XO 21:2-6{It will be profitable to look at what Scripture says about the Lord Jesus as " The Servant," and to meditate a little season on the moral glory attaching to Him as such.
Another has very beautifully and truly said, " Love delights to serve;" and we see it exemplified in perfection in the blessed Lord. " In all things He hath the pre-eminence" is as true of Him as the Servant as in every other position that He has ever filled.
How brightly the above passage in Exodus lights up when we see in it a type of Him as the Servant! Phil. 2:77But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7), shows us that He " took upon Him the form of a servant" when He " was made in the likeness of men." It was a new thing for the one " by whorl: all things were created" (Col. 1:1616For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)); who " spake, and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast" (Psa. 33:99For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:9)), to be in the position of receiving commands; and so we find in Psa. 40:66Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. (Psalm 40:6), it is said of Him, " Mine (lit. ' for me') ears hast thou digged (margin). Then in Heb, 10:5, the Holy Spirit accepts the Septuagint rendering (conveying as it does the right thought), " a body hast thou prepared for me," thus identifying what Psa. 40:6-86Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6‑8) says with Phil. 2:77But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7).
What led Him to take this place? " Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God." In keeping with this, we get Him saying on one occasion, " Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business " (Luke 2.); on another, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4), showing what was ever before Him. Did the selfishness of His disciples manifest itself in " strife" as to " which of them should be accounted the greatest" (Luke 22), he tells them that what obtains in the world was not to be the case among them, adding, " I am among you as He that serveth." 0 beloved reader, what a rebuke to the selfishness of (the disciples' hearts, do you and I say?-nay', but of) your heart and mine; and not only selfishness, but pride, when we find that men-yea even the people of God-nowadays, object to be called "a servant." If there is one position that, more than another, has been lit up with moral glory, in this world of pride and selfishness, it is that of servant. In connection with this very position we find some of the most precious teaching in the New Testament, Eph. 6:5-85Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. (Ephesians 6:5‑8); Col. 3:22-2522Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. (Colossians 3:22‑25); (How exquisite for the heart, where the eye is single, are those words in ver. 24, " Ye serve the Lord Christ." What higher object could a saint have?); 1 Tim. 6:1-51Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (1 Timothy 6:1‑5); Titus 2:9-149Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10Not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. 11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:9‑14); 1 Peter 2:18-2518Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18‑25).
How full of moral beauty is the way that the Spirit of God portrays Him in the Servant's place in Isa. 1:4. Having, in the previous verse, shown Him as the One who " clothes the heavens with blackness, etc.," where He is represented as waiting " morning by morning" for the " word in season;" and what " apples of gold in pictures of silver" (Prov. 25:11These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. (Proverbs 25:1)) were "the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth!" (Luke 4:2222And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? (Luke 4:22)). Well might the officers say, " Never man spake like this man!" (John 7:4646The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. (John 7:46)). Surely we may connect Mark 1:3535And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35), with Isa. 1. 4. Beloved reader, what lessons and what an example for you and me in these two scriptures! If we were found acting upon them more, what the Holy Spirit enjoins in James 1:1919Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (James 1:19) would be made good in us, in increasing measure.
All through His wondrous pathway in this world do we see the same perfection as the servant, ever doing His Father's will. In Gethsemane, in all the solemn agony of that moment, with the cross before Him, when praying, " Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me," He immediately adds, " nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done" (Luke 22). Thence He passes onward, in the path of obedience, to the cross, " Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2).
Now let us return to Ex. 21 We have glanced at Him as the Servant and seen what perfection shone out in Him as such. Now comes the question, " Will He r go out free'?" That He could have done so John 10:1818No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18), and Matt. 26:5353Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53), show plainly enough. But no: " I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out free" were about to be fulfilled. There was not only the One whose will He came to do (and which He did perfectly), but, " my wife and my children." Turn to Eph. 5:32, 25-2932This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:25‑29); and Heb. 2:13-1513And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. 14Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:13‑15), and I think we shall there find what corresponds to the type.
In Psa. 40:44Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. (Psalm 40:4) we have seen ears digged or prepared for Him, and that that corresponded to His taking the Servant's place. Now it is the question not of His being a servant, but of His being A SERVANT Forever. The Cross answers to Ex. 21:66Then 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. (Exodus 21:6), and so we find in Scripture that He never gives up being a man. God the Father has righteously decreed that He shall judge the world as Son of Man (John 5:22, 23, 2722For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:22‑23)
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (John 5:27); Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31); Cor. 15:25-27); and that all things shall be put under Him as such (Psa. 8; Heb. 2:5-85For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:5‑8)). After the millennial reign, even in the eternal state, He will not cease being a man (1 Cor. 15:28). 0, dear reader (if you are a believer), that blessed One has served you and me, where, and in a way, that no one else could. " Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8), may well come before us in this connection, and may the Spirit of God apply those words to our hearts with such power that " The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5), may be practically true of us during the " little while" that He leaves us here to " occupy till I come."
We find then that He has served us on the cross bearing the judgment of God for us and shedding His precious blood-our only title to glory.
If we turn to John 13 we shall find a precious picture of His present service. " His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father." Was he going to cease serving them? Oh, no! Love delighting to serve, as has been said, His service is as unceasing as His love; so now " having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end;" and so " He riseth from supper and laid aside His garments and took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.
The reader will notice that it is water in the basin, not blood. When a person has taken his true place before God as a sinner and rested in simple faith on the work the Lord Jesus accomplished on Calvary's cross, he is " justified from all things" (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)), has " peace with God" (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)), and is a "child of God" (Gal. 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)). Then comes the question of communion, which the least allowance of evil, or of defilement contracted, interrupts. The Lord uses the simplest things of every day life to teach lessons by. In those countries where they wore sandals, however clean the individual might otherwise be, the dust was very apt to settle on the feet as they walked about. So we, in this sin-defiled world, are very apt (through lack of dependence and watchfulness) to contract defilement, and this interrupts communion. In ver. to the first " washed" is rather " bathed" or " washed all over" and corresponds to the action of the word when we are " born of water" (symbol of the word, Psa. 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9); John 15:33Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3); Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26); cf. 1 Peter 1:23, 2523Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23)
25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (1 Peter 1:25)) " and of the Spirit," and of which there can be no repetition, for " He that is washed needeth not save to wash (a different word, and used more particularly with reference to the feet and hands) his feet, but is clean every whit."
" Clean every whit;" Thou saidst it, Lord; Shall one suspicion lurk? Thine, surely, is a faithful word, And Thine a finished work.
How often, though, dear fellow-believer, have you and I, since we have been the Lord's, lacked watchfulness and tailed in dependence, and done or said something naughty. Perhaps, too, we have gone on our way and forgotten, or tried to forget,' about it; or, what is still worse, made an excuse for, it But in spite of all our efforts to do so, it has, kept coming before us again and again, till at last we have been broken down in self-judgment and confession; and the soul, looking back, said, "Why, here have I, after all the love and grace I have been brought to know, gone and taken my pleasure (be it only for a moment) in that which caused the Lord Jesus His agony on Calvary's cross"-or some such words; and, going to the Father, a simple and full confession has been made (specifying what has been done), acting as 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) shows us. But what has produced this? The blessed Lord Jesus has had His eye on us all the time; and, in His unceasing, unwearied love has stooped down to wash our feet, by His Spirit applying the word to the conscience. John 13. shows us His side of it; and 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) the effect in us.
Lastly we come to His future service. " Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37)). He will Himself minister to our joy, when we are with Him in glory. What surpassing love! Well may we sing: