Why

Today, we are going to continue our look at part of the covenant God made with the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land.


Deuteronomy 15
12 “If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.
13 “When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed.
14 Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Share with him some of the bounty with which the Lord your God has blessed you.
15 Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you! That is why I am giving you this command.
16 “But suppose your servant says, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and he has done well with you.
17 In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. And do the same for your female servants.
18 “You must not consider it a hardship when you release your servants. Remember that for six years they have given you services worth double the wages of hired workers, and the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.


Why. It is important to remember that this covenant relationship the Israelites had with God was something they entered willingly (check out Exodus 19:1-8). These commands simply laid out the boundaries of this relationship. That is why I love the phrase, “That is why I am giving you this command.” God is revealing His heart through these commands. Ultimately, He is a God that saves ... that redeems people from slavery. As Jesus followers, we have been rescued from the slavery of sin. My prayer is that God would remind us of what He has saved us from and give us a heart for redeeming people.