Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What Is It To Be A Bondservant?

As I said before in the post on Should You Call Yourself Christian?, I showed how the disciples called themselves bondservants.  So what does that mean? Let's look at what happens when a servant that loves his Master so much that after they have served their time and can be set free, they want to stay.

Exo 21:1-6  "Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever."
Now, what is the duty of the servant?  To obey the Master's commandments. During the bondservant ceremony, the person's ear is pierced through with an aul onto the doorposts. We know that after the ceremony the bondservant has a hole in his ear. In other words, the servant's ear has been opened! What better explanation of this is Psalms 40:6-8. 

"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering [olah] and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my Elohim And Your Torah is within my heart."

The whole burnt offering (olah) was offered by persons in covenant relationship with Adonai (Genesis 8:20-21 and Exodus 24:5-8). The whole burnt offering was a symbolic act demonstrating that the worshipper had offered himself in service and obedience to the commandments of Adonai (Genesis 22:6-8, Judges 11, Psalm 40:6-8 and Romans 12:1-2). It was a voluntary offering.  And we are called to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)


What was the significance of piercing the ear through on the doorpost? Well, what is on the door of every Hebrew man? A mezzuzah. The commandments were to be written on the doorpost.  The bondservant had his ear pierced on doorposts that contained the commandments of Adonai. Therefore, his ear was "opened" to hear and be obedient to the commandments. YHWH is not desiring an animal olah offering but a person who's ear is open to His Commandments.  Someone who is obedient.  We can see that a person can "replace" an olah by becoming a bondservant of Adonai, having his ears opened to live in submission to the commandments of Him. Numerous times throughout the Bible, Israel is referred to as the (bond) servant of Adonai (Isaiah 41 - 66). Israel became the bondservant of Adonai in Exodus 24:1-11 when they said, "Everything that YHVH has said, we will do and we will obey!"
Yeshua took on the form of a bondservant and we are to follow in His footsteps.  Let's see in Phillipians.

Php 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Yeshua: Who, being in the form of Elohim, thought it not robbery to be equal with Elohim: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Israel is referred to as the (bond)servant of Adonai throughout Isaiah 41 - 66. Actually, that's only partly true. In fact, many of those passages in Isaiah are speaking of the ultimate bondservant, Yeshua. Sometimes when Isaiah mentions the servant, Israel, he has the nation of Israel in mind (e.g., Isaiah 44). However, other times when Isaiah mentions the servant, Israel, he has the Messiah (the ultimate manifestation of all Israel is to be) in mind (e.g., Isaiah 42, 49 and 53)!

What I find sad is right after the Israelites agree to YHWH's commandments, Moses goes up the mountain to receive them, and they make a golden calf.  Aaron builds an altar.  They offered whole burnt offerings(olah) to it.  Aaron then proclaims a feast unto YHWH the following day.  And they did, they sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Instead of offering themselves as an olah offering to YHWH they offer themselves to this other god, this golden calf.  So, who are you a bondservant to?  He is a jealous Elohim.  Do you serve Him and Him alone? 




Blessings!!!



From a study on Mishpatim










2 comments:

  1. God is so amazing He brought this passage to mind this morning and I was so blessed to read your blog! In this season I am learning what it really means to trust and obey Jesus. Thanks!

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  2. Yes He is amazing. Thank you! Blessings!

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