Moses Talked about Slaves, but the Message Here is for Us

 

Deuteronomy Chapter 15, part 2: Law about Slaves

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 – Gems and Thoughts from the Passage

The topic of ‘slavery’ is very big these days as some Americans are calling for reparations on behalf of the slavery that took place in the United States decades ago. So, this passage was of particular interest to me. Verses 12-18 tell the Israelites how they are to treat their slaves. The first thing I noted was that Moses is talking about slaves that are “kinsmen” that is “a Hebrew man or woman”.  Their own people. Also, of interest is that the rules are the same for both male and female slaves. The issue of gender is a common theme throughout the Bible. Having studied it somewhat, I am convinced that God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament pushed the needle towards the equality of women as far as the culture could stand and beyond. Our God is not a sexist in any way, shape, or form.

So, what were the rules? It appears that a ‘bought’ slave is to be kept for six years (likely from the time of purchase) and then released ‘in’ the seventh year. So, yes, there are some questions to be asked. Were all slaves bought? And if not, did these rules apply to slaves that were just acquired because someone else didn’t need them any longer or couldn’t afford to keep them? What about an Israelite that owned a slave that wasn’t a Hebrew? Were they to be released in the seventh year? And speaking of the seventh year, could the release date be anytime during that year, up to and including the last day?  All good questions, for which I have not found the answers yet.

[But this is what I like about studying the Bible for myself. You get to ask questions. You don’t always get answers. But you never despair or doubt – eventually Scripture does answer Scripture. And if all else fails, there is always I Corinthians 13:12 – “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”]

David Guzik suggests that “the slaves though of here are those who have had to sell themselves into slavery because of their debt” which ties in nicely with the earlier portion of this chapter on debt. 

Verse 13 tells the sons of Israel that when they release their slaves, they are not to be sent free “empty-handed”. The original ‘retirement’ or ‘leaving the company’ gifts were to be given to these people that served one for six years. This included some of the owner’s flocks, grains, wines. How much? Well, the text says, verse 14, you do so in accordance to how “the Lord your God has blessed you.” Two things to point out here. First, the actual decision is about you. But more importantly, it involves your relationship with God. Those are two things for us to keep in mind as Christians today with respect to our view of charity – the decision is ours as to how much (note, not as to whether or not to do so), and it does depend on how we view God’s blessings on our lives.

Verse 15 points out that how one treats a slave should be related to how one felt about themselves or their ancestors being treated as slaves (in this case, when the Israelites were in Egypt as slaves). They should not be like the Egyptians who ill-treated their slaves but should treat them with unparalleled kindness.

Verse 16 raises the possibility of a servant who refuses to leave – either because he/she loves you so much (as the text suggests) or because he/she is wise enough to know there is no better life for him/her. In that case, you accept, and to make that arrangement permanent, the Israelites were to put a hole in the ear of the slave or maidservant. Sometimes our employees become a very close part of our families and they are with us until death. But clearly the spiritual lesson here is that the owner (God) is dealing with a loving and dedicated servant (a believer and Christ-follower), who once committed to the master (Jesus), is in it for life.

The last verse (verse 18) of this section now addresses the feelings of the owner who will lose his slave after six years.  Moses is saying don’t regret doing so. The slave has given you six great years of service. And he points out that because he/she was a slave, they worked harder (gave you double the service) than what a hired person did. Let him go cheerfully. And if you do, God will keep on blessing you in your dealings.

Wrap-up

What does all this say to us today? For me, it boils down to three things: First, the relationship you and I as Christians have with anyone who works for us – be it full-time or part-time employees in our business, or the lady that cleans our house (if you have one) – is very important to God. And I would venture to say that it goes beyond those people – it includes those who provide services for us – auto services, public transport, mail services, the server when we eat out or the one who gives us our coffee at a coffee shop. I could go on for hours.

Second, we are to be generous with these people. We are to consider what God has saved us from and the circumstances we were in before our current ones. (Even if we were born rich, we still need to be thankful God didn’t allow us to fall into financial ruin and poverty after that.)

Finally, we are to consider with love the circumstances those that do work for us in any of the above ways are in.  What caused them to be doing what they are doing? Why are they the workers rather than the bosses? Was it their own poverty? Was it because they sacrificed to put a child through school? Are they working well beyond a normal retirement age just to survive? Do they have a sibling or other family member, sometimes older and sometimes younger with an illness, they need to take care of? Be generous. God loves a cheerful giver and He will bless you accordingly.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Priest’s Special Instructions on how to Officiate the Burnt Offering

Leviticus 6:8-13:

^8]Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 

⁹ “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 

¹⁰ The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. 

¹¹ Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 

¹² The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 

¹³ Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

Thoughts on the Passage

Earlier in the book of Leviticus Moses shared with the people the instructions God had given him for various types of offerings to be made under various circumstances.  Here in this passage we have some instructions specifically for the priests officiating at burnt offerings.  But more specifically, the instruction is for the two daily burnt offerings that are to be made regularly by the priests.

Robert Jamieson tells us this daily service “consisted of two lambs, one offered in the morning at sunrise, the other in the evening, when the day began to decline.” A slow fire was to be used with the pieces of the sacrifice so placed that they would feed the fire until the next sacrifice at night or in the morning. It was not allowed to go out. These sacrifices were a “daily expression of national repentance and faith.”  This was a special fire and later in the book we learn of it being kindled from the Lord Himself (see Leviticus 9:24), and so there were special instructions regarding how to dispose of the ashes and what clothing was to be worn – certainly nothing that were not officially “holy”.

David Guzik adds that the fire had to be tended by the priest at all times. He suggests that the long-burning character of the burnt offering is an appropriate illustration of the work of giving ourselves completely to God.  He writes, “Coming to God as a living sacrifice is not a quick work and we may feel that we are roasted on the fire for a long time.”

One supposes that because these fires were to be keept alive continuously, then the burnt offerings of individuals would simply be placed on the altar in the process – almost like a continuous assembly line of sacrifices if people were waiting to make their offerings. If so, this reminds me of my visit to the Hershey Chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania with my grandson last summer. There we got to design and make our own chocolate bar and our product had to merge in on the assembly line with the products of so many others. Such may have been the way things worked at the Tabernacle.  

Matthew Henry reminds us that the priests, even though they were rulers in the house of God, they too had to be ruled. Oh how I wished that many church leaders today would realize this and save themselves the disgrace that often accompanies that are not subject to others in authority or to God Himself, although they claim He alone is their overseer and no one else. Those that have the command of others must also be commanded, says Henry. Aaron and his sons had rules they had to follow.

The ashes of the burnt offerings had to be properly disposed of. Every morning the altar had to cleared of the ashes and put on the east side of the altar.  [This reminds me of the fancy barbecues today, that unlike those my parents used, have side-areas for dishes, etc.] And this step was to be taken in the priest’s linen garment – a garment the priest always wore when doing service at the altar.

Once that was done, his more everyday clothes or perhaps less praiseworthy priestly garbs had to be donned in order to carry the ashes to a clean place outside the camp.

Henry says that “some think this care which was taken of the ashes of the sacrifice typified the burial of our Savior; His dead body (the ashes of his sacrifice) was carefully laid up in a garden, in a new sepulchre, which was a clean place.”

Back at the altar, the priest himself must not only keep the fire going, but he cleans the hearth, and carries out the ashes. I often think of how this compares to what goes on in many households today – one prepares the meal (the one who is best at barbecuing), someone else usually cleans up the barbecue, and some is asked to take the refuse out.  But not when it came to God’s servants doing the Lord’s work – they oversaw the sacrifice; they cleaned up the altar; and they took ashes to their final site. A great lesson to help us all remember that as we serve God, in any capacity, we must think of nothing as being below our ‘pay grade’, to use a reversal of the common excuse people have today for not doing more challenging work – as in “sorry, that’s above my pay grade”.  Well, I believe when we are God’s servants, there’s nothing below our pay grade and with His help, there’s nothing above it.

Returning to the ever-burning fire on that altar, Henry says “the Jews tell us that fire never did go out upon the altar, till the captivity in Babylon.” Their reference is Isaiah 31:9 where God is said to have His fire in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.

But what about us?  Have we kept that “fire from heaven” eternally burning in our own hearts?  Do we need to stir the coals up at times? Do we need to ask for His help in so doing?

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Pharaoh Gets All The Land and Its Owners As His Slaves - Genesis 47:20-21

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every Egyptian sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them.  Thus the land became Pharaoh’s.  And as for the people, he removed them to the cities from one end of Egypt’s border to the other.  Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh gave them.  Therefore, they did not sell their land.  Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.  And at the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”  So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”  And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priest did not become Pharaoh’s.

It was either starve to death with your family or sell your land to Pharaoh for seed so you grow grain on it and survive.

Once Joseph bought all the land for his boss, the scriptures say “he removed them to the cities” over the entire country.  Most commentators I have read stay clear of this phrase, and I do not blame them.  There seems to be little reason for the statement.  And what does it really mean?  One possibility is that indeed since their land was ‘sold’ to the Pharaoh and since they had sold themselves as slaves, Joseph could well have assigned them across the land in accordance with their skills and abilities and Egypt’s needs.  To say the least, many Egyptians (and others that lived in the land at the time) were displaced from their former homes to live elsewhere as it suited Joseph and the Pharaoh.  And clearly there was still a lot of agricultural land around the various cities that were being built up in Egypt at that time.

I am, however, amazed how the plight of those who lived in Egypt during the great famine we read about in Genesis parallels considerably with what happens to modern man/woman as he/she battles his/her own ‘enemy’ – be it evidenced in material, physical, physiological, psychological, emotional, or spiritual aspects of our lives.  There is a process that we go through.  It starts with our pre-occupation of what we must have.  Then there is spending of all our money on the ‘enemy’ followed by the enemy taking all our possessions including our land.  To stay alive we finally sell ourselves to him.  And then we’re the enemy’s to do with, as he likes.  We’re his to be moved around at will.

Many who read this story simply see Joseph, the Israelite, being successful and using his God-given talents to save Egypt.  And he did.  But let us not miss out on what was happening to the people that he helped save from starvation.  Their independence, their confidence, their honor, their hopes and aspirations, any respect they had in the community, and so much more, were all lost as they and their families were reduced to slaves in the land.  The only thing they had going for them was that chances are, they could live another day with the grain they now could grow.  But do so for what? Just simply to work another day for Pharaoh.

Contrast that and the saga of many a slave to sin today with a life of joy and freedom in serving God and being blessed by His protection and guidance and provision.  While the Egyptians had no choice at this time, some of us still do.  We can succumb to the enemy that is hunting us down and tormenting our souls, or we can surrender willingly to the King who loves us in ways we will never fully understand, but yet can experience and feel the warmth and care of His passion for us.

What choice have you made?  What choice do you need to make today?  The choice is clearly ours.  I pray we make the right one. 

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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The Ideal Steward Responds - Genesis 43:23-25

And he said, “Be at ease, do not be afraid.  Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.”  Then he brought Simeon out to them.  Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder.  So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

In this short segment of the 43^rd chapter of Genesis, we are presented with a very wise house steward that not only knows his master well, but who has gained his master’s trust and in turn been given considerable authority.

Let’s focus first on his wisdom.  Upon hearing the story of Jacob’s sons, he senses their angst and immediately tells them to “be at ease”.  He assures them that they do not need to be afraid at all.  And he credits the Israelites’ God for their good fortune.  Does not this whole scene remind us of other times in the Bible when God has sent angels to tell someone the same thing?  I think God still does that today.  Do not misunderstand me.  I am not for a moment suggesting that Joseph’s house steward was an angel in disguise.  He was not.  I am simply making a comparison to times when God does use angels to comfort us.  It is interesting, however, that this Egyptian knew about “your God” and “the God of your father” and His power as well as His involvement in the lives of His people.  It is as if the steward was saying, “Look, your God has arranged for all this, relax.  He’s even arranged for you to talk with me and now to eat at my master’s house.”  

A fearful individual accepts the ‘words’ of an angel more readily when accompanied by signs of the angel’s ‘authoritative action’.  This house steward had authority.  First of all, he had known about the money that was put back in the brothers’ sacks by Joseph’s men.  In fact, the Scripture says he told them that he had received their money (one Bible version suggests the phrase “your money had come to me”) so they were not to worry, they would not be accused of stealing.  Next, as more evidence of his authority, whether pre-arranged with Joseph or not we do not know, the house steward brings the imprisoned Simeon out to join his brothers.

Not only is this steward wise and understanding, not only does he have the authority as discussed earlier, but now we see he is also a ‘servant’ that carries out his duties well.  He escorts all eleven of the men into his master’s house.  He gives them water, provisions to wash their feet, and he personally feeds their donkeys.  He provided them with all the hospitality needed as befit the house for which he worked.  And more importantly, he did all he needed to prepare his master’s visitors for the arrival of his master at noon.

The last portion of this segment tells us the brothers prepared ‘the present’ for Joseph’s coming.  Was this the present their father had ‘sent’ or had that already been given to Joseph earlier?  We don’t know.  We do know that this present now was for “Joseph’s coming”.  Perhaps the wise house steward had suggested it to help ensure his master’s favor on them.

As an aside, I find it interesting that just as the Pharaoh had dealt with Joseph when he recognized his talents, so Joseph must have dealt with this house steward.  Here is an excellent example of modeling the good we have seen God work in our lives.

All this to say that here is an awesome picture of a trusted servant.  We should not lose sight of it.  Perhaps there is something we need to learn here with respect to how we deal with others in distress.  Are we wise towards the situation?  Do we understand their plight and need?  Can we act and recommend with the authority – from God, from the Scriptures?  And are we willing to do all we have to do ourselves to make the situation better and to prepare individuals for what lies ahead?  Whoever would have thought that an Egyptian house steward could teach us so much about being a Christian?

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