32 As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. 33 So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed—a house sold in a city they possess—and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the Israelites. 34 But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.

35 Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. 37 You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

39 If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. 40 Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

42 Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. 43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

44 Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. 45 You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. 46 You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.

47 If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan, 48 he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: 49 either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

50 He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale will be determined by the number of years, based on the daily wages of a hired hand. 51 If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years. 53 He shall be treated like a man hired from year to year, but a foreign owner must not rule over him harshly in your sight.

54 Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children shall be released in the Year of Jubilee. 55 For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

REFLECTIONS

This passage raises lots of uncomfortable questions. Does the Bible really support slavery? The thing that makes it tricky is that Leviticus 25 isn’t going to answer that question for us, because it doesn’t explain the kind of slavery it’s describing. The passage is setting out rules for redeeming Israelites in the Year of Jubilee, especially if an Israelite had to sell themselves into … well, “slavery,” if that’s the right word.

When we think of “slavery,” we think of the Atlantic slave trade, which involved treating Africans as mere objects to be bought and sold, stripping them of all rights as human beings based on their race, and permitting any and every kind of brutality. The word translated “slavery” in our Bibles is not referring to that evil trade, and Israelite masters were not to treat their “slaves” in any of those ways. In most cases, “servant” would be a more appropriate word to describe it. Masters were to treat their servants kindly and provide for them.

Even verses 42-46, which say that only foreigners could become “property,” aren’t talking about modern slavery. The main difference between Israelites and foreigners is that Israelites could not become servants for life – it had to be temporary (v. 46). Even then, God later relaxed that rule and allowed Israelite servants to make their situation lifelong if they wanted to – because for some people, this kind of service was a much more happy and secure life than they would otherwise have.

In fact, the thing that most struck me today was the reason why Israelites weren’t to be servants for life: because, God says, “the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.”

Not all service to a master is cruel and life-draining. But we all start life in the most abusive and destructive type of slavery possible: as slaves of sin. Jesus died so that through faith in him, we could be “set free from sin and become slaves to God” (Romans 6:22). And being God’s permanent, lifelong servant is … true freedom! As Paul says in the rest of that verse, it’s the only thing that leads to holiness and results in eternal life.

So when you read about slaves in the Old Testament, thank God that he set you free to serve him forever.