Slavery (Part 3)

4. An Israelite could sell his daughter to be a maidservant (Exo 21:7). A. If she was betrothed to her master and she didn't please him, he could not sell her to someone from another nation, but he had to let her father redeem her (Exo 21:8). B. If he gave her to his son for a wife, he had to treat her like a daughter (Exo 21:9). C. If the son took himself another wife, he still had to provide her with food, clothing, and sex and if he failed to then she would go free (Exo 21:10-11). D. If you don't like these laws which God commanded in the OT, remember Isa 55:8-9 and Rom 3:4. E. These laws are not repeated in the NT. 5. If the brother of an Israelite became poor, he could sell himself to him, but he was not to treat him as a bondservant, but as a hired servant (Lev 25:39-40). A. Some servants were hired servants (Exo 12:45). i. Hired - ppl. adj. 1. Engaged or employed for payment; let out on hire: mercenary. ii. Mercenary - n. 1. One who labours merely for hire; a hireling, a mercenary person. iii. Mercenary - adj. 1. Of persons: Working merely for the sake of monetary or other reward; actuated by considerations of self-interest. iv. Hired servants were paid and were clearly not slaves. v. A hired servant was to be paid and not oppressed (Deu 24:14-15). B. He was only to serve him until the year of jubile and then he was to be set free (Lev 25:40-41). C. He was to be treated well and not ruled with rigor (Lev 25:43). D. If a poor Israelite sold himself to a sojourner or a stranger in Israel, he could be redeemed by a family member or by himself (Lev 25:47-49). i. The price of his redemption was calculated according to the number of years from the time he was sold to him until the year of jubile (Lev 25:50-52). ii. He was to be treated as a yearly hired servant and not ruled with rigor (Lev 25:53). iii. If he wasn't redeemed, he would go free in the year of jubile (Lev 25:54). iv. These laws are not repeated in the NT. 6. The Israelites could buy bondmen and bondmaids of the heathen which lived around them (Lev 25:44). A. They would be their possessions (Lev 25:45). B. They would belong to them forever and they would be their children's inheritance (Lev 25:46). C. If you don't like these laws which God commanded in the OT, remember Isa 55:8-9 and Rom 3:4. D. These laws are not repeated in the NT. 7. God's law regarding the treatment of servants. A. If a man smote his servant with a rod and he died, he would be punished (Exo 21:20). B. If the servant continued a day or two and died after that, he would not be punished (Exo 21:21). C. The reason for this was that "he is his money"; i.e.: he bought him (Exo 21:21). D. If a master hit his servant and he lost an eye or a tooth as a result, the servant would go free (Exo 21:26-27). E. A servant that escaped from his master was not to be sent back, nor oppressed (Deu 23:15-16). F. There was no Fugitive Slave Act in the OT which ordered the return of escaped slaves. G. If you don't like these laws which God commanded in the OT, remember Isa 55:8-9 and Rom 3:4. H. These laws are not repeated in the NT. VI. Skeptics, Bible critics, and even some professing Christians who condemn the scripture for permitting servitude are hypocrites. 1. They are slaves to sin and Satan (Joh 8:34; Rom 6:16-17, 20). 2. They are slaves to lies (Joh 8:32). 3. Some of them are in bondage to their false works-based religion (Gal 4:3, 8-10; Gal 4:21-26; Gal 5:1). 4. Most of them are slaves to bankers and debt, and they promote a system of debt which enslaves the masses (Pro 22:7). 5. Many of them are in bondage to the fear of death (Heb 2:15). 6. Only Jesus can give us true freedom (Gal 4:4-5; Gal 5:1; Joh 8:31-32), whether we be bond or free (1Co 12:13).