"Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments,
just as the LORD my God commanded me,
that you should act according to them
in the land which you go to possess.
Therefore be careful to observe them;
for this is your wisdom and your understanding
in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes,
and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
people.'
For what great nation is there that has God so near to it,
as the LORD our God is to us,
for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
And what great nation is there
that has such statutes and righteous judgments
as are in all this law which I set before you this day?"
Deut. 4:5-8
Law is an
orderly system of rules and regulations by which a society is
governed. This is to protect and preserve the people and their
properties from lawless acts of crimes and damages. The lawful will
view the laws as righteous and wise, and the lawless will always
view the same laws as cruel and legalistic.
Israel was not
the only nation to have a law code. Law codes were common among all
the countries of the ancient world. They generally began with an
explanation that the gods had given the king the power to reign,
along with a pronouncement about how good and capable the king was.
Following thereafter were the king's laws. These laws were then
grouped by their subject matter. The law codes often closed with a
series of curses and blessings from the gods.
In the Bible, particularly the
Old Testament, a unique law code was established by direct
revelation from God to
lead and guide His people in their worship and relationship to Him,
and in their social relationships with one another. Those who kept
His laws are lawful, and those who did not are lawless. According to
Deut. 4:5-8, the nations surrounding Israel regarded Israel as a
wise and understanding people because of their awesome God giving
them laws that were righteous and great. The statutes and ordinances
were the terms and conditions of living in the Promised Land so that
all could live in peace, loving one another.
The Biblical law code was
different from other ancient law codes in several ways. First of
all, it differed in its
origin. Throughout the ancient world, the laws of most nations were
believed to originate with their gods. Subjected to all kinds of
interpretations, rationalizations and manipulations, they were
intensely personal and complicated. Many of these laws were not even
written down. Even the gods were under the laws. They could suffer
punishment if they violated the laws themselves -- unless, of
course, they were powerful enough to overcome their law enforcers. A
lot of Eastern myths and folktales described interesting stories of
heroes and heroines executing the "laws of heaven" against lawless
gods and goddesses.
The earthly king ruled under the god whose
temple and property he was overseeing. As he had a personal
relationship to the god, he did not live under a written law code.
Therefore, law was decided on a case by case basis at the king's
discretion. For most of a king's lifetime, his laws were kept
secret. He did what was deemed right in his own eyes. The laws were
administrated to his advantage.
By contrast, the Biblical laws
came from God. They are issued from His nature and character. They
are holy, righteous and good. God, the great King of the whole
universe, gave His laws to a group of people called the Israelites.
His laws were universal. These laws were binding on His people, and
He upheld them with His own hands.
God depicted His laws as an
expression of His love for His people (Exo. 19:5-6). But this
motivation of love was not so with the non-Biblical law codes.
Ancient kings and rulers set law codes to outdo their predecessors
in their struggles for
fame, economic power and political influence. Their motivation was
the lust for money and power. It was not the love of the people.
As every man is
created in God's image, God's laws view all human life as valuable.
Thus, the Biblical laws are more humane and compassionate. It avoids
the use of mutilations and other savage punishments. Victims cannot
inflict more injuries than they have received. Neither can criminals
restore less than what they have taken or stolen simply because of a
class distinction. Everyone is equal before God's eyes according to
His divine laws.
The "eye for
eye" requirement of the Mosaic Law was not a harsh sentence or cruel
punishment. Instead, it was a mandate for equality before God (Exo.
21:24). Each criminal had to pay for his own crimes (Num. 35:31).
Under the law codes of some pagan nations, the rich could often buy
their way out of punishment through bribery and corruption. God's
laws especially protected the defenseless orphans, widows, slaves
and strangers from injustice (Exo. 21:2, 20-21; 22:21-23).
Some Biblical
scholars referred to chapter 17 through 26 of the Book of Leviticus
as the holiness code. Although it did not contain all of God's
directions for ceremonial holiness, it did set forth much of what
God required. These chapters contained the moral and spiritual
specifications regarding the tabernacle and public worship as well
as the commandment to love one's neighbors as oneself (Lev. 19:18).
The nation of
Israel was characterized by her separation from other nations.
Several of these laws prohibited pagan worship. Because God is holy
(Lev. 21:8), Israel is to be holy, and set apart for Him (Lev.
20:26).
Biblical laws
are more than a record of human laws. They are an expression of what
God requires of man. It rests on His eternal and moral principles
that are consistent with the very nature of God Himself. The Ten
Commandments are the summary of all His moral laws. As such, they
set forth the fundamental and universal standard of all moral
principles. People who are not obeying the Ten Commandments are also
those who do not love God and their neighbours. Their commandment is
selfishly "love me and myself."
In Israel all
crimes were wrongdoings against God (1 Samuel 12:9-10).
Consequently, He expected all His people to love and serve Him (Amos
5:21-24). As their King and Judge, He disciplined those who violated
His laws (Exo. 22:21-24; Deut. 10:18). The community was responsible
for upholding His laws, ensuring that justice were done and were
being properly carried out (Deut. 13:6-10; 17:7; Num. 15:32-36).
Civil laws were
included in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old
Testament. They regulated the civil and social behaviors. Since God
is the Lawgiver and Ruler over everything, all His laws are
fundamentally holy and just.
There are eight
distinct categories of civil laws in the Old Testament:
- laws
regulating leaders
- laws
regulating the army
- laws about
criminals
- laws
dealing with crimes against property
- laws
relating to humane treatment
- laws about
personal and family rights
- laws about
property rights
- laws
regulating other social behaviors.
1. Laws
Regulating Leaders.
Several
different types of laws in this category of civil laws were designed
to keep Israel's leadership strong and free of graft and corruption.
a. Exclusion
Laws
God commanded that several categories of people were not allowed
to vote or serve in office. These included the physically
handicapped, sexually maimed, those of illegitimate birth, and
those of mixed race, such as Moabites or Ammonites (Deut.
23:1-3). These laws were the repeated attempts by God to teach
Israel in a strict manner so that they were to be spiritually
clean and faultless before Him.
b.
Laws About The King
Long before Israel had a king, God already specified that if a
king were to be appointed, he should follow all the laws that
God had given. Other specifications were that he should be a
true Israelite, that he should not trust in a large army for
protection, and that he should not be a polygamist or a greedy
person (Deut. 17:14-20).
The king
must know God's Word. He must copy himself the book of God's
laws and teachings. He would maintain an army, a governmental
network and a royal court. All of these were supported by means
of taxation.
c. Laws
About Judges
There were two
classes of judges, namely priestly and non-priestly. The
priestly judges presided over spiritual law suits, and the
non-priestly judges presided over civil law suits (Deut. 17:8-13; 2
Chr. 19:8,11). Judges, also called elders, were to be elected
from among heads of households (Exo. 18:13-26).
d.
Laws About The Judicial System
God commanded Israel to organize its ruling system into layers
of courts (Exo. 18:21-22; Deut. 1:15), with lesser matters
decided by lesser courts and greater matters decided by greater
courts (Deut. 16:18). Matters that involved foundational
principles or that were too hard for the lower courts were
brought to the highest courts or the chief judge (2 Chr.
19:10-11). The highest court was God Himself (Exo. 22:21-24;
Deut. 10:18).
Judges were charged to be
impartial. They were
not to favor the rich against the poor, widows, foreigners or
others who were helpless (Exo. 23:6-9; Deut. 16:18-20; 27:19).
Consequently, they were to hear the witnesses carefully, examine
the evidence, and make their decisions on the basis of what God
had revealed in His written laws. They also presided over making
or nullifying legal contracts.
e.
Laws About Witnesses
Witnesses were charged by God to tell the truth (Lev. 19:16). If
they did not do so, they were judged by Him. If their deception
was discovered, they were to bear the penalty involved in the
case (Exo. 23:1-3; Deut. 19:15-19).
Conviction of serious
crimes required two or more witnesses (Num. 35:30). Indeed, no one could
be convicted on the testimony of just one witness. Written
documents and other testimonies could
be used as evidence against the accused (Deut. 17:6; 19:18).
f. Laws About Law
Enforcement
Refusal to
comply with what the court had decided was a contempt against the court. This
brought a sentence of death (Deut. 17:12-13). The citizens of
ancient Israel were also the policemen (Deut. 16:18). Executions
were usually in the hands of the citizens (Deut. 13:9-10).
Later, the king's private army enforced his will, while the
Levites also served as the spiritual policemen (2 Chr. 19:11).
g. Laws About
Refuge Cities
Judges controlled the entrance into the refuge cities. These
were the cities where those who had committed accidental
manslaughter could flee for safety. When the high priest of the nation
died, these refugees were free to go home without penalty (Exo.
21:12-14; Deut. 19:1-13).
Israel was
responsible for keeping the roads to such cities as safe as
possible so that the fugitive could
outrun the avenger, who was usually a
relative responsible for the fugitive's execution to repay
his kinsman's death.
h. Laws About
Prophets
God's laws strictly prohibited idolatry and witchcraft. The death penalty
was for those who would lead Israel into idolatry. The test of a
true prophet was not his ability to work miracles but his
faithfulness to God and His revelation (Deut. 13:1-5). On the
other hand, Israel was to obey the words of true prophets. If
they did not do so, God Himself would punish the people.
2. Laws
Regulating The Army
All the land of Israel belonged to God. Within its borders, His
people were commanded to wage war to gain and maintain their
territories.
To this end, all Israelite
males, 20 years of age and older, formed a militia (Num. 1:21-43), with 50 being the
exemption age (Num. 4:3,23).
If
a small scale war was being
fought, the selection of the army was done by the casting of
lots (Num. 31:3-6). Kings were to maintain only small standing
armies. Their first defense from outside attacks was to be the
LORD Himself (Deut. 17:16; 23:9-14).
Certain
citizens were exempt from the military:
- priests and Levites
(Num. 1:48-49)
- the man
who had not yet dedicated his newly built home (Deut. 20:5)
- anyone
who had not gathered the first harvest from a field or
vineyard (Deut. 20:6)
- a bridegroom who had
not yet consummated his recent marriage (Deut. 20:7), or
- any man
who was within a year of
his marriage (Deut. 24:5).
All war was holy war. It
was fought under the Lordship of God. Therefore, God promised to
protect and fight for His army (Deut. 20:1-4). He kept them from harm by
marshalling the forces of nature against the enemies (Josh.
10:11; 24:7). But God's protection required holy separation from
sins, dedication to God, and obedience in following His
directions about the battle (Deut. 23:9-14). God was the
Commander-In-Chief and the One to Whom thanksgiving was due for
the victory (Num. 10:9-10).
Within Israel, all the
enemies in the land were to be killed and all their possessions
and goods offered to God (Deut. 20:16-18; 2:34; 3:6). They were
to purify their
territories and guard themselves from pagan practices and
idolatry. When the Israelites were fighting outside Israel, the
city being attacked was first offered peace before the attack.
Refusal to do so would trigger the war. All the citizens and
goods of that city would then become the rightful slaves and
possessions of the Israelites (Deut. 20:10-15).
3. Laws About
Criminals
In His laws, God defined what a criminal
offence was and what the proper
punishment for each offence was to be. All crimes were sins or
offences against God's laws. Since there were various degrees of
crimes, there were also various degrees of punishments under the laws. God prohibited
the Israelites from punishing criminals excessively (Deut. 25:1-3).
a. Crimes Against
God
Under God's laws, all
of life was precious and holy before God. Therefore when people
swayed away from the true worship which God had established,
they had committed a serious crime in His sight. Conviction in
these cases would result in death as such crimes were against
God Himself and life itself.
These crimes against God
included:
- worshipping other
gods alongside God (Exo. 22:20; 34:14);
- turning
from God to worship other gods (Deut. 13:1-18);
- seeking
to control other people and future events by magic or
sorcery (Exo. 22:18; Deut. 18:9-14);
-
sacrificing children to false gods (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5);
-
blasphemy (Lev. 24:16);
- false prophecy (Deut. 18:18-20); and
- working on Sabbath other than that
permitted by God (Exo. 35:2,3; Matt. 12:1-8).
b. Crimes Against
Society
Certain
crimes were committed
against the community as a whole. Among these were the
perversion of justice through bribery, torture of witnesses,
false testimony or perjury (Exo. 23:1-7; Deut. 19:16-21). Judges
were commanded to treat all people equally.
c. Crimes Against
Sexual Immorality
The Biblical laws protected, preserved and sanctified the family. The sexual
union of two persons made them one flesh, and this holy
matrimony was blessed by God. Violations against this sacred
union were forbidden:
1. Fornication
In Israel, the
sexual union was most sacred. A newly married woman charged
with premarital sex with a man other than her husband was to
be put to death if the charge was proven. If the charge was
not proven, her husband had to pay a large fine and keep her
as his wife. He could never divorce her (Deut. 22:13-21).
2. Adultery
Under
God's laws,
adultery was a serious crime. Tearing two people
apart
could amount to murder.
Those convicted of adultery were to be put to death (Lev.
20:10-12; Deut. 22:22). A betrothed woman (virgin) was
protected by the laws. She was considered to be married in
some cases. If she and some man other than her betrothed had
sexual union, both of them were to be put to death (Deut.
22:23-24).
3.
Homosexuality
Sodomy or male homosexuality was condemned and prohibited. It
brought the penalty of death under God's laws (Lev. 20:13).
By implication, the same punishment was also meted out for
female homosexuality or lesbianism.
4.
Prostitution
Prostitutes of every guise (male or female, cultic or
non-cultic) were wickedness in God's eyes (Lev. 19:29). The daughter of any priest,
if she profaned herself by playing the whore, she profaned
her father: she would be burnt with fire (Lev. 21:9).
5. Incest
Sexual union with one's own offspring or near relative would
result in death (Lev. 20:11-14).
6. Bestiality
Having sex with a beast, a common feature of Canaanite worship, was an
offence punishable by death (Exo. 22:19; Lev. 18:23; Deut.
27:21).
7.
Transvestite
The distinction between the sexes was to be retained including their outward
appearance. Hence, transvestite and the wearing of clothings
of the opposite sex were forbidden.
d. Crimes
Against An Individual's Person
Crimes of violence against others were serious criminal offences. The following crimes are cited
in Biblical law.
1. Murder
The willful and premeditated taking of a human life was
punishable by death. Accidental killing, such as killing as an act of
war and lawful executions, were not considered murder (Exo.
21:12-14; Num. 35:14-34). The sixth commandment is, "You
shall not murder" and not "You shall not kill."
Jesus pointed to the spirit of this commandment when He
expanded it to forbid hatred, anger, bitter insults and
cursing (Matt. 5:21-22).
2. Assault And
Battery
God's laws
expected people to live at peace with one another. But
realizing that human offences might occur, God provided some
ordinances and statutes against assault and battery.
If injuring a person
caused the victim to lose his time without any further harm done, the
offender had to pay his victim for the time lost. Presumably
the courts established the fine in such cases (Exo.
21:18-19). If someone maimed his foe in a struggle, he would
pay for the lost time and also suffer the same disfigurement
at the hands of the court (Lev. 24:19). Some important
exceptions to this punishment were included.
If the victim were a
slave, his
disfigurement would result in his freedom. This would be a
very heavy financial loss to the guilty party. If the slave
died, the offender would be put to death. If the slave
survived and was not disfigured, there was no penalty on the
master, except that exacted for the loss of time (Exo.
21:20-21, 26-27).
If a son
or daughter attacked either parent, the attacker was to be
put to death (Exo. 21:15).
One law called for the
severing of the hand of a woman who attacked a man's
genitals, when she
was trying to protect her husband (Deut. 25:11-12).
3. Miscarriage
Miscarriage, or the death of the mother resulting from a
blow by someone in a fight, brought death upon the attacker.
Premature birth caused by this offence required a money fine to be determined
by the husband as governed by the courts (Exo. 21:22).
4. Rape And Seduction
A man who raped a betrothed woman was to be
put to death (Deut. 22:25-27). However, if he raped or
seduced an unattached woman, he was to pay a large fine and
propose marriage. A girl's father could refuse the marriage
and keep the money; but if he approved, the rapist had to
marry the girl and could never divorce her (Exo. 22:16-17).
If the
seduced girl was a betrothed slave, she was considered
unattached for she had not yet been released from slavery.
Consequently, the attacker was not put to death. But the man
had to bring a guilt offering before God to make restitution
for his sin.
5. Oppression
In Israel, the
defenseless were to be defended. Those without rights or
power to defend their rights were protected by God. These
included the foreigner passing through the area and the
foreigner who was a temporary or permanent resident.
The
widows, orphans, deaf, blind, slaves, hired hands, and poor
were to be given just wages. They were to be paid
immediately, given interest free loans (except foreigners)
in emergencies, gifts of food at festivals, and the
privilege of gleaning, etc. (Exo. 22:21-24; Lev. 19:14,33;
Deut. 24:14; 27:18-19).
6.
Kidnapping
Capturing a
person to sell or use him as a slave was a capital offence
(Deut. 24:7). This prohibition extended to foreigners (Ex
22:21-24), the blind and deaf (Lev. 19:14), and all people
(Deut. 27:19). The only exception was the prisoners of war.
7. Slander
Slander, making
malicious statements about another person, was strictly
forbidden. It was punished if the crime was committed during
a trial (Exo. 23:1). This was viewed as a mortal attack on a
person (Lev. 19:16).
4. Laws Dealing
with Crimes Against Property
Biblical laws, unlike other ancient law
codes, placed a higher value on
human life than on possessions. But it also allowed people to have
private possessions by protecting them from theft and fraud.
The following
crimes against property were dealt with in
the Bible.
a.
Stealing
God prohibited anyone from stealing from another.
Heavy financial penalties were levied upon the thief. If he
could not pay, he was required to serve as an indentured servant
to pay the restitution price in labor (Exo. 22:1-3).
b.
Blackmail And Loan Fraud
God's laws counted these crimes as a kind of theft, mandating
heavy penalties and possible indentured service as penalties
(Exo. 22:1-3; Lev. 6:1-7).
c. Weights And
Measures
Ancient Israel did not use paper money. Transactions were made in measured or
weighed precious metals. God prohibited anyone from juggling
weights so that the goods or metals would be measured out to
favor the thief. Such a thief had to repay his victims (Lev.
19:35-36; Deut. 25:13-16).
d. Lost Animals
The rule of "Finders, keepers" did not hold in ancient Israel.
Straying animals were to be returned to the owner or cared for
until claimed (Exo. 23:4-5; Deut. 22:1-4).
e. Boundaries
The land was
marked into sections by ancient landmarks, according to the
allotments made shortly after it was conquered. To move these
landmarks would result
in God's wrath. This act was considered stealing from one's
neighbor as well as rebellion against God the Great Landowner
(Deut. 19:14; 27:17).
5. Laws Relating To
Humane Treatment
God's laws regulated treatment of defenseless
animals and people:.
a. Protection of
animals
Some of these
laws were also environmental laws. For example, Israel was
commanded not to work the land on the seventh year. Whatever
grains or fruits that
grew up were to be left for the animals and the poor. This
resulted in a crop rotation system on the Hebrew people so that
they would have some harvest every year (Exo. 23:11-12; Lev.
25:5-7).
They were allowed to eat
certain wild beasts and birds but were forbidden to kill their
mothers. They could take the young or the eggs, but they were
required to let the mothers go (Deut. 22:6-7). Oxen or any
working beasts or human beings were to be fed adequately to give
them strength for doing the work (Deut. 25:4). Animals were not
to be cruelly beaten or overloaded. They were given rest on the
Sabbath (Exo. 20:8-11; 23:12; Deut. 22:1-4).
b.
Protection Of Human Beings
The poor, widows, orphans, foreigners, sojourners, blind, deaf,
etc. were to receive humane treatment from God's people (Exo.
22:21-25). To preserve their self-respect, they were given
opportunities to earn a living by gleaning and working for
wages. They were also to be paid properly and promptly
(Deut.
24:14-15,19-22).
The
respectable and responsible poor were to be extended interest
free loans (Lev. 25:35-37). Their cloaks, which they used at
night as blankets, could not be taken as collateral. Neither
could a creditor forcibly enter a man's house to collect the
debt (Deut. 24:10-13).
The elderly were to be
respected, cared for
and protected (Lev. 19:32). Travellers could enter fields to
harvest a meal for themselves, but they were forbidden to take
more than they could eat (Deut. 23:24-25). If these provisions
did not satisfy the needs of the poor, they could sell
themselves into indentured service or temporary servitude. In
cases like this, the law demanded that they be treated humanely
(Lev. 25:39-43). In general, treatment of others was to be
governed by the law of love (Lev. 19:18) or the Golden Rule
(Matt. 7:12).
6. Laws About Personal
and Family Rights
The following
situations were covered by these statutes and principles:
a. Parents And
Children
The laws of God assumed that parents would
act responsibly. They should feed and clothe their children even
as God fed and clothed them. Parents also were to discipline and
teach their children (Deut. 6:6-7). A father was responsible for
circumcising his sons (Gen. 17:12-13), redeeming his firstborn
from God (Num. 18:15-16), and finding his children proper
marriage partners (Gen. 24:4).
Children were commanded to
respect and obey their parents (Exo. 20:12). Disrespect in the
form of striking or cursing a parent and delinquency, such as stubbornness and
disobedience often expressed in gluttony and drunkenness, were
punishable by death (Exo. 21:15,17; Deut. 21:18-21).
Minor children were under
their parents' authority and could not make binding vows.
Unmarried girls were not allowed to make binding vows without
their fathers' or their male guardians' agreement (Num. 30:3-5).
b. Marriage
God prohibited the Israelites from marrying near relatives and
members of their own immediate family (Lev. 18:6-18; Deut.
27:20-23). He also forbade intermarriages with the Canaanites because these
pagans would lead their mates into idolatry (Deut. 7:1-4). But
if Canaanites were converted and became members of God's
covenantal community, no legal and religious bar should prevent
marriage with them.
A man would marry a woman
prisoner of war after she mourned her parents' deaths for a
month. This did not necessarily mean her parents were actually
dead, but now this
woman had become an Israelite. If her husband divorced her, she
had to be set free. Her marriage had made her a full citizen
under the laws-- an Israelite.
Special laws also
regulated the marriage of priests. A priest was not allowed to
marry a former harlot, a woman who had been previously married,
or one who had previously had sexual relations. His bride had to
be a virgin Israelite (Lev. 21:7,13-15).
Within the
marriage bond, women were protected from undue male harshness by
the laws relating to the dowry, the large sum of money given to
the girl and held in part by her father in case of their divorce
or the husband's death.
Laws also called for
severe penalties for violent domestic crimes, usually perpetrated by men, as
well as severe penalties for the beating and maiming of
household members. God also admonished the man to love the woman
as his own body and to treat her accordingly (Deut. 21:10-14).
The mother was to be honored by the children (Exo. 20:12).
Sexual
relations were forbidden during a woman's menstrual period for
sanitary reasons. This was to emphasize the sanctity of life and
the life-giving process (Lev. 18:19; 20:18). A woman of
child-bearing age, left childless at the death of her husband,
was to be married to one of his surviving near relatives so that
she could bear children to carry on the family name (Deut.
25:5-10). This also provided her with an advocate and protector
in the civil court (Deut. 22:13-19) and a representative before
God's altar.
Husbands
were given primary authority in the family. His wife was under
his authority in all matters. Obviously, this did not reduce her
to a slave status or to an inferior position, since the two had
become one. It did, however, establish a clear structure of
authority that would minimize internal family struggles. This
allowed the family to function socially, economically and
spiritually (Num. 30:6-15).
lnfidelity was punishable
by death. Divorce was granted on breaking the one-flesh
relationship through sexual union with man or beast and the
willful abandonment of the marriage (Deut. 24:1-4). When a man
wrongfully accused his wife of infidelity (Deut. 22:17-19), he
could not divorce her.
c. Hired servants
God protected the poor from the ravages of the rich. One such
measure was the law requiring employees to pay their hirelings just and fair wages, and to
do so at the end of each working day (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14).
This law was illustrated by Jesus in the parable of the same
wages for all the hired workers in the vineyard (Matthew
20:1-16).
d. Slaves
Slaves were of two classes, indentured and permanent. Hebrews, who were unable to pay debts,
were indentured or committed to temporary servitude. The
indenture lasted only six years or until the year of Jubilee. He might be given a wife while in
this state, but the wife and children resulting from the union
were bound to the master. Such a man could bind himself
permanently to the master either for the master's sake or for
that of his family (Exo. 21:2-6).
An Israelite indentured
because of poverty was not to be thought of or treated as a
slave. He could not be treated with the rigor of slavery. He was
to be treated as a hired servant. He was to be paid (Deut. 15:12-14). He could be
bought out of the situation by his relatives, or by himself,
presumably by savings resulting from his wages while indentured
(Lev. 25:39-43, 47-55).
A girl sold to a man as a
wife was especially protected. She could be redeemed by her
family if the master was not satisfied with her. She could not
be sold as a slave to foreign people. She was to be treated as a
daughter and provided for in the same way as other wives. If
these laws were disobeyed, her freedom was granted (Exo.
21:7-11).
Permanent slaves could be
acquired by purchase or as prisoners of war. They were only to
be taken from the nations and peoples outside
Israel (Lev. 25:44-46).
Fugitive slaves were not to be returned to their owners or
treated as slaves. This provision worked to enforce masters to
treat their slaves humanely (Deut. 23:15-16). This was
illustrated in the Epistle to Philemon. Philemon was a wealthy
Christian in Colossae. He was converted under the Apostle Paul.
His runaway slave was Onesimus. After damaging or stealing his
master's property, Onesimus made his way to Rome, where he was
converted under Paul's ministry. In the letter, Paul asked
Philemon to receive Onesimus, not as a slave but as a beloved
brother.
Slaves were considered
permanent members of their master's household. They were circumcised, and
permitted to partake the Passover meal (Exo. 12:43-44) and all
the special meals eaten before the LORD, except the guilt
offering (Deut. 12:17-18; 16:10-11).
A slave could be forced to
work; but if beaten severely, he was to be freed (Exo.
21:20-32). If a slave was killed, the master was to be put to
death (Exo. 21:20). The life of a slave was as precious as the
life of his or her master.