Man as a Servant

What is a servant?

What is not a servant?

2 Samuel 16:1–4 CSB

When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, was right there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruit, and a clay jar of wine. The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become exhausted in the wilderness.” “Where is your master’s grandson?” the king asked. “Why, he’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore my grandfather’s kingdom to me.’ ” The king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I bow before you,” Ziba said. “May I find favor with you, my lord the king!”

2 Samuel 19:26–30 CSB

“My lord the king,” he replied, “my servant Ziba betrayed me. Actually your servant said, ‘I’ll saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride it and go with the king’—for your servant is lame. Ziba slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do whatever you think best. For my grandfather’s entire family deserves death from my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. So what further right do I have to keep on making appeals to the king?” The king said to him, “Why keep on speaking about these matters of yours? I hereby declare: you and Ziba are to divide the land.” Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has come to his palace safely, let Ziba take it all!”

Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, represented the family of Saul, which might have been expected to attempt to seize the throne after David’s departure. Instead, here was a most acceptable gift, designed to meet a pressing need, and sufficiently ample for the large number of people involved. Since Ziba was appointed to farm Mephibosheth’s land, the produce was probably part of the owner’s harvest, and hardly Ziba’s to give (2 Sam. 9:10).

2–4. In the heat of the moment, David takes Ziba’s answers to his questions at their face value, and deeply resents the apparent treachery of Jonathan’s son, to whom he had shown special kindness (2 Sam. 9:1–13). If Ziba was trying to curry favour with the king he succeeded. The land which had belonged to Mephibosheth became his own, but the allocation came under review when David returned (2 Sam. 19:24–30).

Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, pp. 280–281). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.Actual Definition

Definition

a person working in the service of another (Bible Sense Lexicon)

Examples of Servants in the OT

Nehemiah 1:4–11 CSB

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. I said, Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

Isaiah 41:1–9 CSB

“Be silent before me, coasts and islands! And let peoples renew their strength. Let them approach; let them testify; let’s come together for the trial. Who has stirred up someone from the east? In righteousness he calls him to serve. The Lord hands nations over to him, and he subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like wind-driven stubble with his bow. He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet. Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I am the Lord, the first and with the last—I am he.” The coasts and islands see and are afraid, the whole earth trembles. They approach and arrive. Each one helps the other, and says to another, “Take courage!” The craftsman encourages the metalworker; the one who flattens with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good.” He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over. But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham, my friend— I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are my servant; I have chosen you; I haven’t rejected you.

Who is this Servant?

Jesus is this servant. We know this through.

Matthew 12:15-21

1 Corinthians 4:1–5 CSB

A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God. In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful. It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even judge myself. For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

NT Word for Servant

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Deacon

DEACON Term “deacon” comes from the Greek noun diakonos, which occurs 29 times in the NT and is most commonly translated “servant” or “minister.” This noun is derived from the verb “to serve” and is used to signify various types of service. Paul not only refers to himself as a diakonos (1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6; 6:4; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:23, 25), but he also applies this term to his coworkers Phoebe (Rom. 16:1), Apollos (1 Cor 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), and Timothy (1 Tim. 4:6). This term is also used with respect to governments (Rom. 13:4) and Christ (Rom. 15:8; Gal. 2:17). Less frequently it is found as a designation for an officeholder in the local church (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12; possibly Rom. 16:1).

Although it is difficult to prove that the origin of the diaconate is found in the choosing of the seven in Acts 6:1–6, since the noun diakonos is not used, it is reasonable to believe that these seven leaders were at least the prototypes of the first deacons. For just as the apostles needed help taking care of logistics so that they might be freed up to devote themselves to prayer and teaching, what distinguishes the deacons from the bishops (or elders) is the bishops’ ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:9). The laying on of the apostles’ hands in Acts 6:6 is often seen as the origin of ordaining deacons.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. 11 Wives,, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. 12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. 13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Questions

Why must we see ourselves as servants?

Why is suffering a key component of service?