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NASB | Leviticus 25:44 '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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Leviticus 25:44 '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. |
Bible Question: Does God approve of slavery? |
Bible Answer: Dear Jenny, This is part two of my reply. I hope that all will read part 1 first. I would like to answer the natural question of, "Why would God permit slavery?" We have seen that he does permit it, but now I ask WHY. Now the most common answer I have heard regarding this is to point to the social function of slavery as ultimately something needed and good. What I mean is that the natural way in which one became a slave was extreme poverty. The slave was going to starve to death due to poverty and as a result the choice was between death and slavery. Slavery is surely a mercy compared with death. God's appointment of such a system provided people with an opportunity to live and one day be free again standing on their own two feet. I think we are right to say these things. I do not think it goes far enough in explaining the good intentions which God had with regards to slavery. Slavery served a gospel purpose. Almost everything in their culture was designed by God to prepare for and point to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The priesthood is one example. Through being very familiar with the priesthood, the jewish people were able to easily understand the notions of Christ coming and functioning as a priest to attone for their sins by sacrifice. Now I would argue that slavery also formed a similiar function. I believe that God allowed slavery not merely for some social good, but so that Israel could understand what it meant to be enslaved, to long for freedom, to emotionally and mentally grasp the notion of a redeemer, to long for the seventh year when they would be set free, and to look forward to the day of Jubilee when all captives would be set free from their bonds and receive an inheritance and a place in the people of God. These are gospel hopes! All of these things which could not have been taught so clearly without slavery, served to teach what was coming on a spiritual level. I think that is why God "permited" what he was ultimately going deliver from. For all things are from Him, and through Him, and for Him. In Christ, Beja |