While it is certainly not our place to rewrite history, learning the reason why people thought the way they did will give us new understanding of historical events. While we will always be tempted to judge certain ideas or events, when we search for an explanation, we come to understand the limited thinking of our ancestors. While the people of the past did not always have the best intentions towards one another, many people used the Bible as justification for their actions, trying to absolve themselves of guilt. This method of using the Bible to soothe one’s conscience is still used today. However, eventually, we encounter some dilemmas regarding this process. Today it’s possible to understand the Bible with greater depth so that we can see the past as well as the future a bit more clearly. One way in which personal feelings of self condemnation were resolved was by using the Bible to justify slave ownership, and in enslaving certain ethnic people groups. While many more domineering nations enslaved more docile nations, religion was used as justification for this practice being biblically sound, because these people were thought to be sons of Canaan. However, there is a catch in using that philosophy. Not only is it impossible to determine who Canaan’s descendants were/are, Abraham had six sons who were part Canaanite, and all of Jacob’s sons became enslaved. Let’s explore the idea of slaves, servants and sojourners.
After the flood there was a new beginning, but it was not long before certain people ended up cursed. Noah and his family exited the ark and began life on the earth once again. Ham did something which caused his fourth son Canaan to be cursed by Noah. Noah states:
Genesis 9:25G2532And G2036he said, G1944Accursed be G*Canaan --G3816a child, G3610[a domestic servant G1510.8.3he will be] G3588to G80his brothers. G1473
1944 LSJ Gloss:ἐπικατάρατοςyet more accursed
Dodson:ἐπικατάρατος accursed on whom a curse has been invoked, accursed, doomed to destruction.
Strong's:ἐπικατάρατοςimprecated, i.e. execrableDerivation: from G1909 and a derivative of G2672;KJV Usage: accursed.
Thayer:
1) accursed, execrable, exposed to divine vengeance, lying under God's curse
ἐπικατάρατος epikataratos ep-ee-kat-ar'-at-os From G1909 and a derivative of G2672; imprecated, that is, execrable KJV Usage: accursed.
Epi means “over” or “upon”, kataratos means “doom”. Canaan was imprecated and accursed. While we are not told exactly why Canaan is cursed, there are many tales and assumptions as to what may have happened. We do know that Canaan was the fourth son of Ham. It is possible that Ham put an end to Noah ever having a fourth son. We can be sure it probably had little to do with being unclothed, but instead perhaps he was exposed in a way that another could take advantage of. What if Noah wanted more heirs to fill the earth? If Noah wanted a fourth son but now could not have a fourth son, the individual who ended Noah’s reproductive prospects would suffer the same or a like punishment; such as also having a cursed fourth son. Curses are usually called down in the same venue as the evil deed which precipitated the necessity of the curse. Notice David’s imprecations against his enemies. He cursed his enemies in the same manner that they were harming him. Therefore it is possible that Canaan bore the curse of His father because of his father’s actions. Noah goes on.
Genesis 9:26G2532And G2036he said, G2128Blessed be G2962the lord G3588 G2316God G3588 G*of Shem, G2532and G1510.8.3Canaan will be G* G3816[servant G3610domestic G1473his].
27G4115May God widen G3588 G2316 G3588 G*to Japheth, G2532and G2730let him dwell G1722in G3588the G4638tents G3588 G*of Shem, G2532and G1096let Canaan become G* G3816their servant. G1473
3816 LSJ Gloss: παῖς a child
Dodson: παῖς a boy or girl child (a) a male child, boy, (b) a male slave, servant; thus: a servant of God, especially as a title of the Messiah, (c) a female child, girl.
Strong's: παῖς a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy), a girl, and (genitive case) a child; specially, a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God) Derivation: perhaps from G3817; KJV Usage: child, maid(-en), (man) servant, son, young man.
Thayer:
1) a child, boy or girl
1a) infants, children
2) servant, slave
2a) an attendant, servant, spec. a king's attendant, minister
For Synonyms see entry G5868
1a) infants, children
2) servant, slave
2a) an attendant, servant, spec. a king's attendant, minister
For Synonyms see entry G5868
παῖς pais paheece Perhaps from G3817; a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy) a girl, and (generally) a child; specifically a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God) KJV Usage: child, maid (-en), (man) servant, son, young man.
3610 LSJ Gloss: οἰκέτης a house-slave, menial
Dodson: οἰκέτης a household servant.
Strong's: οἰκέτης a fellow resident, i.e. menial domestic Derivation: from G3611; KJV Usage: (household) servant.
Thayer:
1) one who lives in the same house as another, spoken of all who are under the authority of one and the same householder
1a) a servant, a domestic
1a) a servant, a domestic
οἰκέτης oiketēs oy-ket'-ace From G3611; a fellow resident, that is, menial domestic KJV Usage: (household) servant.
Canaan was to be a domestic servant to his brothers, to Shem, and Japheth. Basically Canaan was to serve everybody. Canaan’s heirs were to be domestic servants to the whole world. That simple scripture taken alone without the rest of scripture seems to create a caste system. There would be householders and then there would be domestic servants.
Noah told his sons to spread out over the land, but they did not. Instead they started building. At the time that the tower of Babel was being built people were speaking one language, but then their language was divided.
Jubilees 10:18. And in the three and thirtieth jubilee, in the first year in the second week, Peleg took to himself a wife, whose name was Lômnâ the daughter of Sînâ’ar, and she bare him a son in the fourth year of this week, and he called his name Reu; for he said: "Behold the children of men have become evil through the wicked purpose of building for themselves a city and a tower in the land of Shinar." 19. For they departed from the land of Ararat eastward to Shinar; for in his days they built the city and the tower, saying, "Go to, let us ascend thereby into heaven." 20. And they began to build, and in the fourth week they made brick with fire, and the bricks served them for stone, and the clay with which they cemented them together was asphalt which cometh out of the sea, and out of the fountains of water in the land of Shinar. 21. And they built it: forty and three years were they building it; its breadth was 203 bricks, and the height (of a brick) was the third of one; its height amounted to 5433 cubits and 2 palms, and (the extent of one wall was) thirteen stades (and of the other thirty stades). 22. And the Lord our God said unto us: "Behold, they are one people, and (this) they begin to do, and now nothing will be withholden from them. Go to, let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech, and they may be dispersed into cities and nations, and one purpose will no longer abide with them till the day of judgment." 23. And the Lord descended, and we descended with Him to see the city and the tower which the children of men had built. 24. And He confounded their language, and they no longer understood one another's speech, and they ceased then to build the city and the tower. 25. For this reason the whole land of Shinar is called Babel, because the Lord did there confound all the language of the children of men, and from thence they were dispersed into their cities, each according to his language and his nation. 26. And the Lord sent a mighty wind against the tower and overthrew it upon the earth, and behold it was between Asshur and Babylon in the land of Shinar, and they called its name "Overthrow." 27. In the fourth week in the first year in the beginning thereof in the four and thirtieth jubilee, were they dispersed from the land of Shinar.
Now people were dispersed. They moved out over the land according to their language, to the places they were to occupy. Obviously their language was the same among families. We know this because as we will see, the Hamites all understood each other. One group entered a land that was not theirs. As we will see, this caused problems at that time, but it still causes problems for us today.
Jubilees 10:28. And Ham and his sons went into the land which he was to occupy, which he acquired as his portion in the land of the south. 29. And Canaan saw the land of Lebanon to the river of Egypt that it was very good, and he went not into the land of his inheritance to the west (that is to) the sea, and he dwelt in the land of Lebanon, eastward and westward from the border of Jordan and from the border of the sea. 30. And Ham, his father, and Cush and Mizraim, his brothers, said unto him: "Thou hast settled in a land which. is not thine, and which did not fall to us by lot: do not do so; for if thou dost do so, thou and thy sons will fall in the land and (be) accursed through sedition; for by sedition ye have settled, and by sedition will thy children fall, and thou shalt be rooted out for ever. 31. Dwell not in the dwelling of Shem; for to Shem and to his sons did it come by their lot. 32. Cursed art thou, and cursed shalt thou be beyond all the sons of Noah, by the curse by which we bound ourselves by an oath in the presence of the holy judge, and in the presence of Noah our father." 33. But he did not hearken unto them, and dwelt in the land of Lebanon from Hamath to the entering of Egypt, he and his sons until this day. 34. And for this reason that land is named Canaan. 35. And Japheth and his sons went towards the sea and dwelt in the land of their portion, and Madai saw the land of the sea and it did not please him, and he begged a (portion) from Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad, his wife's brother, and he dwelt in the land of Media, near to his wife's brother until this day. 36. And he called his dwelling-place, and the dwelling-place of his sons, Media, after the name of their father Madai.
It took the dividing of their language to separate the sons of Noah into their allotted land, but Canaan took Shem’s land. Shem and Abraham both lived in their allotted portion along with Canaan. The problem here is that the Canaanites were living in the wrong place and eventually would be displaced when Joshua enters the promised land. But before that time we see something strange. Abraham has a lot of servants.
Abraham had servants. They traveled with him, warred on his behalf, and took care of Abraham’s personal affairs. Could they all be Canaanites? We do not know. The caste system expanded as we can see with Abraham, we now have householders, servants, and native born servants.
Genesis 14;14G191[having heard G11611AndG*Abram] G3754that G162[4has been captured G*Lot G3588the son G80of his brother], G1473 G705counted out G3588 G2398[own G3615.3native-born servants G1473his], G5145three hundred G1176ten G2532and G3638eight. G2532And G2613he pursued G2193unto G*Dan.
15G2532And G1968he fell G1909upon G1473them G3588 G3571at night, G1473he G2532and G3588 G3816his manservants. G1473 G2532And G3960he struck G1473them, G2532and G2614pursued G1473them G2193unto G*Hobah, G3739which G1510.2.3is G1722at G710the left G*of Damascus
Abraham had 318 native born servants/male servants at the time he went out to free Lot. Those were the children of Abraham’s servants. Can we ask the question, who has 318 native born servants? These are only the male children who were counted. This is a large number of people born into domestic service in Abraham’s house. Abraham came out of Ur, out from under the rule of Nimrod. Nimrod was the son of Cush, the grandson of Ham. Abraham relocates many times over the course of his life according to the instructions of Yahweh, but it is not just Abraham moving, his servants and their families moved along with him.
Then one day a change of state falls upon Abraham and Abraham learns a bit about the future.
Genesis 15:12G4012And about G1161 G2246[of the sun G1424 the descent] G1611a change of state G1968fell upon G3588 G*Abram. G2532And G2400behold, G5401[fear G4652dark G3173a great] G1968fell upon G1473him.
1611 LSJ Gloss: ἔκστασις any displacement: entrancement, astonishment
Dodson: ἔκστασιςbewilderment, amazement(properly: distraction or disturbance of mind caused by shock), bewilderment, amazement; a trance.
Strong’s: ἔκστασις a displacement of the mind, i.e. bewilderment, "ecstasy"
Derivation: from G1839; KJV Usage: + be amazed, amazement, astonishment, trance.
Thayer:
1) any casting down of a thing from its proper place or state, displacement
2) a throwing of the mind out of its normal state, alienation of mind, whether such as makes a lunatic or that of a man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself, so that in this rapt condition, although he is awake, his mind is drawn off from all surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine that he sees nothing but the forms and images lying within, and thinks that he perceives with his bodily eyes and ears realities shown him by God.
3) amazement, the state of one who, either owing to the importance or the novelty of an event, is thrown into a state of blended fear and wonderment
ἔκστασις ekstasis ek'-stas-is From G1839; a displacement of the mind, that is, bewilderment, “ecstasy”KJV Usage: + be amazed, amazement, astonishment, trance.
Abraham has an audible vision about the future of his heirs, and he is given details about children he has not had yet.
Genesis 15:13G2532And G2046it was said G4314to G*Abram, G1097In knowing G1097you will know G3754that G3941[a sojourner G1510.8.3will be G3588 G4690 your seed] G1473 G1722in G1093a land G3756not G2398their own, G2532and G1402they will enslave G1473them, G2532and G2559will afflict G1473them, G2532and G5013humble G1473them G5071four hundred G2094years.
14G3588But the G1161 G1484nation G3739which G302ever G1398they may be slave to, G2919I will judge. G1473 G3326And after G1161 G3778these things G1831they shall come forth G5602here G3326with G643.1[belongings G4183much].
3941LSJ Gloss: πάροικος dwelling beside
Dodson: πάροικος a stranger, foreigner foreign, alien, subst: a foreigner, sojourner.
Strong's: πάροικος having a home near, i.e. (as noun) a by-dweller (alien resident) Derivation: from G3844 and G3624; KJV Usage: foreigner, sojourn, stranger.
Thayer:
1) dwelling near, neighbouring
2) in the NT, a stranger, a foreigner, one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship
3) metaph.
3a) without citizenship in God's kingdom
3b) one who lives on earth as a stranger, a sojourner on the earth
3c) of Christians whose home is in heaven
2) in the NT, a stranger, a foreigner, one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship
3) metaph.
3a) without citizenship in God's kingdom
3b) one who lives on earth as a stranger, a sojourner on the earth
3c) of Christians whose home is in heaven
πάροικος paroikos par'-oy-kos From G3844 and G3624; having a home near, that is, (as noun) a by-dweller (alien resident) KJV Usage: foreigner, sojourn, stranger.
1402 LSJ Gloss: δουλόω to make a slave of, enslave
Dodson: δουλόω I enslave.
Strong's: δουλόω to enslave (literally or figuratively) Derivation: from G1401; KJV Usage: bring into (be under) bondage, X given, become (make) servant.
Thayer:
1) to make a slave of, reduce to bondage
2) metaph. give myself wholly to one's needs and service, make myself a bondman to him
For Synonyms see entry G5834
2) metaph. give myself wholly to one's needs and service, make myself a bondman to him
For Synonyms see entry G5834
KJV Usage: bring into (be under) bondage, X given, become (make) servant.
Abraham is told that his children would be aliens in a foreign land and that they would be enslaved. By this time Abraham probably has more than the 318 natural born male servants in his household, but he has not had his own child. Ishmael has not been born yet. This must seem like a strange vision. Not only is this vision odd from that perspective, but his heirs will be enslaved. The man who has over 318 natural born servants will have his heirs enslaved for four hundred years. Not only that, Abraham’s heirs will then return to the land of Canaan. They will be aliens in another land, then they will go back to the land that is occupied by those people who were to be servants of the whole world.
After Ishmael’s birth we have something that we need to make note of. When Yahweh established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, Abraham circumcised every male in his household.
Genesis 17:23G2532And G2983Abraham took G* G*Ishmael, G3588 G5207his son, G1473 G2532and G3956all G3588 G3615.3his native-born servants, G1473 G2532and G3956all G3588the ones G696.1bought with silver, G2532and G3956every G730male G3588of the G435men G3588 G1722in G3588the G3624house G*of Abraham. G2532And G4059he circumcised G3588 G203their foreskins G1473 G1722in G3588 G2540[time G3588of the G2250day G1565that], G2505asG2980[spoke G1473to him G3588 G2316God].
Abraham purchased servants with silver. This is how Abraham obtained servants. Who were the people Abraham bought? Who was enslaved? The Canaanites were living freely in the land that was allotted to Shem. Therefore the servants of Abraham may not have been Canaanites. So far we have not identified who these servants of Abraham were. Now to add more confusion to the mix, the servants and the native born, as well as any extended family, and Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, were all going to be circumcised. This is not an exclusive “rite” for only one family line, such as Jacob’s heirs. Before Isaac was even conceived, the covenant was made with Ishmael and the servants of Abraham. From that time on, every male would mark the covenant with circumcision. So if the first people to be circumcised were not of Isaac and Jacob, but those bought with silver, their children, and the son of the Egyptian handmaid, circumcision is not an exclusive way to identify anyone. We seem to think only Jews were circumcised, but that is not correct. Every male in Abraham’s household was circumcised, and not all of them were from the line of Shem. In fact, very few were probably from the line of Shem.
We have another addition to our caste system. Another servant is mentioned. We see the servanthood caste structure being added to.
Genesis 18:17G3588And the G1161 G2962lordG2036said, G3766.2No way G2928shall I hide G575from G*Abraham G3588 G3816my servant G1473 G3739what G1473I G4160do.
18G*[to Abraham G1161But G1096coming to pass], G1510.8.3he will be G1519made into G1484[nation G3173a great G25322and G4183populous], G2532and G1757[shall be blessed G17227by G1473him G3956all G3588the G1484nations G3588of the G1093earth].
19G1492For I had known G1063 G3754that G4929he will order G3588 G5207his sons, G1473 G2532and G3588 G3624his house G1473 G3326after G1473him; G2532and G5442they will guard G3588the G3598ways G2962of the lord, G3588 G4160to do G1343righteousness G2532and G2920judgment; G3704that G302 G1863the lord may bring G2962 G1909upon G*Abraham G3956all G3745as much as G2980he said G4314to G1473him.
Abraham is a servant to Yahweh, and a master or householder to servants he bought and acquired, and to those that were born into his house. Yahweh says “For I had known he will order his sons and his house…”. Abraham only had one son up to this point, but he is going to have seven more sons. The plural usage of sons is correct because we seem to forget about the sons of Keturah the Canaanite. Not only will Abraham order his sons, he will order his household to guard the ways of the Lord. Now we have another problem. The first followers of Yahweh from Abraham are Ishmael, Abraham’s servants, and their children. They were all the first ones that Abraham instructed to guard the ways of Yahweh, to do righteousness and judgment. These were the first evangelized followers of Yahweh from Abraham’s house, and they were not all from Shem’s line. They were people who could be bought or acquired.
Doesn’t this make the idea that it is just, or okay, to own slaves or enslave people because they must be Canaanites a faulty argument? This was the justification that was used when the Portuguese, Spanish, and later the Vikings and the English bought and sold slaves, and then brought them to the Americas. Clearly some of the Canaanites lived freely among Abraham and Shem. But some people, who were bought may or may not have been Canaanites, they were circumcised and taught to follow Yahweh before Isaac was even conceived. The servants of Abraham went on to serve Abraham’s sons. Abraham had seven sons which were half Shemites, and half Hamites, and one son who was full Shemite. Yet they were all circumcised and taught to serve Yahweh.
Genesis 25:1G4369[added G1161And G*Abraham] G2983to take G1135a wife G3739whose G3686name G*was Keturah.
2G5088And she bore G1161 G1473to him G3588 G*Zimran, G2532and G3588 G*Jokshan, G2532and G3588 G*Medan, G2532and G3588 G*Midian, G2532and G3588 G*Ishbak, G2532andG3588 G*Shuah.
3G*And Jokshan G1161 G1080procreated G3588 G*Sheba G2532and G3588 G*Dedan. G5207And sons G1161 G*of Dedan G1096were G*the Asshurim, G2532and G*Letushim, G2532and G*Leummim.
4G5207And the sons G1161 G*of Midian G*were Ephah, G2532andG*Epher, G2532and G*Hanoch, G2532and G*Abida, G2532and G*Eldaah. G3956All G3778these G1510.7.6were G5207sons G*of Keturah
Josephus tells us a bit more about Keturah’s sons.
Antiquities of the Jews 1:15 Abraham after this married Keturah, by whom six sons were born to him, men of courage, and of sagacious minds: Zambran, and Jazar, and Madan, and Madian, and Josabak, and Sous. Now the sons of Sous were Sabathan and Dadan. The sons of Dadan were Latusim, and Assur, and Luom. The sons of Madiau were Ephas, and Ophren, and Anoch, and Ebidas, and Eldas. Now, for all these sons and grandsons, Abraham contrived to settle them in colonies; and they took possession of Troglodytis, and the country of Arabia the Happy, as far as it reaches to the Red Sea. It is related of this Ophren, that he made war against Libya, and took it, and that his grandchildren, when they inhabited it, called it (from his name) Africa. And indeed Alexander Polyhistor gives his attestation to what I here say; who speaks thus: "Cleodemus the prophet, who was also called Malchus, who wrote a History of the Jews, in agreement with the History of Moses, their legislator, relates, that there were many sons born to Abraham by Keturah: nay, he names three of them, Apher, and Surim, and Japhran. That from Surim was the land of Assyria denominated; and that from the other two (Apher and Japbran) the country of Africa took its name, because these men were auxiliaries to Hercules, when he fought against Libya and Antaeus; and that Hercules married Aphra's daughter, and of her he begat a son, Diodorus; and that Sophon was his son, from whom that barbarous people called Sophacians were denominated."
The Works of Flavius Josephus.
Notice here that these sons of Keturah were not full Canaanites, but half Shemites as well. Yet they were followers of Yahweh; circumcised and schooled in righteousness and judgment. What happens if someone would enslave one of these heirs? Wouldn’t the dominator be cursed if they enslave the sons of Abraham?
Josephus says that they were men of courage and they were smart. Notice where these sons of Abraham lived. This is interesting because we normally do not think about where these sons may have lived. To corroborate what Josephus wrote, he notes that Malchus/Cleodemus wrote a History of the Jews. Isn’t that interesting that by this time, the first century CE, Josephus needs further witness to what he writes concerning these sons of Abraham? Who would try to erase this history?
We might remember that Moses was helped and schooled by a Midianite Priest who became his father in law, Jethro. Jethro/Reuel was a great grandson of Abraham. That means Moses’ wife Zipporah was a great grand daughter of Abraham. This is where Moses learned about Yahweh.
Moses leads Jacob’s sons out of Egypt. Before he dies, Moses prophesies over them. Notice what he says.
Deuteronomy 28:68G2532And G654[will return G1473you G2962 the lord] G1519unto G*Egypt G1722in G4143boats, G2532and G1722in G3588the G3598way G3739which G2036I said, G3756You shall not proceed G4369 G2089again G1492to behold G1473it. G2532And G4097you shall be sold G1563there G3588to G2190your enemies G1473 G1519for G3816manservants G2532and G3814maidservants, G2532and G3756none G1510.8.3shall be G3588 G2932acquiring you.
2932 LSJ Gloss:κτάομαιto procure for oneself, to get, gain, acquire
Dodson: κτάομαιI win, get, buy, possess
(a) I acquire, win, get, purchase, buy, (b) I possess, win mastery over.
Strong's:κτάομαιto get, i.e. acquire (by any means; own)Derivation: a primary verb; KJV Usage: obtain, possess, provide, purchase.
Thayer:
κτάομαι, -ῶμαι; fut. κτήσομαι (Lk. xxi. 19 L Tr WH); 1 aor. ἐκτησάμην; [fr. Hom. down]; Sept. for קָנָה; to acquire, get or procure a thing for one's self [cf. W. 260 (244)]; (pf. κέκτημαι, to possess [cf. W. 274 (257) note]; not found in the N. T.): τί, Mt. x. 9; Acts viii. 20; ὅσα κτῶμαι, all my income, Lk. xviii. 12; with gen. of price added [W. 206 (194)], πολλοῦ, Acts xxii. 28; with ἐκ and gen. of price (see ἐκ, II. 4), Acts i. 18; τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος ἐν ἁγιασμῷ κ. τιμῇ, to produce for himself his own vessel (i. e. for the satisfaction or the sexual passion; see σκεῦος, 1) in sanctification and honor, i. e. to marry a wife (opp. to the use of a harlot; the words ἐν ἁγ. κ. τιμῇ are added to express completely the idea of marrying in contrast with the baseness of procurring a harlot as his 'vessel'; cf. κτᾶσθαι γυναῖκα, of marrying a wife, Ruth iv. 10; Sir. xxxvi. 29 (xxxiii. 26); Xen. symp. 2, 10), 1 Th. iv. 4; τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, the true life of your souls, your true lives, i. e. eternal life (cf. the opp. ζημιοῦσθαι τὴν ψ. αὐτοῦ under ζημιόω), Lk. xxi. 19; cf. Meyer ad loc. and W. p. 274 (257).*
1) to acquire, get, or procure a thing for one's self, to possess
1a) to marry a wife
κτάομαι ktaomai ktah'-om-ahee A primary verb; to get, that is, acquire (by any means; own) KJV Usage: obtain, possess, provide, purchase.
The Lord will return Jacob’s sons to Egypt by boats and they would become slaves and servants. No one would buy them is an interesting idea. They were not good enough to be purchased, they would be acquired for free. If one paid money for a slave they would probably be strong, healthy, and capable to do labor. If one acquired a slave for free that slave would not be valued as highly as a paid slave, so there was also a caste system among slaves. These grandchildren of Jacob would be the lowest of the low if they forsook Yahweh.
Egypt symbolizes captivity and is not necessarily literal. We know that all the sons of Jacob went into captivity and many were slaves to the countries that acquired them. Some were able to leave the nations that captured them, but Israel never really came out of captivity. Even today the region of Israel is in bondage to it’s neighbors and enemies.
Abraham left Ur with slaves sometime around 2091 BCE. By 1500 CE people were rationalizing the practice of capturing other humans for slavery and using the idea that Canaanites were to be servants to the whole world. We see from as early on as Abraham, slavery and servants were part of their natural life. Then we see Abraham’s sons with Keturah colonized in Africa and Assyria.
If the heirs of Jacob were sent out in ships and enslaved, who were the people being sold off in Africa to the mariners for transport to Brazil and the Caribbean islands? Were they Canaanites, Israelites, or both? We know that many people left the Middle East to inhabit islands, as well as the Americas, just after the captivity ended. We have looked at Arsareth/Arsereth/Arzereth and the strong prospects of the tribes of Jacob inhabiting the Americas.
What the Explorers found when first sailing to the Americas with the intent to find treasure were some very highly civilized cultures and some very uncivilized cultures. The highly civilized cultures had stone buildings with irrigation and advanced weaponry for protection. In the uncivilized cultures it seemed that people did not live a structured life, but a random life with few rules and little order. The Explorers found something else. They found religious rules and practices that seemed to correlate to the practices of Judaism. Yet the Explorers had just come out of the time period of the inquisitions, and were sending Friars and Dominicans to convert people into New Christians. So there was little interest in the religious practices of those living in the Americas as forced conversions were more important to those sponsoring these expeditions.
Our caste system consists of people being servants of Yahweh, people who are householders buying slaves, also acquiring slaves who were not worth buying, and then the natural born slaves. While Canaanites were to be servants to the whole world, we see them living freely in a land not their own. From this perspective we see it is nearly impossible to determine any people group as Canaanites. Therefore, instead of absolving guilt, we should use the Bible for repentance. The idea of enslaving people as merchandise has it’s root in evil. We know that there is an enemy who would like to add to the caste system and enslave all the Children of the Living God. We will continue to explore these ideas next week.
