Day 39: Slavery in the Old Testament

 Today's readings: Exodus 21, Leviticus 14, and Psalm 75.

I. In today's reading from Exodus, we are presented with commandments on slavery (21:1-11), perhaps one of the gravest evils mankind has committed against their fellow man. As a 21st century American, I want to shout at the evils of slavery, and our national experience with it, but this was written for a culture vastly different than any I know of some 4,000 years ago. The sad truth is that slavery was seen as "normal" then and something everyone practiced. They had no labor-saving machines like we have today, and everything took hard physical labor to do, from sowing the field to grow crops, cooking daily food, washing clothes manually, etc. Seems like a poor excuse to us now, but this was part of their thinking back then. The Ignatius Bible notes:

Slavery was tolerated, but closely regulated in ancient Israel. Laws are given by Yahweh to guard the rights of slaves, to protect them from abusive treatment, and to limit the time of their service. Israel's humane regard for slaves stands in glaring contrast to the wider Near East, where slaves were little more than despised and disposable property. The pressure of slave laws in the Bible does not at all mean that slavery was accepted as an ideal moral standard; rather, its regulation by God was the first step in a prolonged effort to rescue Israel from the unenlightened barbarism of the ancient world. (p. 152)

Next, we are given laws concerning violence and harm, both to humans and animals (21:12-35). This is where we get the well-known "eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." from (21:24-25). It sounds harsh, but these are all actually laws to limit the violence endemic among people back then, what we'd consider to be a breakdown of law and order today, and a violent, failed society. Vengeance in the form of personal retribution was the norm for real or perceived harm then, and they sought to mitigate it. Later, Jesus would temper even these laws with calls for mercy (Mt 5:38-42).

Slavery and violence were both prevalent in the Ancient World. I recall reading Ancient Greek plays about the dangers of endless cycles of retribution being a threat to social order (Orestes? I forget now). It's difficult to remember that what we see in Scripture here is, as noted above, the "first step" in bringing change to all that, for Israel at least at the moment. 

Or, as the BIY Companion, Vol 1, puts it:

Here, God is speaking to a community that does not yet know there are restrictions on what can and cannot be done to other people. Slavery is seen as normal to them because they themselves were in slavery for four hundred years. God has to start somewhere. He has to come down to their level. They do not yet know that human beings have been created in his image and likeness. They have to be taught how to treat other people with justice.  Eventually, God begins to call his people to choose mercy over justice - but they first must learn what justice is. God starts with setting parameters on how the Israelites can treat their slaves. He teaches them that they are not allowed to do whatever they want with them - that slaves are not truly their property. (p. 86)

II. In Leviticus chapter 14, there is a long and detailed outline on the "ritual cleansing for a leper whose health has been restored" (p. 199) as well as the cleansing of leprous houses.

III. Psalm 75 is one of thanksgiving to God. As the Ignatius Bible notes:

It affirms Israel's faith in God as the Judge of the world who brings down the mighty and lifts up the lowly (75:7). His justice, exercised at the time he appoints (75:2), is good news that brings forth praise from his people (75:9). (p. 893)

That's all for today!