Now these are the rules refers to chapters 21 to 23, which contain an elaboration of the different laws from the 10 commandments. The 10 commandments in chapter 20 is like the content page of the law book, where the overview of the laws were given to the people of Israel. The following chapters on the laws then continues to elaborate in detail the principles what the 10 commandments entails. The first 4 of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 relate to our vertical relationship with God while the last 6 commandments relate to our horizontal relationship with each other. Then in Exodus 21-23 the author focuses primarily on the last 6 commandments spelling out specific details on how the people of God were to interact with one another. 

Chapter 21 mainly speaks on the matter of relationships between a man and his fellow man. Verses 1 to 11 deals with the relationships between master and servant, verse 12 to 26 deals with the matter of bodily violence and damages and verse 27 to 32 works on the matter of personal properties and damages.

On the matter of masters and servants, it was common even before the time of Moses to have slavery in the ancient near east period. A man was enslaved for several reasons. He was extremely poor and had to sell his freedom to meet his basic human needs. It might be due to the person’s inability to return what he owes to his creditors. It might also be that the man was caught stealing but could not return what he has stolen and as a result, he had to be enslaved to pay what he stole. Finally, the father sells his daughter into the home with the intention that she will eventually marry into the family.

The bible aim not to endorse slavery but attempt to restore the enslaved man of his dignity and to give renewed hope to him. God radically demolished the life-long slavery culture in the ancient near east period and shortened that period to a maximum of six years. This is why verse 2 says that when you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. This law completely changed the conditions of the slaves among the Israelites and for a servant who used to be enslaved permanently, he had the hope of freedom to live his own life.

It is only if the servant decides to stay to serve the family on his own accord, out of his love for his master, then that the master may keep him as his servant for the rest of his life. Such a decision was one born out of love and had to be a mutual relationship. It is not out of obligation, but out of the loving relationship between the master and the servant. Dear brothers and sisters, the law was designed to promote justice as God sees it, with the basic principle of restoring loving relationships between one another.

While slavery is no longer condoned in our modern society, the master and servant relationships can still be applied to our workplace where the employer and employee relationship still holds. As employers or people in authority to determine the welfare of your staff, do you aim to provide a workplace that values the dignity of your staff, and ensuring that he or she works with hope. As employees, we are called to obey our “masters” with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. (Ephesians 6:6-8)

Regardless whether you are an employer or employee, can we be radical to build an environment of love and care in the workplace without compromising work quality? I am of the opinion that when we showcase the love of Christ in our workplace, it provides long term returns of a happier work environment and greater motivation for solid work output. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what can you do today to love your colleagues as yourself in a tangible manner?