The Elephant In The Room: Slavery In The Bible

[Guest]

.... not to beat a dead horse but I recently came across this passage and it made my doubt that slave and servant are interchangeable.

Leviticus 25:39-46 NASB ‘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. 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. 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.

For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

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. 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 become your possession.You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves.

But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another.

This is God speaking to Moses on Sinai, and I also think this highlights what Hawkins said about two systems working in parallel. From what I've gleaned from this passage, you can have a poor Hebrew offer himself up to you as a servant, but he is not to be a slave, and when his debt/service is payed in full he and his sons (I'm just guessing that any daughters is also implied) are to go free.

However you can have a slave by taking them from the pagan nations around you, and foreigners as well, including any children that they produce while in your land/custody, and this family can be forever a slave family to your family as permanent possessions. I also find it interesting that only with these slaves does God use the word "possession" or property to describe them.

While God does not come out and say that you can treat these slaves with severity, I think it is implied more than once when God states that your Hebrew servants are not to be treated with severity; the placing and timing within the passage suggests to me that you can treat your non-Hebrew slaves with severity, like beating them severely as implied in the Exodus passage I brought up earlier....

Since You Are Now A Self-Professed Bible Believer And Teacher

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:47-48

It Gets Oh So Much

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:11-21

Worst

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:11-15

Beloved, Are Your Little Pagan Friends Ever Gonna Thank You

When You Finally Start To Teach Them The Truth

About All Those Slaves To Sin

You Will Find In The

Holy Bible

The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:35-36

[Guest]

Jesus Speaks Through His Children, "Let My People Go"

And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Exodus 7:16

And The Pharaohs Of The World Still Stick Their Fingers In Their Ears

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. Exodus 7:22-23

I Wonder Why They Are So Obligated To Enslave Folk

There is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:18

~

.... One of my points throughout all of this is that I morally cannot justify being a bible believer....

Like it or not, forcing foreigners to be your property and do your manual labor, under severe physical punishment (albeit not death) if they do not comply or misbehave is sanctioned by your God, and this sanction connotatively (if not by definition) is wholly just and righteous. I'm not making this up, I'm not trying to be disrespectful or defaming, it is quite simply what your God has said in his Holy Book, and from what I've gathered from your statements of belief you are obligated to believe that such is perfectly consistent with justice and righteousness to the highest possible degree.

My friends are well aware of the basic biblical principles....

Yes Dear One I Can See You Are Gut Deep Bitter Toward The God Of Abraham, Isaac And Jacob

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Yet It IS Nice To Hear You Believe The Bible In Principle And I Can Understand

If You Can't Justify Me For I Can't Even Do That Myself

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Isaiah 40:21-23

And It's Wonderful To See You Get Excited About The Ramped Slavery

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. John 8:36 (ESV)

Overflowing The Earth Today

The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. Proverbs 5:22 (NIV)

But Before You Can Help Others

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

You Must First Ditch The Chains Holding You Down

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

And The Only Man Who Can Break Them Is Named Jesus Of Nazareth

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

And I Know He's Home So Why Don't You Give Him A Call

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

And Be Blessed Beloved

Love, Joe