Bible Studies
Slavery
“Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.” It happened that fast. Was any citizen of the ancient world mere moments away from being a slave? Too often, yes. The origin of slavery predated written history, as conquering armies found it more profitable to enslave captives than to kill them. It bothers many Christians that both testaments of the Bible seems to accommodate slavery rather than condemn it. For instance, Exodus 21 explains what are the permitted and prohibited injuries which can be inflicted on a slave, and Deuteronomy 21 describes what a Hebrew man may do to a captured woman. Jesus’ parable of the wise manager in Luke 12 describes the beating of slaves.
But there’s a reason for everything, and God knew when it was time for men of faith, such as William Wilberforce of Britain and William Ellery Channing of America to push for change. Nation after nation banned slavery in the 19th century, so that today it is illegal in most areas of the world. Unfortunately, it hasn’t disappeared: experts report that there are 27,000,000 people worldwide who are victims of the four types of slavery -- chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, and sexual slavery. Although the greatest numbers of slaves are found in Mauritania, Sudan, India, and Southeast Asia, some are reported in virtually every nation.
THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN. People who treasure the image of God need to pray and act to end slavery. The Emancipation Network (TEN), based in Sagamore, Massachusetts, creates jobs for youths in at-risk areas worldwide to increase their economic value beyond that of being sold into slavery. It also runs employment programs for those rescued from slavery. Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is an organization whose members put their own lives on the line to rescue victims of persecution worldwide. The organization is based in Zurich, Switzerland with an American affiliate in Westlake Village, California. Both TEN and CSI seek your prayers and donations. A good Internet site to learn about slavery is iAbolish, found at www.iabolish.org.
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