SLAVERY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

I'VE  JUST  FINISHED  WATCHING  AN  EPISODE  OF  THE  PAST  POPULAR  TV  SERIES  "TOUCHED  BY  AN  ANGEL."

IN  PART  OF  IT  ANDREW  [THE  "DEATH  ANGEL"  HE  PLAYED]  HAD  TO  ANSWER  SOMEONE  WHO  BROUGHT  UP  THE  QUESTION  OF  SLAVERY.  HIS  ANSWER  WAS  "THE  BIBLE  ACKNOWLEDGES  SLAVERY,  BUT  THAT  DOES  NOT  MEAN  GOD  ENDORSES  IT."

IT  WAS  A  SHORT  ANSWER  BUT  FILLED  WITH  TRUTH.

THE  KEY  TO  MANY  THINGS  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT,  YES  UNDER  THE  LAWS  OF  MOSES,  AS  ANCIENT  ISRAEL  WAS  COVENANTED  WITH  GOD,  IS  ACTUALLY  FOUND  IN  THE  WORDS  OF  JESUS  IN  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT.

IT  IS  FOUND  IN  MATTHEW  19  UNDER  THE  QUESTION  OF  DIVORCE.  THE  PHARISEES ASKED  JESUS  THE  QUESTION  ON  THAT  SUBJECT  AS  UNDER  MOSES.  JESUS  TOOK  THEM  BACK  TO  THE  BEGINNING,  TO  THE  REAL  WILL  AND  WISHES  OF  GOD.  THE  PHARISEES  CAME  BACK  AT  HIM  WITH,  "WELL  MOSES  GAVE  COMMANDMENT  TO  GIVE  A  WRITING  OF  DIVORCEMENT."

WHAT  THEY  MEANT  WAS  UNDER  MOSES  DIVORCE  WAS  PRETTY  EASY,  KINDA  MADE  QUITE  COMMON.

THEN  JESUS  ANSWERED..... NOT  REALLY  DISAGREEING  WITH  THEM,  BUT  ANSWERED  WITH  WHY  GOD  HAD  EASY  DIVORCEMENT  UNDER  THE  LAWS  OF  MOSES.

"MOSES,  BECAUSE  OF  THE  HARDNESS  OF  YOUR  HEART,  SUFFERED [ALLOWED]  YOU  TO  PUT  AWAY  YOUR  WIVES:  BUT  FROM  THE  BEGINNING  IT  WAS  NOT  SO" (verse  8).

MOST  OF  ISRAEL  WERE  EVERY  CARNAL,  DID  NOT  HAVE  THE  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  MIND  OF  GOD;  ACTUALLY  DID  NOT  EVEN  HAVE  GOD'S  SPIRIT [SEE  NUMBERS  11;  WITH  DEUT. 5:29  AND  29:4].

HENCE  "SLAVERY"  IN  CERTAIN  WAYS  WAS  ALLOWED  IN  ANCIENT  ISRAEL,  FOR  THE  HARNESS  OF  THE  ISRAELITE  HUMAN  HEART;  JUST  AS  GOD  FINALLY  ALLOWED  THEM  TO  HAVE  A  PHYSICAL  KING,  BECAUSE  THEY  WANTED  TO  BE  LIKE  OTHER  NATIONS  AROUND  THEM [ 1  SAMUEL:1-22].  THEY  DID  NOT  WANT  TO  BE  RULED  BY  THE  RELIGIOUS  LEADERS  OF  GOD,  BUT  BY  PHYSICAL  CARNAL  MEN,  WHO  WOULD  BRING  IN  LAWS  THAT  WOULD  IN  THE  END  ROB  THEM  FROM  TRUE  FREEDOM.

SO  GOD  ALLOWED  IT..... THEY  COULD  HAVE  THE  GOVERNMENT  OF MAN.  BUT  IT  WAS  NOT  SO  FROM  THE  BEGINNING.

SO  GOD,  FOR  THE  HARDNESS  OF  THE  HEART,  ALLOWED  A  FORM  OF  SLAVERY;  I  SAY  "FORM"  BECAUSE  IN  ALLOWING  IT,  GOD  GAVE  CERTAIN  COMMANDMENTS  TO  HAVE  IT  WITH  DECENT  HUMANE  ATTRIBUTES.

BUT  IT  WAS  NOT  SO  FROM  THE  BEGINNING.

MANY  THINGS  WERE  ALLOWED  UNDER  THE  OLD  COVENANT  BUT  IT  WAS  NOT  SO  FROM  THE  BEGINNING.

POLYGAMY  WAS  ALLOWED  UNDER  THE  OLD  COVENANT  OR  FROM CLOSE  TO  THE  BEGINNING;  BUT  IT  WAS  NOT  SO  FROM  THE  BEGINNING.

SLAVERY,  ONE  RACE  OF  PEOPLE,  BUYING  AND  SELLING  ANOTHER  RACE  OF  PEOPLE,  HAS  NEVER  BEEN  PART  OF  GOD'S  PERFECT  HOLY  RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THERE  ARE  MANY  THINGS  TODAY  GOD  ALLOWS  WITHOUT  BRINGING  IMMEDIATE  JUDGMENT  ON  A  RACE  OF  PEOPLE.  ABORTION  ON  DEMAND;  SAME  SEX  MARRIAGE;  EASY  DIVORCE  FOR  JUST  ABOUT  ANYTHING;  TO  NAME  A  FEW.

IN  THE  AGE  TO  COME,  ALL  SIN,  ALL  EVIL,  ALL  WRONGS,  WILL  BE  MANIFEST  TO  ALL  PEOPLES  OF  ALL  NATIONS;  THERE  WILL  BE  NO  "ALLOWS"  IN  THAT  AGE.  BUT  THEN  AGAIN  IT  IS  WRITTEN  THAT  IN  THE  AGE  TO  COME,  GOD'S  SPIRIT  WILL  BE  POURED  OUT  ON  ALL  PEOPLES.  

YES  WE  SHALL  HAVE  AN  AGE  WHERE  RIGHTEOUSNESS  WILL  REIGN  SUPREME,  AND  A  RESTITUTION  OF  ALL THINGS  WILL  COME.....  AND  BE  AS  FROM  THE  BEGINNING.
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