Jeremiah 34, Part 2: How Service Twists into Slavery, and Why This Enrages God
Exploring What the Bible Really Says About Slavery
In the previous post, we explored Jeremiah 34. In this passage, God clarifies that He is bringing judgment upon His people for one specific reason: they forced their servants to become slaves, refusing to set them free. For this act of slavery, God would remove His people from their land.
In today’s post, we explore why this act so enraged the heart of God.
Recall our discussion of the word ebed. As we covered, this word generally means “one who serves,” and over 90% of the time it is used, it has nothing to do with slavery. It is only translated “slave” when the translators believe slavery is present in the passage.
In this passage, slavery is clearly present. God Himself rebukes His people for participating in it.
But what is it, specifically, that indicates this is slavery, as opposed to service?
God mentions one thing clearly: they did not let the ebed go free as they desired.
As God says:
“Each of you took back your male and female slaves, whom you had freed as they desired, and you forced them to be your slaves again” (Jeremiah 34:16 NET).
This is the key aspect that turns service into slavery: forcing people to serve against their will, refusing to set them free as they desire.
God designed service in Israel to be life-giving and life-restoring. A person who has no money or resources can arrange to work for a wealthy Israelite for a maximum of six years. After this point, he or she will be laden down with wealth for their service, free to go and start a new life. God intended for this system to restore lives, to keep people out of slavery, to protect the most vulnerable in society from being oppressed.
But this system only works if the wealthy and powerful respect the will of the people serving them. Entering six years of service was meant to be a personal choice, knowing the reward that awaits at the conclusion of service. God emphasizes this above, using the phrase “sold themselves to you” in verse 14. These are not slaves being sold by slave traders. This is an individual choosing to enter into this arrangement of their own will, with the understanding that six years down the line they’ll be wealthier than they are now, and free to use this wealth as they choose.
The wealthy twisted this system into slavery by ignoring the will of their servants, refusing to let them leave after six years and refusing to pay them for their service.
It is this act — forcing people into service against their will — that defines slavery. This is what God hates.
God highlights this as the reason He is bringing judgment upon His people. They no longer care to follow the commands of their God, and they no longer care about the will of the most vulnerable. They will ignore God and exploit anyone they can for their own gain.
In Jeremiah 34, God focuses on the abuses committed against Hebrew servants. Yet the principle applies equally to foreign servants.
No passage exists that allows Israelites to abuse foreigners against their will when they serve in Israel. Rather, the Law states multiple times, in multiple ways, that Israel must treat the foreigner the same way they treat the native:
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34 NIV).
Because Israel knows the pain of being forced in slavery, God does not allow them force anyone else into slavery. Service in Israel must be driven by the will of the servant, not forced upon them. This is why passages like Deuteronomy 23:15-16 exist, ensuring that any ebed is free to leave any bad situation, and the Law protects their freedom as soon as they do.
In this way, God wrote His Law to abolish slavery throughout all the levels of society.
When His people reject this and fall into the practice of slavery that their pagan neighbors practice, it arouses the fierce anger of their God.