What does the bible say about slavery?
The people who claim the bible condones slavery are wrong, yes Jesus said but the reason Jesus said these things is because slavery was the Law of the land. The people of Judea were independent for 100 years under the rule of the Maccabees but when Rome conquered the Maccabees the people were under bondage. Jesus was telling his followers how to conduct themselves under this oppressive regime.
The bible provides laws that govern slavery only because it was the culture of some ancient civilizations, but the bible does not condone slavery. Noah/Noach (Hebrew) was called the comfort in Genesis 5 because the people were under oppression of a Lord. Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2nd Peter 2:5) and this word is defined as justice, (fairness in the way people are treated).
Liberty in the Old Testament
We can see evidence of oppression and liberty throughout the Old Testament, I have provided text that include the word liberty.
Leviticus 25:10 And proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof meaning the release of slaves - (Hebrew) deror, (Latin) remissionem)+
Isaiah 61:1 - proclaim liberty (latin-indulgentiam) (hebrew- drowr) freedom to the captives.
Jeremiah 34:16 - whom he had set at liberty ( latin - liberi ) chophshiy exempt from bondage tax or care chaphash to be free.
Luke 4:18 to set at liberty
Acts 24:23
Acts 26:32
2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (latin - libertas)
Greek - eleutheria-unrestrained not a slave (whether freeborn manumitted), exempt (from oblgation or liability) free man/woman 2064
What is the definition of slavery?
Slavery - the condition of being legally owned by someone else, forced to labor with no pay and owns nothing
Servant - Volunteers to serve someone for free or for pay not owned by the master.
Indentured servant - bound to work for a specific amount of time for a variety of reason.
Sharecropper - renting land from an owner in exchange for giving the owner part of the crop.
Serf - bound to the land they occupy and serve a master.
Effects of slavery
Deportation - a carrying away; a removal from one country to another, or a distant place.
Exiled - cut off, separate or thrust away, to drive from one's country by misfortune, necessity or distress, or forced removal by the government or separate by your own choice, for a limited time or forever.
Genesis 9:25 And he said Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
oiketes (servant of servants) Genesis 9:25
ebed/eved - bondman
knecht - labourer
pais ( a child servant) to the God of Shem Genesis 9:26
bondman - ebed Genesis 9:25
ebed (eved) generic
Examples of slavery
JACOB THE INDENTURED SERVANT
an indentured servant works for free until he has completed his agreement.
Genesis 29 - 32
The first time we see an act type of slavery in the bible is Jacob who was sent to serve his uncle and that period of indentured servitude turned in to years of free labor to his uncle and extended stay of sorts. The lord (government) allowed Jacob to go free it was only until this Lord intervened that Jacob was freed, and we then see the name Israel. This type of slavery is called servitude.
The selling/trading of Joseph
Genesis 37 and 39
Genesis 37:36 Joseph - The brothers of Joseph were planning to selling their brother to the Ishmaelites ( they were going to trade/sell their brother for a profit) Genesis 37:24-28 they were going to sell their brother to the the family of Ishmael.
Sold/Traded the Midianites family of Lot Abrams son, found Joseph and sold him to the family of Ishmael, son of Abraham. Now lets pay attention that these are family of Abram and his nephew/son Lot. They are practicing what is called selling humans to other humans.
taken to Egypt- Joseph has now been taken to Egypt by Ishmaelites and purchased by the officer of a Pharoah named Potiphar, who was captain of the guard. (Genesis 39: 1-4 ) Potiphar was his master
Obviously the tribes of the Nile did not belive in slavery because Joseph was not a slave in the land of Ham he became an employee for the officer but I don't know that he was getting a wage.
Joseph created a system of servitude and eventually the native people lost their land and it seems Joseph gave the land of the natives to his family and enriched the Pharoah. Genesis whose land he took when he over taxed the people and then took care of his own family and gave them the land of the native people
Israel somehow becomes the lower class and because in ancient times the warriors were taken from teh lower classes also they were building, ( just like they were building under the rule of Solomon) but I don't see that they were beaten. They had no free will.
They became slaves under David and Solomon
2nd Kings 17:23
swapped out and replaced.
23 until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.
Daniel 1:4-3
Daniel 1:4 - 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
2nd Kings 24:1
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord, as the Lord had said.
14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem
Slavery is a culture from the ancient world, it was not created by Europe it is older than that civilization and based the definition of slavery it seems it first appeared in Genesis chapter 2 The oppression of Adam and Eve by the Lord God or whom some would say is Shiva (of Hinduism).
Slavery is an attribute of the Anti-Christ, and there is a difference between slavery and servants.
