This morning I read where the Bible opened up. It opened to Amos 7:5, and I read about how the people were unfair, and taking advantage of the poor. How they made them a slave for a pair of sandals.Mary Bierman 2/09/98
I thought back about things I had learned. One could be bought as a slave, taken as a slave, or sell themselves into Slavery.
In the NT were are told to love our fellow man kind as our selves. That of the house hold of faith, and our families we are to help them, and after that others if they had need. If we had two of something and they were without to give them one. We were to give freely not expecting back, not expecting praise for doing it.
Even back then if a family member needed help they would say that it was already set aside as an offering to the Father. The Master told us that what we did to one of His children, was as if we did it to Him, or for Him. So many today have offerings set aside to send in to the "church", they know of someone who is in need. If they send it to the Church, most times that person will not receive any help what so ever from them.
We also see that we are to do of our free will, not being made to do something. The soldiers could command them to carry their burden, but they were told to take it and extra mile. Emotionally, and mentally this took them out of the slave context, the being taken advantage mode, and maybe a grumbling mood, and put them in a giving of oneself attitude. Which could change their outlook on things. Maybe, I don't know, that our Father then looked upon it as a good deed done.
We are told to owe no man ( be slaves to no man) anything, but love. We do see if one is in that position for some reasons that he is to be honest, and a good worker, doing it as unto the Master in heaven, not the one on earth.
Praise our Father that we physically do not have the same system today. Yet, if we do not watch we can become slaves to every day things.
© 02/09/98 - Mary Bierman All rights reserved. May be copied with permission, with this line added to it.
mlbierman@oocities.com