GOD'S BLESSING AND COMMANDS ABOUT SERVANTS

Passage: Exodus 20:22-21:11

Key verse: 20:22b

NIV

Idols and Altars

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:(A) 23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me;(B) do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.(C)

24 “‘Make an altar(D) of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings(E) and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name(F) to be honored, I will come to you and bless(G) you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool(H) on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts(I) may be exposed.’

21 “These are the laws(J) you are to set before them:

Hebrew Servants(K)(L)

2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant,(M) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,(N) without paying anything. 3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’(O) 6 then his master must take him before the judges.[a](P) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce(Q) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.(R)

7 “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. 8 If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,[b] he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9 If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.(S) 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

Footnotes
  1. Exodus 21:6 Or before God
  2. Exodus 21:8 Or master so that he does not choose her
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Laws About Altars

22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have (A)talked with you from heaven. 23 (B)You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. (C)In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and (D)bless you. 25 (E)If you make me an altar of stone, (F)you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

Laws About Slaves

21 “Now these are the (G)rules that you shall set before them. 2 (H)When you buy a Hebrew slave,[a] he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. 5 But (I)if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to (J)God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

7 “When a man (K)sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her[b] for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or (L)her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

Footnotes
  1. Exodus 21:2 Or servant; the Hebrew term ‘ebed designates a range of social and economic roles; also verses 5, 6, 7, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32 (see Preface)
  2. Exodus 21:8 Or so that he has not designated her
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A simple altar for an omnipotent God (2

:22-26)

After giving the people the Ten Commandments, God commanded his people to make altars of earth or undressed stones. In contrast, pagans made elaborate altars for their gods. Such altars could even turn into idols. The people must rather focus their sacrifices and worship on the LORD their God. God promised that wherever he caused his name to be honored, he would be with and bless the people. Our worship should also honor God's name with a sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart.

2. Commands regarding servants (21:1-11)

Modern sensibilities may find this section disturbing. It seems to accept the buying and selling of people. We should remember that Israelites usually entered this servitude voluntarily. Taking and forcing people into slavery was forbidden (21:16). God gave these commands to protect slaves from abuse from their masters. The arrangement should be temporary. God also gave specific commands to protect women. God did not want the Israelites to repeat how they had been treated in Egypt.

Prayer: Father, help us to honor your name in how we worship and how we treat one another.

One Word: Honor God's name and be blessed