Exo 21:8 | KingComments | STEP | The Hebrew male slave may be released in the seventh year after six years of service. This arrangement is not for a Hebrew female slave. She has been bought to please her master. If she disappoints him, he has to let her go. The condition is that he will not sell her to a foreign people. The purpose of this regulation is to protect her against arbitrariness. He may also have destined the female slave for his son. Then he has to treat her like his daughter. If he takes another wife and does not sell her, but keeps her, he cannot evade his marital obligations. If he does, she is free to leave, without any purchase price involved. In this female slave we can see a picture of Israel. Israel cannot go out freely, as the Lord Jesus was allowed to. The people are bought by God so that they may please Him. But the people did not please God. Unlike the master in this section, God has sold His people in the hands of foreign peoples ( ; ; ). This is not faithless action on His part. On the contrary, it is because of the faithlessness of the people. His goal here is to teach the people the difference between service of Him and service of the nations ( ). The female slave, Israel, will eventually become free. She will become the wife of the Son ( ). Then God will deal with her according to that position. In anticipation of that time, the Son has taken “another woman”, the church. There is no relationship with Israel at the time the church is formed ( ). Israel is now “Lo-ruhamah”, which means “not having compassion”, and “Lo-ammi”, which means “not My people” ( ). God does not acknowledge Israel in this time as His people. It has gone away, away from Him.

‏ Exodus 21:8

The Hebrew Female Slave

The Hebrew male slave may be released in the seventh year after six years of service. This arrangement is not for a Hebrew female slave. She has been bought to please her master. If she disappoints him, he has to let her go. The condition is that he will not sell her to a foreign people. The purpose of this regulation is to protect her against arbitrariness.

He may also have destined the female slave for his son. Then he has to treat her like his daughter. If he takes another wife and does not sell her, but keeps her, he cannot evade his marital obligations. If he does, she is free to leave, without any purchase price involved.

In this female slave we can see a picture of Israel. Israel cannot go out freely, as the Lord Jesus was allowed to. The people are bought by God so that they may please Him. But the people did not please God.

Unlike the master in this section, God has sold His people in the hands of foreign peoples (Jdg 2:14; Psa 44:12; Isa 50:1). This is not faithless action on His part. On the contrary, it is because of the faithlessness of the people. His goal here is to teach the people the difference between service of Him and service of the nations (2Chr 12:8).

The female slave, Israel, will eventually become free. She will become the wife of the Son (Hos 2:19). Then God will deal with her according to that position. In anticipation of that time, the Son has taken “another woman”, the church. There is no relationship with Israel at the time the church is formed (Hos 3:3-5). Israel is now “Lo-ruhamah”, which means “not having compassion”, and “Lo-ammi”, which means “not My people” (Hos 1:6 ; 9). God does not acknowledge Israel in this time as His people. It has gone away, away from Him.