Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 21 before reading the devotional below.
Have you ever noticed that we tend to repeat the patterns we learned in the past even when we don’t want to? If your family had a high degree of conflict or was abusive to you, you might find that you yell at others or even become abusive. Bullies on school playgrounds are often those who themselves have suffered from abuse or neglect. God’s people spent a lot of years in oppressive slavery. As much as they would probably say they would never want to oppress anyone else, God knows that is exactly what they are likely to do without guidance. It’s what they know.
These Old Testament passages are tough to swallow as 21st century readers, but we need to keep in mind our question, “What is God trying to reveal to us about his character?” In today’s chapter, we see God’s opposition to oppression coming through. Notice he says, “If you buy a Hebrew slave…” He’s talking about ways they need to interact with each other to prevent oppression. After seven years, the slave gets to walk free, no questions asked. If someone causes injury or death, you can’t take more from them than they took from you. “An eye for an eye” sounds ruthless until you realize that God is saying that “death for an eye” is not okay.
Here’s your freedom for today: God’s justice protects. He wants his people to be spared from repeating the dysfunctional patterns they have experienced. He wants them to be known as people where freedom is the end goal — even in slavery. He wants to help his people think about justice and fairness so that the right things get punished in the right ways. Those who do wrong do need to be called to account, but those who intend harm can’t be treated the same as those who cause it accidentally. God is on your side if you have been oppressed, and he wants better things for you if you are an oppressor. The end of God’s story for you is always redemption.