Yes, the Bible allowed Slavery. It also Brought About its End.
Why didn’t the Bible outlaw slavery?
Like war and famine, slavery was a human horror that afflicted cultures across all times and throughout all of history. God knew the sinfulness of the human heart, and allowed it, just as he allowed divorce (Matt. 19:8). Making a single law to outlaw slavery was about as reasonable as decreeing that humans sprout wings and fly. Instead, God dealt with it in a more comprehensive, long-term way.
If you look closely at the biblical story, you can see that slavery is on God’s mind from the very beginning, and it will come up again and again. One of the very first things God tells Abraham when he enacts the covenant in Genesis 15 is that his future family would be enslaved for 400 years, but that he would redeem them. Isn’t it remarkable that the nation of Israel, who God would use to redeem the world, had to begin its existence in slavery?
Later, in Exodus 12, when the story of Israel’s miraculous liberation from Egypt is told, the command is given to celebrate the nation’s joyous release every year. This would become a formational memory for them. If you’ve ever participated in a Passover, you’ve tasted the tears that slaves have shed in bondage as they’ve longed for freedom.
Yet Another Thing I Learned from Passover
Last week I went to a Passover dinner at a Baptist church in western Michigan. They opened this potluck to all the families who wanted to join them, and over 130 people attended. They asked everyone to bring a dish that was without leaven and somewhat kosher – no pork and no mixing of milk and meat.
I had a happy surprise when I saw that the Passover Haggadah they were using was a booklet that I had made over 20 years ago when my ministry was actively teaching about the biblical feasts in our area. I had known their former pastor and they were still using our materials.
It was encouraging to see that this church had persisted in celebrating Passover, at least in the most recent years. Many churches in our area were fascinated with the Bible in context in the early 2000’s, but plenty of pastors who were once enthusiastic have largely left behind what they learned. Sigh.