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104:23), and “work” in the linen industry (1 Chron. 4:21) indicate a use with which we
are familiar. To this, it must be added that
may also be “hard labor,” such as that
of a slave (Lev. 25:39) or of Israel while in Egypt: “Go ye, get you straw where ye can
find it: yet not aught of your work shall be diminished” (Exod. 5:11).
The more limited meaning of the word is “service.” Israel was in the “service” of the
Lord: “But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us,
that we might do the
2
of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with our
sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in
time to come, Ye have no part in the Lord” (Josh. 22:27). Whenever God’s people were
not fully dependent on Him, they had to choose to serve the Lord God or human kings
with their requirements of forced “labor” and tribute: “Nevertheless they shall be his
servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the
countries” (2 Chron. 12:8).
Further specialization of the usage is in association with the tabernacle and the
temple. The priests were chosen for the “service” of the Lord: “And they shall keep his
charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the
congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle” (Num. 3:7). The Levites also had many
important functions in and around the temple; they sang, played musical instruments, and
were secretaries, scribes, and doorkeepers (2 Chron. 34:13; cf. 8:14). Thus anything,
people and objects (1 Chron. 28:13), associated with the temple was considered to be in
the “service” of the Lord. Our understanding of “worship,” with all its components,
comes close to the Hebrew meaning of
as “service”; cf. “So all the service of the
Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon
the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of King Josiah” (2 Chron. 35:16).
The Septuagint translations are:
$
(“service”);
$
(“slavery”);
(“work; deed; occupation”); and
(“pursuit; practice; working; profit; gain”). The
KJV
gives these senses: “service; bondage; work.”
(
$
, 5650), “servant.” This noun appears over 750 times in the Old
Testament.
,
first appears in Gen. 9:25: “… A servant of servants shall he [Canaan]
be unto his brethren,” meaning “the lowest of slaves” (
NIV
). A “servant” may be bought
with money (Exod. 12:44) or hired (1 Kings 5:6). The often repeated statement of God’s
redemption of Israel is: “I brought you out of the house of slaves” (Exod. 13:3, Heb.
2:15;
KJV
,
RSV
, “bondage”;
NASB
,
NIV
, “slavery”).
,
was used as a mark of humility
and courtesy, as in Gen. 18:3: “… Pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant” (cf. Gen.
42:10). Moses addressed God: “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor
since thou hast spoken unto thy servant …” (Exod. 4:10). It is the mark of those called by
God, as in Exod. 14:31: “… [They] believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.” God
claimed: “For unto me the children of Israel are servants …” (Lev. 25:55; cf. Isa. 49:3).
“And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets …” (2 Kings 21:10). The psalmist said:
“I am thy servant” (116 indicating the appropriateness of the title to all believers.)
Of prime significance is the use of “my servant” for the Messiah in Isaiah (42:1-7;
49:1- 7; 50:4-10; 52:13-53:12). Israel was a blind and deaf “servant” (Isa. 42:18-22). So