Bible Question: Why if we as Christians believe that racism is wrong, why does the Bible say that slavery is okay? It says that slaves should obey their masters in Ephesians and what about Onesimus?   Bible Answer: There is a song that I love to sing. It is a song that children often sing. Yet, it is a song that each of us needs to remember. The message is important.     Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so . . . Anna B. Warner   The song is a comforting one. It reminds me that Jesus loves each one of us. He cares for the rich, the poor, the sick, and the healthy. God loves us no matter what country we are from, where we live, what job we have, or our physical condition. Yet, we evaluate people based on their outward appearances and circumstances without really thinking about it. It comes naturally. It is our sinful nature.      Slavery is an emotional issue for those who were or are slaves and for those who have never been slaves. It is a subject that calls for compassion, understanding, and our protection of those who have been abused.      When we talk about God's view of slavery or what the Bible says about slavery, we find that God never refers to a man's or a woman's skin color in the Bible. We find that God loves all races, nations, and peoples. The Bible talks about slavery but not about skin color. We will find the scriptural concept of slaves is different from our own. God gives us principles for the treatment of slaves rather than advocating social reform. There are four major passages in scripture that we will look at regarding slavery: Exodus 21:1-11; Leviticus 25:39-43; Deuteronomy 15:12-18 and Philemon 15-18. But first, some background is needed.      Slavery Illustrated. Slavery is illustrated for us in the book of Exodus by the people of Israel who were slaves in the land of Egypt. The event that led to this unhappy situation occurred when Joseph’s brothers sold him to some Midianite traders (Gen. 37:28), who then sold him as a slave into Egypt (Gen. 37:36; 39:17). In Egypt, Joseph was mistreated and put into jail and left there for at least two years (Gen. 39:20; 41:14). God eventually brought him out of prison and saved the Egyptians and other nations during a period of famine. Joseph died and scripture was silent for four hundred and thirty years (Exodus 12:40).      In the opening pages of Exodus we find the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. They were suffering under their Egyptian taskmasters with hard labor. The lives of the Israelites were bitter.     So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses . . . And the Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other was named Puah; and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." (NASB) Exodus 1:11   Moses was chosen by God as their great deliverer out of Egyptian slavery. Scripture says that Pharaoh did not know Moses. Yet Moses came to Pharaoh anyway and demanded that the Israelites be freed. The words were, "Let my people go!" (Exodus 5:1). After seven plagues, unbelievable suffering, and terrible pride, Pharaoh eventually, reluctantly, let them go. Moses in response calls upon the Israelites to,         < Back   Next >
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