Tag: abolition of slavery

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Discussions Torah

Torah answers for modern life: A call to justice and mercy (Exodus 21–24)

Torah answers for modern life: A call to justice and mercy (Exodus 21-24). Lady Justice holding scales stands opposite a dove in flight.

Despite its ancient origins, the Torah’s guidance on ethics, justice, and compassion remains pertinent today. Faith must be wedded to obedience in applying Heaven’s teachings to contemporary life. This study of Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“judgments,” Exodus 21–24) delves into legal interpretations of the Ten Commandments, stressing fairness and impartiality in legal proceedings. The Torah’s stance on issues like slavery underscores principles of compassion and equitable treatment. Drawing from biblical and historical contexts (Paul’s letter to Philemon, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in Matthew 20), we advocate for justice, mercy, and societal transformation guided by Torah’s timeless wisdom.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

How Heaven leads families from bondage to freedom (Exodus 21; Romans 6; Mark 10)

How Heaven leads families from bondage to freedom (Exodus 21; Romans 6; Mark 10)

One of the key lessons from Torah portion מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (Exodus 21–24) and from the Prophets and Gospels is that God and Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) doesn’t separate religious and civil laws. The reasons for that are encapsulated in the Greatest Commandment and the Golden Rule — and in the Torah laws that restricted and ultimately abolished slavery.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

Why Heaven wants us to master servanthood (Exodus 21)

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28)

“(T)he Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NASB). While some see the instructions in the Torah about relationships between masters and slaves as proof of no transcendent Source for the text, others see the context as part of a “poison pill” that Heaven put in the human heart sickness that seeks subjugation of others deemed weaker or powerless.

That’s the surprising lesson we learn from the Torah portion מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (Exodus 21–24) and companion passages on the wrong treatment (Jeremiah 34:8–22) and right treatment (Philemon 1–22) of those who are at our mercy.

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Discussions Torah

When God shouted 3 times to fight oppression (Exodus 21–23)

When God shouted 3 times to fight oppression (Mishpatim: Exodus 21:1-24:18)

Are “white lies” covered by the Torah prohibition on lying? What does it mean to curse your parents? Does the Torah really contain a time bomb for human slavery? How is that connected to the LORD’s warning about oppression? And was the Angel of the LORD during the Exodus a manifestation of the Messiah? How does this angel compare with Yeshua (Jesus)? These are topics covered in the Torah reading מִשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“judgments,” Ex. 21:1–24:18).

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 21: God is Enforcer of covenants, Liberator of slaves, Vindicator of the unborn

Parashat Mishpatim is one of the most uncomfortable chapters in the Torah. It has rules about what we would call indentured servitude as well as how to deal with victims of infanticide. However, the overarching theme in today’s Torah study is how God holds us to keep our own covenants, even if they go above and beyond the covenants He has placed on us Himself.