Sometimes we come across passages in the Bible that are difficult to understand. Leviticus 25 is one of them. It says that the Israelites could buy slaves from the surrounding nations and pass them on to their children (Leviticus 25:44–46). The idea that people could be bought and passed down as property makes us uncomfortable. Did God really permit slavery?
In those days, people often became slaves because they had lost a war or could not repay a debt. Because jobs that paid regular wages were less common than they are today, servitude sometimes became a way for people to repay debt and survive. This does not mean that slavery was a good system. Slavery was not God’s design. It already existed in the world, and God gave laws that limited the abuse of slaves. The law required the death penalty for anyone who kidnapped and sold a person (Exodus 21:16). God also commanded the Israelites not to return an escaped slave to his master (Deuteronomy 23:15–16). These Old Testament laws did not present slavery as God’s ideal. They taught that a slave was still a human being who could not be treated however a master wished.
Jesus spoke about the law of Moses concerning divorce. The Pharisees pointed out that Moses had permitted a man to divorce his wife by giving her a certificate of divorce. Jesus answered, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning” (Matthew 19:7–8). Divorce and slavery are not the same issue. Yet this passage teaches us that when God gave rules within a broken world, those rules did not necessarily describe what God desired from the beginning.
The Pharisees knew the rule, but they used it as a reason to send their wives away. They held on to the rule but missed the heart of the One who gave it. When parents set rules for children who are fighting, it is not because they approve of the fight. They are trying to keep the children from hurting each other. If a child says, “Then it is fine to fight as long as I follow the rules,” that child has completely missed the parents’ intention.
The story of Onesimus shows God’s desire more clearly. Onesimus was a slave who had run away from his master, Philemon. Philemon had the legal right to punish Onesimus. Instead of using that right, Paul asked Philemon to receive Onesimus not simply as a slave, but as a beloved brother (Philemon 1:16). God’s heart goes beyond what the law permits.
We are not so different. We may say, “I followed the rules,” or “I did everything I was required to do.” Those statements may be true, but we can still fail to care for the person in front of us. This often happens when we deal with people who have less power than we do—employees, volunteers, day laborers, or migrant workers. We may follow the rules without showing love. We need to ask ourselves whether we speak harshly to someone just because we pay them, or try to control someone just because we assigned them a task.
The same is true of worship. Sitting in a worship service for an hour does not mean that worship has accomplished its purpose. God wants us to hear His Word and be changed through worship. Worship is not a time to assure ourselves that we have done something for God. It is a time for God’s Word to change our thoughts, attitudes, and lives.
Do I obey God’s commands but miss the reason He gave them? Do I follow the rules but fail to care for the person in front of me? Do I attend worship but return home unchanged? Let us remember the words of Jesus: “It was not this way from the beginning.” Let us not stop at the rule itself. Let us seek the heart and purpose of the God who gave it.
Prayer
God, help me understand not only Your commands but also the heart with which You gave them. Do not let me be satisfied merely because I attended worship. Change me daily through Your Word, and teach me to value and love those around me, especially those who have less power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
