Leviticus 25 -- What To Make Of This

I’ve never known how to take this chapter, because so many in the world try to blame God for allowing slavery.  But as I read today, God showed me the humanity of what He set up here as opposed to what the world imposed back then and even now. 

People found themselves in economic hardship back then as well as now, whether from circumstances beyond their control or by choices they had made.  In the rest of the world at that time, that would mean total devastation for the person and his family forever.  They were locked in by those circumstances or choices.

Here, God set limits on that.  He called for a general reset – a Jubilee – every fifty years that would return land to families forced to sell it.  Instead of slavery forever, He set up what amounted to “contracts for hire” for a limited time.  He also instituted buyback provisions so that these “contracts” could be undone.  This was vastly more humane than what existed then.  It also instituted hope, yet kept responsibility and accountability.  There wasn’t any free ride or entitlement to let people off the hook, but there was also the call for families to take care of their relatives.  If they failed to do so, then there was a safety net.  All was not lost.  There’s much wisdom in this.

Father, I’m sorry that I doubted You on this.  You are wise beyond all my ability to understand.  You can see things that we can’t.  Thank You for sharing that wisdom with us.  Help us to see these concepts as just and merciful, and not as enslaving.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford