This week started out in a rather ordinary manner on Sunday and I was looking forward to having focused time for Bible teaching preparation for the majority of the week. Sunday evening, however, I noticed water on the floor of my apartment in a place that it should not be. After investigating, I found that one of the water pipes leading to the shower was leaking. I called first thing on Monday morning and asked the apartment management company to take care of this matter and thankfully they sent someone out within a few hours.
The initial inspection by the service team led to a four-day repair job that made my apartment into a work zone: breaking out a wall, replacing a pipe, and reconstructing the damaged areas. Needless to say, I was not able to invest as much time in my various studies as I would have liked this week. On the other hand, I had much more social interaction than usual due to the constant flow of workers in and out of my apartment.
Throughout the week I was able to get to know some of the workers as they were in my home for several hours each day. The lead plumber is in his mid-forties and has twenty years experience in this field of work. He also had a worker with him who is younger and newer in the plumbing profession. I noticed that the lead plumber enjoyed having his apprentice with him as he constantly sent him on errands to get this and that and to do whatever he asked him to do. The lead plumber sat around most of the time giving the orders while his assistant and the others did the work. I was reminded that in the Middle East the master-servant mentality still plays out in day to day life and expresses itself in the workforce. Who does not like to have someone else readily available to do whatever one may ask them to do?
To be a servant to another is not the easiest job in the world. Servanthood is generally not viewed as a prestigious line of work and the people who serve in this capacity are generally not honored by their masters. We see a good example of servants and servanthood in this week’s Torah Portion reading.
Jacob Leaves Home
As a result of a tense family situation (Esau had vowed to kill his brother Jacob), both Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob away to uncle Laban, Rebekah’s brother. Jacob left Be’er Sheva and arrived in Haran in the north. Upon meeting his extended family, Jacob immediately fell in love:
Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her. – Gen. 29:18-20
Within one month of spending time with Laban and his family Jacob had decided that he wanted to marry Rachel, Laban’s daughter.
The agreement that Jacob made with Laban for Rachel’s hand in marriage, was that he would serve Laban for seven years as a shepherd. This voluntary service was fulfilled with great joy and passed by quickly for Jacob because of his great love for Rachel, however, the joy and speed of those days were interrupted on the day after the wedding:
So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me, for another seven years.” – Gen. 29:25-27
Jacob’s greatest joy was stolen from him when Laban switched brides on him and gave him Leah instead of Rachel on the first night of the wedding. Although Laban agreed to also give Rachel to Jacob as a wife after the week with Leah, Laban demanded an additional seven years of service from Jacob.
There seems to be several reasons why Laban acted in this manner toward Jacob with the most obvious being that Laban benefited from Jacob’s service (Gen. 30:27). Laban did not want to release Jacob, but rather devised a way to get another seven years of free service from Jacob by deceitfully having him marry his firstborn daughter Leah.
The Plight of a Servant
Although Jacob was considered extended family, he was in a place of vulnerability and Laban abused his mastery over Jacob by taking another seven years of service from his life. Servants generally have little negotiating power with those who are over them and they tend to accept the terms offered to them as a means of survival. Jacob accepted his terms and served Laban for another seven years.
When Jacob agreed to take both Leah and Rachel in marriage, he also acquired two more women who were given to Leah and Rachel as maid-servants. Laban gave Zilpah to Leah (Gen. 29:24) and Bilhah to Rachel (Gen. 29:29). These maid-servants were given to Leah and Rachel to assist them in daily life and to serve them throughout their lives. They eventually also became wives to Jacob and fathered four of Jacob’s twelve sons (Gen. 30).
Servants are to do as they are told and they live for the benefit of those whom they serve. Zilpah was to serve Leah, Bilhah was to serve Rachel, and Jacob was to serve Laban. The life of a servant is difficult, challenging, and is often unrewarded. Even though Jacob agreed to continue in his service to Laban for a limited time of an additional seven years, it was still a position of servanthood and he suffered greatly during those years.
The Reward of a Servant
After completing his fourteen years of service to Laban, Jacob was ready to be released from his position of servanthood and live as a free man again in his home country with his new family:
Now it came about, when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so that I may go to my own place and to my own country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you.” But Laban said to him, “If it pleases you at all, stay with me; I have determined by divination that the LORD has blessed me on your account.” – Gen. 30:25-27
Jacob’s request to be set free was countered by Laban’s request for Jacob to stay and continue in Laban’s service. They went back in forth in traditional middle eastern style and came to an agreement with Jacob being compensated for his service in livestock.
Laban’s unwillingness to release Jacob from his service proves that Jacob served his master well. Laban had prospered with Jacob at his side. Under this new agreement, Jacob had a means of prospering himself and was able to become a wealthy man in six years:
So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys. – Gen. 30:43
Under the final agreement with Laban, Jacob was able to excel in his position as Laban’s servant. He became so wealthy that Jacob acquired his own male and female servants.
As difficult and humbling as it was for Jacob during those twenty years of working as a servant to Laban, Jacob left a rich man in every way. Serving others is never easy and it always requires an aspect of dying to oneself while putting the interest of others first. Jacob was faithful in his service and was greatly rewarded by the LORD during those humbling years of service to Laban (Gen. 31:11-13).
There are many life lessons to be learned from Jacob’s years of service to Laban. Jacob learned to listen to the voice of God and follow after Him during those many years of hardship and heartache. Jacob also learned that there is a great blessing in serving others while trusting God for the outcome. Whenever we choose to serve someone else we risk how they will respond. We may never receive anything in return for the service that we give but we need to remember that God in heaven sees everything and He will reward us in a greater way than we could ever imagine.
The Way of a Servant
Throughout the New Testament there are several key passages regarding serving others. In one example, while challenging the socially elite of His day, Yeshua instructed His followers to be careful to not imitate the arrogance and pride of the Jewish leaders but to be careful to live according to God’s Word:
Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people. But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Messiah. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted…” – Matt. 23:1-12
Even though Yeshua spoke specifically about the Jewish leaders of His day, this instruction relates to the majority of religious, social, and business situations. Most people in this world desire to be the boss, like to take upon themselves lofty titles, and enjoy having others serve them. Yeshua, however, said that the greatest of all is the one who serves.
The way of a servant is often unnoticed and unrewarded but God sees us and we need to trust Him with the outcomes. The spiritual truth of servanthood and humility are the way to true success in this world. Seek to serve and to become the servant of all while leaving the results to the Lord!
Shabbat Shalom!
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*All Scripture take from NASB Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
**The Hebrew name “Yeshua” is used in the biblical quotations in place of the English name “Jesus” to give emphasis to the meaning of this name, salvation. The word “Messiah” is also used in place of the word “Christ” to bring clarity to the office of Yeshua.
Hey Daniel. Thank you so much for this weeks Message, The Way of a Servant. Some great reminders and good life applications to consider. Makes me wonder why we don’t have fewer leadership meetings and more servants meetings.
Thomas
Thank you Thomas. That is a good suggestion.
Daniel