THE SERVANT OF THE LORD (I)
Reflections on the use of the expression in the Book of Joshua

Every Christian is called to be a servant of the Lord. This is made clear in
passages such as Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthians 7:21-22 and Ephesians 6:5-
8. The Apostles also found it an honour to be called the servants of the
Lord (see Rom. 1:1; Tit. 1:1; Jas. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jud. 1:1 and Rev. 1:1).
However, what exactly does it mean to be called the servant of the Lord?

The men of this world in their pride find it degrading for one to be called
a “servant” because it implies submission to another. They seek to be their
own masters, having much power and authority over others. Thus, they
despise to be called the servant of another. However, a Christian counts it
an honour to be the servant of Christ, because he knows how unworthy he
is to be serving Christ. Everyone of us is a great sinner before the Lord,
deserving of eternal condemnation. It is only because of Christ that we
can have the privilege to serve the most High God. It is therefore our duty
now to live a life of full surrender to our God. “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)

In Joshua 1:1, we see the title “the servant of the LORD” being accorded
to Moses by the Scriptures. He will be called by the same title another 13
times in the same book (Jos. 1:7, 13, 15; 8:31, 33; 11:12; 12:6; 13:8; 14:7;
18:7; 22:2, 4-5). However, Joshua is described in verse 1 as the “minister”
of Moses and not the title “the servant of the LORD”. Joshua will only be
called “the servant of the Lord” in Joshua 24:29 at the event of his death.
“And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun,
the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years
old.” (Jos. 24:29) Why is this so?

A study of the life account of Moses yields us a clue. While Moses may
have been called the Lord’s servant several times in his earthly service of
the Lord (see for example Exo. 14:31; Num. 12:7-8), he was only accord-
ed the title of “the servant of the LORD” in Deuteronomy 34:5 at the
event of his death. “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in
the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.” (Deut. 34:5)
The title “the servant of the LORD” thus serves as the divine assessment
of the entire life of service of Moses, that he has walked pleasing in
the sight of God. Similarly for Joshua, it is after he has accomplished the
task assigned to him by the Lord faithfully that he was accorded the title
of “the servant of the LORD” at the event of his death.

The lesson for us is this – while every Christian is called to be a servant of
the Lord, it is his duty to live a life of service worthy of that title. The
assessment period will be the time he became a Christian to the time he is
called home to be with the Lord.

What then has the Lord called you to do? When God calls you home, will
you be assessed to have lived a life worthy of the title “the servant of the LORD”?
To be continued….

Yours affectionately,
Pastor Clement Chew

When Thou Vowest A Vow, Defer Not To Pay It
Abstracted from a message by Rev Timothy Tow

Several vows are recorded in the Bible. One vow was erroneously made.
This is the case of Jephthah. Going to war against Ammon on behalf of
Israel , he made a rash vow. He vowed to God if He would give him
victory over Ammon, when he returned from battle, he would offer
“whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me. . .and I
will offer it up for a burnt offering” (Judges 11:31 ). This was an awful
vow according to the practice of heathen kings, e.g. the king of Moab who
offered his eldest son as a burnt offering in order to break loose from
Israel (2 Kings 3:27).

Now, when Jephthah had defeated the Ammonites and returned home
triumphant, “behold, his (only) daughter came out to meet him with
timbrels and with dances” (v.34). “And it came to pass, when he saw her,
that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me
very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my
mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back” (v.35). His daughter
answered, “My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do
to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth.” This
story teaches us the utmost seriousness of making a vow to God. Once spoken,
it can never be retracted. “When thou vowest a vow unto God,
defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast
vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou
before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy
voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” (Eccl. 5:4-6).

But here is another vow, a good vow, not to death but unto life. It is the vow of
Hannah. The story of Hannah is a familiar story told in the Sunday School.
Because Hannah was barren for a period of time and her husband’s first wife
had many children, she came under her ridicule. So when Hannah worshipped
at God’s House on her annual visit, she prayed to the Lord. Eli the priest heard
her prayer and blessed it. She conceived and brought forth Samuel. She had
vowed if God gave her a son, he would be given to the Lord’s service all his
life. The Lord accepted her vow and Samuel became the greatest prophet after
Moses.

Samuel leads me to give my own testimony. My mother did not bear any child
until three years after her marriage. It was a girl, my sister, when everyone in
the Tow Clan expected a boy. When she did not bear after another three years,
she became anxious. She vowed to the Lord, like Hannah, that if the Lord
would give a man-child, she would offer him to serve Him as a pastor. When I
was seven or eight Mother told me about her vow on me. To comfort me she
said when I grew up, she would send me to America.

In the Singapore Pentecost of 1935, I was so gloriously saved that I gave
myself to serve the Lord full-time. This confirmed Mother’s vow. After some
years, however, I broke this double vow in my attempt to study law in
London . In the welter of events, Mother died on the eve of my setting out. Not
recollecting my vow, I persisted to go on my wayward journey, but in five
weeks my baby daughter of seven months also died. It took two deaths to
bring me to my senses. This experience has taught me the seriousness of
keeping one’s vows.

The question is, “How about you?” Have you made any vow to God? How
many times in sickness and in pain have you vowed, “Lord, if you heal me I
will do this or that for You”? In your financial distress, in accidents, in times
of approaching death, what did you vow? And have you clean forgotten what
you uttered before God?

“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no
pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou
shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy
mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was
an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of
thine hands?” (Eccl. 5:4-6).