Thought from today’s Bible reading from Jeremiah 32-34.
Though it was permitted under the Law of Moses, slavery was a practice that was strictly regulated. One of the regulations placed a limit on the amount of time in which one could have a slave work for him. The Lord, through Jeremiah, reminded the people of this instruction and the fact that their forefathers had disobeyed it.
“At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me” (Jeremiah 34:14).
Because this instruction had been disregarded, God commanded that “each man should set free his male servant and…his female servant” (Jeremiah 34:9). They obeyed this command and set all of the slaves free (Jeremiah 34:10). Unfortunately, they quickly turned back to their old ways.
“But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants” (Jeremiah 34:11).
The fact that they initially obeyed the Lord was good. But this did not excuse them turning back to their old ways.
“Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants. Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth’” (Jeremiah 34:15-17).
There is a broader principle here than just slavery. When one obeys the Lord, he must not go back to his old life of sin. He must “put on the new self” (Colossians 3:10) and live as though he is “dead to sin” (Romans 6:11).
We must each do the same thing – put away sin and do not return to it.
Tomorrow’s reading: Jeremiah 35-37
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
