What does "you must not sell her for money" teach about human value? Setting the Scene: Deuteronomy 21:14 “And if you are not pleased with her, you shall let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have humbled her.” What the Command Says • A captured woman, after a period of mourning and adjustment, must be released freely if the man no longer desires her. • She may not be sold for money or reduced to slavery. • God Himself draws the boundary: human beings are never merchandise. What the Command Teaches About Human Value • God-given worth is non-negotiable – “So God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). Value flows from creation, not circumstance. • People are not property – The prohibition against putting a price on her life rejects every economy that would treat people as commodities. • Protection of the vulnerable – Foreign, female, and captive—she represents society’s weakest. God steps in to defend her dignity. • Value exceeds silver and gold – “No man can possibly redeem his brother… For the redemption of his soul is costly” (Psalm 49:7-8). Money cannot touch true worth. • Anticipation of redemption – “You were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). By forbidding her sale, God foreshadows the day He pays the only price that can secure freedom—the blood of Christ. Supporting Scriptures That Reinforce the Lesson • Exodus 21:16 – Kidnapping and selling a person brings the death penalty. • Leviticus 25:42 – “They shall not be sold as slaves,” because they belong to the Lord. • Proverbs 22:22-23 – The Lord personally defends the afflicted against economic exploitation. • Isaiah 52:3 – “Without money you will be redeemed.” God’s rescue bypasses monetary value. • 1 Peter 1:18-19 – Redemption “was not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.” Living Out the Truth Today • See every person—unborn or elderly, free or imprisoned, citizen or stranger—as bearing God’s image and therefore priceless. • Reject any practice that treats humans as economic units: trafficking, exploitative labor, commodified relationships. • Advocate for the powerless, mirroring the Lord who safeguards the captive woman. • Celebrate and proclaim the gospel, where God’s immeasurable love sets the ultimate value on every soul. |
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