Misconceptions Clarified V; Slavery in the Bible Immoral..?

Welcome to “Misconceptions Clarified V” where this episode will focus its attention on the slavery in the Bible. Now, before this article gets into the specifics, it is our prayer that whoever reads this article will be open to observing this sensitive topic from a different perspective. Unfortunately, the scars of slavery are cut so deep in history that anytime this subject is discussed, all kinds of emotions arise especially when it pertains to American slavery and the slavery mentioned in the Bible. There are many people who have very strong opinions against slavery (and rightly so), however, the agenda of this episode is not to stir up dissension, but to provide a better understanding. When people read about the slavery in the Bible, there are some who question its practice and question God on why he allowed such an institution to take shape. Moreover, some consider the slavery in the Bible to be immoral and reject God because of it.  However, was the slavery in the Bible considered immoral? Was the practice of slavery by the Israelites the same as the practice of slavery in America? And, why would a loving God tolerate such a tradition and develop laws governing the institution of slavery?

Critics specifically mention Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus 21:20-21, and even magnify what Jesus said in Luke 12:47-48 to mean that Jesus not only approved slavery, but also condoned the beating of slaves. Nevertheless, is there any truth to these claims? Is the slavery found in the Bible really immoral? Well, the answer to this question is both “yes” and “no.” Here's why. First, when examining the slavery in the Bible, one must study the practice of slavery for each nation independently. Many times when the topic of slavery is discussed, there's this assumption that all slavery was the same in all nations when in fact, it’s not. For instance, Egyptian and Hebrew slavery in the Bible were two different types of slavery governed by two different set of laws. In Genesis 15:13, before slavery was even introduced, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in their own land and enslaved in hard bondage for four hundred years. But, in Leviticus 25:44 when the Israelites were delivered out of captivity, Moses said that male and female slaves were going to come from the nations around them. Meaning, slaves from other nations were going to volunteer themselves into the hands of the Israelites, which is a big difference from being held against one’s own free will like what the Egyptians did to the Israelites. You see, the main difference between Egyptian and Hebrew slavery is that one was forced and the other was volunteer, which is why slavery must be examined independently within each nation, not grouped together as one universal tradition.

Another problem many critics have when it comes to the slavery in the Bible is that they unknowingly perceive the slavery in the bible to be similar to the form of American slavery, which is not true. In order to understand ancient scripture, one must remove themselves from their own context to really grasp what was going on. Obviously, what was practiced approximately 3500 years ago will not be exactly the same in the modern era. Now, this is not to say that some Hebrews didn't mistreat their slaves because there are always a few bad apples that fall from every tree. However, just like the Egyptians, American slavery was also a forced system, whereas Hebrew slavery was performed on a volunteer basis. There is this huge misconception that when Israel was delivered out of captivity that they left Egypt on some vendetta to see how many slaves they could capture like how it was in America. That's the wrong answer! As a matter of fact, people from other nations were throwing themselves at the mercy of the Israelites because they heard how God delivered them from the most powerful nation on earth at the time. Therefore, the Israelites didn't have to force people into slavery because they were volunteering themselves, which isn't slavery at all if one volunteers their labor in exchange for food, shelter, wages, or to satisfy a debt. A better term for this kind of volunteer service would be servitude or indentured servant, not the negative connotations associated with slavery.

Furthermore, Moses issues a decree against slave traders in Exodus 21:16 that somehow seems to get overlooked which says, “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.” In addition, Paul in the New Testament also condemns slave trading in 1 Timothy 1:9-10; “We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine” Which means that the reason the law of Moses contains laws pertaining to slavery was to protect those who volunteered themselves into service from any lawbreakers. And believe it or not, when you compare the Law of Moses to any other ancient law codes such as the Hammurabi or the Hittite laws, the Law of Moses was by far a better code that protected all people to include runaway slaves from other nations.

So, this idea that the law of Moses permitted forced slavery or that God approved the incarceration of the free will is a complete perversion of the scriptures. There is nothing immoral about a person volunteering their labor to satisfy a debt, to make a living, or to provide for their families. As a matter of fact, the law of Moses in Exodus 21:2-6 not only permitted servants to be released from their contractual obligations after 6 years like how athletes can become free agents after their contracts expire, but servants could serve their masters for life if they loved their masters, which many of them did. Why? Because life as an indentured servant was not a bad way to make a living contrary to popular belief. And for those wondering why male and female slaves from other nations would volunteer themselves as servants… The answer is simple! Because the law of Moses protected any "volunteer" slave from being mistreated. It says in Exodus 22:21, “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” And in Deuteronomy 23:15 it says, “If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them.” Hence, little do people realize that the male and female slaves that volunteered themselves were already slaves to other nations. They volunteered their labor to the Israelites because the law of Moses protected them from being mistreated unlike the other nations, which proves the fact that God actually cares for all his people regardless of race, age, or status!

Therefore, this misconception regarding the immorality of slavery in the bible has been clarified. The answer to the question, "is the slavery in the bible immoral" depends on the nation under investigation. If it's in reference to ancient Egyptian slavery, then yes because people were forced beyond their own free will. But, if it's in reference to Hebrew slavery, then no because people volunteered themselves. There is nothing immoral about a person volunteering their labor in exchange for benefits, which is no different from those who live in the 21st century who volunteer their labor in exchange for a pay check. So, if you are reading this and have struggled with this issue, just remember that the practice of slavery was a night and day difference from Egypt to Israel to America, and needs to be examined independently in order to gain a better understanding. Many times walls are built up as soon as the word slavery is mentioned, and anyone seeking the truth must remove any prejudices out of the equation to find the truth. And, even though the institution of forced slavery is immoral, it’s not because of God that the institution of slavery existed in the first place. That’s the wrong answer again! In the Bible, it says in Genesis 1:31 that after God saw all that he made, it was very good. Unfortunately, slavery entered the scene of human history because of sin, because of disobedience to God’s holy commandments, and because humanity abused the authority, the dominion, and the free-will God created them to have in the beginning of creation. It’s not because of God that slavery existed, it’s because of his creation who abused the image they were made out of! That’s the reason why! The finger points back to creation, not to the Creator!

Oh, and before this article ends, one last item that needs to be clarified pertains to what Jesus said in Luke 12:47-48. Sadly enough, critics of the Bible love to isolate certain scriptures to prove their objections and one perfect example of this comes from the parable of Jesus that had nothing to do with his "approval" of beating slaves. Jesus was merely citing an example of how a master beats his slave for going "against" the master's will to demonstrate the need for the body of Christ to act accordingly even though we do not know when our Master in heaven will return back to earth to judge the living and the dead. Jesus' parable to the disciples had nothing to do with his approval of slavery. However, since the disciples were familiar with slavery, it was appropriate for Jesus at the time to use slavery as an example to teach the disciples how they need to keep a watchful eye on their Master's return. In order to understand exactly what Jesus was saying in the parable, one needs to read the whole context starting from Luke 12:35. The only reason why the slave in the context was being beat in the first place wasn't because the master was abusing his power over the slave, but it was because the slave was abusing his power by beating the menservants and maidservants because the master was taking a long time in his coming, and when the master found out what the slave did, he beat the slave with many blows. Again, this misconception that Jesus approves slavery is just a misinterpretation of the text, and clarified after further evaluation. This parable just demonstrates to us today that when we abuse our God-given rights as human beings, whether you believe in God or not, that God will punish the wicked, the evil doers, and the disobedient. God is always watching and his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole universe. So even though the Lord might seem to be taking a long time in his coming, everyone can rest assure that when He does come again that justice will be served. Hence, it is our prayer that anyone who might be on the border line of their faith reading this will reevaluate their objections, ask for forgiveness, and come to the true light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be blessed and see you on the next installment of Misconceptions Clarified.

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For more information, please click on the video below or purchase "Confound The Critics; Answers for Attacks on Biblical Truths" a book by Bodie Hodge that clarifies many of the misconceptions surrounding the Bible and Christianity.