6 envision a different scenario. “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” (Exodus 21:5-6). For reasons of love, devotion, economic security, and social advantage, a slave might choose to remain permanently with his master. To mark this decision, his ear was pierced; he was identified with his master for life. Why was the ear pierced? I’m not sure, but the most reasonable explanation is that is symbolized that his ear was open to his master’s word, his command.
This visible symbol should resonate with Christians. By faith we have become slaves or servants of Jesus Christ. Among the multitude of voices that demand our attention, our ears are open to his word. Like the crowd at Pentecost, we give ear to God’s word preached (Acts 2:14). We belong to a Savior, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
We move to verses 7-11, which provide laws governing female slaves. Again, at first glance the legislation seems cruel. It’s just the opposite. In a fallen world, these laws protect young women, who are among the most vulnerable people in any ancient society.
Look at verse 7: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave . . .” Remember how a poor man might find financial security and social advancement by becoming a slave? So, too, a father might seek the welfare of his daughter by arranging that she become a household slave. Again, strange to us, but it’s a far different world than contemporary America. But what we must take to heart is the protection that God affords through his law to the weak and vulnerable: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.” (Exodus 21:7-8) Once the young woman is in the master’s home, if he finds her displeasing, he must bear responsibility for the failed relationship. He may choose to send her away – that’s breaking faith with her, a failure to fulfill his commitment – but under no circumstances can he sell her into the very different and very evil slave systems of Israel’s neighbors. He must allow her family to redeem her.
The language of verse 9 is even stronger: “If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.” If it sounds odd, then it’s because it’s technical language, granting her full legal rights shared with the rest of the members of the family.[8] As one writer puts it: she “was virtually adopted into the family.”[9]
If the master chooses to marry the slave he has taken into his home and later marries another woman, some protection is afforded the young woman. Look at verse 10: “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.”
Verse 11 summarizes: if the master defaults on the provisions of these arrangements, the young slave woman may “go out for nothing, without payment of money.” She is free.
Four concluding comments:
First, let’s answer the question: does the Bible condone slavery? No it doesn’t. Hebrew slavery was not an ideal institution established for an ideal world. We shouldn’t romanticize it; it was marked by its share of brutality. These laws, however, mitigate mistreatment, and make slave owners responsible for those people under their care. They also provide paths forward for slaves who are image bearers of God. The laws reveal God’s concern for the poor and weak; our own laws should reflect that concern.
Just because the Bible regulates a behavior doesn’t mean that it condones it. Does the Bible condone divorce? Certainly not. From the beginning it was God’s intent for one man and one woman to live in a life-long covenant of marriage. But in a fallen world, divorce happens. Marriages end often because of the reckless behavior of one spouse, and the innocent must be protected. So, the Bible regulates, but does not endorse, divorce.
As Christians we should have the strongest commitments to personal holiness. But as we deal with the brokenness of life we must not let high idealism keep us from recognizing and alleviating suffering, if even the solutions we offer are much less than perfect. In most situations, we will never obtain the greatest possible good. Instead, we must be content with the greatest good possible.
Second, the institution of slavery is over, but you can still make yourself a slave. Proverbs 22:7 “the borrower is the slave of the lender.” Reckless debt can rob you, the institutions you love, and your nation of its freedom. Excessive debt takes not only you’re money but your freedom, and, if your debt is rooted in your lack of discipline, it takes your dignity. Don’t be a slave.
Third, hold to your high ideals, but learn to live with life as it is. Paul urges slaves (or bondservants) to seek their freedom if possible, but to be content. “Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” (1 Corinthians 7:21-24) Free or bound, we receive with thanksgiving our salvation in Christ, and serve where he chooses. Our situation will never be ideal – never the best we can imagine – but it can be a place of contentment and joy and productive service to God.
Paul experienced injustice at the hands of the Roman government. So, there’s no idealism behind his exhortation: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). In varying degrees of freedom and oppression, Christians must not throw their lives away in reckless pursuit of a perfect world. There’s no way to calculate the lives lost striving to reach the Utopian ideal. In a world fractured by sin, we pursue peace. We must be content where God assigns us.
Finally, a word about Christianity and the abolition of slavery.
A world without slaves was inconceivable to anyone in the ancient world, slave and free alike. It wasn’t an option. Even the occasional slave insurrection did not have abolition as its goal. No one imagined a world without slavery. Abolition of slavery in all its forms would have to wait for another day.
That day came with a maturing Christian faith. Though Western Christians sullied their souls by participation in the African slave trade, it was Christians who ended it. Had Jesus, like Mohammed owned slaves, it’s difficult to imagine a moral and spiritual force arising in the Western powerful enough to bring down the slave trade’s empire.[10] During the heated debates in England in the 19th century, evangelicals launched scathing moral criticism against the African slave trade, and proved themselves skillful and ultimately successful Parliamentarians. Abolition prevailed.
But as persuasive as words was the Josiah Wedgwood medallion. It pictured an African kneeling, his face pleading, his hands raised in chains, and the caption simple: “Am I not a man and a brother?”
Man in the image of God and redeemed by Christ – here is the answer to slavery. Here is the hope of men and women everywhere.
__________
[1] All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Rodney Stark, For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Scienc, Witch-hunts, and the End of Slavery (Princeton: 2003), 307-308.
[3] Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God's Glory (Crossway, 2005), 698
[4] Currid, Exodus, vol. 2 (Evangelical Press: 2001), 63-64.
[5] Deuteronomy 5:15, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18, and 24:22.
[6] Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians (Word: 1990), 415-420.
[7] John L. Mackay, Exodus (Mentor: 2001), 366.
[8] Currid, 69.
[9] Mackay, 369
[10] Stark, 338.
Exodus 21:1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.[1]
Are you embarrassed? As we read this passage, it seems that the Bible condones slavery, a profoundly immoral institution, and a source of incalculable human misery. When we think of slavery, we think about the heart-wrenching African slave trade. Between 1510 and 1868, some 15 million Africans were kidnapped, herded like beasts to the African coast, chained and packed into the holds of ships like corpses in a morgue, and dispatched across the ocean as human cargo. Conservative estimates put the death toll from Africa’s interior to the New World at 5 million souls. Conservative estimates put the death toll from Africa’s interior to the New World at 5 million souls.[2] And here, of all things, we have the Bible countenancing that vile institution. Skeptics won’t take this book seriously because it puts the divine imprimatur on slavery. And many Christians avoid the embarrassment by conveniently skipping this and most of the Old Testament.
Let’s set the record straight. Though some advocates of slavery in the antebellum American South cited passages like Exodus 21 to defend race-based slavery, the Bible unequivocally condemns their behavior - not just the Bible in general, but Exodus 21, the very chapter we study. Look at verse 16, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). The Law prescribes execution for this kind of slave buyer and seller. 1 Timothy 1 condemns a list of “unholy and irreligious” men who practice wickedness, including “slave traders” (1 Timothy 1:10 (NIV). Had Protestant Christians taken to heart these verses, there would have been no African slave trade. Everything about America’s slave trade is an abomination to God.
Back to Exodus.
This morning we continue to study of a section of Exodus known as the Book of the Covenant. It extends from the end of the Ten Commandments to chapter 24. The name Book of the Covenant comes from Exodus 24:7.
Last week we looked at laws pertaining to Israel’s worship. Today’s passage begins: “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1). Roughly 40 cases flesh out how the abiding principles of the Ten Commandments are worked out in the day-to-day situations in Israel’s civil life. These laws don’t cover every conceivable situation, but they do give Israel’s elders precedents for handling disputes.[3] These civil or political statutes applied only to Israel; they were never intended to be the laws of any other nation. Nonetheless, they have much to say to us about principles of fairness and how to forge a God-honoring life in a fallen world.
Let’s pause to think about this Book of the Covenant – a written document. It is significant that there is a law that binds every Israelite to obedience – rich and poor, affluent and weak. Israel is a nation of laws.
What was Egypt’s law? Egypt’s law was the word of Pharaoh.[4] Period. Stand before the king of Egypt, and you’re completely at his mercy. No law restrains him; his spoken word of judgment is final. Depending on his mood, his opinions change by the hour. The king’s word is the spoken law of the land.
But Israel is different. Here’s the principle of Lex Rex: the Law is King! Israel’s leaders must submit to God as he rules by his Law, a Law that God puts in writing.
Pharaoh has his modern disciples. A mere seven decades ago war raged in Europe because one man, Adolf Hitler, became a law unto himself. Beginning in the 1930s, German judges no longer took vows to uphold the laws of Germany. They took vows of allegiance to Hitler. The prototypical dictator - submissive to no law, accountable to no standard. Israel is not like that; it is a nation of laws.
Another truth the Book of the Covenant teaches us is that God is concerned about society. Biblical religion is not a form of individual therapy or personal self-help. The Lord aims to establish order and community righteousness in Israel. His concern is for individuals, most certainly, but individuals living in community.
Now to the issue of slavery: The first laws of the Book of the Covenant pertain to slavery. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. After all, the Ten Commandments begin with, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). And where does Israel’s story in Exodus begin? It begins with Israel in Egypt, where they “ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves” (Exodus 1:13). Just months earlier, Israel had been a nation of slaves – tyrannized, without property, without rights.
And now, freed from bondage, they must never forget their past. Five times in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord admonishes Israel to remember they were once slaves, and on that basis to show kindness to the weakest among them – its servants, sojourners, fatherless, and widows.[5]
Exodus 21:1-11 divides into two sections. Verses 2-6 contain laws regarding the treatment of Hebrews slaves, and verses 7-11 contain laws regarding the treatment of female slaves.
First we must define our terms: What do we mean by the word “slave”? It’s not as obvious as you might think, and “slave” might not be the most helpful translation. The word we translate slave, in both English and Hebrew, has a wide range of meanings. It can refer to involuntary servitude, like Egyptian and American slavery, or a voluntary arrangement in which one enters into servitude for a specified period in order to pay off debt or to advance economically. I am not arguing that any of us would find this type of arrangement pleasant or that it should be practiced today, but it is a far cry from American and Egyptian slavery, so far in fact, that some translations, like the NIV, translate the Hebrew word here as servant – not slave – so that there will be no confusion.
Hebrew slavery was not perpetual. Israelites were not involuntarily consigned to a lifetime of slavery. In fact, the period of service is based on the Fourth Commandment, which is a Sabbath principle: “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.”
During that time a poor slave, perhaps impoverished by debt, could learn how to manage his affairs under the direction of his master.
Fast-forwarding and moving to the Roman world – in Pompeii last year, I visited the ruins of the homes of the affluent. Frequently, the front rooms contained shops once operated by slaves, who benefitted financially from their trades. After a slave purchased his freedom, his former owner might choose to become his patron, helping him establish a business.
Greek slaves owned property, and slaves owned other slaves. Slaves took on additional employment unrelated to their duties as slaves. Slaves frequently lived in better conditions than free laborers, and many people sold themselves into slavery for security and social advancement. As much as one-third of the Greek and Roman population were slaves – some of them teachers, accountants, and businessmen.[6] This is very strange world to us. None of us would want to live in it, but we mustn’t assume that American slavery was identical to Hebrew and Greco-Roman slavery – it wasn’t, not by any stretch. Most significantly, Greco-Roman slavery was not race-based. In the ancient world, there were occasional slave insurrections in response to brutality. But as far as I know, none of them had abolition as a goal.
Let’s move on: “If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him” (Exodus 21:3). “If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone” (Exodus 20:4). At first glance this seems extremely cruel, but it is not. The slave could purchase his wife’s and his children’s freedom.[7] And if while in her master’s household her husband proved himself immoral or dangerous, she and her children could remain under her master’s protection.
Verses 5-6 envision a different scenario. “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” (Exodus 21:5-6). For reasons of love, devotion, economic security, and social advantage, a slave might choose to remain permanently with his master. To mark this decision, his ear was pierced; he was identified with his master for life. Why was the ear pierced? I’m not sure, but the most reasonable explanation is that is symbolized that his ear was open to his master’s word, his command.
This visible symbol should resonate with Christians. By faith we have become slaves or servants of Jesus Christ. Among the multitude of voices that demand our attention, our ears are open to his word. Like the crowd at Pentecost, we give ear to God’s word preached (Acts 2:14). We belong to a Savior, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
We move to verses 7-11, which provide laws governing female slaves. Again, at first glance the legislation seems cruel. It’s just the opposite. In a fallen world, these laws protect young women, who are among the most vulnerable people in any ancient society.
Look at verse 7: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave . . .” Remember how a poor man might find financial security and social advancement by becoming a slave? So, too, a father might seek the welfare of his daughter by arranging that she become a household slave. Again, strange to us, but it’s a far different world than contemporary America. But what we must take to heart is the protection that God affords through his law to the weak and vulnerable: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.” (Exodus 21:7-8) Once the young woman is in the master’s home, if he finds her displeasing, he must bear responsibility for the failed relationship. He may choose to send her away – that’s breaking faith with her, a failure to fulfill his commitment – but under no circumstances can he sell her into the very different and very evil slave systems of Israel’s neighbors. He must allow her family to redeem her.
The language of verse 9 is even stronger: “If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.” If it sounds odd, then it’s because it’s technical language, granting her full legal rights shared with the rest of the members of the family.[8] As one writer puts it: she “was virtually adopted into the family.”[9]
If the master chooses to marry the slave he has taken into his home and later marries another woman, some protection is afforded the young woman. Look at verse 10: “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.”
Verse 11 summarizes: if the master defaults on the provisions of these arrangements, the young slave woman may “go out for nothing, without payment of money.” She is free.
Four concluding comments:
First, let’s answer the question: does the Bible condone slavery? No it doesn’t. Hebrew slavery was not an ideal institution established for an ideal world. We shouldn’t romanticize it; it was marked by its share of brutality. These laws, however, mitigate mistreatment, and make slave owners responsible for those people under their care. They also provide paths forward for slaves who are image bearers of God. The laws reveal God’s concern for the poor and weak; our own laws should reflect that concern.
Just because the Bible regulates a behavior doesn’t mean that it condones it. Does the Bible condone divorce? Certainly not. From the beginning it was God’s intent for one man and one woman to live in a life-long covenant of marriage. But in a fallen world, divorce happens. Marriages end often because of the reckless behavior of one spouse, and the innocent must be protected. So, the Bible regulates, but does not endorse, divorce.
As Christians we should have the strongest commitments to personal holiness. But as we deal with the brokenness of life we must not let high idealism keep us from recognizing and alleviating suffering, if even the solutions we offer are much less than perfect. In most situations, we will never obtain the greatest possible good. Instead, we must be content with the greatest good possible.
Second, the institution of slavery is over, but you can still make yourself a slave. Proverbs 22:7 “the borrower is the slave of the lender.” Reckless debt can rob you, the institutions you love, and your nation of its freedom. Excessive debt takes not only you’re money but your freedom, and, if your debt is rooted in your lack of discipline, it takes your dignity. Don’t be a slave.
Third, hold to your high ideals, but learn to live with life as it is. Paul urges slaves (or bondservants) to seek their freedom if possible, but to be content. “Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” (1 Corinthians 7:21-24) Free or bound, we receive with thanksgiving our salvation in Christ, and serve where he chooses. Our situation will never be ideal – never the best we can imagine – but it can be a place of contentment and joy and productive service to God.
Paul experienced injustice at the hands of the Roman government. So, there’s no idealism behind his exhortation: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). In varying degrees of freedom and oppression, Christians must not throw their lives away in reckless pursuit of a perfect world. There’s no way to calculate the lives lost striving to reach the Utopian ideal. In a world fractured by sin, we pursue peace. We must be content where God assigns us.
Finally, a word about Christianity and the abolition of slavery.
A world without slaves was inconceivable to anyone in the ancient world, slave and free alike. It wasn’t an option. Even the occasional slave insurrection did not have abolition as its goal. No one imagined a world without slavery. Abolition of slavery in all its forms would have to wait for another day.
That day came with a maturing Christian faith. Though Western Christians sullied their souls by participation in the African slave trade, it was Christians who ended it. Had Jesus, like Mohammed owned slaves, it’s difficult to imagine a moral and spiritual force arising in the Western powerful enough to bring down the slave trade’s empire.[10] During the heated debates in England in the 19th century, evangelicals launched scathing moral criticism against the African slave trade, and proved themselves skillful and ultimately successful Parliamentarians. Abolition prevailed.
But as persuasive as words was the Josiah Wedgwood medallion. It pictured an African kneeling, his face pleading, his hands raised in chains, and the caption simple: “Am I not a man and a brother?”
Man in the image of God and redeemed by Christ – here is the answer to slavery. Here is the hope of men and women everywhere.
__________
[1] All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Rodney Stark, For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Scienc, Witch-hunts, and the End of Slavery (Princeton: 2003), 307-308.
[3] Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God's Glory (Crossway, 2005), 698
[4] Currid, Exodus, vol. 2 (Evangelical Press: 2001), 63-64.
[5] Deuteronomy 5:15, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18, and 24:22.
[6] Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians (Word: 1990), 415-420.
[7] John L. Mackay, Exodus (Mentor: 2001), 366.
[8] Currid, 69.
[9] Mackay, 369
[10] Stark, 338.
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