Slavery and the Law of Moses

Jesus asks us to bless our enemies not curse them, so, back in Joshua if it was Jesus, that curse would have been turned into a blessing. If they had to chop wood and draw water it would have been a blessing rather than being forced, they would have wanted to do it voluntarily. Rather than be killed.

I think thats the main difference. Between the OT and the NT.
 
In the NT read letter to Philemon...the once former slave, or bondman, becomes a brother. Why because his heart is changed and so is Pauls.

In my version kjv it says verse 16 not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and to the Lord?
 
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Jesus paid for our redemption with his blood. So we are no longer servants but brothers and sisters...and Gods sons and daughters.

Thats the message God wants us to give out. I dont believe he makes any difference between hired or indentured or bond, in all cases, we are freed.
 
Leviticus 19:33-34

Talks about strangers dwelling with you in your land and compares them with the time the hebrews spent in egypt. That you should love them.

Theother long pasage in leviticus 25 does talk about the jubilee. When bondservants or servants are allowed to go free. This happened every 50th year, it seems. Also every seventh year was a time for the land to rest. GOd had broken the bonds of their yoke from egypt.

Oldhermit why are you asking this because Jesus has now set the captives free, so hes not saying we ought to be slaves to anyone anymore or keep slaves. Although he does say we can bind on earth what is bound in heaven and loose on earth what is loose in heaven.

But I dont see that as forcing people to labour.
I started this topic simply because this is where I am presently in teaching Deuteronomy and I though it would be a good topic to discuss.

Leviticus 25 is talking about the release of indentured servants at the year of Jubilee. This law did not apply to slaves acquired from other nations.

39‘If a COUNTRYMAN of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall NOT subject him to a slave’s service. 40‘He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. 41‘He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. 42‘For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. 43‘You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

Verses 44-45 explains the difference in how Israel was to treat the indentured servant as apposed to a slave.
44‘As for your MALE AND FEMALE SLAVES whom you may have—you may ACQUIRE MALE AND FEMALE SLAVES from the pagan nations that are around you. 45‘Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may ECOME YOUR POSSESSION. 46‘You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to RECEIVE AS A POSESSION; you can use them as PERMINATE SLAVES.
BUT IN RESPECT TO YOUR COUNTRYMAN, THE SONS OF ISRAEL, YOU SHALL NOT RULE WITH SEVERITY OVER NE ANOTHER.
 
In the NT read letter to Philemon...the once former slave, or bondman, becomes a brother. Why because his heart is changed and so is Pauls.

In my version kjv it says verse 16 not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and to the Lord?
If you will notice, Philemon and Onesimus were brothers. This was apparently a case of Philemon becoming a bondservant to his brother for some reason but instead of fulfilling his obligation, he ran a way.
 
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Well, perhaps this thread was not such a good idea. Never dreamed it would solicit such responses. Perhaps it might be better to simply shut it down. What do you think?
 
Well, perhaps this thread was not such a good idea. Never dreamed it would solicit such responses. Perhaps it might be better to simply shut it down. What do you think?

Hello oldhermit;

The responses were indeed good posts supported by some great Scriptures.

However, it may be wise to give Slavory and the Law of Moses a break for now and allow some time for prayer and later we can revisit this topic.

I would also suggest the next time we start a topic with a question, lets provide a little background as to why we were led to start our thread. For example, if its because one is teaching, this is a good ministry and reason for fellowship. Or, distinguishing between this and that in the Old and New Testaments. This gives the family an idea and will understand the purpose for the topic.

God bless you, oldhermit, and your family.
 
Um just asking why because...slavery is something thats still being practiced even though its supoosedly been abolished in many countries. People that are in debt are still bound to their lenders. Thats why the Lords prayer, one version has it that we forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who have debts against us.

For example if you have a mortgage you are bound...to the bank. You wont ever be free until youve paid it off. And it could be you are bound to work until you die. Thats why its called a mortgage.

I dont quite uderstand the chattel part, but it would be that the bondmaid or bond servant if they were not related actually did become part of the family. And they even had children. Eg Rachel had her maid give birth and Leah had hers as well and they were Israel's sons.
 
If you could say what version Bible you are reading it would be helpful because my kJV has different words, it will say hired servant, and then bondservant. A bondservant is one whos bound to their master until they die. I think thats what it means. i dont know what indentured means, if thats the same as hired.
 
If you will notice, Philemon and Onesimus were brothers. This was apparently a case of Philemon becoming a bondservant to his brother for some reason but instead of fulfilling his obligation, he ran a way.
No thats not what the letter says!
He wasnt related to onemisis at all he was his servant. But now, that Paul has begotten him i.e Onemisus has become born again, he is his brother. In the Lord.

How can you keep reading things backwards?? Again, what bible version are you looking at?
 
I would really like to address your posts but I think I am going to honor the request of the moderators and let this thread rest for a while. As to which translation I am using, I generally use the NASB.
 
Ok no worries I was confused thats all cos I read the KJV. I often find the NASB says totally different things to the KJV thats why I dont really trust it. I had problems understsanding what some people were posting in another forum till I found out the version they read from turned out to be NASB.
 
It seems NASB is not a word-for-word translation like the KJV its a formal equivalence. i just find it says things abit backwards and uses american idioms that would not have been what an english speaker would use and has differeent meanings. I had a LOT of trouble understanding people who used that translation even over little things cos it changed the words in scripture, or changed them around.

Anyway, maybe read the same passages in KJV and you will see what I mean.
 
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If you could say what version Bible you are reading it would be helpful because my kJV has different words, it will say hired servant, and then bondservant. A bondservant is one whos bound to their master until they die. I think thats what it means. i dont know what indentured means, if thats the same as hired.
Actually, a bond-servant is the same thing as an indentured servant. According to the Law, an indentured servant was bound to serve six years for his or her indebtedness. An indentured servant was not the same thing as a hireling because he is indebted to the master. The hired man could come and go as he pleased. However, the bond-servant was to be treated with the same dignity as a hired man. He was not to be ill-treated or denigrated. This same law did not apply to those held as actual slaves. There is a great deal of difference in the law about the treatment of indentured servants as opposed to that of a slave.
 
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