Responsible

DEVOTION

EXODUS

RESPONSIBLE

Ex 21:7-11

7 "If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do. 8 If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9 If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

NIV

This seems a little strange to be selling a daughter as a servant. Why would a father even consider selling his own daughter into slavery or to be a maidservant of another man? And why would she not be able to go free at the seventh year like menservants do? This may appear to be more like a betrothal rather than as a servant. Yet the fact is a woman did not have the same rights as men in this culture. They were in essence no more than property of sorts. Certainly there must have been love involved among men and woman as we witnessed with Jacob working seven years for Rachel and we were told he loved her. Yet these are the commands of God regarding the responsibilities a man has toward a woman in his care. This case of being redeemed is unspoken as to who should do the redeeming, but it would be her father and only him. He sold her, and he would redeem or buy her back, or pay the price for her. This is how Christ paid the price for us, he redeemed us, he bought us back from Satan, who by default we choose to be associated with. When a man buys or pays for a man’s daughter, it could have been for himself or for a wife for his son. But either way she was to be treated as family and no matter what else happens she was not to be deprived of food, clothing and marital rights. If he didn’t then she was free to leave without being redeemed. How does this all apply to our culture today? It is certain that those who practice Shari Law see women as property who do not have any rights other then what their male owner gives them. But here in this country women have stepped way beyond any of these conditions set out here by God for the people. It almost appears that women today would want to know in what world a man would have that kind of authority over a woman. But it is not about authority, but rather responsibility and accountability of the man for any woman in his household. It also almost appears in our society today many men have abnegated their responsibilities and do not even consider themselves accountable to God for women in their household. Although on the surface this command might look like how women are to be bought and sold, it is actually about the responsibilities men have to and for women in their household. If they are not fulfilling their responsibilities, then the woman is free to leave them, at no cost to her. In all reality God is setting forth the rights of women here rather than restrictions. In our society this whole idea may have gone astray, in fact overboard in the wrong direction. We men need to step up and take the responsibility God has placed upon us. That does not mean we become owners of women, but rather accountable to God for those women in our household. Responsibility and accountable does demand authority. If we are responsible and accountable then we also have the authority. This does not mean we become kings, or demand everything our way, but that we must make the right choices for our family. This has nothing to do about women working or having careers or being in leadership roles within the business community. This has everything to do with men being responsible and accountable to God for women that are in his household. It does not matter that his wife may be the CEO of a major firm, God still holds her husband responsible for her. That is the way God set it up from the very beginning and that is how it will be until the end. We men need to step up if we are not being the man God intends us to be. We are responsible.