God's Blessing and Commands About Servants

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

God's Blessing and Commands About Servants

Date: Mar. 15, 2021

Passage

Exodus 20:22-21:11 (ESV)

22 And the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 20:20:22b

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

1. A simple altar for an omnipotent God (20:22-26)

After giving the people the Ten Commandments, God commanded his people to make altars of earth or undressed stones. In contrast, pagans made elaborate altars for their gods. Such altars could even turn into idols. The people must rather focus their sacrifices and worship on the LORD their God. God promised that wherever he caused his name to be honored, he would be with and bless the people. Our worship should also honor God's name with a sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart.

2. Commands regarding servants (21:1-11)

Modern sensibilities may find this section disturbing. It seems to accept the buying and selling of people. We should remember that Israelites usually entered this servitude voluntarily. Taking and forcing people into slavery was forbidden (21:16). God gave these commands to protect slaves from abuse from their masters. The arrangement should be temporary. God also gave specific commands to protect women. God did not want the Israelites to repeat how they had been treated in Egypt.

Prayer: Father, help us to honor your name in how we worship and how we treat one another.

One Word: Honor God's name and be blessed

The Gentiles Hear the Good News

Acts 10:36-48

Key Verse: 10:40

but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,

Today's Question

What is repentance unto life?

See answer and references