Because of poverty, some were sold into bondage by their parents. Others who were sentenced for crimes by the judges were sold into bondage. The Lord specified that even these were not to be held as bond-servants for more than seven years. At the end of that time every servant was given his freedom, or, if he chose, he was allowed to remain with his master. Thus God guarded the interests of the lowly and the oppressed. Thus He enjoined a noble spirit of generosity, and encouraged all to cultivate a love for liberty, because the Lord had made them free. Any one who refused liberty when it was his privilege to have it, was marked. This was not a badge of honor to him, but a mark of disgrace. Thus God encouraged the cultivation of a high and noble spirit, rather than a spirit of bondage and slavery.{1BC 1106.6}

På grund af fattigdom, solgte deres forældre dem til slaveri. Andre som blev straffet for forbrydelser af dommerne blev solgt til trældom. Herren specificerede at også disse ikke blev holdt som trælbundne tjenere i mere end syv år. Ved afslutningen af den tidsperiode fik enhver tjener sin frihed tilbage, eller om han valgte, fik han lov at blive hos sin mester. Derved vogte Gud ydmyge og fortryktes interesser. Derved påbød Han en ædel højsindethed, og opmuntrede alle til at få kærlighed for frihed, fordi Herren havde gjort dem frie. Enhver som nægtede frihed, da det var hans privilegium at få dem, blev det markeret. Dette var ikke et kendetegn på at ære ham, men et mærke på vanære. Derved opmuntrede Gud til at få en høj og ædel ånd, frem for en trældoms- og slaveriånd.