I will not go out free

"But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free; then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever."

Exodus 21:5-6

This passage from Exodus is concerning a Hebrew slave and laws about freedom. After six years of slavery a Hebrew slave was freed.... unless... Unless he had a reason to stay and continue to work for his master forgoing his freedom. There is one condition laid out here for him remaining a slave forever. LOVE. If he came into slavery a single man, and his master gave him a wife and she bore him sons or daughters, then in order to stay with his family he would need to stay in the household of his master as a bondservant forever. The one condition under which he would remain a servant forever was love. If he loved his master, wife, and children he would exchange his opportunity for freedom for the opportunity to be near the ones he loved.

This passage, like many others in the Old and New Testaments, contains a hidden truth or shadow of Jesus. Isaiah 52 uses the same word for slave or servant to refer to the one God calls his servant. v.13"Behold, my servant shall act wisely." This passage alluding to God's servant continues in Isaiah 53 and describes one who was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows. The one who has certainly borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He who was pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our sins. The servant from this passage is Jesus and his master is the one speaking, his father, God. Jesus himself gives us a glimpse into this relationship in John 15:10 when he tells us that he has kept his father's commandments. We see Jesus wrestle with his father's will in Matthew 26:39 when he is asking his father if there is any other way besides the cross that he could fulfill his purpose.

The wife of the servant is probably best defined in Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her". Husband is to Christ as wife is to the church. In fact, the words "gave himself up" are from the Greek word paradidomi (Strong's G3860) which can be translated 'to give into the hands (of another)' or 'to give over into (one's) power or use'. He is in essence giving himself over as a servant for his bride. And his servitude is an eternal one. Hebrews 6;20 says he has become a high priest forever. Hebrews 7:24&25 say his priesthood is permanent and he always lives to make intercession for us. FOREVER. PERMANENT. ALWAYS. Jesus is committed to serve as our high priest eternally. There will never be a day when we do not have someone taking our thoughts, words, and actions and cleaning them up to present them as a sweet smelling sacrifice before his and our father.

In John 11 and 21 we get a picture of who the children are that the servant loves in the Exodus 21 passage. Jesus refers to all those in the world who don't know him yet, as well as his disciples, as "children". (John 11:52 & John 21;5)

The second portion of the passage from Exodus deals with the outward sign given to a servant who has dedicated himself to serving his master forever. He was taken to a doorpost and his ear was pierced. Jesus was taken to the cross and pierced not one, but five times. The number of grace. He became a slave so that we could go free. Why, because he loves us. He loves his father, he loves the church, and he loves the whole world. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

May you walk boldly in the love of your Savior Jesus today!