The End of Seven Years

By Ted Mock

January 21, 2026

Deuteronomy 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

Not many people know that between the 16th and 17th century, as many as 320,000 immigrants to colonial America were indentured servants, apprentices, and convicts.  

Basically, they were slaves, who worked to pay off their passage, pay off their apprenticeship, or their prison sentence.  After a period of usually four to no more than seven years, they could go free in the New World, to make a new life.

Our law in the U.S. is based on English law which has its roots in Jewish law.  Most other governments in the western world are based on Latin or Roman law.  In our system, statutes of limitations and jury trial are unique, and find their beginnings in the Scriptures.

Later in this chapter, more detail is given about indentured servanthood.  When his time was up, he was given material goods to make a new start in life.  But there was a provision for a slave who did not want to go free.

Deuteronomy 15:16-17 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; 17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

If he loved his master, his wife, and children, he could stay with his master.  But he must stay of his own will and be marked as a slave.  That may seem strange to us, for we prize our freedom, our liberty, above all.  But then, life with a good master could be much better than living in a dangerous world.

Reflection—I once was bound by my sin, then the Master found me, paid my debt and gave me a good home.  I love my Master—I will not go out free!