We are in chapter twenty-one of Exodus with our word for today. חָפְשִׁי set free, exempt from tax, free. It is used 17 times in the Old Testament, 2 times in our chapter. We find our word used of a wild donkey. Job 39:5-8 Who let the wild donkey חָפְשִׁ֑י go free? Who untied its ropes? Our word is used in the context of slaves and masters. Job 3:19 The small and the great are there, and the slaves חָפְשִׁ֥י are freed from their owners. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 21:2-6 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out חָפְשִֽׁי free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. We see our word used in the repetition of these rules in Deuteronomy, which by way means second law, God is reminding the people of his law again in this book. Deuteronomy 15:12-13, 18 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go חָפְשִׁ֖י free. And when you חָפְשִׁ֖י release them, do not send them away empty-handed…Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant חָפְשִׁי֙ free. Did you notice in verse 12 the reference of “selling themselves” to serve this is what we have talked about the last couple of days that we are talking about a volunteer sort of slavery or servitude. Forced slavery is condemned by God and called another word man stealing which we will look at in the days to come. We see God’s compassion in setting up this law that on the seventh year of service the master is to set those free who agreed voluntarily to serve them as their slave for six years. And we also see this reinforced when the masters failed to do this God has to remind them of their sin. Jeremiah 34:15-17 But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had חָפְשִׁ֖יםset free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people.
God is always about giving us more choices to live freer. It is the evil one who takes away and limits our choices. He does this through deception. Jesus calls him the father of lies for a reason. And he calls out his purpose which is diametrically opposed to his. Jesus said in John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. So full life of freedom or having that freedom taken away from us and being destroyed that is quite the contrast. No wonder Jesus also calls the evil one Satan which means enemy. Because only an enemy would want to kill, steal and destroy you. Jesus calls the effects of sin being a slave to sin. The Holy Spirit spells this out through Paul to the Roman Christians. Romans 6:12, 16-18 You are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin...You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I’ll close with this great description of what Jesus came to earth to do for us. John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
