How does Exodus 21:4 connect with New Testament teachings on servitude and freedom? The Old Testament Snapshot: Exodus 21:4 “If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and the man shall go out alone.” Key Observations from Exodus 21:4 • The servant is legally bound for six years (21:2). • Any wife or children given by the master remain the master’s property when the servant’s term ends. • The servant faces a decisive choice: personal freedom or remaining under the master to keep the family (21:5-6). • This regulation underscores ownership, authority, and the cost of redemption in ancient Israel’s economy. Bridge to the New Testament: Echoes and Fulfillment • Ownership and allegiance – Jesus: “No one can serve two masters.” (Matthew 6:24) – A servant cannot be simultaneously free and bound; allegiance must be singular. • Costly redemption – “You were bought at a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) – Christ pays the price we cannot, releasing us from bondage to sin (cf. Romans 6:6-7). • Voluntary lifelong servitude out of love – In Exodus, a servant could choose permanent service by having his ear pierced (21:5-6). – Paul calls himself “a bond-servant of Christ” (Romans 1:1), gladly surrendered for life because of love, not coercion. • Household imagery – Under the Law, the family’s status depended on the master. – In Christ, the whole household of faith receives adoption: “You are no longer a slave but a son.” (Galatians 4:7) Freedom in Christ: New Testament Clarity • Freedom from sin’s mastery – “Thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you became obedient from the heart… and, having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18) • Freedom that honors earthly obligations – “Were you called while a slave? Do not let it worry you—but if you can become free, take the opportunity.” (1 Corinthians 7:21) – Christian liberty operates within existing structures yet looks forward to ultimate deliverance. • Freedom that serves – “For you were called to freedom… only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) – True freedom expresses itself in voluntary, loving service—mirroring the Exodus servant who stays because of love. Implications for Believers Today • We cannot divide ownership; either Christ owns us entirely, or we remain bound elsewhere. • Redemption is costly; Christ’s blood accomplishes what Old Testament regulation merely pictured. • Christian freedom is never license; it is liberation to serve God and others willingly. • Like the servant who stayed for love, believers demonstrate deepest freedom when they pledge lifelong allegiance to the Master who set them free. |
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