If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do.
If she does not please the master who has betrothed her to 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 has betrothed her to his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter.
If he marries her, then takes another wife also, he must not deprive the first wife of her food, clothing, and conjugal rights.
If he is not willing to provide her these three, then she is to go free without the payment of any money.
It is interesting that God would be concerned not only for the physical needs of a slave-wife of a master-husband, but also for her emotional welfare, in giving this rule to grant her these three specific rights.
The picture here is of a Hebrew girl, whose family has sold her to another Hebrew man to be his wife, with the payment of a dowry to her father. The law concerning the Year of Jubilee is to free the Hebrew slaves the seventh year, but not the female slaves. She is due the respect of a family member.
If the purchaser changes his mind and decides not to marry her after all, then her family can redeem her, and she can go back home.
If he marries her, but then marries another woman also, then he is not to reduce his care of his slave-wife, but still provide her the same food, clothing, and standing as his wife.
If he doesn't marry her, but instead betroths her to his son, then he must give her the rights of a daughter. She is now his family.
This is in stark contrast to the nations surrounding Israel. Women had no rights at all, and were treated as property even in the family setting. God is showing us that His ways are not our ways, He considers all His people as worth respect and honor. He wants the women to be respected and honored and cared for, as their worth is no less than the men.
God even allowed the daughters to inherit property, and be property-owners, if they had no brothers.
If Israel had actually followed all the rules and regulations God gave them, their whole economy would have been revitalized every 50 years, Hebrew slaves would have been freed to go back home, and all the properties would have reverted back to the original families. Everyone would have had means of income; land, housing, food, clothing. There would have been no poor, as the poor people who had lost their property would have gotten it back, to start the cycle over again.
God loves us and wants us all to prosper. If He hasn't given us the means to prosper financially, then He has prospered us in other ways, and will provide all we need generously, out of His great abundance.
And He wants us all to love one another, as He has loved us. To have respect for each other person, whether they've earned it or not, because they are made in the image of our Creator, and thereby are worth respect inherently. God has made us with value, and when we value one another we will treat each other with compassion and consideration, not criticism or complaint.
O my Father, thank You for making me, making us all, with great worth. I know I will never deserve or be able to earn Your goodwill, but You have taken the initiative to show me how much You value me, that You consider me worth sending Your only Son to take my place in death, so that I can receive Your life. Now I am able to learn of You, to learn Your ways, and to have the strength to buck the trends of this World to live my life according to Your Plan for me.
And You will receive all the credit, all the glory, because it is Your Plan that is unfolding and progressing in all You have created, and Your purposes will be fulfilled in Your way, in Your time.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
