(Exodus) Exodus 21:1-11 — J. Vernon McGee

Social Legislation for Hebrew Servants

Now we come to chapter 21, and here we have this social legislation. It's quite interesting, some of the things that are dealt with here. And I begin reading at verse 1, because this has to do with master and servant.

And that was a pretty important issue in that day, after all these people had been slaves in Egypt. Now, these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If thou by an Hebrew servant six years he shall serve, and in the seven he shall go out free for nothing.

In other words, they could never permanently make one of their brethren a slave. Now verse 3, if he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.

The Servant's Choice of Lifelong Bondage

If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her masters, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife and my children, I'll not go out free.

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or unto the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through and all, and he shall serve him forever. Now, this is a remarkable thing that's put right here.

The Hebrew Servant as a Picture of Christ

And here's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, if there ever was one, and it's a beautiful one. The law is this, if a man is a slave and he can go out in seven years, and if he was married when he became a slave, he take his wife out.

But if while he's a slave that he gets a wife, and that means one that's a slave of his master, then he can go out but not his wife, she can't go out free. And so if he say, though, well, I love my wife, and I love my master, I want to stay.

Christ's Willing Servanthood and His Bride

And then he takes them all and bores them through. Well, that's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, how in the world can that be a picture of him? Well, I think a very wonderful picture of him.

He came to this earth and he took upon himself our humanity, and we were all slaves of sin. He could have gone out free. He didn't have to die upon the cross, but he came down to this earth, and he became a servant, obedient even unto death.

Psalm 40's Servant Song

And he died and went through the same gate we did in order that he might get a bride for himself. But he had to be crucified to do it. And the writer to the Psalms takes that picture and uses it. Over in Psalm 40, verse 6, "...sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, mine ears hast thou opened, burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book it's written of me, I delight to do thy will, O God, yea, thy law is within mine heart.". And that refers to Christ. Somebody says, how do you know it refers to Christ?

Hebrews 10 Applies Psalm 40 to Christ

Well, if you would turn over to the 10th chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, why, we find there that it was fulfilled when our Lord came to this earth. Because in Hebrews 10, 5, it says, "...wherefore, when he cometh into the world," now speaking of Christ, "...he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me.".

Christ's Incarnate Body and Obedience to the Cross

Now, it's not his ears he's digged, but he gave him a body. And Christ took upon himself a body, and he'll have that body throughout eternity. But he could have left this earth without dying. But he said, I love the church.

I love the sinner. And so he died and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. What a picture this is of Christ, right here after giving the Ten Commandments.