Servanthood: An Old Testament Teaching

Christopher Rath

1990-09-27

The Greatest As The Least

Matt. 20:26b: - "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave."

Was this idea of the First serving the rest a new idea Jesus was presenting to the disciples? Was it a revelation to them?

This concept was not new to Jesus. The idea existed from the beginning of God's plan. However, it was probably a revelation to the disciples! Just as it's a revelation to us when we first read or hear Jesus words. To see that this was indeed an old idea, renewed, let's look at the word servant as it's found in the Old Testament.

O.T. Servants

There are several Hebrew words which are translated as "servant", in English.

"Ebed." Generally means "a slave or a servant." It applies to:

• "A person who is at the complete disposal of another person. (Gen 24:1-67)
  • We should all be at Christ's disposal.
• "A person who works for a master." (Deut. 15:12-18)
  • All our work should be offered as a labour to Christ.
• "A slave who has given up all of his personal rights to serve his master."
• "A slave in the service of a king." (1 Kings 1:9,47)
  • Jesus is our King.
• "A person who serves in attendance to the temple sanctuary. (1 Sam 3:9)

"Abad." "Generally means to work and (in any sense) to serve." It applies to:

• "A person who tills the ground." (Gen 2:5; 3:23)
  • God's leaders continually till the fallow ground of our hearts.
• "A person who dresses or keeps a garden." (Gen 2:15)
  • The leaders God raises up within the body are to "dress and keep God's vineyard, the Church of Jesus Christ" (Jn 15:5).
• "A priest who serves the people." (Numbers 18:7,23)

"Sakiyr." "Generally means a person who works for wages." It applies to:

• "A hired servant." They were not allowed to eat the Passover of their master's family. (Ex 12:3-5)
  • Our sound technician at the Town Hall, Andrew.
• "A sojourner who is taken into a house as a slave." (Lev 25:6)
• It did not apply to "a love-slave". (Lev 25:39-42)

"Sharath." "Usually means a person who is a doer of menial and insignificant tasks. It applies to:

• "A priest who ministers or serves in his priestly office." (Ex 28:35-43)
• "A priest who ministers continually before the ark of the covenant." (1 Chron 16:37)
• "Joshua was a `sharath' to Moses." (Ex 24:13)

Applying Servanthood

What does all of this mean? Let's go back over the different specific usages of the word servant and see if we can draw some analogies to our Christian life today. For example, "dresses or keeps a garden." The leaders God raises up within the body are to "dress and keep God's vineyard, the Church of Jesus Christ" (Jn 15:5).

Bibliography

All quotations taken from The Making Of A Leader, by Frank Damazio, unless otherwise noted.
All scriptural quotes taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.