The Servant of God Series is a collection of six narratives. They define what it means to be a servant and suggest some ways to be a servant of God.
The word “servant” in English implies that a person has a choice whether to be a servant and whether to obey orders. Voluntary, options, choices.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. The words translated as “servant” in English originally meant “slave”. Involuntary, no options, no choices.
Because the word “slave” has so many horribly negative connotations in the modern world, most Bible translators choose servant or bond servant as the words to use.
Whichever English word is used in your Bible, the important point to remember is that God’s people are completed dedicated to him. Voluntary, but complete, obedience. Because they love God, they choose to follow his Word exactly.
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In John 12:22, Jesus says, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and, where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” The servants of Jesus follow him.
One of the most used metaphors in the Bible is that of sheep. In the beloved Psalm 23, David likens himself to a sheep that follows the Lord. He receives the obvious rewards of being the Lord’s sheep, but at the end of the Psalm, he gets another reward. Psalm 23:6 says goodness and mercy will follow David all the days of his life because he follows the Lord.
In John 10:27-28, Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.” That eternal reward theme is found again in Matthew 19:28-29, where Jesus says at the renewal of all things, anyone who has followed him sacrificially will receive a hundred times as much and inherit eternal life.
It is recorded at least a dozen times in the New Testament that Jesus told people to follow him. In one sad case, the rich young ruler chose not to follow Jesus because he didn’t want to give up his many possessions. Consequently, he went away a sad man.
Angel of the Plagues – Shahyan Jahani Eliezer – Campbell Cooley Moses – Eric Starkey Mary – Chana Keefer Andrew – Oscar Seung Joshua the Priest – Felipe Palomo, Jr.
