And So, I Continue . . . . . .
Deuteronomy 15:12-14 ~ 12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
Many folks today, believe slavery to be a great evil. But it is Biblical. The word "servant" is mentioned in our King James Bible 493 times in 454 verses. Not every reference was talking about men who served men. Some were of men serving God. But, when I found that men served men, it wasn't a bad thing. Many servants were treated as family, and all could have their freedom after six years of service and in the seventh year, as shown in verse 12 above, they were to be set free from their bondage.
A little introduction for you. In Deuteronomy chapter 15 verses 1-18, the Bible explains "The Year of Release". At the end of every seven years all Israelites were to forgive any debts that other Israelites owed them. They were to consider themselves one big family where no one should be driven into poverty or refused a loan in time of hardship, even if the year of release was approaching. God would reward those Israelites who were generous to their fellow Israelites. These debts were not only of the financial kind, but of the service provided to the Hebrew home as a servant. So, it was not just being set free; they were to go with the bounties that God had blessed his "owner" with in the way of flocks, wine, food. . .whatever God blessed him with he was to give to his servant in like manner.
So, was he a "servant/slave" or just working for a living and the reward of being faithful to his master? It was common Jewish practice and Jacob and Rachael are another example of the same philosophy, that if you want something bad enough you will work for it. Jacob fell in love with Rachael, but he could not take her in marriage until he had served 7 years. Genesis 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. He was working for a "harvest" but not the harvest we might think of. He labored for his future bride, and when Laban tricked him into marrying his older sister, Leah ~ he labored another 7 years for Rachael. You should read that whole story. It is so full of love, mystery, trickery, and devotion to the one he loved. The Bible is the greatest love story ever written!
So, what can we gain from these verses of which we can apply in our lives today? The title of our devotions "grace giving" is so on point. Grace can hardly be more practical in the Christian life than when it touches our finances, especially our giving. Under Old Testament law believers gave in order to be blessed; under New Testament grace believers give because they are blessed. Jesus Christ freed us from the requirements of the law so that we can respond to His wonderful gift of eternal life. While legalistic (giving only what the law required i.e. 10%) giving focuses on the outward act and amount, grace giving focuses on the inner motive. I think we can say the lesson taught is to give and give abundantly from our blessings.
We do not have legal slaves today in America, unless you are a slave to the devil or a slave to Jesus Christ. My service belongs to the Saviour Who gave Himself for me. He freed me from all bondage of the devil and made me a joint hear to the Kingdom of God. If that makes me a "slave", then I will be a slave forever. Just knowing that I will one day serve at His feet makes me want to obey His every command. Do I? Not always, I still live in an evil world, and I am still in my flesh. That means that no matter how hard I try, I fail Him sometimes. And I probably will till He calls me home to heaven or returns to catch up His bride in the air! Either way, I will try to serve Him and Him only. . .sharing His wonderful Gospel and Story to all who will "read" or listen.
How about you? Have you thought about your "grace giving"? This is giving over and above your "required" giving of 10% of all God has blessed you with. Grace giving is giving sometimes till it hurts. Do you support missions? We have a great mission effort at Faith Baptist via the Printing Ministry and our radio ministry ( www.wbofradio.com ) God has truly blessed in so many ways there. And you can give to support those ministries. You can give to your local church in support of the homeless, hungry, and needy. The way to put your grace giving in action is limitless. How can I get started on my grace giving? I'm glad you asked. I put three ways you can grace give! Let me know how it goes!
- giving someone a gift “just because”
- donating your time or money to a missionary or church ministry
- cooking a meal for a neighbor
I hope this has helped you some. My husband and I, as missionaries, support several other missionaries through grace giving and our time. We have never been sorry about our giving. As we exercise Faithfulness in giving, God has truly blessed. We cannot thank Him enough!
Lord, help us to be wise, studied up, aware, and faithful to You. Amen.
With love and prayers,
LKMilam
May we be faithful to be your Philippians 2:16 Missionaries.
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Tom and Linda Milam
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