The story illustrates love expressed through a costly voluntary choice to give up personal freedom.
A Hebrew servant who was given a wife by his master could leave free after six years, but that would mean leaving his wife and children behind (Exodus 21:2-4). If he plainly declared, "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free," his master brought him to the judges and pierced his ear at the doorpost, and he served him forever (Exodus 21:5-6). Les Feldick places this in Israel's civil law, showing a servant choosing lifelong service because of love.
Exodus 21:5 — The verse records the servant's own words — "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free" — showing the story's point is love expressed through the choice to stay.
Exodus 21 opens a section of civil judgments God gave Moses to set before the children of Israel. The law of the Hebrew servant provided that a man bought as a servant served six years, and in the seventh year he went out free for nothing (Exodus 21:1-2). If he came in by himself, he went out by himself; if he were married at entry, his wife went out with him (Exodus 21:3). If his master had given him a wife during the six years, the wife and any children she bore remained the master's, and the servant went out alone (Exodus 21:4). The law then provided a remarkable exception: if the servant plainly said, "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free," his master was to bring him to the judges and then to the door or doorpost, bore his ear through with an awl, and the servant would serve him forever (Exodus 21:5-6). The text itself names the servant's love as the explicit reason for giving up his freedom.
Les Feldick places Exodus 21 in the context of Israel's civil law — the rules and regulations for getting along with one's neighbor and employer — which God gave to Moses to set before the children of Israel. He notes these were part of the Law but not what we call the Ten Commandments. He walks through the case: a Hebrew servant serves six years and in the seventh goes out free for nothing, having paid out his servitude. If he came in single, he goes out alone; if he entered married, his wife goes out with him. But if the master gave him a wife during those years, Les explains the cost: the servant could take his freedom, but his wife and children would remain with the master. He therefore faced a decision — to leave free and be separated from them, or to remain a servant for life because he loved them. Les emphasizes the ceremony: the servant plainly declared his love for his master, wife, and children, and chose not to go out free; he was brought before the civil authorities to the door or doorpost, and his ear was pierced with an awl, marking his decision to serve permanently rather than only for the original period of service. Though modern readers may find the arrangement difficult, Les notes Israel's servitude was regulated by law and handled equitably, unlike the harsh slavery of later history, and that God instituted it because it fits with Adam and Christ. The central picture is a servant giving up personal freedom out of love for his wife and children — reflecting the principle that love calls forth love in return.
The law gave the servant his freedom after six years, but if his master had given him a wife, the wife and her children belonged to the master, and the servant would go out by himself (Exodus 21:2-4). The servant could then plainly declare, "I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free" (Exodus 21:5). Love for his family and master made lifelong servitude his willing choice rather than freedom alone.
When the servant declared he would not go out free, his master brought him to the judges and then to the door or doorpost, where his ear was bored through with an awl — after which he served his master forever (Exodus 21:5-6). As Les Feldick teaches, this marked the servant's decision to serve permanently rather than only for the original period of six years.
Les Feldick points out that Israel's servitude was regulated by law and handled equitably, unlike the harsh slavery known from later history. The arrangement is presented as something instituted by God because it fits with Adam and Christ — the picture of a servant giving up personal freedom out of love for his wife and children.
Les notes that Exodus 21 follows the giving of the law in chapter 20 and contains a set of rules and regulations that were part of Israel's civil law — how to get along with a neighbor and how an employee gets along with his boss. It was all part of the Law, but certainly not part of what we call the Ten Commandments.
The Hebrew Servant and Israel's Civil Law
Les identifies Exodus 21 as part of Israel's civil law — rules for neighbors and employers — and explains the six-year servitude: a single man leaves alone, a married man leaves with his wife, but a servant given a wife by his master faces the costly choice of staying for love or leaving free alone.
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The Old Testament says his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, his ways are higher than our ways, and it's not for us to question. But I think realizing that God is righteous, you can be coming back to Exodus, realizing that God is righteous, he can do no sin, he can do no wrong. He gives every human being that exercise of free will.
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That's why Israel wYou see, all of these things in the Old Testament are a living example of New Testament doctrine or teaching. And the same thing holds true today. As a believer, as a child of God, we're admonished constantly by the apostle Paul that we're to separate ourselves from the world.
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So God brings him to a place of having to make a tough decision. And like the average human being, how did old Pharaoh decide? In his own direction. He made his own choice. Now as we come through all these plagues, after every plague, Moses goes back and says in so many words, well, now are you ready to let the Jews go? What could Pharaoh have said? Let them go.
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Or the same way here. These children of Israel were a people of choice. They didn't have to have that stupid calf. They weren't hurting. God was going to take care of them. But of their own volition, of their own choice, they said to Aaron, We've got to have a God to worship. As for Moses, we don't know what's happened to him. Okay, now then.
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We have been set free, and we are no longer under the shackles of Satan. We are now, as Israel was, brought out of Egypt, set apart for God. Now, of course, we're going to see in coming chapters in Exodus, when things got a little rough, where did the Jew always hanker to go back to? Oh, the old life in Egypt.
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I mean, listen, it's going to be awful for those who are lost, and we can't compromise that. But for those of us who believe, and as it shows here, it begins in the heart. All right, now I've got to go on. I told somebody a moment ago, I'm going to try and finish Exodus, but I'm afraid we're not going to succeed, and it just…there's too much left up here. That's the problem.
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But to understand what God's Word says is what I hopefully am attempting to do. All right, now you remember last week that Moses made his presentation to the children of Israel and had hoped to be able to deliver them. Remember that he had everything going for him.
Exodus 21:1: Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
This verse introduces the civil judgments God gave Moses to set before Israel, including the law of the Hebrew servant.
Exodus 21:2: If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
This establishes the six-year term and the servant's right to go free in the seventh year.
Exodus 21:3: If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
This distinguishes the servant's situation based on whether he was single or married when he entered servitude.
Exodus 21:4: If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
This creates the costly choice: if the master gave the servant a wife, the wife and children remain with the master when the servant leaves.
Exodus 21:5: And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
This is the key verse showing the servant's love is the stated reason for choosing lifelong service.
Exodus 21:6: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
This describes the public ceremony marking the servant's permanent commitment.
The law stated that if his master gave him a wife during his six years of service, the wife and her children belonged to the master, so the servant would go out by himself (Exodus 21:4). Only by choosing to remain a servant could he stay with his family.
The servant was brought to the judges and then to the door or doorpost, where his master bored his ear through with an awl, after which he served his master forever (Exodus 21:6). Les Feldick describes this as marking his decision to serve permanently rather than only for the original period of service.
No. Les Feldick explains that Exodus 21 contains civil judgments — rules for getting along with one's neighbor and employer — that God gave Moses to set before Israel. They were part of the Law but not part of what we call the Ten Commandments.
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