According to 21:2, a Hebrew slave was to be set free after serving his master six years. If he obtained a wife and children during his years as a slave, he was to leave them as the property of his master and “go out by himself” (v. 4). However, the slave might “plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free” (v. 5). Here we see that continuing as a slave is not a legal requirement; it is a matter of love. Because the slave loved his master, his wife, and his children, he did not want to go out free. Instead, he would serve his master forever. Love is the basis of his continued service.
It is often said that love blinds people. In a very real sense, if we would love others, we should be blind toward them. Concerning ourselves, however, we must be a sacrifice. Love requires sacrifice. Without sacrifice, there can be no love. The Lord Jesus loved us by being a sacrifice for us. Ephesians 5:2 says, “Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” Christ gave Himself for us, dying a malefactor’s death on the cross. This proves that love demands sacrifice.
If a brother is not willing to sacrifice himself, he cannot love his wife. Likewise, parents must be willing to sacrifice for their children if they are to love their children. There is no love without sacrifice.
According to 21:5, it was possible that a slave might not want to be free. Out of love for his master, wife, and children, he might prefer to remain under bondage as a slave. This is not a matter of legal requirement; it is motivated by voluntary love.
The Lord Jesus loves God, the church, and all His people. God is His Master, the church is His wife, and all His people are His children. The New Testament reveals this threefold love of the Lord Jesus for the Father, the church, and the saints. According to John 14:31, the Lord loves the Father; according to Ephesians 5:25, Christ loves the church; and according to Galatians 2:20 and Ephesians 5:2, Christ loves all the believers, all the saints. Motivated by such a love, He was willing to be a slave. Love is the motive and the prerequisite of being a slave.
Exodus 21:6 speaks of the slave being brought to the door or to the doorpost. In ancient times slaves were to stand by the doorpost waiting for the master’s orders. Instead of doing anything on their own, they were to act only according to the word of the master. Today our position as slaves of Christ should also be at the doorpost. Furthermore, in 21:6 we are told that the master bored his slave’s ear through with an awl. This indicates that the slave’s ear was opened to listen to the master.
Many Christians are serving God, but they do not stand by the doorpost, and their ear has not been bored through with an awl. They act on their own, not in accord with what they hear from the Master. They do many things according to their own concepts, desires, and intentions.
As those who believe in Christ, we all must be His slaves. We should say, “O Lord, I love You. Even if I have the freedom to go out, I do not want to leave. I love You, I love Your church, and I love Your children.” On the one hand, we may testify of how enjoyable and glorious the church life is. On the other hand, in the church life we all must become slaves. The New Testament as well as the Old indicates that God’s people need the spirit of a slave.
The elders in the churches need to realize that if they are not willing to be slaves, they cannot be proper elders. Every elder must be a slave. This was the reason the Lord Jesus taught His disciples not to seek to be above others, but instead to place themselves lower than others and be their slaves. In the church life there is no rank. We are all brothers, and we all must serve as slaves.
In the past we have given hundreds of messages on life, the Spirit, Christ, and the church. However, if we would apply these messages, we must be slaves. Those who are not willing to have the spirit of a slave cannot enter into all these messages in a practical way. In the past certain ones testified that they loved the church and were willing to consecrate themselves to the church. However, eventually these very ones left the church life, and some even became opposers of the church. Deep within them they had the ambition for position. Because this ambition could not be fulfilled in the church life, they left the church. Only those who are willing to be slaves can remain permanently in the church life. No matter how I may be treated by the saints, I have no choice but to remain in the church life. The church is the home of my Father and of all His children. I am simply one of His slaves, loving Him, loving the church, and loving His children. After giving so many messages on life, the Spirit, Christ, and the church, I am glad to give this message on slavery. This word is for us all.
If we have the spirit of a slave and the love of a slave, it will be easy for us to obey. Love is always followed by obedience. This can be illustrated by the relationship between parents and their children. In a very real sense, good parents must sometimes obey their children. Often parents obey their children more quickly than the children obey the parents. The point here is that love produces obedience. Only a slave can obey. A good parent is one who has the love and obedience of a slave. Deep within, a mother who loves her children is willing to be a slave to them and do anything for them. Why do parents sometimes obey their children? They obey out of love. Love is the prerequisite of obedience.
My burden in this message has been to emphasize three matters: the spirit of a slave, the love of a slave, and the obedience of a slave. If we have a slave spirit, a slave love, and a slave obedience, we shall be able to keep the commandments. At first, this word may sound strange. But if you consider it honestly, you will see that it is true in our practical experience. Only a person with the spirit, love, and obedience of a slave can keep God’s ordinances. In the New Testament economy, as well as in the Old Testament, there is the need of such a spirit, love, and obedience.
Now we can see why God puts the ordinance concerning slaves first and why the slave here is a type of Christ, the true slave. As those who believe in Christ, belong to Him, and have His life of sacrifice, we also must be slaves loving God, the church, and God’s people. With such a love as our motivation, we need to be slaves sacrificing and serving.