Of First Concern

These are the laws you are to set before them... Exodus 21:1

Of First Concern
By Rev. William Dohle

I love to laugh and am always looking for something that makes me chuckle.

Of the things that make me laugh, David Letterman's Top Ten takes the cake.  Something in his lists always makes me chuckle.  Here's one I can relate with having children(and an infant that will soon be crawling...).

Top Ten Unsafe Toys
--------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Junior Electrician Outlet Patrol
 9. Hasbro's Slippery Steps
 8. Black & Decker's
 7. Roof Ranger Paratrooper Outfit
 6. Ramco's Pocket Hive
 5. Traffic Tag
 4. Will it Burn? from Parker Brothers
 3. Chimney Explorer
 2. My First Ferret Farm
 1. The Hold Your Breath Game by Milton Bradley

Of course with any Top Ten list, the most important one isn't the first one listed.  It's the last one.  The #1 is usually the funniest and the most appropriate answer to the question.  Usually we start with #1...but they push you through 10 through 2 so that the most important one gets the most laughs.

The book of Exodus in its list of the laws of Israel and describing God's concern for God's people, does not start with the least important one and work to the most important.  It starts with the group that is most important to God and works the other way.

And the group that is most important to God?  The ones who are #1 on God's list.?  Are they the rich?  The wealthy ones?  Are they those who have the power?  Maybe the priests at the time?  Well... the group that takes the cake as far as God's concern are...

(Drum roll please...)

The slaves!

What?  No reaction?  Did you hear me right?  Let's try this again.  The first ones that God is concerned about are...

(Drum roll again...)

The slaves!

That's right.  Those who are at the bottom of the chain of command.  Those without the power.  Those who are, in many cases, property of someone else.  That's who's God got on his mind.

Here's what God has to say about them...

"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years.  But in the seventh year, he shall go free..."(Exodus 21:2)
"If a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to go free as menservants do.  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.  If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.  If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing, and marital rights.  If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money."(Exodus 21:7-11)

Now perhaps you've tuned out by now...or skipped ahead.  Perhaps you think this has nothing to do with you and why should you care how slaves were treated back then.  Maybe you don't have much of a reaction to this passage because it's not the most important thing to you.  Or maybe you see the seeds of slavery in our own world here and wonder why God didn't take a stronger stand against slavery instead of working through the institution.

Despite all this the fact remains: slaves are important to God.  Very important!  The lowest ones among us and their welfare is first on God's mind.  Make sure they are treated well.

Today, according to the New York Times, there are 24 million slaves across the globe, more than there were in 1860.  To purchase a slave, all you need is $140.00!  Slaves work in a variety of areas, for textile mills to brothel houses.  And, what's more, most slaves are not bonded willingly but either kidnapped or because of debt.  Most slaves will never see freedom in their lifetimes.

The book of Exodus does more than illustrate God's concern for the slave.  It actually demonstrates compassion as well.  True, it does not condemn the practice, what many abolitionists in the 1800's wished it would do, but it does talk about respect and compassion and the ability to be freed at some point.

And more than all of this, it illustrates God's concern for the slave.  They are the first ones to be named specifically for laws concerning their condition.  Before the role of the priests are described.  Before we the book of Leviticus with its rules and regulations.  Before all of this.  The first concern of God is...how we treat the lowest ones among us.

Maybe that should be our concern too.  Looking out at the world, perhaps we should put on our "God glasses" and look for the lowest, the least, the little, the lost, and the dead.  For, in finding them, we will find God standing beside them in solidarity, inviting us to join the cause of peace and justice in the world.

We are blind at times, Heavenly Father, to the lowest who are all around us.  Open our eyes that we might see them, embrace them in love, and work for justice and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.