HOW DOES THE GOD OF THE BIBLE VIEW SLAVERY?

THE CAPTION:
The Bible comes under attack by its enemies for the treatment of slaves, those in bondage. It is the God, mentioned in the Bible, who is condemned for the way his followers have treated slaves throughout history. The treatment of slaves as prescribed by the OT Law has been the focus of the attack. Because the Law prescribes how the Israelites, God’s chosen people, must treat their slaves, it has become the proof for abuse of slaves by the followers of God down to the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1865.

The following provides more evidence for the way God treated those in bondage, or slaves. Here is how the God of the Bible views slavery.


BACKGROUND:
The first person sold into slavery, according to biblical record, was the favorite son of Jacob (later named Israel). He was sold by his jealous brothers to a band of merchants from Midian. They took him to Egypt where he was sold to one of Pharoah’s officials named Potiphar. He was treated well and respected by his master and was eventually promoted to become Potiphar’s personal attendant. Potiphar’s wife coveted this handsome, well-built young man asking him to come to bed with her. Joseph refused. She finally managed to grab his cloak while no other servants were in the house. Again she begged him to come to bed with her. This was his demise. He ran away but she had his cloak. He was falsely accused by her to Potiphar when he returned. The other household servants did as she had instructed and backed her story. Joseph, the favorite son of Israel, was thrown in jail. While there he again became respected and gained favor in the eyes of the prison warden. One day he interpreted correctly the dreams of two other prisoners. Some time after that Pharoah had a dream which neither his magicians and wise man could not interpret for him. Pharoah’s chief cupbearer remembered Joseph. Joseph interpreted the dream and was put in charge of events related to his interpretation. Seven years of plenty were followed by seven years of drought. Joseph’s brothers came for food. They finally brought Israel, their father and all his household to live in Egypt.

Four hundred years later the descendants of Israel’s sons were forced into bondage by another Pharoah. The bondage was cruel and oppressive. Pharoah ordered the slaying of all the male children born to the Israelites. The midwives resisted. One of the descendants of Levi, a son of Israel, married a Levite woman. They had a son who became known as Moses. He was actually raised and named by of Pharoah’s daughter who had retrieved him from a basket floating among the reeds along the river bank. One day Moses, a young man, became alarmed at the treatment of the slaves. He killed the Egyptian who was beating a slave. The next day he saw two slaves fighting. When he tried to intervene, one in the wrong asked Moses if he was also going to kill him. Moses fled from Egypt.

While watching his father-in-law’s sheep in Midian, Moses was amazed to see fire in a bush but the bush was not being consumed. He stepped aside to see the miracle. The voice of God told him that he had seen the misery of the people in Egypt. He has heard them crying out because of their slave drivers. He was concerned about their suffering and the way they were being oppressed. God told him to go to Egypt and lead the people out to the land promised to their forefather, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).

Miracles in the form of plagues struck the Egyptians as ordered by God through Moses. The first three miracles were duplicated by Pharoah’s magicians. The last eight miracles could not be duplicated. Pharoah was unimpressed until the plague which slayed all the firstborn of Egypt including the firstborn of Pharoah’s house. Pharoah let the Israelites go and then pursued them to bring them back. Miraculously the sea opened before the Israelites and the raced through on dry ground. Miraculously Pharoah’s troops pursued and were swallowed up when the waters closed upon them. Six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty (603,550) men over twenty escaped with their families that day because God heard the cry of slaves in Egypt.

God continued to intervene in the affairs of the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness, when they conquered the Promised Land, during the time of Judges, the Kings, their exile in Babylon, their return, even to the present time. The future promises more intervention on the behalf of his chosen people, the Israelites.


LAWS:
The laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy regarding slavery are one piece of the puzzle. Laws regarding treatment of slaves would not be necessary if there were no slaves. The Law admits to the possession of slaves by the Israelites. However, just because there is a law, does not prove that slaves were commonly abused. The law prohibiting murder does not prove that everybody is a murderer. The law prohibiting theft does not mean that everybody is a thief. Laws are necessary to restrain the behavior of the rebellious, but they do not enforce correct behavior. However, they sometimes prescribe punishment for those who disregard them.

The Law is meaningless to those who do right. The Israelite who cared for his slave as he would for his son or daughter whom he loved didn’t need the Law when his slave was willingly obedient and respectful. Neither one needed the Law. The Israelite who did not own a slave had no need for the Law. Only the slave owner and slave who failed to do right needed the Law. The Law became the beacon for seeing wrong conduct.

HISTORY:
Throughout the history of the nation Israel God used prophets to remind them of their bondage and deliverance from slavery. “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand” (Exodus 13:2). Again the Bible says in 13:14 “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him. ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the land of slavery.” The first time the Ten Commandments were given God said, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2) Moses repeated the words of God when he reminded the people of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:6.

No less then six times in Deuteronomy Moses reminded the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt (4:32-40; 5:6; 5:15; 11:1-12; 13:10; 15:15). Three of the Psalms remind the people to not forget that they were delivered from slavery (78; 105; 106). In the NT book of Acts, Stephen reminded the people again that they were delivered from slavery (7:2-40).

The history of the nation of Israel reveals God’s attitude toward slavery. He heard their cry. He saw their misery and oppression. He loved them. They witnessed his supernatural power. He disciplined them. He has not given up on them.

NEW TESTAMENT:
The meaning of slavery was expanded in the NT. The word servant is used instead of slave in some translations. The New International Version of the Bible uses slave in Romans 6:16-18. “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness.” Here again, God’s attitude toward slavery to sin is that he wants to set us free to be slaves to righteousness. It could be said that nevertheless we are still slaves. So were the Israelites. They could have stayed in Egypt and died as slaves to the Egyptians or they could be free and become slaves to God. There is no record of any who preferred to stay in Egypt. At times they longed to go back and enjoy the delights of the food or abundance of water. In the same way, those who have been freed from slavery to sin are tempted to go back to the delights of sin.

CONCLUSION:
The laws recorded in Leviticus and Deuteronomy that refer to the treatment of slaves were given to a nation who themselves had been recently oppressed, abused, and crushed as slaves in Egypt. They were now free. Nevertheless, they were constantly reminded of the slavery and deliverance at the mighty hand of their God. That shows God’s attitude towards slavery over the centuries of time to the present. He is still wants to free slaves today. Since the time of exodus of the children of Israel form Egypt, God’s followers have been freed slaves.