Welcome, fellow travelers. Our stay here, in Leviticus, has been like camping in a National Park ... SO many of GOD's treasures to see and explore. Great adventures for every day. For a review of our last trek into LEVITICUS 25:39-43, click here. There, we learned about the LORD's merciful plan for Israelites who had become impoverished. He provided them employment and established strict rules regarding their treatment as servants vice slaves.
You are warmly invited to stop in and share this morning's measure of manna with us. Remember to keep in mind to whom the Lord was speaking and when (1445 BC)
You are warmly invited to stop in and share this morning's measure of manna with us. Remember to keep in mind to whom the Lord was speaking and when (1445 BC)
Both your bondmen, and your bondmaids, which you shall have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them you shall buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them you shall buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession. And you shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession: they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with rigour.
OK, right away, I feel like I have a problem with understanding these verses. Slavery, as we know, is totally unacceptable ... period. However, I trust the LORD implicitly, there is surely more than meets the eye here. Our Merciful God always has a perfect reason and plan for every one of His instructions. Prayerfully, He will grant us understanding, as we seek it with faith. He may, however, lead us into a side study on this emotion-charged subject. Let us see.
"Property in foreign slaves is here distinctly permitted. It was a patriarchal custom Genesis 17:12. Such slaves might be captives taken in war (Numbers 31:6 following; Deuteronomy 20:14), or those consigned to slavery for their crimes, or those purchased of foreign slave-dealers. The price of a slave is supposed to have varied from thirty to fifty shekels. See Leviticus 27:3-4, note; Exodus 21:32, note; Zechariah 11:12-13, note; Matthew 26:15, note.
It was the object of Moses, not at once to do away with slavery, but to discourage and to mitigate it. The Law would not suffer it to be forgotten that the slave was a man, and protected him in every way that was possible at the time against the injustice or cruelty of his master. See the notes at Exodus 21."
It was the object of Moses, not at once to do away with slavery, but to discourage and to mitigate it. The Law would not suffer it to be forgotten that the slave was a man, and protected him in every way that was possible at the time against the injustice or cruelty of his master. See the notes at Exodus 21."
Bondmen and bondmaids were men and women, slaves/servants. These were considered heathens from the surrounding pagan nations. The word heathen, in Hebrew, referred to a herd of animals, flight of locusts. These were foreign nations, Gentiles. Some of which are shown on the chart above.
It comes to my mind, that most of these nations were debase idolaters. Most were known for their cruelness and savage beastly ways ... renowned for their inhumane treatment of others. I am not sure that I would even want one of them in my household. Wow...
It comes to my mind, that most of these nations were debase idolaters. Most were known for their cruelness and savage beastly ways ... renowned for their inhumane treatment of others. I am not sure that I would even want one of them in my household. Wow...
Click here for Biblos Comparative Commentaries.
Suggestion: One of the commentaries suggested that Moses believed; if God wanted the slaves to be free, He would send them a deliverer as He did for the Israelites. Could this be tied into the fact that the Jewish people are still waiting for their Messiah?
Fact: Jesus was indeed sent to deliver and set free Jews, Gentiles, criminals, the poor, and captives of ALL kinds. So His birth, death and resurrection makes null any and every excuse for anyone to enslave another human being, since that point in time! The Old Testament seems pretty harsh to us ... but it's lessons to us are invaluable.
:45 ~ Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them you shall buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession.heathens = idolators, uncircumcised, did not embrace Jewish religion (Gentiles)
children = son, builder of a family name
families = clan, circle of relatives, species, tribe,
land = land, earth
Here is another sensitive and terrifying subject these days ... slavery of children. In today's world, God's will has been SO perverted and disregarded. People are doing horrendous things to innocent children. We know what GOD has to say about harming children in any way, Matthew 18:6! There is absolutely no way that these verses, in GOD's Word, condone slavery! However, today, and very day, women and children are stolen for trade. Mothers sell their own babies for drugs and/or money. This all ties into the subject of "human trafficking."
To read my previous posts on human trafficking/slavery today with links for further research:
~ Update: Human Slavery-Children for Sale
Matthew Henry comments: "Laws concerning servitude, designed to preserve the honour of the Jewish nation as a free people, and rescued by a divine power out of the house of bondage, into the glorious liberty of God's sons, His first-born."
:46 ~ And you shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession: they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with rigour .
Barnes commented: "they were not necessarily to be released in the sabbatical year nor at the Jubilee." This suggests to me, that slaves could be released?
Gill explains, in his commentary: "Unless they obtained their liberty, either by purchase, which they might make themselves, or by the means of others, or else by a writing under their master's hand dismissing them from his service (z); or in case they were maimed by him, then he was obliged to let them go free, Exodus 21:26,
Caution, we must remember when Gill lived. Slavery was in full swing at the time. I tend to be more comfortable with the other commenters on this.
The second half of this verse reassures us: GOD had already delivered and freed His people from slavery. He does not enslave His people .. not the Israelites ... nor anyone else! He made provision for deliverance ... for slaves to be granted freedom through ransom or mercy. This also being a picture of us, as slaves to sin, we can be delivered by the mercy of GOD and the ransom paid by Jesus. While we cannot ransom our fellow sinners; we do have the privilege of pointing them to Jesus, Who has already paid the price. The LORD always makes a way!
This subject deserves a much deeper study ... as I search the web, there seems to be an abundance of anti-God, anti-Bible, atheists using this very subject to slur and attempt to invalidate our GOD and the Bible. Sickening stuff out there. I had to really hunt, to find just ONE intelligent, educated discussion. Be careful out there in cyberspace, people are pushing their twisted agendas everywhere they can.
** I highly recommend reading this article from RBC Ministries: Why does the Bible seem to tolerate the institution of slavery?
I am SO thankful that Jesus set us free from any and all bondage!!! That He paid the ultimate price to ransom us from the bondage of sin! The Master signed our "freedom papers" in His Blood. Bless Him forever! We actually will, won't we? How exciting!
As back then, if a slave was freed and wanted to stay and serve his/her master, they signed on for a lifetime of voluntary service. We can relate to Paul ... being SO thankful for our release makes us want to remain bondslaves to Christ forever!
Bondservant only to Christ ... Alone! Bless God! What a privilege, that our Master desires for us to be in His house forever! Hallelujah!
*SO much more treasure here. Doing a word study of "bondservant" would certainly be interesting and profitable. I already make these visits long, so I will leave this one up to you!
Sure would appreciate your comments. :-)
Until we meet again, जब तक हम फिर मिलेंगे (Hindi)
To read my previous posts on human trafficking/slavery today with links for further research:
~ Update: Human Slavery-Children for Sale
Below: Joseph being sold ~ unknown artist
:46 ~ And you shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession: they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with rigour .Barnes commented: "they were not necessarily to be released in the sabbatical year nor at the Jubilee." This suggests to me, that slaves could be released?
Gill explains, in his commentary: "Unless they obtained their liberty, either by purchase, which they might make themselves, or by the means of others, or else by a writing under their master's hand dismissing them from his service (z); or in case they were maimed by him, then he was obliged to let them go free, Exodus 21:26,
Caution, we must remember when Gill lived. Slavery was in full swing at the time. I tend to be more comfortable with the other commenters on this.
The second half of this verse reassures us: GOD had already delivered and freed His people from slavery. He does not enslave His people .. not the Israelites ... nor anyone else! He made provision for deliverance ... for slaves to be granted freedom through ransom or mercy. This also being a picture of us, as slaves to sin, we can be delivered by the mercy of GOD and the ransom paid by Jesus. While we cannot ransom our fellow sinners; we do have the privilege of pointing them to Jesus, Who has already paid the price. The LORD always makes a way!
This subject deserves a much deeper study ... as I search the web, there seems to be an abundance of anti-God, anti-Bible, atheists using this very subject to slur and attempt to invalidate our GOD and the Bible. Sickening stuff out there. I had to really hunt, to find just ONE intelligent, educated discussion. Be careful out there in cyberspace, people are pushing their twisted agendas everywhere they can.
Drawing below ~ unknown artist
** I highly recommend reading this article from RBC Ministries: Why does the Bible seem to tolerate the institution of slavery?I am SO thankful that Jesus set us free from any and all bondage!!! That He paid the ultimate price to ransom us from the bondage of sin! The Master signed our "freedom papers" in His Blood. Bless Him forever! We actually will, won't we? How exciting!
As back then, if a slave was freed and wanted to stay and serve his/her master, they signed on for a lifetime of voluntary service. We can relate to Paul ... being SO thankful for our release makes us want to remain bondslaves to Christ forever!
Bondservant only to Christ ... Alone! Bless God! What a privilege, that our Master desires for us to be in His house forever! Hallelujah!
*SO much more treasure here. Doing a word study of "bondservant" would certainly be interesting and profitable. I already make these visits long, so I will leave this one up to you!
Sure would appreciate your comments. :-)
Until we meet again, जब तक हम फिर मिलेंगे (Hindi)
I am blessed every day
with some new revelation of God's Word.
I will be sharing my measure of manna
with all who come to my "tent."
Please, let me know if you have been blessed
by the way it was prepared for you this day.
~Shalom~
