Biblical Slavery and Divine Accommodation

The presence of slavery in the Bible often raises challenging questions about morality, divine nature, and the interpretation of sacred texts. How do we reconcile the existence of slavery in biblical narratives and laws with the concept of a just and loving God? This article explores this complex issue through the lens of divine accommodation, offering a perspective that bridges ancient contexts with timeless moral principles.

Understanding Divine Accommodation

Divine accommodation is a theological concept suggesting that God, in His interactions with humanity, often works within existing cultural frameworks to gradually guide people towards higher moral standards. It's as if God meets people where they are, adapting His communication and guidance to their current understanding and societal norms, while simultaneously leading them towards a more enlightened ethical framework.

This concept is explicitly referenced by Jesus in Matthew 19:8, where He discusses divorce: "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning." This verse provides clear biblical support for the idea that God sometimes accommodates human weakness and cultural norms while still maintaining a higher ideal.

God's Clear Moral Stance Against Slavery

Before delving into the concept of divine accommodation, it's crucial to establish God's unequivocal moral position against slavery. This is most powerfully demonstrated in the Exodus narrative, where God dramatically intervenes to liberate the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This act of divine rescue serves as a foundational story in the Old Testament, repeatedly referenced as a reminder of God's opposition to oppression and enslavement.

The question then arises: Why would God rescue the Israelites from slavery if He endorses it or considers it morally acceptable? The answer is clear – He doesn't. The Exodus story fundamentally establishes that God views slavery as immoral and oppressive. This divine act of liberation becomes the basis for much of Israel's ethical teachings, with God frequently reminding the Israelites, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you" (Deuteronomy 15:15).

Slavery in the Bible: Divine Accommodation and Progressive Revelation

Given God's clear moral stance against slavery, as demonstrated in the Exodus, how do we understand the presence of slavery-related laws and narratives in the Bible? This is where the concept of divine accommodation becomes crucial:

1. Cultural Reality of the Ancient Near East: Despite God's moral position, slavery was deeply entrenched in ancient Near Eastern societies. It was a complex economic and social system that couldn't be dismantled overnight without causing significant societal upheaval.
2. God's Accommodative Approach: Rather than imposing an outright ban that might have been ignored or caused societal collapse, God implements strict regulations within the existing framework. These regulations:
• Made slave ownership extremely burdensome and risky
• Protected slaves from the worst abuses
• Gradually steered society away from this immoral practice
3. Severe Punishments as Deterrents: Exodus 21:16 mandates the death penalty for kidnapping and selling a person into slavery. This severe punishment underscores how seriously God viewed the immorality of enslaving another human being, serving as a strong deterrent against one of the primary sources of slavery in the ancient world.
4. New Testament Development: In the New Testament, we see an even stronger emphasis on freedom and equality, further reinforcing the immorality of slavery. While it doesn't explicitly call for immediate abolition (likely due to the complex social realities of the time), its teachings on human dignity and equality before God laid the groundwork for later abolitionist movements.

Beyond Slavery: Other Examples of Divine Accommodation

The principle of divine accommodation isn't limited to the issue of slavery. We can observe it in various other aspects of biblical law and narrative:

1. Divorce Laws: As mentioned earlier, Jesus explicitly refers to divine accommodation in Matthew 19:8 regarding divorce laws. Despite God's ideal of marriage as a lifelong commitment, Moses permitted divorce due to the "hardness of hearts" (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus explains this as an accommodation to human weakness, not a reflection of God's perfect will.
2. Monarchy in Israel: God initially opposed the idea of Israel having a human king, preferring direct theocracy. However, He accommodated the people's demand for a king (1 Samuel 8), while providing warnings about the potential abuses of monarchical power.
3. Polygamy: While monogamy is clearly God's ideal for marriage (Genesis 2:24), the Old Testament records instances of polygamy without explicit condemnation in each case. This can be understood as another example of divine accommodation, with God working within cultural practices while gradually steering His people back towards the original ideal of monogamous marriage.

Implications and Reflections

Understanding divine accommodation helps us grapple with some of the ethical challenges presented in the Old Testament. It reveals a God who engages with humanity in its historical and cultural context, patiently guiding it towards higher moral ground. This concept invites us to:

1. Recognize the Progressive Nature of Revelation: God's will and moral standards are unveiled gradually over time, adapting to human capacity for understanding and implementation.
2. Appreciate the Tension Between Ideal and Real: The Bible often presents a tension between God's perfect standards and the realities of human society, showing how God works within imperfect systems to bring about change.
3. Reflect on Contemporary Application: Just as God worked within ancient cultural frameworks to elevate moral standards, we are challenged to consider how divine principles might apply to our modern ethical dilemmas.
4. Engage in Thoughtful Biblical Interpretation: This approach encourages us to read biblical texts with attention to their historical context while also seeking timeless moral principles.

Conclusion

The biblical approach to slavery, viewed through the lens of divine accommodation, represents a journey from regulation to abolition. It demonstrates a divine strategy of working within human cultural contexts to gradually shift moral understanding and behavior. The Exodus narrative establishes God's fundamental opposition to slavery, while subsequent laws and teachings reflect a patient, long-term approach to eradicating this deeply entrenched practice.

This perspective helps resolve the apparent contradiction between God's liberation of the Israelites from slavery and the presence of slavery-related laws in the Bible. It reveals a God who is consistently opposed to oppression and enslavement, but who works within human limitations to bring about lasting moral change. While this process took centuries, the biblical emphasis on human dignity, freedom, and equality ultimately contributed significantly to the global movement to end slavery.

The explicit reference to divine accommodation by Jesus in Matthew 19:8 provides strong biblical support for this interpretive approach, helping us understand how God's perfect will can coexist with imperfect human practices in Scripture.