Immediately after giving them the ten commandments, God gave the Israelite's a beautiful parable in Chapter 21 to teach them the spirit in which they were to keep His commandments. There he speaks of a Hebrew slave who is set free by his master because he has finished his six years of compulsory slavery. God's law had stated that in the seventh year all Hebrew slaves must be released. But if in the seventh year this slave comes to his master and says, “I love my master ... I will not go out free”- no longer as a slave in bondage, but now freely out of love," (21:5) he continues to serving his master forever thereafter.

It is interesting to note that this comes immediately after the giving of the ten commandments. It was to teach the Israelite's that what God really wanted from them was not slavish, external obedience to the letter of the law, but joyful, loving obedience from the heart to the spirit of the law.