This week we’re looking at the theme of slavery in Egypt. You can read the story in Exodus 1 (the full chapter, but it’s only 22 verses long). You can read it here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%201&version=NIV
A few questions to get our thinking started:
What is a slave? It is defined as a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. When I read this, I consider that slaves have fewer choices than those who are free. They are at the mercy of their ‘owners’.
What is a slave master? Defined as one who owns a slave and who controls the action of a slave owned by others.
According to www.antislavery.org, slavery is still going on in our world and is a multi-billion dollar industry. 40 million people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery. 71% of slaves today are female and 1 in 4 are children. The most common forms of slavery are:
- Human trafficking – prostitution, labour, criminality, marriage and organ removal
- Forced labour
- Debt bondage/bonded labour – borrowing money and having to work to pay it off, losing control over both their employment conditions and the debt
- Descent-based slavery – most traditional form where people’s slave status was passed down the maternal line
- Slavery of children – human trafficking, child soldiers, child marriage, domestic slavery
- Forced and early marriage – married against their will and cannot leave
But why does slavery still exist today? In relation to those who are enslaved, there are people who are more vulnerable than others, usually due to poverty, discrimination, and laws that do not protect them. For those who are slave masters, criminal gangs can be involved but also farm owners who take advantage of migrants. “I think it’s just about certain people finding that vulnerability in people to exploit them. That’s why it’s so difficult to spot, because a lot of people in modern slavery look like they’re in normal jobs, but there is something more troubling behind the surface (www.dw.com)”
When’s the last time you thought about slavery – be it historical or modern? Is there a historical story relating to slavery in your family history? What do you think it would be like to be a slave in Egypt at the time our story in the bible was happening? Where might we find God within slavery?
Here is a short video on modern slavery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7xpruxocv0
And a song titled, “Oh Freedom!” as performed by The Golden Gospel Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veiJLhXdwn8
A prayer for today:
Holy God and loving parent, we ask you to be with us as we think of slavery this week. Help us to have open minds and hearts to understanding what’s going on around us even though we may not see it or believe it. Help us not to be slaves to anything of this world, but to keep our focus on you. May Jesus walk with us, may Spirit guide us and may you comfort us this day and all our days. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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