Leviticus 25:35-46—“‘35 If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 36 Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. 37 You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. 39 And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. 40 As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. 43 You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God. 44 And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. 45 Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property. 46 And you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.’”
Here we see the difference between how the Israelites were to treat their fellow Israelites, versus how they could deal with those from other nations. The principle is rather simple—you treat your fellow Israelites better than you treat those pagans who mock and despise God and who worship foreign gods. If one of your fellow countrymen becomes poor, you and your neighbors do what you can to help him. If he needs to borrow money, lend him money—only do not charge interest. If he borrows 100 shekels, he pays back 100 shekels, not 150. If he needs food, you lend him food—only, again, do not charge interest. If you lend him an omer of flour, he gives you back an omer of flour—not an omer and a half.
Then look at the warning that God attaches to these commands. Leviticus 25:36, 43—“36 Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you…43 You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God.” This is a repeat of a warning He gave back in Exodus 22:21—“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” These people had been strangers and foreigners in the land of Egypt. They were not invited, but a long time ago a young man named Joseph went down to Egypt after being sold to Midianites. Eventually, a famine took over the land where his father and brothers lived, and guess where they had to go to find food? Yeah, Egypt. And God granted them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they ate well and their descendants lived happily in that land for some time. Exodus 1:7—The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Good times all around for these happy Hebrews. BUT. Exodus 1:8-11—8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They were strangers in the land of Egypt, and the Egyptians afflicted them. Now, what did God do to Egypt after they afflicted Israel for 400 some-odd years? He sent plagues and death. And it is for that reason that God gives the Israelites the warnings He does in Leviticus 25:36 and 25:40. He is warning them that if they mistreat strangers—and even more, if they mistreat their fellow countrymen—that He just might send plagues and death among them. Because, let’s remember, these people were the people of God. So that fellow Israelite was one of God’s people. And do you think it’s a good idea to afflict God’s people? No it is not, and God even says so in Leviticus 25:42—“For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.”
This theme—the people of God taking care of the people of God—is seen again in the New Testament as well. Galatians 6:10—As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. The people of God are always put under a microscope by the people of Satan. The lost, the pagans, the haters of God are always looking for some flaw to exploit so they can point their finger at us and say, “Aha! See! These who claim to be so pure and holy, and look at how they treat their own!” This scrutiny has only increased since the advent of our Lord Christ. He came preaching “Love one another.” John 13:34-35—“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Paul wrote the same thing to the saints in Rome, in Romans 13:8—Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. In the second chapter of his letter, James wrote to those of the Dispersion to not judge one another based on what a man had or did not have. He sums up his whole argument in James 2:8-9—8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
And yet, it wasn’t too long after the birth of the church that schisms and factions and sniping and feuding arose in the church—nay, even while Paul was penning the word of Holy Writ these things became manifest. Galatians 5:14-15—14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! Philippians 4:2—I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 1st Corinthians 1:10-12—10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Corinth and Galatia and Philippi were cities filled with pagans, heathens, Romans, and all other groups who knew not God. And the people in these cities were judging these Christians not on how they acted toward the worshippers of false (little-g) gods, but on how they treated their fellow worshippers of the true (BIG-G) God. And if those of The Way would bite and devour one another; if they would erect false divisions among them based on how eloquent the speaker they followed; if they sought their own interest at the expense of others—then what good was it to follow this dead Jewish rabbi (as He was known by those who did not know Him)? When they could just as easily be accepted by those who, like they themselves, practiced all sorts of idolatry in the pagan temples? “I thought you Christians were supposed to ‘love one another’. Is this what your Master meant? Is this how you show your ‘love’ for one another? Thanks—but no thanks!” If we are the people of God, then we should be caring for the people of God. That is the foundation of this command to not hire one of your fellow Hebrews as a slave, but as a hired servant.
Now, the question then becomes, “What’s the difference?” Well, the word translated ‘slave’ is עֶבֶד (‘ebed), which means literally, ‘a slave’. This is one who would become the property of another, as seen in verses 44-46. (Even though slaves were your considered as property, and you could pass them down to your children as an inheritance, you still had to treat them properly, see again Exodus 22:21). The word translated ‘hired servant’ in Leviticus 25:40 is שָׂכִיר (sakiyr), and it means ‘a hireling’. In short, this would mean a day-laborer. And the other, most important distinction between a slave (עֶבֶד (‘ebed)) and a hireling (שָׂכִיר (sakiyr)) was this: at the end of their sixth year of service (or at the Year of Jubilee, whichever came first), the hireling (שָׂכִיר (sakiyr)) went free. (Unless, of course, he had pledged himself to his master as seen in Exodus 21:4-6). The slave (עֶבֶד (‘ebed)) did not. They could serve as that person’s slave for seven Sabbath years and a Jubilee—and there was not one word in the Law about their owner being under any obligation to let them go free at any time—period.
Leviticus 25:47-55—47 “Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger's family, 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 or his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself. 50 Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him. 51 If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought. 52 And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption. 53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight. 54 And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee --- he and his children with him. 55 For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
Let’s picture this for a minute. Suppose you were an Ethiopian slave in Egypt and you and your family came out of Egypt on the night of the first Passover. The day comes when you find that you and your family are very poor. You put yourself out on the market, and one day find yourself being bought by a rich Israelite. You serve that Israelite for a few years, and one day you see one of his other servants—an Israelite by birth—going free. He has finished his sixth year of service, and under the Law, that Israelite servant goes free. You sit there watching him clear out his stuff, walking out through the gates, and off into the sunset. You, meanwhile, don’t go anywhere. You can't—you are this person’s slave. You belong to him for life. Sounds rough, doesn't it? It does…until you consider the benefits that come from being joined to the nation of Israel. And when a slave was bought, with money, from a foreign nation, that slave was to be circumcised. This goes all the way back to the commands God gave to Abraham in Genesis 17:10-13—“10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.”
Now, the foreign slave who was now circumcised could join himself to the people of Israel—or not. If you did not, then you were of the people Paul talked about in Ephesians 2:11-12—11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. You, the Ethiopian slave who came out of Egypt, and who was now circumcised, being the slave of the Israelite, if you do not join yourself to the people of God, you were still just one more lost pagan who was destined for Hell when you died. But listen to this promise that God gave through the prophet, in Isaiah 56:1-7—1 Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. 3 Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, ‘The LORD has utterly separated me from His people’; nor let the eunuch say, ‘Here I am, a dry tree.’ 4 For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, 5 even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 ‘Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—7 even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." The slave or the eunuch who was joined to Israel while that nation still lived under the old covenant—if that slave kept the Sabbath (the sign of the old covenant) and brought the offerings commanded under the Law, they would be accepted by God. And just as the keeping of the Sabbath and the bringing of the offerings of the Israelite covered his sins until Christ came to take them away forever, so too would the keeping of the Sabbath and the bringing of the offerings of the foreign slave cover his sins until Christ came to take them away.
For all the rankling that the skeptic will make along the lines of “Why doesn't the Bible say anything about slavery? The Jews in the Old Testament had slaves and God seemed to be OK with that!” These are people who are willfully ignorant (or, as one fellow I know likes to say, they're ‘stupid on purpose’). God gives clear, specific instructions on how the people were supposed to treat their slaves. They were treat them fairly, to provide for them, and there were consequences for not doing so. This was to be a picture of our Master to come, who would tell us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30). He does not rule over us with rigor, and when He came, it was the fulfilling of the Year of Jubilee—he set free those who were captives of sin, and brought us into His house and made us His people.
Thank You Lord, that though we were slaves of sin, You have purchased us, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Your Son, that we may never go back into slavery to Satan. We have been bought, we have been washed, we have been cleansed by our new Master, our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether we are Jew or Gentile, free or slave, male or female, if we have been bought by Christ and His blood, we need never fear being a slave of sin and Satan any longer!
