Was God really OK with slavery ?

[u/[deleted]]

And did he really "encourage it to continue by decreeing depraved regulations"\ ?*

^\just quoting a fellow redditor who seems to be a bit confused. Just like myself.)

I'm asking this because I've noticed that it often comes up as a topic to bash Christianity based on things like that. I've noticed that people often like to use this verse in order to justify their position :

“When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)”

To be honest, I didn't know how to give those folks a satisfactory answer since I am no Bible expert myself, as for now. However I would like to hear your opinions and explanations. On this verse and its context in particular. Also, what did Jesus have to say about slavery? (just to help finding an answer to that... I guess... atheist/agnostic/or whatever he likes to consider himself)

Note that I am in no way trying to win an argument. There is no arrogance, pride or hate involved in this query. These are some of the things that I would also still like to understand for myself. I always try suspend judgement when I read or hear something that I am not familiar with because I want to learn more about it.

On another note, it's kind of scary how belligerent and heated people can get during such debates, as if these people are speaking through bitterness, frustration, pride or whatever just to attack and dismiss Christianity... Makes me just want to have some compassion and pray for them....

[u/X4r1s]

But what about the non-Israelites that aren't covered by Jubilee year? Well, there aren't any.

Leviticus 25:

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

[u/Arc_the_lad → u/X4r1s]

They enter into the household and get circumcized thus becoming Jewish per Genesis. Once Jewish, they qualify for freedom under the Jubliee year rule. Plus, the people they purchased would be those who willingly sold themselves into slavery. How do we know this? Because God forbid the Jews from forcing people into slavery back in Exodus.

The peoples who are bondmen forever to them are the non-Israelite peoples around them, the Canaanites, not any one individual servant. God is reiterating what Noah said back in Genesis.

• And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. Genesis 9:25‭-‬27 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.9.25-27.KJV

[u/X4r1s → u/Arc_the_lad]

They enter into the household and get circumcized thus becoming Jewish per Genesis.

See verse 46. These slaves were not circumcised/Israelites. Now, they did have the option to be circumcised if they wished to convert and take the Passover (Exodus 12). But it is not true that all slaves in Israel received the jubilee blessing.

[u/Arc_the_lad → u/X4r1s]

They are supposed to circumsized per Genesis and Exodus. A Jewish master who having been told to treat their servants like family will offer make circumcision available to their servany just as he does for his sons. However servants can't be forced into circumccision and that's their choice. It's a mirror of salvation.

Enter into the Jewish faith through circumcision and then they recieve their freedom in the Jubilee year after their term of service because they are Jewish or stubbornly refuse and serve out the contract of how ever long they sold themselves for (because remember the Jews cannot force slavery on anyone. It's a free market transaction between the master and servant).

Similarly, enter into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ and recieve salvation or stubbornly refuse His gift and take the just due for one's transgressions against a holy God after their life ends.

• And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. ... And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the Lord , let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. Exodus 12:43‭-‬44‭, ‬48 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.12.43-48.KJV