Joel M Bradshaw

 16But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, 17then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same.–Deuteronomy 15

Today’s chapter described the Sabbath or Sabbatical year. God’s intentional plan for debtors to release debts and for slaves to be freed. The picture is that a person is so in debt that he or she chose to sell themselves to someone to pay off the debt. This person would then temporarily be a part of the household and would serve for a certain time. Every seventh year debts were wiped away and servants/slaves freed. God proclaimed freedom and freedom had gone forth.

But a servant may say to him or herself that they have never had it so good. They feel a real connection to the family and they are prospering even as a servant. And thus, though freedom was proclaimed on the seventh year, THEY DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE. So the servant would be physically marked in the earlobe, and the relationship would continue.

Try not to think of this through the lens of today. They were free, but chose to stay committed to doing the work and belonging to the family. This brought meaning to their journey and prosperity to their accounts. Maybe they remembered the darker times that led them to financial ruin in the first place. Maybe there was a real problem or issue that brought them to that point. Being part of a stable environment full of love, respect, and personal prosperity. Even though they were free to go, they refused to go. In their freedom, they personally committed themselves further.

The Apostle Peter dropped this verse in 1 Peter 2…

 16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

So in Christ, you are free, but that freedom doesn’t entitle you to live as you please. Rather you live your life to specifically serve God. Sounds similar to the bondservant. You now have experienced the love of God and the blessings that come through Jesus. Though you have been set free from the bondage of your sin and shame, you continue serving God. You belong to him and gratefully and joyfully serve him. Freedom leads to commitment and purpose. For your good and for God’s glory,–JMB