Exodus 21:1-6

Notes on Exodus 21:1-6

1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. 2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

Verse 1
These are judgments (Mishpat - legal decisions) for deciding cases of civil disputes in ancient Israel. They are not primarily moral principles, although moral principles can be derived from them.
Knowing the difference between judgments, statutes, commandments and ordinances is essential to rightly divide the law of God.
We will discover this distinction as we meditate on the law of the Lord.

Verse 2-6
A slave is not a possession, he has rights. This judgment deals with his right to be released after a time.
This judgment assumes that at times a slave would actually choose to remain in slavery, and love his master. This shows that slavery in ancient Israel was not so very demeaning.
A slave can choose to serve his master forever; in this passage, "forever" means "until death", there will be no slavery in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Principles:
We should respect the value of every human being made in the image of God, no matter their situation.
God demands that a human master give free choice to his slaves to leave or stay. God also gives us free choice to accept him in love or to reject him; forfeiting the gifts he has given us, including life.
A person who loves God will choose to serve him forever.

If you love God, how are you serving him?