This article is part of a series on thorny questions in the Bible and how to understand them. You’ll find essential principles for Biblical interpretation in the first article in the series.
The topic of slavery can be confounding to most believers in the West. As with any subject that makes us uncomfortable, we should begin by following certain principles of interpretation. Having done so, we need next to do our best to recognize the lenses through which we as Westerners think about slavery. For example, I as an American have a particular revulsion towards slavery, as some of my best friends growing up were African American.
Plus, while working on my MA in African studies at UCLA, I wrote my thesis on contemporary slavery in the Sudan. So, I had to wrestle with a lot of these questions myself. Here are some truths I learned that helped me process what the Bible teaches relative to what we see in the world today and in recent history.
Slavery in the Mosaic Law
Chattel slavery as we see in the Transatlantic slave trade is vastly different from what was practiced in the Ancient Near East (ANE). (The same holds true for the lesser-known Trans-Saharan slave trade of blacks by Arabs). The traffic of Africans to the Americas was based on kidnapping, which is punishable by death in the Mosaic Law (Ex 21:16). Involuntary slavery was forbidden.
Some may say that God should have abolished slavery. Yet given how common a practice it was in the ANE, I see great wisdom in the way in which the Mosaic law created safeguards to protect the welfare and dignity of those who served. The Law thus transformed the institution of slavery by regulating the relationship between master and slave in ways intended to eliminate abuse.
Servitude was a Choice
Among the people of Israel, servitude was voluntary. People hired themselves into the service of others, usually because they were poor. That was the best way to meet their needs. So, a better word for this kind of worker is servant, apprentice, hired hand, or indentured labourer.
Plus, through their apprenticeship, they received on-the-job training. Such servants learned how to work in the context of a family. They lived in their master’s home temporarily. They worked hard in exchange for room, board, and an honest wage until they could pay off their debts.
The Mutually Beneficial Purpose of Slavery in Israel
Slavery in the Bible thus had a constructive purpose. Both the servant and the master benefitted. This is not the way slavery normally works. Usually, the master gets his work done at his slave’s expense. However, the purpose of slavery in Israel was to train men and women to become productive members of society. Often, they had to sell themselves into slavery because of debt. This could be due to negligence or theft. In such cases, sin was the cause of their servitude. Instead of condemning such individuals to poverty for life, the law gave them an opportunity to improve their situation.
All of this prepared them for their ultimate freedom. In this way, slavery had a redemptive purpose. Perpetual bondage was not the goal, but rather responsible independence. “The Hebrew servant was bound for freedom.”
God’s Covenant Love for Servants
In addition, according to Deuteronomy 15:12-14, Hebrew slaves were to be set free in the seventh year. And they were not sent away empty-handed. Instead, masters were to give them everything they needed to make start a new life. They were supposed to set their former slaves up in business. In his covenant love, God wanted his people to show one another the same kind of grace they had received when the LORD delivered from Egypt, loaded down with silver and gold (Exod. 12:35, 36).
Conclusion
As with any difficult passage of the Bible, we need to keep in mind that God is good. His Word is reliable. And we can trust him. My hope is that this and other such discussions will fuel our faith by giving a deeper confidence in God as we study the Scriptures for ourselves. In my next article in this series, I will explore the question of a father selling his daughter into slavery in Exodus 21:7-11. Stay tuned. (1)
(1) Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Preaching the Word | PtW) by Phillip Graham Ryken was an essential resource to me in preparing this article.
