"At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this
is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth aught unto
his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor,
or of his brother, _because it is called the Lord's release_. Of a
foreigner thou mayest exact it again; but that which is thine with thy
brother thine hand shall release, save when there shall be no poor
among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: only if
thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe
to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. For the
Lord thy God blesseth thee, as He promised thee; and thou shalt lend
unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign
over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee." (Ver. 1-6.)
It is truly edifying to mark the way in which the God of Israel was
ever seeking to draw the hearts of His people to Himself by means of
the various sacrifices, solemnities, and institutions of the Levitical
ceremonial. There was the morning and evening lamb every _day_, there
was the holy Sabbath every _week,_ there was the new moon every
_month_, there was the passover every _year_, there was the tithing
every _three years_, there was the release every _seven years_, and
there was the jubilee every _fifty years_.
All this is full of deepest interest. It tells its own sweet tale, and
teaches its own precious lesson to the heart. The morning and evening
lamb, as we know, pointed ever to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world;" the Sabbath was the lovely type of the rest
that remaineth to the people of God; the new moon beautifully
prefigured the time when restored Israel shall reflect back the beams
of the Sun of Righteousness upon the nations; the passover was the
standing memorial of the nation's deliverance from Egyptian bondage;
the year of tithing set forth the fact of Jehovah's proprietorship of
the land, as also the lovely way in which His rents were to be
expended in meeting the need of His workmen and of His poor; the
sabbatic year gave promise of a bright time when all debts would be
canceled, all loans disposed of, all burdens removed; and finally, the
jubilee was the magnificent type of the times of the restitution of
all things, when the captive shall be set free, when the exile shall
return to his long-lost home and inheritance, and when the land of
Israel and the whole earth shall rejoice beneath the beneficent
government of the Son of David.
Now, in all these lovely institutions we notice two prominent
characteristic features, namely, glory to God, and blessing to man.
These two things are linked together by a divine and everlasting bond.
God has so ordained that His full glory and the creature's full
blessing should be indissolubly bound up together. This is deep joy to
the heart, and it helps us to understand more fully the force and
beauty of that familiar sentence--"We rejoice in hope of the glory of
God." When that glory shines forth in its full lustre, then,
assuredly, human blessedness, rest, and felicity shall reach their
full and eternal consummation.
We see a lovely pledge and foreshadowing of all this in the seventh
year. It was "the Lord's release," and therefore its blessed influence
was to be felt by every poor debtor from Dan to Beersheba. Jehovah
would grant unto His people the high and holy privilege of having
fellowship with Him in causing the debtor's heart to sing for joy. He
would teach them, if they would only learn, the deep blessedness of
frankly forgiving all. This is what He Himself delights in, blessed
forever be His great and glorious name.
But, alas! the poor human heart is not up to this lovely mark. It is
not fully prepared to tread this heavenly road. It is sadly cramped
and hindered, by a low and miserable selfishness, in grasping and
carrying out the divine principle of grace. It is not quite at home in
this heavenly atmosphere; it is but ill-prepared for being the vessel
and channel of that royal grace which shines so brightly in all the
ways of God. This will only too fully account for the cautionary
clauses of the following passage. "If there be among you a poor man of
one of thy brethren within any of thy gates, in thy land, which the
Lord thy God giveth thee, _thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut
thine hand_ from thy poor brother; but thou shalt _open thine hand
wide_ unto him, and surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that
which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought _in thy wicked
heart_, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and
_thine eye be evil_ against thy poor brother, and thou _givest_ him
naught; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto
thee. _Thou shalt surely give him_, and thine heart shall not be
grieved when thou givest unto him; because that for this thing the
Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou
puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of thy
land; therefore I command thee, saying, _Thou shalt open thine hand
wide_ unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land."
(Ver. 7-11.)
Here the deep springs of the poor selfish heart are discovered and
judged. There is nothing like grace for making manifest the hidden
roots of evil in human nature. Man must be renewed in the very deepest
springs of his moral being ere he can be the vehicle of divine love;
and even those who are thus through grace renewed, have to watch
continually against the hideous forms of selfishness in which our
fallen nature clothes itself. Nothing but grace can keep the heart
open wide to every form of human need. We must abide hard by the
fountain of heavenly love if we would be channels of blessing in the
midst of a scene of misery and desolation like that in which our lot
is cast.
How lovely are those words, "Thou shalt open thine hand wide"! They
breathe the very air of heaven. An open heart and a wide hand are like
God. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver," because that is precisely
what He is Himself. "He giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not."
And He would grant unto us the rare and most exquisite privilege of
being imitators of Him. Marvelous grace! The very thought of it fills
the heart with wonder, love, and praise. We are not only saved by
grace, but we stand in grace, live under the blessed reign of grace,
breathe the very atmosphere of grace, and are called to be the living
exponents of grace, not only to our brethren, but to the whole human
family. "As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all,
especially unto them which are of the household of faith."
Christian reader, let us diligently apply our hearts to all this
divine instruction. It is most precious: but its real preciousness can
only be tasted in the practical carrying out of it. We are surrounded
by ten thousand forms of human misery, human sorrow, human need. There
are broken hearts, crushed spirits, desolate homes, around us on every
side. The widow, the orphan, and the stranger meet us daily in our
walks. How do we carry ourselves in reference to all these? Are we
hardening our hearts and closing our hands against them? or are we
seeking to act in the lovely spirit of "the Lord's release"? We must
bear in mind that we are called to be reflectors of the divine nature
and character--to be direct channels of communication between our
Father's loving heart and every form of human need. We are not to live
for ourselves; to do so is a most miserable denial of every feature
and principle of that morally glorious Christianity which we profess.
It is our high and holy privilege, yea, it is our special mission, to
shed around us the blessed light of that heaven to which we belong.
Wherever we are--in the family, in the field, in the mart or the
manufactory, in the shop or in the counting-house, all who come in
contact with us should see the grace of Jesus shining out in our ways,
our words, our very looks. And then, if any object of need come before
us, if we can do nothing more, we should drop a soothing word into the
ear, or shed a tear or heave a sigh of genuine, heart-felt sympathy.
Reader, is it thus with us? Are we so living near the fountain of
divine love, and so breathing the very air of heaven, that the blessed
fragrance of these things shall be diffused around us? or are we
displaying the odious selfishness of nature, the unholy tempers and
dispositions of our fallen and corrupt humanity? What an unsightly
object is a selfish Christian! He is a standing contradiction, a
living, moving lie. The Christianity which he professes throws into
dark and terrible relief the unholy selfishness which governs his
heart and comes out in his life.
The Lord grant that all who profess and call themselves Christians may
so carry themselves, in daily life, as to be an unblotted epistle of
Christ, known and read of all men. In this way, infidelity will, at
least, be deprived of one of its weightiest arguments, its gravest
objections. Nothing affords a stronger plea to the infidel than the
inconsistent lives of professing Christians.
Not that such a plea will stand for a moment, or even be urged, before
the judgment-seat of Christ, inasmuch as each one who has within his
reach a copy of the holy Scriptures will be judged by the light of
those Scriptures, even though there were not a single consistent
Christian on the face of the earth. Nevertheless, Christians are
solemnly responsible to let their light so shine before men that they
may see their good works and glorify our Father in heaven. We are
solemnly bound to exhibit and illustrate in daily life the heavenly
principles unfolded in the Word of God. We should leave the infidel
without a shred of a plea or an argument; we are responsible so to do.
May we lay these things to heart, and then we shall have occasion to
bless God for our meditation on the delightful institution of "the
Lord's release."
We shall now quote for the reader the touching and beautiful
institution in reference to the Hebrew servant. We increasingly feel
the importance of giving the veritable language of the Holy Ghost; for
albeit it may be said that the reader has his Bible to refer to, yet
we know, as a fact, that when passages of Scripture are referred to,
there is, in many cases, a reluctance to lay down the volume which we
hold in our hand in order to read the reference. And beside, there is
nothing like the Word of God; and as to any remarks which we may
offer, their object is simply to help the beloved Christian reader to
understand and appreciate the scriptures which we quote.
"If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee,
and serve thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt let him
go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou
shalt not let him go away empty; _thou shalt furnish him liberally_
out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy wine-press; of
that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto
him."
How perfectly beautiful! how like our own ever-gracious God is all
this! He would not have the brother go away empty. Liberty and poverty
would not be in moral harmony. The brother was to be sent on his way
free and full, emancipated and endowed, not only with his liberty, but
with a liberal fortune to start with.
Truly, this is divine. We do not want to be told the school where such
exquisite ethics are taught. They have the very ring of heaven about
them; they emit the fragrant odor of the very paradise of God. Is it
not in this way that our God has dealt with us? All praise to His
glorious name! He has not only given us life and liberty, but He has
furnished us liberally with all we can possibly want for time and
eternity. He has opened the exhaustless treasury of heaven for us;
yea, He has given the Son of His bosom for us and to us--_for_ us, to
_save_; _to_ us, to _satisfy_. He has given us all things that pertain
to life and godliness; all that pertains to the life that now is, and
to that which is to come, is fully and perfectly secured by our
Father's liberal hand.
And is it not deeply affecting to mark how the heart of God expresses
itself in the style in which the Hebrew servant was to be treated?
"Thou shalt furnish him _liberally_." Not grudgingly, or of necessity.
It was to be done in a manner worthy of God. The actings of His people
are to be the reflection of Himself. We are called to the high and
holy dignity of being His moral representatives. It is marvelous; but
thus it is, through His infinite grace. He has not only delivered us
from the flames of an everlasting hell, but He calls us to act for
Him, and to be like Him, in the midst of a world that crucified His
Son. And not only has He conferred this lofty dignity upon us, but He
has endowed us with a princely fortune to support it. The
inexhaustible resources of heaven are at our disposal. "All things are
ours," through His infinite grace. Oh that we may more fully realize
our privileges, and thus more faithfully discharge our holy
responsibilities!
At verse 15 of our chapter, we have a very touching motive presented
to the heart of the people, one eminently calculated to stir their
affections and sympathies. "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee;
_therefore_ I command thee this thing to-day." The remembrance of
Jehovah's grace in redeeming them out of Egypt was to be the
ever-abiding and all-powerful motive-spring of their actings toward
the poor brother. This is a never-failing principle, and nothing lower
than this will ever stand. If we look for our motive-springs any where
but in God Himself, and in His dealings with us, we shall soon break
down in our practical career. It is only as we keep before our hearts
the marvelous grace of God displayed toward us in the redemption which
is in Christ Jesus that we shall be able to pursue a course of true,
active benevolence, whether toward our brethren or those outside. Mere
kindly feelings, bubbling up in our own hearts, or drawn out by the
sorrows and distresses and necessities of others, will prove
evanescent. It is only in the living God Himself we can find perennial
springs.
At verse 16, a case is contemplated in which a servant might prefer
remaining with his master. "And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I
will not go away from thee, because he loveth thee and thine house,
because he is well with thee, then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust
it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant
forever."
In comparing this passage with Exodus xxi. 1-6, we observe a marked
difference arising, as we might expect, from the distinctive character
of each book. In Exodus, the _typical_ feature is prominent; in
Deuteronomy, the _moral_. Hence, in the latter, the inspired writer
omits all about the wife and the children, as foreign to his purpose
here, though so essential to the beauty and perfectness of the type in
Exodus xxi. We merely notice this as one of the many striking proofs
that Deuteronomy is very far indeed from being a barren repetition of
its predecessors. There is neither repetition on the one hand, nor
contradiction on the other, but lovely variety in perfect accordance
with the divine object and scope of each book. So much for the
contemptible shallowness and ignorance of those infidel writers who
have had the impious temerity to level their shafts at this
magnificent portion of the oracles of God.
In our chapter, then, we have the moral aspect of this interesting
institution. The servant loved his master, and was happy with him. He
preferred perpetual slavery and the mark thereof with a master whom he
loved, to liberty and a liberal portion away from him. This, of
course, would argue well for both parties. It is ever a good sign for
both master and servant when the connection is of long standing.
Perpetual changing may, as a general rule, be taken as a proof of
moral wrong somewhere. No doubt there are exceptions; and not only so,
but in the relation of master and servant, as in every thing else,
there are two sides to be considered. For instance, we have to
consider whether the master is perpetually changing his servants, or
the servant perpetually changing his masters. In the former case,
appearances would tell against the master; in the latter, against the
servant.
The fact is, we have all to judge ourselves in this matter. Those of
us who are masters have to consider how far we really seek the
comfort, happiness, and solid profit of our servants. We should bear
in mind that we have very much more to think of, in reference to our
servants, than the amount of work we can get out of them. Even upon
the low-level principle of "live and let live," we are bound to seek,
in every possible way, to make our servants happy and comfortable; to
make them feel that they have a home under our roof; that we are not
content merely with the labor of their hands, but that we want the
love of their hearts. We remember once asking the head of a very large
establishment, "How many _hearts_ do you employ?" He shook his head,
and owned, with real sorrow, how little heart there is in the relation
of master and servant. Hence the common, heartless phrase of
"employing _hands_."
But the Christian master is called to stand upon a higher level
altogether; he is privileged to be an imitator of his Master--Christ.
The remembrance of this will regulate all his actings toward the
servant; it will lead him to study, with ever-deepening interest and
solid profit, his divine model, in order to reproduce Him in all the
practical details of daily life.
So also in reference to the Christian servant, in his position and
line of action. He, as well as the master, has to study the great
example set before him in the path and ministry of the only true
Servant that ever trod this earth. He is called to walk in His
blessed footsteps, to drink into His spirit, to study His Word. It is
not a little remarkable that the Holy Ghost has devoted more attention
to the instruction of servants than to all the other relationships put
together. This the reader can see at a glance, in the epistles to the
Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus. The Christian servant can adorn the
doctrine of God our Saviour by not purloining and not answering again.
He can serve the Lord Christ in the most common-place duties of
domestic life just as effectually as the man who is called to address
thousands on the grand realities of eternity.
Thus, when both master and servant are mutually governed by heavenly
principles, both seeking to serve and glorify the one Lord, they will
get on happily together. The master will not be severe, arbitrary, and
exacting; and the servant will not be self-seeking, heady, and
high-minded: each will contribute, by the faithful discharge of their
relative duties, to the comfort and happiness of the other, and to the
peace and happiness of the whole domestic circle. Would that it were
more after this heavenly fashion in every Christian household on the
face of the earth! Then indeed would the truth of God be vindicated,
His Word honored, and His name glorified in our domestic relations and
practical ways.
In verse 18, we have an admonitory word which reveals to us, very
faithfully, but with great delicacy, a moral root in the poor human
heart. "It shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away
free from thee, for he has been worth a double hired servant to thee
in serving thee six years, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in
all that thou doest."
This is very affecting. Only think of the most high God condescending
to stand before the human heart--the heart of a master, to plead the
cause of a poor servant, and set forth his claims! It is as if He were
asking a favor for Himself. He leaves nothing unsaid in order to
strengthen the case; He reminds the master of the value of six years'
service, and encourages him by the promise of enlarged blessing as a
reward for his generous acting. It is perfectly beautiful. The Lord
would not only have the generous thing done, but done in such a way as
to gladden the heart of the one to whom it was done; He thinks not
only of the _substance_ of an action, but also of the _style_. We may,
at times, brace ourselves up to the business of doing a kindness; we
do it as a matter of duty, and all the while it may "_seem hard_" that
we should have to do it; thus the act will be robbed of all its
charms. It is the generous heart that adorns the generous act. We
should so do a kindness as to assure the recipient that our own heart
is made glad by the act. This is the divine way: "When they had
nothing to pay, he _frankly_ forgave them both."--"It is meet that
_we_ should make merry, and be glad."--"There is joy in heaven over
one sinner that repenteth." Oh, to be a brighter reflection of the
precious grace of our Father's heart!
Ere closing our remarks on this deeply interesting chapter, we shall
quote for the reader its last paragraph. "All the firstling males
that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the
Lord thy God; thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock,
nor shear the firstling of thy sheep; thou shalt eat it before the
Lord thy God year by year _in the place which the Lord shall choose_,
thou and thy household. And if there be any blemish therein, as if it
be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice
it unto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt eat it within thy gates, the
unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and
as the hart. Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt
pour it upon the ground as water." (Ver. 19-23.)
Only that which was perfect was to be offered to God. The first-born,
unblemished male, the apt figure of the spotless Lamb of God, offered
upon the cross for us, the imperishable foundation of our peace, and
the precious food of our souls, in the presence of God. This was the
divine thing,--the assembly gathered together around the divine
centre, feasting in the presence of God on that which was the
appointed type of Christ, who is at once our sacrifice, our centre,
and our feast. Eternal and universal homage to His most precious and
glorious Name!