THE GREATEST SERVANT
 

Many will figure this out easily, but also, there will be many who don't get it right away. Shall we go over some biblical servants?
"And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, 'I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake." (Gen. 26:24) When God appeared to Isaac, He called his father His servant while speaking to him. Serving God is a wonderful thing; the created serving the Creator is such a right thing to do. And who else did he serve?

"My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house." (Num. 12:7) Moses served the entire Israelite nation from the first time he told Pharaoh that the Lord said let My people go - "And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, "Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness."'" (Exod. 5:1) - to the day he relinquished authority to Joshua - "And the LORD said unto Moses, 'Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.'" (Num. 27:18 - 20) - And died in the land of Moab - "So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD." (Deut. 34:5).

David often acknowledged his servitude to God, and there are many verses saying this, such as in this selection - "Then said David, 'O LORD God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.'" (1 Sam. 23:10) David served God as king over all Israel, but even so, David was not the greatest servant.

"Have respect therefore to the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee:" (2 Chron. 6:19) Solomon acknowledged himself as God's servant also, and despite all his wisdom, this man who served as king of Israel in his day also does not win the greatest servant title!

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God." (Isa. 50:10) Isaiah declared himself a servant, and prophecied to the people of God, and while it might be disputed that he was the greatest prophet, yet he is indisputably not the greatest servant!

Paul wrote the majority of the books of the New Testament, and he, too, declared himself a servant of God. "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;" (Tit. 1:1) But it would be too hard to find him to be the greatest servant, since he was such a terror for the church before he became born again upon meeting Christ.

I will give you all a hint from the prophets - "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isa. 53:11) "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH." (Zech. 3:8)  WHAT?  Our Savior a Servant?  Yes!  Jesus served all of mankind as a pure, undefiled sacrifice on the cross.  His selfless submission to being crucified for a total remission of sins in infinitum made Him the indisputable greatest Servant!  Jesus even said Himself that He was born to serve: "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:28) "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

One final thing I would like to leave for everyone is that in calling myself a "Christian" (and I come short as an example), I strive to be like Him by serving.  I have a T-shirt ministry, to serve Him as a billboard of sorts.  I publish these Bible studies I write to serve not only Him, but all who will read them, saved and unsaved alike.  I give free counsel to whosoever should ask or complain of their lot in life, and I pray for you!  Paul wrote to Timothy about serving the Lord - "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." (2 Tim. 2:24 - 26)  As Christ served us as a living sacrifice, so let us serve Him, also, through how we live! "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." (Rom. 12:1)