LEVITICUS 61


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 25:39  "And if thy brother
[that dwelleth] by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou
shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:"  Leviticus 25:40
"[But] as an hired servant, [and] as a sojourner, he shall be with
thee, [and] shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:"


     Whether you are for slavery or not, does not enter into this
lesson. At the time this was written, it was the practice to have
slaves. We see from the verse above, that Hebrews who were sold into
slavery to their Hebrew brothers, were to be treated as brothers. They
were not to be treated like the Roman slaves or the Egyptian slaves.
In this God is reminding them that all men are His. The Hebrew would
serve up to seven years, or if jubile occurred earlier, they were
freed at jubile. Not only were they freed from slavery, but their land
was returned to them, as well. They would be back on equal footing at
jubile.

     Leviticus 25:41 "And [then] shall he depart from thee, [both] he
and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and
unto the possession of his fathers shall he return."

     We see from this a further separation. Even though a child had
been born to him in captivity, the child still belonged to the man who
was freed. In fact, his whole family was freed with him. He and his
family would move back on to the land of his inheritance at jubile.

     Leviticus 25:42 "For they [are] my servants, which I brought
forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen."
Leviticus 25:43 "Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt
fear thy God."

     These people were God's. In fact, all of humanity are God's
servants. If they ruled over their brother harshly, they would have to
deal with God, whose servant they were.

     Leviticus 25:44 "Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou
shalt have, [shall be] of the heathen that are round about you; of
them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids."

     An Israelite could own slaves who were not Israelites. That is
what bondwoman or bondman means. They had no special privileges. A
bondman would be their property.

     Leviticus 25:45 "Moreover of the children of the strangers that
do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that
[are] with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your
possession."

     These bondmen or bondwomen were actually the possession of the
person who purchased them.  They were their property as long as they
lived in most cases. These bondmen and bondwomen could not be
Israelites. They had to be of another nationality. Even though an
Israelite was poor and had to work for another Israelite, they were
brothers, and must be treated as such.

     Leviticus 25:46 "And ye shall take them as an inheritance for
your children after you, to inherit [them for] a possession; they
shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of
Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour."

     When the person died, that owned the bondman or bondwoman, the
bondman or bondwoman were to be given to the family of their owner.
This was part of their inheritance, just as a piece of land was.

     Leviticus 25:47  "And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by
thee, and thy brother [that dwelleth] by him wax poor, and sell
himself unto the stranger [or] sojourner by thee, or to the stock of
the stranger's family:"  Leviticus 25:48 "After that he is sold he may
be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:"  Leviticus
25:49 "Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or [any]
that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be
able, he may redeem himself."

     We see from this, that many times, people who were not
Israelites, who were living as neighbors to the Israelites, were
successful and sometimes bought an Israelite, who was poor.  In this
case, the sale would be conditional. The Israelite could be redeemed
at any time, he or some of his relatives, could raise the money to buy
him back.

     Leviticus 25:50 "And he shall reckon with him that bought him
from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the
price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years,
according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him."

     The price of the Israelite, even though a stranger had bought
him, would be figured by the number of years until jubile, when he
would have to be set free anyway. If the Israelite had been sold to
another Israelite, he would go free after 7 years, or at jubile. The
difference when a stranger bought him, was that he would not be set
free until jubile. The Israelite could not be sold for a bondman or
bondwoman.  They were to be treated as servants, not bond people.

     Leviticus 25:51 "If [there be] yet many years [behind], according
unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the
money that he was bought for."

     We see that the person, who bought him, would be paid the full
price, if most of the time was still left until jubile.

     Leviticus 25:52 "And if there remain but few years unto the year
of jubile, then he shall count with him, [and] according unto his
years shall he give him again the price of his redemption."

     We see that, if the time was a short time, the price would be
figured according to the time left before jubile.

     Leviticus 25:53 "[And] as a yearly hired servant shall he be with
him: [and the other] shall not rule with rigour over him in thy
sight."

     Israelites belong to God. They were not to be treated like the
stranger's property, even though he had bought him. He was to be as a
paid servant.

     Leviticus 25:54 "And if he be not redeemed in these [years], then
he shall go out in the year of jubile, [both] he, and his children
with him."

     As we said a little earlier in this lesson, the Israelite
belonged to God. He could not be sold for forever. Even though the
stranger was not an Israelite, he had to abide by the rules of the
Israelite in this situation. This land belonged to the Israelites. God
had given it to them. This stranger was living in the Israelites'
land. He must abide by the laws of Israel.

     Leviticus 25:55 "For unto me the children of Israel [are]
servants; they [are] my servants whom I brought forth out of the land
of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God."

     God had paid the price for them, when He brought them out with a
mighty hand from Egypt to this land of promise. These are God's chosen
people. God is the God of everyone, but the Hebrew {Israelite} was His
people that He chose to give the law to. In Romans, we read over and
over {to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. These are God's
people. He is their protector.






















                             Questions 61

1.  Those who bought another Israelite for a servant was not to treat
    them as what?
2.  How long shall he serve the?
3.  What else happened to the Hebrew that was freed?
4.  Who shall he be able to take with him, when he is freed?
5.  Where shall he go when he is freed?
6.  Why did God say, they were not to be sold as bondmen?
7.  God warned not to rule over them with _____.
8.  Who was it alright to have as bondmen?
9.  What was the difference in a bondman and a servant?
10. What was a bondman really?
11. Could bondmen be passed down from generation to generation?
12. Was it possible for a stranger to buy a Hebrew?
13. Who could redeem him?
14. The sale would be ____________.
15. How would they figure the price of redemption?
16. If it was a long time to jubile, what was the price?
17. Who do Israelites really belong to?
18. Why did the stranger in the land have to abide by God's law?
19. Where had God brought the Israelite out from?
20. Who are God's chosen people?