Many of the laws we see in the Bible are due to stories we have previously read. This week’s Parashat reading is a perfect example. Let’s just look at the 1st eleven verses of Exodus chapter 11

Exodus 21:1-11
““These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.”

All of these laws are pulled directly from Jacob’s encounter with his Father-in-law Laban. Laban comes to Jacob after he stays with him about a month and asks him what his wages should be. Jacob says he will work for Laban for 7 years for his younger daughter Rachel. Notice Laban’s answer, “Better I give her to you than another man.” Notice he does not outright agree. After Jacob’s 7 years are served Laban gives Jacob Leah the older sister. He then tricks Jacob into working 7 more years. Laban saw Jacob as a slave not a hired hand. Jacob saw himself as a laborer for hire.

This is why when a man or woman sells themself into slavery they are to be set free in the 7th year. Laban made Jacob his slave by not honoring the agreement to give him Rachel for his 7 years of service. Now because someone took advantage of someone God has established time limits on how long one of you brothers or sisters are made to serve.

Notice how Laban gave his daughters to Jacob but when Jacob leaves he calls Jacob’s children his own. Laban has the mentality that Jacob is his slave and everything that Jacob has or produces is his. Laban gave Jacob his slave in his eyes wives and when he left they were not allowed to go as they belonged to Laban. This is why God now has a law stating if you are a slave and the owner gives you a wife you may go free but your family will not.

Now look at Rachel’s and Leah’s response to Jacob when he says he is ready to leave Laban.

Genesis 31:14-16
“Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with us! We won’t inherit any of our father’s wealth anyway. He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.””

Look at how a Father is suppose to treat his daughter when he sells her into servitude. Now before we dig into this from an American perspective slavery for any reason or purpose is a bad thing. We have to look at these laws from a Middle Eastern perspective. When a man sells his daughter to another man the idea is to give her a better life and an opportunity to marry into a wealthy family. It is for her benefit. Now if things don’t go as planned the father is able to buy back his daughter at a reduced rate for the time she served in the house. She also must never be sold to anyone else. If she does marry the man, or one of his sons she will always be treated as daughter. Even if her husband marries another woman she will treated the same.

Rachel and Leah state that their Father has not treated them properly and because of that they are ready to leave with Jacob. Laban treated his own daughters a foreign women who have no rights. Now God says how daughters who are sold into slavery will be treated by both parties. All of the laws God has given us are for our benefit. God only desires the best for us. He loves us so much He made His Son a slave so we will be set free. For whom the Son has set free is free indeed.