There are seasons in the lives of all when it is not easy, no not even for Christians, to believe that God is faithful. Our faith is sorely tried, our eyes bedimmed with tears, and we can no longer trace the outworkings of His love. Our ears are distracted with the noises of the world, harassed by the atheistic whisperings of Satan, and we can no longer hear the sweet accents of His still small voice. Cherished plans have been thwarted, friends on whom we relied have failed us, a profest brother or sister in Christ has betrayed us. We are staggered. We sought to be faithful to God, and now a dark cloud hides Him from us. We find it difficult, yea, impossible, for carnal reason to harmonize His frowning providence with His gracious promises.
A.W. Pink

SERVANTS

SERVANTS

SERVANTS

  1. Early mention of # Ge 9:25,26
  2. DIVIDED INTO 2a) Male

    # Ge 24:34 32:5

2b) Female # Ge 16:6 32:5 2c) Bond # Ge 43:18 Le 25:46 2d) Hired # Mr 1:20 Lu 15:17 3) Persons devoted to the service of another so called # Ps 119:49 Isa 56:6 4) The subjects of a prince or king so called # Ex 9:20 11:8 5) Persons of low condition so called # Ec 10:7 6) Persons devoted to God so called # Ps 119:49 Isa 56:6 Ro 1:1 7) The term often used to express humility # Ge 18:3 33:5 1Sa 20:7 1Ki 20:32 8) HIRED 8a) Called hireling # Job 7:1 Joh 10:12,13 8b) Engaged by the year # Le 25:53 Isa 16:14 8c) Engaged by the day # Mt 20:2 8d) Not to be oppressed # De 24:14 8e) To be paid without delay at the expiration of their service # Le 19:13 De 24:15 8f) To be esteemed worthy of their hire # Lu 10:7 8g) To partake of the produce of the land in the sabbatical year # Le 25:6 8h) If foreigners not allowed to partake of the passover or holy things # Ex 12:45 Le 22:10 8i) Anxiety of, for the end of their daily toil, alluded to # Job 7:2 8j) Hebrew slaves serving their brethren to be treated as # Le 25:39,40 8k) Hebrew slaves serving strangers to be treated as # Le 25:47,53 8l) Often stood in the market place waiting for employment # Mt 20:1-3 8m) Often will fed and taken care of # Lu 15:17 8n) Often oppressed and their wages kept back # Mal 3:5 Jas 5:4 9) SLAVES OR BOND 9a) Called bondmen # Ge 43:18 44:9 9b) By birth # Ge 14:14 Ps 116:16 Jer 2:14 9c) By purchase # Ge 17:27 37:36 9d) Captives taken in war often kept as # De 20:14 2Ki 5:2 9e) Strangers sojourning in Israel might be purchased as # Le 25:45 9f) Persons belonging to other nations might be purchased as # Le 25:44 9g) Persons unable to pay their debts liable to be sold as # 2Ki 4:1 Ne 5:4,5 Mt 18:25 9h) Thieves unable to make restitution were sold as # Ex 22:3 9i) More valuable than hired servants # De 15:18 9j) When Israelites not to be treated with rigour # Le 25:39,40,46 9k) When Israelites to have their liberty after six years service # Ex 21:2 De 15:12 9l) Israelites sold as, refusing their liberty, to have their ears bored to the door # Ex 21:5,6 De 15:16,17 9m) Israelites sold to strangers as, might be redeemed by their nearest of kin # Le 25:47-55 9n) All Israelites sold as, to be free at the jubilee # Le 25:10,40,41,54 9o) Could not when set free demand wives or children procured during servitude # Ex 21:3,4 9p) To be furnished liberally, when their servitude expired # De 15:13,14 9q) When foreigners to be circumcised # Ge 17:13,27 Ex 12:44 9r) To be allowed to rest on the Sabbath # Ex 20:10 9s) To participate in all national rejoicings # De 12:18 16:11,14 9t) Persons of distinction had many # Ge 14:14 Ec 2:7 9u) Engaged in the most menial offices # 1Sa 25:41 Joh 13:4,5 9v) Maimed of injured by masters to have their freedom # Ex 21:26,27 9w) Masters to be recompensed for injury done to # Ex 21:32 9x) Laws respecting the killing of # Ex 21:20,21 9y) Of others not to be coveted or enticed away # Ex 20:17 De 5:21 9z) Seeking protection not to be delivered up to masters # De 23:15 9A) Custom of branding, alluded to # Ga 6:17 9B) Sometimes rose to rank and station # Ec 10:7 9C) Sometimes intermarried with their master’s family # 1Ch 2:34,35 9D) Laws respecting marriage with female # Ex 21:7-11 9E) Seizing and stealing of men for, condemned and punished by the law # Ex 21:16 De 24:7 1Ti 1:10 9F) Laws respecting, often violated # Jer 34:8-16 10) BOND, ILLUSTRATIVE 10a) Of Christ # Ps 40:6 Heb 10:5 Php 2:7,8 10b) Of saints # 1Co 6:20 7:23 10c) Of the wicked # 2Pe 2:19 Ro 6:16,19 11) Christ condescended to the office of # Mt 20:28 Lu 22:27 Joh 13:5 Php 2:7 12) Are inferior to their masters # Lu 22:27 13) Should follow Christ’s example # 1Pe 2:21 14) DUTIES OF, TO MASTERS 14a) To pray for them # Ge 24:12 14b) To honour them # Mal 1:6 1Ti 6:1 14c) To revere them the more, when they are believers # 1Ti 6:2 14d) To be subject to them # 1Pe 2:18 14e) To obey them # Eph 6:5 Tit 2:9 14f) To attend to their call # Ps 123:2 14g) To please them well in all things # Tit 2:9 14h) To sympathise with them # 2Sa 12:18 14i) To prefer their business to their own necessary food # Ge 24:33 14j) To bless God for mercies shown to them # Ge 24:27,48 14k) To be faithful to them # Lu 16:10-12 1Co 4:2 Tit 2:10 14l) To be profitable to them # Lu 19:15,16,18 Phm 1:11 14m) To be anxious for their welfare # 1Sa 25:14-17 2Ki 5:2,3 14n) To be earnest in transacting their business # Ge 24:54-56 14o) To be prudent in the management of their affairs # Ge 24:34-49 14p) To be industrious in labouring for them # Ne 4:16,23 14q) To be kind and attentive to their guests # Ge 43:23,24 14r) To be submissive even to the froward # Ge 16:6,9 1Pe 2:18 14s) Not to answer them rudely # Tit 2:9 14t) Not to serve them with eye-service, as men-pleasers # Eph 6:6 Col 3:22 14u) Not to defraud them # Tit 2:10 15) Should be contented in their situation # 1Co 7:20,21 16) Should be compassionate to their fellows # Mt 18:33 17) SHOULD SERVE 17a) For conscience towards God # 1Pe 2:19 17b) In the fear of God # Eph 6:5 Col 3:22 17c) As the servants of Christ # Eph 6:5,6 17d) Heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men # Eph 6:7 Col 3:23 17e) As doing the will of God from the heart # Eph 6:6 17f) In singleness of heart # Eph 6:5 Col 3:22 17g) With good will # Eph 6:7 18) When patient under injury are acceptable to God # 1Pe 2:19,20 19) When Good 19a) Are the servants of Christ # Col 3:24 19b) Are brethren beloved in the Lord # Phm 1:16 19c) Are the Lord’s freemen # 1Co 7:22 19d) Are partakers of gospel privileges # 1Co 12:13 Ga 3:28 Eph 6:8 Col 3:11 19e) Deserve the confidence of their masters # Ge 24:2,4,10 39:4 19f) Often exalted # Ge 41:40 Pr 17:2 19g) Often advanced by master # Ge 39:4,5 19h) To be honoured # Ge 24:31 Pr 27:18 19i) Bring God’s blessing upon their masters # Ge 30:27,30 39:3 19j) Adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things # Tit 2:10 19k) Have God with them # Ge 31:42 39:21 Ac 7:9,10 19l) Are prospered by God # Ge 39:3 19m) Are protected by God # Ge 31:7 19n) Are guided by God # Ge 24:7,27 19o) Are blessed by God # Mt 24:46 19p) Are mourned over after death # Ge 35:8 19q) Shall be rewarded # Eph 6:8 Col 3:24 20) The property of masters increased by faithful # Ge 30:29,30 21) CHARACTERISTICS OF WICKED SERVANTS 21a) Eye-service # Eph 6:6 Col 3:22 21b) Men-pleasers # Eph 6:6 Col 3:22 21c) Deceit # 2Sa 19:26 Ps 101:6,7 21d) Quarrelsomeness # Ge 13:7 26:20 21e) Covetousness # 2Ki 5:20 21f) Lying # 2Ki 5:22,24 21g) Stealing # Tit 2:10 21h) Gluttony # Mt 24:49 21i) Unmerciful to their fellows # Mt 18:30 21j) Will not submit to correction # Pr 29:19 21k) Do not bear to be exalted # Pr 30:21,22 Isa 3:5 21l) Shall be punished # Mt 24:50 22) Good-Exemplified 22a) Eliezer # Ge 24:1-67 22b) Deborah # Ge 24:59 35:8 22c) Jacob # Ge 31:36-40 22d) Joseph # Ge 39:3 Ac 7:10 22e) Servants of Boaz # Ru 2:4 22f) Jonathan’s armour bearer # 1Sa 14:6,7 22g) David’s servants # 2Sa 12:18 22h) Captive maid # 2Ki 5:2-4 22i) Servants of Naaman # 2Ki 5:13 22j) Servants of Centurion # Mt 8:9 22k) Servants of Cornelius # Ac 10:7 22l) Onesimus after his conversion # Phm 1:11 23) Bad-Exemplified 23a) Servants of Abraham and Lot # Ge 13:7 23b) Servants of Abimelech # Ge 21:25 23c) Absalom’s servants [Absalom’s servants obeyed a bad master; they were bad men rather than bad servants] # 2Sa 13:28,29 14:30 23d) Ziba # 2Sa 16:1-4 23e) Servants of Shimei # 1Ki 2:39 23f) Jeroboam # 1Ki 11:26 23g) Zimri # 1Ki 16:9 23h) Gehazi # 2Ki 5:20 23i) Servants of Amon # 2Ki 21:23 23j) Job’s servants # Job 19:16 23k) Servants of the High Priest # Mr 14:65 23l) Onesimus before his conversion # Phm 1:11