The Old Testament and Slavery

When you’re a Christian, you believe certain things about God. That the Bible reveals God to us. That God is morally perfect. That God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

But also, in the Old Testament, that God allowed slavery.

Wait wait wait. Wait a minute. We all know that slavery is wrong. 

We had a Civil War about it, we had Martin Luther King Jr, we had like four Planet of the Apes movies to teach us why slavery is wrong.

And yet Old Testament Israel includes people who were slaves, Old Testament laws regulating the use of slaves, and even this shocking command from Moses in

Exodus 21:20-21

20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

So wait- is Moses saying that it’s OK to beat your slave, as long as you don’t kill him?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. 

Turn to Exodus 21 and Leviticus 25, and let’s get weird.

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0:00 - Introduction

1:30 - Slavery in the Old Testament

4:30 - Jubilee Years and the Mosaic Economy

10:50 - Differences from Chattel Slavery

14:25 - Laws Regulating the Treatment of Slaves

24:40 - Newsletter & Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!