Connect Deuteronomy 15:18 with New Testament teachings on servitude and fairness. Setting the Scene: Deuteronomy 15:18 “Do not regard it as a hardship when you set your servant free, because for six years he has given you double the service of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.” • God commands Israel to release Hebrew bond-servants in the seventh year. • The directive includes generous material provision (vv. 13-14) and a charge to see the release not as loss but as an act that brings divine blessing. • The text establishes three timeless principles: rightful compensation, dignity of labor, and God-given blessing upon just treatment. Jesus and the Pattern of Servanthood • “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Mark 10:45). • Christ models voluntary servanthood—choosing service for the good of others, fulfilling the law’s heart intent. • Philippians 2:5-7 shows Him “taking the very nature of a servant,” grounding all Christian relationships in humble, self-giving love. Fairness Taught by the Lord • Luke 10:7: “The worker is worthy of his wages.” • Matthew 7:12: “In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you.” Both sayings echo Deuteronomy 15:18—compensate fairly, treat laborers as you desire to be treated, expect God’s favor as you walk in obedience. Employer–Employee Guidance in the Epistles • Ephesians 6:9: “And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” • Colossians 4:1: “Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” • 1 Timothy 5:18 joins Deuteronomy 25:4 with Luke 10:7 to insist on just pay. • James 5:4 warns oppressors: “The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” These passages carry Deuteronomy’s command forward: God sees labor, expects equitable reward, and promises either blessing or judgment. Philemon: A Case Study in Redemptive Service • Onesimus, once an unprofitable slave, returns “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, a beloved brother” (Philemon 15-16). • Paul applies Deuteronomy’s spirit—release, elevate, treat as family—grounded in Christ’s reconciling work. Blessing Tied to Obedience Deuteronomy 15 links liberality toward servants with divine blessing. The New Testament repeats the promise: • 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 speaks of God supplying abundantly to the generous. • Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Living It Out Today • Pay employees promptly and generously. • View every working relationship through the lens of shared accountability to the heavenly Master. • Cultivate humility—lead by serving (John 13:14-15). • Choose generosity over reluctance, trusting God’s promise of blessing. Deuteronomy 15:18 and the New Testament together present a seamless, Spirit-breathed ethic: serve willingly, compensate fairly, and expect the Lord’s favor as you honor His righteous standard. |
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