It has only been a few months since Yahweh rescued Israel from their slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 3:12, He had promised to bring Israel to Mt. Sinai and again reveal Himself–this time to the entire nation.
Sinai was the mountain of God, the place where He put in place His [Old] Covenant with its promise of the Israelites living in the land of Canaan. Exodus 19 described preparations at the foot of Sinai. Following that was Exodus, chapters 20-24, known as “the book of the covenant” (Exodus 24:7), which Moses recorded (Exodus 24:4).
The Ten Words (Exodus 20) summarized the Covenant well, which started out stating who God is and then how God’s people live as His Covenant people. Exodus, chapters 21-23, elaborates further, getting into specific, civil ordinances, followed by instituting the Covenant through blood sacrifice in the sacred ceremony of Exodus 24.
Today, we begin to look at God’s laws (mishpatim: ordinances, rules, statutes, not “words”) on how to make servitude more humane and respectful of the person in service. We should note the text uses “laws” not “words.” This distinguishes that these ordinances are not to be held in the same regard as the “words” from God. They are, instead, civil ordinances for Israel at that time, not moral “words” for God that are even to be in effect in the New Covenant.
Indentured Servitude
Read Exodus 21:1-6
In the passages, we see God set up rules for indebted (or indentured) servitude. These mishpatim set up how to treat those in indentured servitude, which contrasted starkly against how others treated such servants in the wider Near East, often considered little more than despised and disposable property.
Today, the slave laws in the Bible make us uncomfortable, even if it is for indentured servitude (for forcing a man to be a slave is forbidden in vs. 16). Yet, this does not mean that such slavery is the ideal moral standard (another example: God allowing men to have more than one wife). Instead, we should see this as God continuing to take the Egypt out of the Israelites and pointing them to who they are as His people. They were to be distinct from the Egyptians even in how they treated their servants/slaves.
– When a slave was set free in the seventh year, what does that picture for the slave and for society about what happens on the Seventh day (Sabbath)?
– How does that reality continue to take place when we gather in the Divine Service?
– Discuss the choices for a single male slave who marries a wife the owner “gave” him during his time of indentured servitude.
– There was no lifelong service for a slave/servant for a master unless what happened?
New Testament Tie-In
In Romans 6, Paul uses a paradox to describe the Christian life: freed slaves moving in to a new slavery. And then in Romans 7:6, Paul stated: “But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what once bound us, so we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not under the old written code.”
Hebrew servants, whose time of service was done, had an option presented to them. They could be free and go on their way. They also could stay with their former master as willing servants to the master who had faithfully provided and cared for them. To show that they willingly decided to stay and serve as a servant for life, God gave them an ear-piercing ritual.
This idea of willingly choosing to be a slave (or servant) brings out the idea of changing from demanded service to willing service. In such a case, feelings of gratitude must have been in the heart of the now-willing servant. He must have seen that his master was good to him and that was why he wanted to stay and serve him.
This pictures a person whom the law has enslaved, which demands from us. But later, he willingly serves the Author of the “written code” in “the new way of the Spirit,” that is in Gospel freedom, freely choosing to serve God.
Women Servants
Read Exodus 21:7-11
These verses deal with how to treat a servant/slave woman. This section is better and worse for the woman than for a man. For instance, “she shall not go out as male slaves do” protects her from the harsher work expected from males. Yet, we don’t see ordinances that allow a male to be sold in such a way. This presumes that a daughter may be sold to help pay off a family debt for the daughter to marry her new master or his son, similar to a dowry.
– If the woman did marry her owner or his son, how does her status change? (vs. 10)
– For most of human history, arranged marriages were the norm. What specific ways do these ordinances in Exodus protect the woman?
– After marriage, if the owner, now her husband, does not treat her as a wife (“marital rights”) but continues to treat her has an indentured servant, what recourse does she have?
The Old Covenant civil ordinances not only protected the property rights of individuals, but highlighted protecting the weak from having the strong exploit them. We find a six-year limit on debt slavery (Exodus 21:2, Deuteronomy 15:12), canceling debts in the seventh year (Deuteronomy 15), the arrangement for gleaning (Deuteronomy 24:19), the restrictions on interest and security pledges (Exodus 22:25-27, Deuteronomy 23:19), and the triennial tithe for the poor (Deuteronomy 14:29) are just a few examples of such principles in those Old-Covenant ordinances.
Capital Offenses
Read Exodus 21:12-17
– How are premeditated murder and accidental death treated differently?
– Why would someone who accidentally killed someone be able to flee? (see also Numbers 35:9-12)
– Toward one’s parents, why were the punishments so severe?
– What does Exodus 12:16 forbid?
Click here to go to Lesson 16.
