Sell Oneself נִמְכַּ֗ר

We are in chapter twenty-five of Leviticus with our word for today. נִמְכַּ֗ר sell oneself. It is used 3 times in the Old Testament. The basic tense of the root word is מָכַר sell, betray to others, sell off, be sold. It is used 79 times in the Old Testament. Our word is in the Nif’al tense which shows reflexive action so sell becomes sell oneself. Let’s look at our uses. We see it in the context of a thief who cannot make restitution for his crime. Exodus 22:1-3 If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, וְנִמְכַּ֖ר[literally sell himself since this is his only option] then he shall be sold for his theft. We find our word also used in the context of the Jubilee. Leviticus 25:39-43, 47-49. If your brother becomes poor beside you וְנִמְכַּר and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God … If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor וְנִמְכַּ֗רand sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. A poor brother who became the slave of a fellow Israelite could be expected to be treated like a hired worker and not a slave. His master was to treat him and his family with kindness; for the Hebrews were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord graciously delivered them. How could an Israelite enslave a brother whom the Lord had set free? An Israelite slave was to serve only six years and go free at the Sabbath Year; but if the Year of Jubilee came first, he was a free man. At the end of this chapter God says this. Leviticus 25:53-55 For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Did you catch that? God is saying that regardless of one’s position or occupation God’s people are His servants. This is also seen in the New Testament church. Because of Christ everyone is a brother regardless of position because both servants and masters belong to God. Ephesians 6:5-9 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. I’ll close with these great passages that show God’s heart on treating each other like brothers regardless of one’s position or occupation. 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.