Hi. Thanks for your comment.

I was thinking about what you said, and so I began to look up the scriptures that you shared. (Thank you because I enjoy studying and learning.) What I found is that we really need to consider the language, and meaning of the words used, and how it is applied. (I mentioned that because of the word ENDORSING used in the comment. It is this word that was incorrect. Yes, God permitted. No, God did not endorse.)

For example, when you spoke of God ‘permitting and ENDORSING slavery’, the first thing I thought of was what happened to Africans so long ago, being sold into slavery. That might not have been your intent, but that was the mental picture that I got when reading the word “slavery”. My mind conjured up the memory of the movies, ‘Roots’ and ‘Amistad’ based upon your usage of the word “slavery”, and what it means to me.

Proverbs 3:5 reminds me to “lean not to my own understanding, but in ALL of my ways to acknowledge GOD” so I decided to not just read what you wrote, but to also take the time to looked up the scriptures you shared (thanks for that too). So, my intent here is to prayerfully considerthe Word of God that you shared with me to cause the statement made. I will also do one at a time, so with this post, my focus will be on first verse shared – Exodus 21:2-11.

Reading over Exodus 21:2-11 from the NKJV, the first thing that I realized was that the verses did not match the mental picture and understanding that I received of the definition of the word “slavery” in the sense of one’s OWNERSHIP of a Slave (which is what it “sounded like” you were saying). Instead, LOL, it matched with the “new” mental picture that I received, as I read the verses, which, this time, was of the employing of employees for EMPLOYMENT.

(That made this that you shared with me in commenting so on point with what I am writing about, in another project, regarding all of the exposures that are happening in the world right now around us. One of the exposures has to do with unfair payment for work being done. This is what Mo’Nique and Tariji P Hensen was saying. “Wow!!! Look at God causing you to comment on this post with something that will aid in my other project that I am working on decoding!!! THANK YOU for letting God use you to pour into me. )

So, how do you earn your wages? Are you employed by another? If your answer is yes, then you are now a slave to that one who employees you. Many might reject that statement because of the word “slave” but how to identify its accuracy (on an individual basis) is to consider how one feels about their workplace. Do you feel you are being fairly or unfairly paid for the work you do? Is your employment enriching you? Normally, People clock in to make someone else rich. They put up with the jobs that they hate because they need to make money to pay bills. They take on secondary jobs because they first one is not paying enough. When working at a job that is not paying enough, we refer to those wages at “slave wages” and to the work as “slave labor”. About this, we are able to see God’s heart on the matter when we read where it says that “a workman is worthy of their hire (wages)” (Luke 10:7; see also 1 Timothy 5:18).

So, as I consider what you said about God “endorsing slavery” let’s take a moment to look at these verses you shared to see if we can see God’s heart on the matter. (Without outright telling the commenter that he was wrong, because to do so would have closed his ears to anything else shared, I chose to dig into the scripture itself to open it so that the commenter could see for themselves that God did not “endorse” slavery.)

Starting with the first verse you shared, Exodus 21:1-12, it opens by letting us know that these were judgments that the Lord was giving to (would be) EMPLOYERS regarding how they were to treat their EMPLOYEES. (Did you know that there is a biblical Law of Jubilees where every 50 years there was a release, and restoration given to those who were enslaved? I know that you do because you referenced Leviticus which we will talk about next and I might have to do a video for. (I really love all of the scriptures you shared.) Did you know that this law is still in effect? This law, in itself, is proof that God does NOT “endorse” SLAVERY. But let’s stick with these verses that you provided first.

Now remember I called it EMPLOYMENT, lol; but that is because I look for the practical application of what I am reading in God’s Word. You see, in verse 2 it speaks of one buying a servant, but that purchase had a time limit set of 6 years, after which the servant was freed in the 7th year. But then verse 3 speaks of the servant coming in by himself. NOW THAT IS CRAZY! Who would want to be a slave to another??? This is what made me look beyond the surface of the scriptures and see what was really being shown. (and, this is why I can’t wait to look at your other verses lol) And, that is how I saw EMPLOYMENT.

Oowee, I had to reign it in because what I am seeing with these verses as it applies to today is so amazing, I several times almost got lost and had to be reeled back in. I have literally been working on this to share with you all day LOL. So I had to consider WHY and HOW one would become a slave to another in the form of being bought for 6 years, or selling oneself to work, or even choosing to stay in that position (like a career) permanently (see verse 5 for that). LOL.

For the Employer, they might have simply needed help in the caretaking of whatever they did so they would hire (buy) help (a servant/employee).

But for the Employee, what was their reason then, and how it would look now:

1. One might need to pay restitution for a wrong committed. That was the number one reason, back then, for one to become enslaved to another – the payment of restitution.

2. One might need to repay a debt. Today, that looks like rent, electricity, and water bills, and any other debt incurred; Or, to buy food and other creature comforts which is why people enslave themselves to jobs today.

Now catch this: LOL using the same verses that you shared, LOL look at verses 7 – 11. How about that is talking about marriage. The daughter sold as a slave to another man was called a betrothal in the NKJV. That is a marriage engagement, and there was a law put in place for how she was to be treated in the event that the one engaged to her did not like her. Today, smh, that looks like all these people dating and breaking up to go date someone else. No one is marrying yet everyone is dating and breaking up. OOWEE. But let’s go back to what you originally said about “God directly permitting and endorsing slavery.” The tone of the statement made me think of (as I said earlier) Roots and Amistad, movies which depicted slaves being captured, mistreated, sold, and abused. That is what I think of when I hear the word SLAVERY which is why I really needed to look at the amazing verses that you shared, and then search for God’s heart on this matter.

When I did this, this is what I noticed: You did not include Exodus 21:16 in your verses. This verse explicitly condemns what the connotation of the word Slavery means to so many today, by saying that a man who kidnaps and sells another should be >put to DEATH<. This is a different type of slavery than what is mentioned in the verses you shared in Exodus 21:1-11.

Now with that in mind, I want to share this with you before moving on to consider the next verses you shared:

So, in the bible (Joshua chapter 9) there is a story wherein slavery (as you depicted it) is mentioned; yet in that story of how the Gibeonite people became slaves, what we find is that slavery, in this sense of the word (and how I perceived that you referenced it) was NOT approved by God. As a matter of fact, it angered God.

Briefly going over it, it was the fear of the Gibeonites that positioned them to be slaves indefinitely. They were AFRAID (fearful) because of what they had seen and heard of how the Israelites were conquering different territories as they were coming in to take over the land of Canaan that God promised to them. In their fear (see verse 24), they disguised themselves and carried out a plot to save themselves from the fate of the other cities like Jericho and Ai. (In Matthew 16:25, King Jesus tells us that those who try to save their lives will lose their lives, and this is what happened to the Gibeonites. They did this to themselves out of extreme fear which became a CURSE for them (verse 23) that is still in effect down to this day.

This is why God warns us against the spirit of fear because fear will bring upon us a curse and we are told to walk in faith not fear. Fear and Faith are opposites. But that is not all. God was angry with the Israelites because of this situation. Pause for a minute and read over those verses – it is not a big chapter. See if you can see where the Israelites sinned.

Let me tell you, years ago when I first studied this chapter, it was because of what happened at 2 Samuel 24 :1 where it says “AGAIN the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel…” I researched that because I wanted to know what did the Israelites do the first time that angered God and I was led to Joshua 9. Then, I had to dig into it, reading it over and over because initially I didn’t see it, until it dawned on me what it was. LOL. (it might not take you as long as it took me to find it lol )

So, Here is why YOUR comment post is such a blessing to me and I am grateful for what you shared although what I see is not God endorsing slavery – permitting and endorsing is two different things.

Im going to go deeper into this later.

Your comment blessed me because of the scriptures you added and my studying to see if I could see in God’s Word what you were saying. INSTEAD I found that God used You to answer a question that I asked of God two or three days ago.

I asked God, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 10:13, “what was the temptation what was COMMON to man?” The fact that it was common meant that it is an issue that each of us face. I wanted clarity on it and I was given the answer:

Looking back at Joshua 9 and this issue with the Israelites and the Gibeonites, what the Israelites did, which angered God, is the answer to what the temptation is that is common to man.

Let me show you what they did. Read Joshua 9:14-15

1. They did not consult with the Lord regarding the Gibeonites and
2. They entered into a covenant agreement without having first consulted the Lord

Go back and read Proverbs 3:5-6

God tells us to

1. Trust HIM with our whole heart
2. Lean not unto our own understanding
3. In ALL of our ways acknowledge HIM

This is the temptation that is common to man. The temptation to lean unto our own understanding which then puts us in situations that become hard to bear. ( This is the answer that I shared earlier that was given to me in answer to my question about what the temptation was that was common to man. What a blessing!)

So, slavery is not “endorsed” by God. Endorsed meaning publicly approved. This was never ever God’s plan for mankind. This is some mess the first man and woman dropped us into because we entered into slavery at the fall of man wherein we became slaves to sin. Also, what we are seeing in God trying to teach the Israelites how to treat one another. Just like a parent teaches their children to be brotherly. These verses you shared with me has embedded in them an amazing lesson on brotherly love.

Im going to be digging more into them. I hope to not be long in getting back with you because I really do want to look at each of the scriptures you shared. These verses are blessing me because you caused me to look deeper into what is being said to see the heart of God and not just look at the surface. Thank you so much.

The next verses comes from Leviticus 25. And though you covered the verses pertaining in particular to slavery. I will be looking at all of the verses in that section plus the verses on Jubilee which is also found in Levitus 25.