Exodus 21:1-11
~15 min read
💭 Consider this: How do you regard your being a slave who belongs to Christ?
Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus 21:1. In Exodus chapter 20, God had just given the Ten Commandments, and in the following three chapters, 21-23, through Moses, God would tell His people how to apply His laws into the different situations of life. The difference between the Ten Commandments and the laws in these three chapters is that the Ten Commandments are legally binding, fundamental, and applicable to all believers throughout the ages, as demonstrated in the fact that they were written on the tablets of stone. As for the laws in these three chapters, they were especially given to the nation of Israel on how they ought to live their lives as a covenant community. So, the requirements and the penalties for failing to abide by the rules only apply to the nation of Israel. As for us on this side of the cross, in the New Testament, in the church, we draw principles that we can apply in our lives today.
Most people tend to skip through these passages because some feel that it is just a set of mundane rules and regulations that only historians are interested in. But more importantly, some feel that it is extremely difficult to explain some of these laws, like the one we will consider today about slavery or about capital punishment, an eye for an eye, and so forth. So, they would skip through all these passages rather than go through them. As someone said, ‘this is like the Bermuda Triangle of the Bible. You move away from it and not into it’.
But we all know that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and we ought not to shy away from it but to dive into it, for it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, as well as for correction. The way to study all the laws given to the nation of Israel is, firstly, we want to draw principles. We want to understand the spirit behind the letter. And secondly, we need to understand the historical context, which is different from our context. With this in view, we will begin with Exodus 21:1. The title of our message is ‘Why Would God Allow Slavery?’
Verse one: "Now these are the judgments which thou hast set before them." Remember, Moses was representing the people before God and representing God before the people, so he was God's spokesperson, and God wanted him to tell the people these judgments. The word ‘judgments’ means laws or ordinances. In other words, these were the laws to govern the way they ought to live their lives as a covenant community.
The first set of laws given here was about slavery. When God gave the Commandments, as in the Ten Commandments in the previous chapter, He also began with slavery. He reminded the people how He brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. The Israelites were former slaves, and now they were free. So, it will be unthinkable and unacceptable for them to treat one another like the way the Pharaoh had once treated them. So, in a sense, God was saying, ‘do not behave like the pagans; do not treat one another like the pagans.’ So, God began His laws by regulating the relationship between masters and slaves.
As our title suggests, some people will wonder why didn’t God abolish slavery altogether? But instead, He gave His laws to regulate slavery. Our concept of slavery is often about the slaves being kidnapped from Africa, the torture and the inhumane treatments of the black slaves in America, the Civil War, and so forth. But in those days in the Bible, slavery was voluntary, at least for the Israelites. People would hire themselves into the service of others. Most of the time, it was because of poverty, or they had to pay off their debts, or they had committed certain crimes like stealing, and they could not afford to pay the restitution. They recognised that the best way to meet their needs while at the same time paying off their debts was to become someone's servant. Perhaps a better word would be servant. They lived in their master's home. They worked hard in exchange for housing, food, clothes, and an honest wage. Involuntary slavery was forbidden. That was why in verse 16, the law demands the death penalty for slave traders. Anyone who kidnaps another person and either keeps him or sells him, when he is caught, he must be put to death.
So, slavery amongst the Israelites in the Old Testament is different from the slavery in our modern context, whereby, by and large, it is involuntary. The people are being kidnapped and forced into slavery. There are several lessons we can learn from God's laws for slavery.
I. It Is Temporal
Firstly, it is temporal. Look at verse two: "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh, he shall go out free for nothing." Here we see the principle of Sabbath being applied. Six days thou shalt work, and on the seventh day, thou shalt rest. Just as God's people had the freedom to rest one whole day in seven days, the Hebrew slaves were set free in their sabbatical year, or the seventh year. Once they had served their time, they were set free to start a new life. So, it is not permanent; it is temporal. The slaves were set free for nothing, which means they need not pay anything to their masters. But instead, their masters were required to give them everything they needed to start a new life of freedom.
In Deuteronomy 15:12-15, the Bible says, ‘the master must not send the slave away empty-handed but supply him freely from his flock, from his threshing floor, from his wine press.’ The basis behind this principle to provide for the slaves was because the Israelites themselves were once slaves in Egypt, and when God redeemed them, they left Egypt loaded with silver and gold. How can we apply this principle in our lives? If you are an employer and you have an employee who has faithfully served his term of contract with you, you should help him to move on, perhaps by providing sufficient funds for him to survive until he finds another job.
In Singapore, where I came from, some families have foreign maids. Those maids live and serve with the families for years. Obviously, it was voluntary. They want to earn money to support their families back home. After they finish their contracts, they will return back home. I know of some Christians who gave their maids a sum of money as a token of appreciation. Others had gone out of their ways to help their maids to set up their own businesses. You and I ought to be grateful and thankful to those people who have helped us.
II. It Is Beneficial
Secondly, slavery is beneficial. What do we mean by that? Most of the time, we think that slavery is only for the master's advantage, to get his work done at the expense of the slaves. But the slavery in the Bible is actually for the benefit of the slaves. It is to train them to become productive in society. The reason why they had become slaves in the first place, as we had mentioned a moment ago, could be because they were in debt due to their negligence and sometimes to pay restitution for their crimes. So, from a life being useless in the past, they had learned to work honestly and improve their situations in the future. So, in this sense, it is beneficial. It is God's way of training irresponsible people to become useful again. In the past, they did not fulfil their responsibilities as members of the covenant community. They were ill-equipped to lead their own families.
But through slavery, they sold themselves into the households of honourable members. They not only had their needs met but they also learned how a covenant family ought to behave, how husbands and fathers ought to love their wives and lead their own families, how wives and mothers ought to submit to their own husbands and take care of the children, how children ought to obey and honour their parents. On top of that, they also learned different skills. All these were meant to prepare them for their freedom so that they would be ready to integrate into society and the covenant community, to be useful, to be effective, to be productive.
Again, how can we apply this principle into our lives? Sometimes we have people who are in financial difficulties because they are irresponsible or lazy or they refuse to work. We do not just give them handouts. That will not help them. In fact, that will encourage them to be irresponsible and lazy. Instead, we should help them by teaching them to work hard with their hands diligently and honestly and improve their situations so that one day they would be productive, not only in society, but more importantly in the Church of Jesus Christ.
III. It Preserves Marriage
The third point we can learn is that God's law for slavery preserves marriage. Verse three: "If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him." If the person became a slave as a single person, he should live as a single person. If he was married, then his wife should live with him as well. God does not want the married couple to be separated but to stay together.
IV. It Protects The Family
Next, God's law for slavery protects the family. Now things get more complicated when the slave married another slave while working for the master. Look at verse four: "If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself." In such a scenario, although he was set free after serving his term, his wife and children remain with the master. Obviously, the wife herself was also a slave, and she rightfully belonged to the master until she served her term of seven years, and the children ought to be with the mother. But the slave had an option to choose to stay with his family. Verse five: "And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free." When he decides to do that, it must be done legally. Remember, slavery was voluntary. Verse six: "Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul” - an instrument - “and he shall serve him forever."
Having said that, most people would think that that seems unfair by letting the man go while his family remained with the master. That does not seem to strengthen the marriage and family bond, right? Remember, the man in this case was a former debtor. He had served his master for seven years. He was now set free, but the master did not let him leave empty-handed but provided him with money with which he could redeem his family's freedom. So, he was not able to do that, which means he was not ready to integrate into society.
If he could not take care of himself, how could he take care of his family? If he had not learned his lesson, soon he would be in debt again, and this time his wife and children would have to suffer the consequences with him. So it was the responsibility of the master to provide the protection for the woman and children until the man could take up full responsibility for them in a God-honouring way. So, God had given His laws to protect the family.
V. It Protects The Woman
Let us move on to see how God's law for slavery protects the woman. Verse seven: "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do." Have you ever encountered someone who says to you that the Bible is very male-oriented, male chauvinistic, and gravitates toward the male? Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, if you read through the Bible, special attention, care, and protection were given to the women.
At first glance here, it seems as if God treated the men better than the women. Again, we have to understand the historical context. In those days, if the father was in debt, he had to sell himself into slavery to pay his debts. If a father sells his daughter, the purpose was not to get rid of her, but it was to improve her life's situation, and oftentimes it was for the prospect of marriage.
Women are weaker vessels, not in the spiritual sense, in the physical sense. Physically and emotionally, they are weaker than men. In those days, unlike our modern society, a single woman was most vulnerable. If she did not belong to any household, she would expose herself to all kinds of danger, and it was unsafe for her to go out free on her own. She needed to be protected within the confines of a family. So by not allowing the maidservant to go free, God was not seeking to restrict her, but actually to protect her. God knew that even in Israel, the covenant community, there would be men trying to take advantage of servant girls.
So God gave specific commands for her protection. Look at verse eight: "If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation, he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her." The word ‘betroth’ means to fix or arrange. It was a reference to be engaged in marriage. The maidservant was engaged to be married to the master. If things did not work out, and the fault was with the master and not the maid, because he had dealt deceitfully with her, which means he had broken faith with her, the right and honourable thing was to allow her family to purchase her, to redeem her. The master had no right and power to sell her to a foreign nation. God forbids.
Verse nine: "And if he hath betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters." If she was engaged to be married to the master's son, though at this point they were not married yet, she must be welcome as a full member of the family, with all the privileges of a daughter. Verse ten: "If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish." Sometimes the engagement gets broken, and the son of the master decides to marry another woman. What happens to the maidservant who is engaged to him? He must provide her with food, raiment, which includes clothes and shelter, and marital rights.
Remember, to be betrothed is to be engaged with the promises of marriage as the end result. So all the marital rights and promises should be given to her. If he failed to do that, then she should be free to go without any payment of money. That was why verse eleven says: "And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money."
So dear friends, why would God allow slavery? It is in the context of the nation of Israel. It is temporal. It is beneficial. It preserves marriage, it protects the family, and it protects the woman. Now, the question is, what spiritual lessons can we learn from this passage?
In those days, there were masters who had bought and redeemed the slaves by paying off their debts, took them under their wings, treated them with loving kindness and tender mercies, protected them, provided for them, cared for them, so much so that those slaves willingly chose to remain and serve their masters for the rest of their lives. They pledged their allegiance by having their ears pierced through, and anyone who saw those slaves would know that they had willingly chosen to serve their masters for life.
Do you realise that this is a picture of us as Christians? We have a most wonderful Saviour, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Master. He has redeemed us from sin and death, paid the penalty of our sins, took us into His spiritual family, the church. He lovingly protects us, provides for us, cares for us, and we as believers willingly want to serve Him all the days of our lives. Jesus Christ is our perfect Master, and we are His willing slaves, not by force, but with a willing heart. Isn't it true?
A story was told of the late United States President Abraham Lincoln who fought very hard for the abolishment of slavery. It was said that once he attended a slave auction and his heart was stricken when he saw the buying and selling of human beings. His heart was especially drawn to a young woman standing alone waiting to be auctioned. She looked at the crowd with hatred and contempt in her eyes. Obviously, she had been abused all her life. Lincoln had pity on her and he offered a bid for her. Other competitors also bid for her, only to be countered by Abraham Lincoln, who won the bid. Eventually, when Abraham paid the money for her, he took the title deed and gave it to the woman.
Not understanding his action, she asked him what he was going to do next with her. Abraham said, ‘I'm going to set you free.’
‘Free?’ she said. ‘Free for what?’
‘Just free,’ Lincoln said. ‘Completely free.’
‘Free to do whatever I want to do?’
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘free to do whatever you want to do.’
‘Free to say whatever I want to say?’
‘Yes, free to say whatever you want to say.’
‘Free to go wherever I want to go?’
Lincoln answered, ‘You are completely free to go anywhere you want to go.’
‘Then I'm going with you,’ she said with a smile. ‘Then I'm going to remain with you and serve you all the days of my life.’
We do not know for sure if this story was true, but it goes to show what it means to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus has freed us from sin and death, and now we are free. Free for what? Free to say, ‘Jesus, I want to stay with you. I want to go with you. I want to remain with you and to serve and glorify you all the days of our lives.’
All of us who are believers, we are willing slaves for Christ who has set us free. Are you willing to follow Him, remain with Him, serve and glorify Him until you draw your last breath? I pray that all of us will be willing to be with Christ, stay with Him, serve Him until we see Him face to face.
Let us pray, Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this portion of scriptures in the book of Exodus, 21: 1-11. Indeed, many a times people would glance through this passage because they look at it as a set of mundane rules and regulations. They see it as something not applicable to them. But as we study through this passage, we can see a picture of ourselves, how we are truly slaves too. We have been set free by our Lord Jesus, who has bought and redeemed us by His precious blood. How can we not remain and serve with him? We willingly want to serve Him all the days of our lives. And we pray that Thou will help us to draw spiritual lessons not just for head knowledge's sake, but for heart knowledge and for life application. May Thou help us to apply all these lessons that we have learned so that we will live our lives as a covenant family, as Thy children, all to the glory of Thy precious name. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF EXODUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
