It's In The Bible

“However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. [Leviticus 25.44]

Yes, the Bible, the Holy Bible, contains this verse.

Why would the Bible (God) say such a thing?

Simple: because it was the God-ordained social program through which mankind might effectively deal with poverty. 

Slavery was ordained by God and instructions were specific for its execution. It had nothing to do with race, but was very much nationality-specific (as seen in the full context of the verse above - Leviticus 25.35-55) for good reason.

With further consideration, the 'nationality' part of slavery reveals all. In the case of the context of the verse above, Israel was to consider no other Israelite a 'slave' even though in function it was ordained to help the struggling fellow Israelite with freedom as the ultimate mandate.

As a nation, Israel was to care for its own through individual responsibility for one another. If an Israelite fell into poverty and could no longer support himself, then it was the responsibility of fellow Israelites to care for him in a way that would get him back on his financial feet. This included putting him to work. It was Israel's way to deal with Israel's poor.

God never has been much on 'everyone being equal.' In fact, God is God and there is no equal to Him. In fact, God leads from a position of authority and dominion - again, equal to no one. But very clear from God's ordination of slavery in Leviticus 25, His position does not exempt Him from love. "Nationality" has everything to do with, and reveals the nature of God's love.

So why then would God ordain acquisition of slaves from other nations? To differentiate between a nation whose social system of love works within itself and a nation whose social system lacks love and does not work within itself. True that the requirements for treatment of non-national slaves and  fellow Israelites fallen into poverty were different - but therein lies the inspiration for a nation to sustain itself - not allowing its poor to be forced to go outside their own nation just to survive (albeit in slavery).

The Bible contains Leviticus 25.44. It is there and the burden of dealing with it lies upon all who read it. If all we do is categorically reject the notion of slavery, we miss the most effective social system known to man - the social system ordained by God. And that is largely what has happened all across the world - nations have gotten on the bandwagon of abolishing slavery, but have failed miserably to establish social justice, care, and love for the poor. 

The United States' social justice system (welfare) has become nothing more than a broken politically-Socialist effort that demonstrates nothing of the love of God in actually helping people get back on their feet, but instead has largely promoted a lower-class society of dependence and worse, entitlement. It is of no surprise then that the effectiveness of the US welfare system has declined proportionately to the rise of Godlessness in the nation. US patriots are all teary-eyed about national pride, but take no personal action in the life of another struggling US citizen as described in the Bible - and particularly in today's OYCB reading.

It is not ironic that the very next chapter in Leviticus reiterates the blessings and curses for obedience or disobedience to God.

“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. [Leviticus 26.3-5]

Now, contrast the wealth and freedom of Leviticus 26.3-5 with the poverty and slavery of Leviticus 26. 14-17:

“However, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands, and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you! [Leviticus 26.14-17]

We may think of these passages at the individual level, but we also must not miss the 'national' implications of both! If we, as individuals, do not deal with poverty in doing our part for national security, then, our people are destined to become enslaved to other, more astute nations!

The problem then with "open borders" and "cultural diversity" is that it does not promote the social protection of nationalism. Nationalism, as was clearly seen in Israel (and in the establishment of the USA) was very much tied to the worship of and devotion to God Almighty. And He, Almighty God, gave, in the Bible, a clear framework for social justice that would, in turn, promote nationalism.

I am just processing Leviticus 25.44 here. If God said it, then do we really have a choice to accept or reject it?

Father, I have tried here to process Leviticus 25.44. I am beginning to understand the complexities of social structure. I fully recognize that one-world-social-idealism has effectively ignored the Bible's social system. I also understand that digression from You and Your Word is clearly prophesied in the Bible. I furthermore understand that true believers in Your Word will be recognized not by their conformance to the world, but by their conformance to You and Your Word.