God's Laws: Treatment of Servants

Remember, servants aren't slaves. Servants are those who are working to pay off a debt. Or, servanthood can be voluntary.

God calls all of us to serve. We will never be able to pay off the debt that Jesus paid, which is why Jesus paid it.

In this case, God is speaking of those who are working to pay off a debt.

Any debt owed must be given six years work to pay off. In the seventh year, the servant is to be released, nothing owed. Free.

So, if someone is working for you in order to pay off a debt, you must NOT make him work more than six years for it. You must pursue the payment for six years, after that, you need to forgive whatever debt is owed over that and let him have piece of mind.

Exodus 21:

3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

Back then, marriages were assigned. If they weren't assigned, there were traditional steps that had to be taken in order to occur. In this case, if a servant was already married, and he enters into servanthood, then his whole family is entered with him. When he leaves, his whole family leaves with him.

However, if he decides to marry his "boss's" daughter, then he cannot take her away from her family. He is married into that family for life. If he leaves, he leaves on his own. Whatever family he builds with his employer's family, he leaves behind. OR, he can stay and be part of that family for life.

Families are called to serve each other. It is your DUTY to serve your family first and above all!

1 Timothy 5:8

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

What is the Difference between a Servant and a Slave?

In the Bible, there are very few times in which God's people owned slaves. However, there are MANY instances of them having servants.

A man or woman who was a servant was usually so because of a debt that was owed.

Today, if you work for an employer, it is because you are paying off a debt. Bills are forms of debt. If you are employed, then you are a servant.

As a servant - or employee - today, you have the opportunity to start your own business and be the boss, thus working your way out of servitude.

A slave has no hope of ever having freedom unless his master wills it. A slave's sole purpose is obedience, and that includes servitude.

A servant, on the other hand, can buy his freedom. A servant has the freedom to choose his master, in most cases. A servant can rise up to the master's level eventually, whereas a slave will never have such opportunity.

The Bible teaches us to be good servants. It teaches us how to serve God, and how serving man is vital to our service to God.

In Chapter 21 of Exodus, we will be talking about servitude, slavery, and women's roles in society, as well as women's rights in the Old Testament, and how that effects us today.