THEOSISIgnatij (Briantchaninow)
The intent behind the words and the regulations pertaining to servitude clearly reveals that the Israelite lawgiver aimed to elevate Israel, the chosen nation, above all others, thereby humiliating those outside its boundaries. To achieve this, Moses designated a six-year term for Hebrew servitude among themselves, while allowing the Israelites to permanently acquire slaves from foreign nations. The principle underlying Mosaic law regarding slavery is that Israel is exclusively the people of God, while other nations, rejected by Him, are essentially viewed as outside humanity. Consequently, the Mosaic law instituted fixed-term servitude limited to the Israelites, permitting the acquisition of lifelong and hereditary slaves from neighboring peoples.
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The actions of the Israelites in acquiring slaves, as well as their treatment of captives and foreign nations, were egregious and stemmed from this framework.
For instance, the Israelites condemned the entire population of the Gibeonites to perpetual servitude, as declared by their victorious leader: "Cursed are ye, without end ye shall be slaves, chopping wood and drawing water for the house of my God" (Habakkuk 9:23). Following their conquest of Midian, the Israelites were commanded by Moses to execute all captives, slaying all the males and non-virgin females, but preserving thirty-two thousand maidens for bondage (Numbers 31:17-18). King David, upon capturing Rabbah, the Ammonite stronghold, subjected its inhabitants to torture, utilizing saws, iron implements, and fire (2 Kings 12:31). The Psalms also express this sentiment: "O daughter of Babylon, of the wicked... Blessed is he that taketh and breaketh thy infants against a stone" (Psalm 136:8-9).
Clearly, through Christ’s redemptive act for humanity, the supposed superiority of the Israelites over other nations has been abolished. In Christ, all believers are united as spiritual siblings, transcending earthly distinctions: "there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but all and in all Christ" (Colossians 3:11). Because of this, the civil laws established by Moses hold no authority over Gentile Christians, and Jewish converts to Christianity are urged to renounce this legal framework that distinguished them from other nations through fleshly means. John the Baptist admonished the Pharisees early in the Gospel: "Do not think to say in yourselves: ‘Our father is Abraham’" (Matthew 3:9).
The Jews clung rigidly to their temporary earthly advantages, resisting the call of Christianity for the sake of these benefits. They anticipated that Jesus would fulfill their fleshly aspirations according to the Law of Moses, but upon encountering the message of the Cross—which necessitated renunciation of such advantage—they rejected Him. Even today, they continue to seek fulfillment in their fleshly privileges. Had they established an independent state, they would likely treat other nations according to the dictates of their ancient law. The holy fathers of the Orthodox Church do not reference the Mosaic law in a literal sense, but instead interpret it allegorically and sacramentally. In relation to Christianity, it serves as a shadow that offers an incomplete representation of the true subject.
Thus, the animosity the Jews harbored towards outsiders symbolically reflects the necessary disdain that believers must possess towards various sins. The merciless command to annihilate Gentile nations by the Israelites serves as an image of the New Testament imperative for Christians to decisively eliminate sinful thoughts and emotions within themselves (Matthew 5). The lifelong and hereditary ownership of slaves from foreign lands symbolizes the ongoing struggle with passions, teaching Christians how to manage them. The "daughter of Babylon" represents the sinful inclinations within humanity, from which diverse active sins emerge. Blessed is the person who eradicates these sins in their infancy, at the initial thought stage, before they develop strength. The "rock" signifying the destruction of such "infants" embodies the Gospel doctrine that guides the rejection of sinful thoughts (Matthew 15:19), and so forth.