series: Exodus series #
verse: Exodus 21:1-11 #
This text is actually not often preached on. These verses often go over the rules and expectations that God has of the Israelites for the culture and context at the time. But there’s still something to be learned from here.
Main Idea: #
What does it mean to be a true follower of God? In the midst of the journey of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, how do they change their mindset to go from physical and mental enslavement to freedom.
Introduction: #
We’ve all grown up being told by our parents, “This is my house, my rules”. And we often had a negative perception of rules, that it prohibits of doing what we want. But the rules in the bible do the opposite. It’s a framework for living a beautiful and bountiful life. The relationship between slaves and slave-owner within Egypt were bad. But these verses show how God wants to bring a new identity and calling to those that are now redeemed.
“How to treat servants”, is the first thing that God addresses. We don’t live in a slave system today, but it still applies to any hierarchical authoritative structure. Whether it be a boss, a manager, your parents. This really addresses, “How do we treat the powerless?”.
How to act with power #
The principle of those with power, is that they must lead with personal care, not positional control. At the context of the verse, servitude existed as a way for people to make money. They would sell themselves in order to make a wage. In ancient Egypt and Babylon, these servants could be held indefinitely. Viewed as property, easily removed, etc.
But how did God call these people to act differently? #
Hebrew servants must be held free after 6 years. And they shouldn’t have to pay for freedom. Women must also be consistently provided for, especially if they were to enter the family. God is setting an example of fighting the secular concept of fairness. God’s showing that people matter more than expectation. God places a boundary on power, you shouldn’t misuse it against others.
How does this apply to me? #
Say you’re a parent, or a manager that oversees people. It’s often easy to think of people as tools instead of souls. We justify our decisions based off of what we think is acceptable, but not through what God thinks is acceptable. And this leads to destruction and a ruined life. To lead properly, is to care for people, rather than controlling them via the leverage that you have.
How to act without power #
When you are under authority, we are to serve with willing love. When you’re joyful and provided for, it’s so much easier to continue serving your authoritative figure. There’s a culture of upward mobility and climbing up the corporate ladder. We place so much emphasis on social status and the title of positions. But God calls us to be grateful and continuing serving with a servant heart to those who treat us well. And you may be thinking, “But what if I want more?”. Well my simple response to that is that there is something beautiful in contentness. And also trusting in God that you have everything provided for.
See a Community that Thrives Under the Rule of God #
We are called to willingly serve within our communities. The heart of a biblical community is one that is loyal, serves without expectation, and loves unconditionally to one another. There is no place for, “You owe me”. Transactional relationships are the root of a non-biblical community. There’s no such thing as “fair”, when Jesus Christ had to die on the cross in place of us because of our sin. We literally have no right to point a finger and claim something is unfair. Stop using people, but honor them. Don’t just tolerate difficult things, but run towards them and complete them joyously. Power is restrained by love. Honor is not guilt driven. Love is given unconditionally and not bought.