Chapter 9.3
Slavery
The Case FOR Slavery – Slavery Laws
Treatment of Slaves - Welfare System
Runaway Slaves – The Hebrew Slaves
Sex Slaves – Servants – Bond Servants
Why
did God allow Slavery when we as Christians know that it is morally wrong?
First
Word
I was invited to a new Bible study group where an older
gentlemen started off by saying that he was discouraged with the Bible because
you can make it say whatever you wanted it to say; I was stunned. Twenty years later and a lot of Bible Study
millage, I must agree with that gentlemen, it just depends on your BS, your
Belief System and
what you WANT it to say.
I can build a case
for slavery using scripture as well as build a case denouncing it. As Christians we know slavery is
just morally wrong and God could have hid this information on slavery from us,
but He did not. Either
the Bible is the errorless word of God or it isn’t. If just some
of the Bible is correct; then which parts? I believe the Original Manuscripts of the Bible are the errorless Word of God and
He included information on Slavery because it is a fact of life and because He
wanted us to know His efforts to change man’s hearts.
Translations
There are a number of Bible
translations that seem to skirt the term SLAVE
and
substitute the word SERVANT instead, as if
they are trying to soften up or make the subject of slavery less immoral; as
Christians we know owning another human is never moral. The difficulty today is we do not know the
circumstances that surrounded the scriptures, we can only guess using other
writings that tell the mindset of the day.
Paul was writing a letter to the Church at
Corinth addressing some issues in
the Church that all of them knew about, but we don’t;[1] we
can only presuppose it was about SEX from reading
other scripture and writings outside of scripture; we just don’t know.
Before we go any further, I must point
out that the same word can hold different meaning depending on how it was
translated into English from the Hebrew of the Old Testament or the Greek from the New Testament.
Sundoulos in Greek
carried the meaning of Slave or Fellow Servant
Paidiske in the Greek
carried the meaning of Female Slave, Maid or Bondwoman
Doulos in Greek
carried the meaning of Slave, Servant or Bondservant
Ebed in Hebrew
carried the meaning of Slave, Servant or Bondservant
Shiphchah in Hebrew
carried the meaning of Slave Girl, Maid Servant or
Maid
Amah in Hebrew
carried the meaning of Female Slave or Maid Servant
Abad in Hebrew
carried the meaning of Labor, Work or Serve.
The Translators of the Bible had to strive
to find the understanding of the circumstances under which the scriptures were
written in order to know which word to use. New translations are
not softening or covering up slavery; it’s just the more you study the more you
are enlightened. As students of the Word
you can MAKE the Bible say Slave instead of Servant if that is your goal; just find the
translation that lines up with your own personal BS.
A little History
I feel a need to say that slavery
was ubiquitous, it existed
everywhere in antiquity and was a common practice broadly accepted as an
economic and social necessity. Slavery
existed way before God’s special people Israel came into being. The “code of Hammurabi” mentions slavery around
2242BC; Joseph, the son of Jacob (Israel) was sold into
slavery in 1728BC and about a
1,000 years later, all of Israel was enslaved by Egypt until Moses freed them.
During the 16th through the 19th
century human
trafficking or slavery was practiced by the
Europeans as well as the United States and is still alive today in the Sudan
and Darfur. Harsh slavery was and is still a shameful reality today as there are still over 27,000,000
people in the world who are still subject to slavery through the sex trade and forced labor.
During Biblical Times slavery was based on
economics and social status; even professional people sold themselves into
slavery to pay their debts. Slavery also
came as a result of warfare, not abduction based on race or the color of their skin. Very Dark Skin and very light skin is
the direct result of the minimum and maximum production of Melanin in the body which
is the primary determinant of skin color.
Regrettably and shamefully, white
Christians have participated in a harsh “race based” form of human trafficking based on nationality and skin color and held to the vilest and disgraceful views
about people of African descent and their culture. According to “Darwin”, Blacks are less evolved, less civilized and doomed to
extinction.
The Slavery recorded in the Bible in no
way resembles the slavery that has plagued our world in the last few centuries.[2]
The View on
Cain was that God put a MARK on him that
turned him BLACK,[3] so
all black people are cursed by God Himself. What if Adam and Eve
were Black and Cain was turned WHITE? It really doesn’t
matter as CAIN’S descendants
were all wiped out in the flood of Noah.
The View on
Ham was that his descendants who became Egypt were CURSED by Noah and turned BLACK[4] and were made
to be the lowest of servants; slaves.
In the 19th Century, man stealing was practiced in Africa by “slave hunters” who sold slaves to “slave traders”
who brought them to America to work on farms and plantations.
God says these
“man stealers” should be KILLED along
with the person that bought them.
In 1861 Slavery was the main
issue of the Civil
War in America, the North against
the South. Four years of intense combat
left around 700,000 soldiers dead. Slavery was abolished in America and is now
completely illegal in every developed nation throughout the free world.
Case FOR Slavery
The Bible tells us how to obtain slaves,
how hard we can beat them and
when we can have sex with them.
Bible Scripture makes it easier
for SLAVERY ADVOCATES than it does for
its opponents. The following scriptures indicate that
God is an advocate for slavery and fully supports it.
Old Testament – Take captives of their enemies, male and female slaves and rule over them.[5]
Old Testament – God says that
you can buy,
sell and hand down slaves generation to generation that you buy from other nations; they are your slaves
for as long as they live.[6]
Old Testament – God
establishes the price
of a slave to be 30 shekels of silver.[7]
(You might remember this is the exact amount Judas was paid
for Jesus.)
Old Testament – God is in
favor of selling your daughter as a SEX SLAVE. A man can have as many sex slaves as he wants as
long as he feeds, clothes and has sex with them. [8]
Old Testament – God is in
favor of BREAKING UP SLAVE FAMILIES,
MUTILATING slaves and gives
instructions to them on how to get a LIFE
SENTENCE at slavery.[9]
Old Testament – It’s OK to beat a
slave until he is ALMOST DEAD.[10]
Old Testament – God endorsees
the concept that even a Priest can buy a slave and
the slave’s children become his slaves too.[11]
New Testament – God supports
that the slave
should not give any “back talk” about
their assignments and to not steal anything
from their master.[12]
New Testament – God is in
compete acceptance of slavery and encourages slaves to work hard at everything they are told to do.[13]
Old Testament – God is comfortable
with slaves even at the Passover
meal.[14]
New Testament – Jesus heals a
slave, but does not set him free[15] nor
does he admonish his owner to set him free. Jesus is OK with the status quo of slavery.
New Testament – Jesus said he came to serve, to be a
slave to all.[16]
New
Testament - God Said, whoever practices and teaches ⌊these commands⌋ will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.[17]
Old Testament - These words of our God stands forever,[18] not one jot or tittle will pass away.[19]
The Law
The Bible was NOT
written
to reform society from the outside, but to reform man on the inside. Reforming the soul through love, mercy and
grace changes the way a man
thinks and acts. A person who has
experienced the love of Christ will be gracious to others.
We don’t make laws to regulate something
that is good, we regulate things that are bad. Divorce existed because of the hard hearts of men
and God regulated it. Slavery was a way of life thousands of years
before God’s special people Israel came about.
The Mosaic Law did not condoned slavery, it just regulated; it.[20]
The Hebrews Laws which did not condone harsh labor practices discouraged neighboring
races from settling with the Hebrew; laws on slavery exposed and limited sin. If there is no law against slavery then it is not
a sin, it’s when the law is given that it becomes a sin.[21]
God passed the laws giving RIGHTS to the slaves, because He cared for
them.
The
Hammurabi Code allowed Hebrew wives and children to be
sold into temporary
slavery for a duration of three years.
If a Hebrew slave was severely injured,
it was a Biblically commanded duty to set the slave free
or pay
him a fine, if he agreed.
The
Holiness Code allowed foreign residents to sell their
wives and children to the Hebrews with no duration limit on servitude. A non-Hebrew slave will serve forever and be treated
as inherited property. It also allowed a Hebrew slave to buy his
freedom by paying the amount equal to the wages of a hired servant over the
remaining period till the time of the next 50 year Jubilee. (All Hebrew slaves or servants were (supposed to be)
set free in the year of Jubilee) A
Hebrew must not do the humiliating lowly work of a slave and was to be treated
as a hired hand.
The
Covenant Code provided protection to the slave insuring
the health of his body, it allowed Children of deceased debtors to be forced
into slavery to pay off any outstanding debts. Manumission is a big word which is the act of a slave owner freeing his slaves.
A Hebrew slave must be automatically freed after six years of servitude, the
seventh year he goes free. A Hebrew slave could renounce their seventh year
manumission and become a Bond Slave or
Bond Servant
for life and stay with his master. This
was done at a religious sanctuary or in the presence of their gods, an awl
would pierce their ear to the door or doorpost. The ear signified “obedience”, the piercing signified “servitude”.
If an ox gores a slave, the owner must
pay 30
shekels of silver to the Master.
The
Deuteronomic Code gave the freed slaves or servants a parting gift
of livestock, grain and wine with an estimated value of 30 shekels of silver. (The price of a slave) Foreign FUGITIVE slaves from
other nations could take asylum in Israel and would be allowed to reside
wherever they wished.
Captives taken during warfare were often made
legitimate slaves by the Hebrews, but did not have the rights of a Hebrew
servant.
Masters are to treat their slaves and servants
with respect; no threating of punishment. They are to give them justice and fairness and
could not make a Hebrew do the lowly work of a slave. [22] Masters have a
higher Lord. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.[23]
Christians Masters are to preach
and teach; slaves are to be respectful and obedient to the slaves’ gentle masters as well as to their unjust masters for the sake of the cause of Christianity. Be submissive without arguing and do your work
as if unto the Lord, not as a man pleaser, but as a God pleaser.[24] Slaves and masters alike are brethren of Christ.
There are different categories of slaves; Hebrew male
slaves, Hebrew female slaves, non-Hebrew slaves, hereditary slaves and escaped
slaves; all of which have different regulations.
Hebrew Male slaves could sell themselves
into slavery or servitude for six years.
Hebrew Female slaves could be sold by their
fathers for marriage; for life.
Non Hebrew slaves from other nations could be bought, sold,
traded and inherited.
Hereditary slaves were born in slavery with no way to obtain
their freedom.
Escaped foreign slaves seeking refuge with the
Hebrews could NOT be handed over to their foreign masters, but
would gain full citizenship among the Israelites and could not be treated
badly, remembering that Israel was also once slaves in Egypt.[25]
God listed Slave Traders as the WORST OF SINNERS, and if a man was found KIDNAPPING someone or in possession of someone kidnapped, they would be given a life sentence in the “Electric Chair” or be killed; which ever came first.[26] God is against involuntary servitude of the
Hebrews; no one shall enslave a Jew, male or female.[27]
Welfare System
The Bible shows that often in many
nations, there were hard times for people and slavery was prevalent. When it
came to Israel, God wanted the Hebrews to be treated differently and made laws
to set them apart with dignity, respect and give them HOPE.
When a Hebrew had crushing debts and could
not pay his bills, he of his own FREE WILL would sell everything and
then sell himself
as well as his children as a slave or servant, essentially “getting a loan” to pay off his debts. He would serve six years and go free the seventh.[28] Today we would call this bankruptcy, but without the help of
the Federal Government. This would
insure that his family would not die of starvation or exposure.
He and his family would be clothed, fed, and given
housing while he was given “On the Job Training”
at his skills. This was better than
college with no loans. All his debts were covered during his
employment. A bondservant in addition to that would get paid minimum wage[29]
and would only work six days and enjoy the Sabbath day as a day of rest.[30]
He would not do the work of a slave, but
that of a hired worker and the master was encourage to PAMPER
him like a son.[31]
If he brought with him a wife then he would
leave the seventh year with his wife, but if the master gave him a wife, then
the wife and their children would belong to the master as his property and he
would leave without them.
Note: This practice
was not meant to BREAK UP FAMILIES, but protected the
Master from a conniving woman who would run up a high debt, sell herself to the
master and quickly marry someone who was at the end of their term & walk
out free leaving
the Master holding the bag for her debt. Understand, the Hebrew Master is trying in
good faith to help others who are struggling to survive.
If the servant wants to stay with his wife and
family, he may voluntarily stay as a BONDSERVANT; a permanent
position of servitude and serve his master for the rest
of his life. The Bond Servant ceremony was to bring the servant before GOD and to pierce his earlobe with an awl,
driving it to the doorpost symbolizing his agreement before God. This was not slave MUTILATION, but was a blood covenant between the Servant, the
Master and God.
If a family was in financial need, a daughter could be sold, not for servitude, but for
marriage within the Masters family and was
not free to go in the seventh year unless the faith had been broken by
the master.[32]
Without this law, a man was free to “TRADE IN” his wife for a younger model (like a car) every six years. God is honoring the marriage covenant.
Hebrew Severance Package: When you set a
slave/servant free, you shall not send him away empty-handed. You shall furnish
him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine
vat; you
shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. [33]
Treatment of Slaves
Slaves under the Mosaic Law were treated
differently than slave of the other nations, they were treated as servants or
bond servants. Slavery was a reality in
a sin cursed world and the Hebrew laws regulated good treatment. Is was the Christians of the New Testament who
led the cause to abolish harsh slavery.
Treat a slave badly by striking out
an eye or tooth; HE WILL BE
FREED.[34] If he is beaten and gets better in a day or
two, nothing is required of the Master, but if the Master kills him, he will be
punished.[35]
If you hurt somebody you will pay for his time lost from work.[36]
Sometimes people sell themselves because they
are just plain too lazy to work.[37] When a lazy servant is slack concerning his
work for the Master, he is disciplined with the rod,[38] for you discipline those you care about.[39] Obviously there were also some unjust masters
who were just plain mean and cruel.
Sex Slaves
Men are ruthless and inventors of evil[40] and the profitable
Sex Trade was a repugnant part of it. Sex Slaves were common and men would often buy many Hebrew women
as wives, but they had to provide three things; food, clothing and conjugal rights; and missing anyone of these three things,
she went FREE without
payment.
Foreign Women captured in warfare[41]
could be taken forcefully as wives and if they did not please the Master
sexually, they had to let them go FREE anywhere they
chose as they had been humbled by the Master
A Hebrew father who was in poverty could sell his
daughter who had not arrived at the age of 12 years WITH
THE EXPECTATION OF MARRIAGE one day to the master or his son.[42] The Laws were in place supporting the institution of
marriage and to protect her from
becoming a sex
slave.
A Slave named Onesimus
Many Jews had slaves prior to
becoming Christians which was a source of conflict within.
Philemon was a
Christian who
ran a local church out of his house and owned a run-away slave named Onesimus who had wronged him, and Paul wrote
Philemon a letter on his behalf. We can
only guess that the wrong was stealing something and then absconding with it to
parts unknown where he undoubtedly ran into Paul and was converted to
Christianity; and again he may have been on an errand to Paul and overstayed
his visit; we just don’t know.
Paul writes with compassion that he is sending Onesimus
“his very heart” back to him
even though he would like for him to stay there. Paul recognizes the Master/Slave relationship
and is trying to do the right thing and hoping Philemon will also “do the right
thing”.
The Slave Onesimus was libel for
the “value”
of each day work that was lost due to his absence, and it seems that Paul is
saying that Philemon should receive back his delinquent slave and Paul himself
would make up the value of any loss to him.
Paul is encouraging Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a Bond Servant,
but something better; as a bother in Christ and to set him FREE;[43]
that he would be a great aid in spreading the gospel; and after all Philemon
himself is in debt to Paul for his very
own soul being saved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A Bond Servant is someone who
has voluntary placed himself in servitude for life. We are
slaves of the one whom we obey, either a slave of sin,
which leads to death, or a slave of
obedience, which leads
to righteousness.
We are all a Bond Servant to something[44] and
it is better if we are a Bond Servant to Jesus Christ the Lord most high.
Slavery was a way of life and as you read
Paul’s letters, you can feel the undertow of gut-wrenching emotions; that
whether slave or free, God is still the Master of both and if you can obtain
your freedom, you should do so.[45]
Man Invents Evil
Despite the laws given to
regulate the evil practice of slavery, men kept Hebrew slaves in servitude
longer than permitted and King Solomon, King Rehoboam and his taskmaster
Adoram, enacted
laws of slavery against the Hebrews.[46] They did evil in the sight of God[47] and this compelled God to DESTROY the Kingdom of
Judah.[48]
Paul says if you can obtain liberty, then
seize the opportunity.[49] To set at liberty those who are oppressed,[50]
and do not submit to the yoke of slavery again.[51]
All nations are of one blood;[52] the
shed blood Jesus at Carvery was for the blood of every creed, race and nation
that would receive and accept Him as the Son of God.[53] When you read the scriptures you cannot possibly
walk away believing that God is in favor of slavery.
The Take Away
Chocolate and Marijuana are both
desired by many, but only one is regulated; why is that? God did not support divorce, but it existed
because of the hardness of men’s hearts, so God regulated it and the same thing
applied to Slavery; it existed out of the hardness of men’s hearts
and God just regulated it in an effort to change men’s thinking.
You can see slavery in the New Testament,
but it’s not an approval, it’s a compassionate attempt to regulate something
that is bad. The Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that Churches collected money to buy
slaves freedom and some Christians in the early church, sold themselves into slavery just to purchase
the freedom of others.
You can build a case for slavery today using
Bible scriptures if that is what your Belief System is set
out to do. But if you look at the whole
tapestry of slavery you will find woven into its very fabric, a desire to
change society from the inside out by changing men’s hearts.
Matthew 19:7-8 – Why did Moses give a certificate
of divorce?
7 "Why
then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE and send her
away?"
8 Jesus replied,
"Moses permitted
you to divorce your wives
BECAUSE YOUR HEARTS WERE HARD.
But it was not
this way from the beginning.
NIV
[2] Exodus 21:16 – IF YOU KIDNAP SOMEONE YOU
SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH -- Deuteronomy 24:7 – A
Hebrew cannot be put in involuntary servitude
[3] Genesis 4:15 – Did God really turn Cain BLACK?
[4] Genesis 9:25 – Did God rally turn Ham’s descendants BLACK?
[5] Isaiah 14:2 – In war take captive and rule over male and Female slaves
[6] Leviticus 25:44-46 – You can Buy Sell and hand down slaves from other
nations
[7] Exodus 21:31-32 – God’s sets the price of a slave at 30 shekels same as
the price of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas
[8] Exodus 21:7-11 – You can sell your Daughter as a
Sex Slave with provisions
[9] Exodus 21:1-6 – It’s OK to break up slave families, their Mutilation;
it’s a life sentence
[10] Exodus 21:20-21 – You can beat your slaves as
long as you don’t kill them.
[11] Leviticus 22:10-11 – Concept; Children of slaves become slaves
[12] Titus 2:9-10 – Slaves do not talk back or steal from
your master
[13] Colossians 3:22 – God encourages slaves to be
good workers
[14] Exodus 12:43-45 – God had instruction for Slaves at the Passover meal
[15] Luke 7:2-10 – Jesus heals a slave but does not FREE HIM
[16] Mark 10:42-45 – Jesus came to Serve, to Be a slave to all
[17] Matthew 5:19 – Practice these commands and
you Will be called great
[18] Isaiah 40:8 - The word of our God will stand
forever
[19] Matthew 5:18 – Not one jot or one tittle
will pass away
[20] 1 Timothy 1:10 – Slave trading is contrary to the
Sound Doctrine of the Bible
[21] Romans 5:13 – Slavery only became sin when the Law was given
[22] Ephesians 6:9 – Masters treat your slaves
with respect; do not threaten them -- Leviticus 25:39 – Masters do not
treat a Hebrew as a Slave -- Colossians
4:1 – Masters grant justice and fairness to your
slaves
[23] Galatians 3:28 – Both Master and Slave are ONE
in Christ
[24] 1 Timothy 6:1-2 – Preach and teach slaves the
principals of obedience and respect -- Ephesians 6:5-8 – Slaves; serve
your Master as unto the Lord -- Titus
2:9-10 – Slaves should be submissive; do not argue and do not steal --
Colossians 3:22 – Slaves; be a God pleaser, not a
people pleaser -- 1 Peter 2:18 – Slave be
respectful even to unjust masters.
[25] Deuteronomy 23:15-16 – Escaped foreign slaves are set free in Israel
[26] Exodus 21:16 – IF YOU KIDNAP SOMEONE YOU
SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH
[27] Jeremiah 34:8-9 - No one should enslave a Jew, his brother
[28] Exodus 21:2-6 – Serve 6 years and go free or choose to become a
Bondservant
[29] Colossians 4:1 – Pay your bondservants what is just and fair
[30] Exodus 23:12 – Work your slaves only six days -- Exodus 20:10 – Slaves must not work on the
Sabbath
[31] Proverbs 29:21 – Pamper your slave, he will become like a son
[32] Exodus 21:7-11 – Daughter are sold for marriage, not servitude
[33] Deuteronomy 15:12-15 – Hebrew Severance Package:
FURNISH
HIM LIBERALLY from
your flock, threshing floor and wine vat;
[34] Exodus 21:26-27 – Strike out an eye or tooth of a Slave and he shall be
set Freed
[35] Exodus 21:20-21 – Kill a slave and the Master will be avenged -- Exodus 21:32 – If your Ox kills someone’s
slave, his Master must be paid 30 shekels of silver
[36] Exodus 21:18-21 – If you hurt another you shall pay for his loss of time
[38] Proverbs 23:13 - Do not withhold the rod of discipline from your children
[39] Proverbs 13:24 – Discipline those you love
[40] Romans 1:29-31 – Men are heartless, ruthless and invent all kinds of evil
[41] Deuteronomy 21:10-14 – Foreign Women have rights
[42] Exodus 21:7-11 – Daughter can be sold for
marriage
[43] Philemon 1:8-21 – Paul pleads for the Slave Onesimus’ freedom
[44] Romans 6:16 – We are ALL
slaves to the one we obey
[45] 1 Corinthians 7:21-22 – Obtain your freedom if you can
[46] 1 Kings 12:18 – King Rehoboam and taskmaster Adoram instituted slavery -- 1 Kings
9:15–Solomon instituted Forced Labor; Jewish Slaves -- 2 Chronicles 12:14 - He did evil in
the sight of God
[47] Romans 1:29-31 – Men are ruthless, heartless and
inventor of all manner of evil
[48] Jeremiah 34:17-22 – Judah was destroyed as punishment for slavery
[49] 1 Corinthians 7:21 – Become Free if you are given the opportunity
[50] Leviticus 25:10 – Year of Jubilee; Liberate all your slaves -- Luke 4:18-19 SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED -- Jeremiah 34:8-11 – God wants Hebrew Slaves to be set free
[51] Galatians 5:1 - Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery
[52] Acts 17:26 – We are ALL
one
blood every
nation of men
[53] Ephesians 2:13 – The redemptive blood of
Jesus Christ is for all nations that would repent and believe
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