Deuteronomy 15:12 – 18 “If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you (or sells himself) and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must set him free.
And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.
Do not regard it as a hardship to set your servant free, because his six years of service were worth twice the wages of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.”
Why would anybody sell himself or herself as a servant for any reason? Roller coaster economic swings have been around as long as the human race has. Farmers with crop failures, widows trying to care for their children, orphans with nobody to care for them – some people might find themselves choosing to be a servant rather than to starve. God has recognized these facts and has provided a remedy: six years of servitude followed by freedom. Anybody choosing freedom after six years of service is to receive liberal contributions from his/her former master for the wealth that he/she has helped create. Repeatedly, God warns the Israelites to remember that they were slaves in Egypt and that it is only by the grace of God that they are now free. Sharing the abundance with which God has blessed is an act of gratitude to God and also a form of worship. To be stingy at this point is to deny God’s goodness and to behave as if everything good has come by one’s own efforts. God also is pointing out that the services rendered are equivalent to twice the value of the wages of a hired worker, so the master has already benefitted financially from this arrangement.
But there is also another alternative. Some people might find that they are well treated and have security as servants. Anyone choosing to remain in a household will have his/her ear pierced and will serve that household for life. The Apostle Paul refers to this practice when he repeatedly mentions that he is a bondservant to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1 for example) Paul uses this term to indicate that he has chosen to serve Jesus Christ and to be part of His household forever. Although Paul did not have a hole in his ear from it being pierced with an awl, his heart had been pierced by the love of Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: These days, servitude has gotten a very bad name; however, historically, there have been situations in which men and women serving a family have been shaped by that family, becoming people of character. Recently we attended a retirement service for a dear pastor friend, Reverend Alhassan Fuseini, a.k.a. “Big Man.” This mighty man of God became a Christian at the age of fifteen and was immediately rejected by his family. Needing a place to sleep, Big Man began spending nights in the carpenter shop at the Bible school in his home town. Big Man also began working as a yard boy and later as a driver, doing all kinds of odd jobs for the missionaries.
Through the years, Big Man and his wife, Awabu, served two generations of the Goodwin and McCorkle missionary families faithfully until they left Ghana; however, that was only the beginning of the story. The Goodwins mentored Big Man and introduced him to others who then helped build him a house and educate his children. Those people in turn introduced Big Man to the members of a work team from a church in America who fell in love with our friend and his work.
By the time Big Man got to attend Bible School, he was in his middle fifties and had already helped start several churches as well as a vocational school. Big Man continued to pastor and to found additional churches right up to the day of his retirement from formal ministry. But we are certain that this is not the end of Big Man’s actual ministry; now he is moving back to his home town, where he is building a home. It is no exaggeration to state that Big Man’s efforts have touched thousands of lives – all because he was willing to start as a yard boy and a driver.
At Big Man’s retirement service, the Goodwin family bore witness to the many ways in which their lives had been touched by the services of Big Man and his family. Big Man’s love for Jesus and his years of humble service had made a lasting impact. Bishop John Goodwin also testified that Big Man and he had truly become brothers. We also were glad and proud to stand as members of Big Man’s extended family.
Whom or what are you serving? You might think that you are totally free; however, every one of us is serving someone or something. If you choose to serve the One True Living God, you are choosing life. If you choose to serve anyone or anything else, you are choosing death spiritually.
Both the Apostle Paul and Big Man chose to become bond servants of Jesus Christ, and that choice shaped their lives. When Joshua was completing his leadership of the Israelites, he challenged them, “ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
PRAYER: Father God, help all of us to serve You, the One True Living God! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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