Slavery in Bible History

Consider the following regulations included in the Law given through Moses:

● Kidnapping a man and then selling him was punishable by death. (Exodus 21:16) However, if despite all the provisions made to prevent poverty, an Israelite found himself deeply in debt, perhaps as a result of poor management, he could sell himself as a slave. In some cases he might even be able to earn a surplus by which he could redeem himself.—Leviticus 25:47-52.

● This was not the oppressive kind of slavery that has been common in many lands through the ages. Leviticus 25:39, 40 says: “In case your brother grows poor alongside you and he has to sell himself to you, you must not use him as a worker in slavish service. He should prove to be with you like a hired laborer, like a settler.” So this was a loving provision to care for Israel’s poorest.

● A person found guilty of stealing who was unable to make full restitution according to the Law could be sold as a slave and in this way pay off his debt. (Exodus 22:3) When he had worked off the debt, he could go free.

● Cruel and abusive slavery was not allowed under God’s Law to Israel. While masters were allowed to discipline their slaves, excesses were forbidden. A slave killed by his master was to be avenged. (Exodus 21:20) If the slave was maimed, losing a tooth or an eye, he was set free.—Exodus 21:26, 27.

● The maximum time that any Israelite would have to serve as a slave was six years. (Exodus 21:2) Hebrew slaves were set free in the seventh year of their service. The Law demanded that every 50 years all Israelite slaves were to be set free nationwide, regardless of how long the individual had been a slave.—Leviticus 25:40, 41.

● When a slave was released, the master was required to be generous toward him. Deuteronomy 15:13, 14 says: “In case you should send him out from you as one set free, you must not send him out empty-handed. You should surely equip him with something from your flock and your threshing floor and your oil and winepress.”

Later, in the days of Jesus and his apostles, slavery was an entrenched practice in the Roman Empire. As Christianity spread, it was inevitable that individuals who were slaves and others who were slave owners would come in contact with the good news and become Christians. Neither Jesus Christ himself nor his apostles preached a gospel of social liberation, as if trying to reform the existing system. Rather, both slaves and slave owners were admonished to love one another as spiritual brothers.—Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:2.

"15 “You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

16 “He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him."

This Underground Railroad in Israel was about 3500 years *before* our own here in the U.S.

Ultimately God is interested in saving souls for *eternal life in bliss*. That's the real game. Not just the temporary circumstances.....

Is death in a war, famine, or slavery the end? --> Not if you believe in God, no. It's a step along the way to the afterlife.

Low circumstances can help some people to find God sooner. Then, they are then richer by far than their momentary slave masters....

Yeah the Bible allows slavery. It has rules for slavery. Despicable Christian morons try to say slavery wasn't so bad back then but hello! Owning a person as property is never right!

The word 'bondage' in the Bible is the word 'slavery' today. The word 'slavery' in the Bible is one who sells themselves for a time to pay a debt So one who is a slave but will not work is like they are stealing from the one who paid that debt.

There is even building code in the Bible. When building a second story put a barrier around it so people don't fall off. This is not esoteric spirituality, eh.

Consider what you know about master-slave relationships. Isn't it more odd that a master must be punished for killing a slave more than the rest of the sentence?

Remove your bias and read again. What was shocking to the people of the day, not what you pretend is shocking to you today.

The fact of the matter Yes, because we are all slaves to Satan and sin, unless God saves us from are sins, no exceptions, that means that you are a slave to Satan and sin, because of Adam an Eve, because they believed a lie from Satan, rather than the truth of God, so God sold them to Satan and sin, as it is written in God word the bible only, Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A person can better know the true meanings of stories from the Bible by meditating on them while reciting Hail Marys carefully.

We always are trying to make the Bible into a book of rules, but it is not that. If our hearts don't accept the love of God, no amount of rules will help and if we do accept the love of God, no rules are needed.

It was for the Israelites suppress violence against Israeli slaves . Israeli no enjoyed being punished.

However, when a slave was bad, lazy and did not want to work, the law tolerated that he was beaten.

Yeah God seems to be a pretty mean guy