Moses, the great leader of God’s people in the Old Testament, was characterised above all by his meekness. His brave leadership in exceedingly testing circumstances was marked neither by harshness nor self-aggrandizing. Although it subverts worldly ideas of what a strong leader looks like, those who want to be the greatest in Christ’s church have to be servants, and serve God by serving others. In the following excerpt from one of his sermons, the godly pastor Alexander Wedderburn explores the huge dignity that belonged to Moses when God called him, after his death, simply, “My servant.”

Commendations for God’s servants

The great testimony of God to Moses is, “my servant.” It is the highest commendation of a man after his death, that in his life he was God’s servant. It is true, all the creatures are in their kind subservient, and God’s greatest enemies do His work. But to be “His” by way of distinction or propriety, as Moses is said to be, is a man’s greatest eulogy in death.

In Scripture, “servant” is the name given to the most eminent saints as their title of greatest honour. Think of “Abraham my servant,” “Job my servant,” “Jacob my servant,” “David my servant.” The greatest prophets and apostles glory in it; Paul, for example, prefixes it to some of his epistles, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.” This name is also given to the greatest princes, such as Nebuchadnezzar, head of the Assyrian empire (Jer. 25:9) and Cyrus, head of the Persian empire (Isa. 45). It is given to the excellent martyrs (Rev. 19:2), to the saints in glory (Rev. 22:3), and to the blessed angels (Rev. 19:10). Lastly, this name is given to Jesus the Mediator, “Behold my Servant …” (Isa. 42:1). When you see all these uses of the name laid together, it shows what an eminent testimony of honour it is.

Many things are fixed on in the world, as things which commend people after their death, according to the diversity of their lives. Some have been commended for their honour, some their courage, some their wisdom, some their riches. Where there is a concatenation of these, how eminently commendable that person must be! Well, in spending your life in service to God, a multitude of these concur. How deservedly then is a servant of God commended!

There is wisdom in being God’s servant

It is the highest wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. Moses is brief in determining what wisdom consists in. “Keep his statutes, for this is your wisdom” (Deut. 4:6). Yea, where His service is absent, the Scripture speaks of men as fools. Since they have rejected the word of God, what wisdom is in them? (Jer. 8:9) The foolish virgins are foolish indeed, to make no provision for the time to come. Though they should be able, with the philosophers, to dispute de omni re scibili (about every knowable thing), or, with Solomon, to traverse nature from the cedar to the hyssop (1 Kings 4:33), yet he who does not walk circumspectly is a fool (Eph. 5:16).

There is honour in being God’s servant

There is no trade of life so honourable as to serve God. “The way of life is above to the wise” (Prov. 15:24). There are four things which show how honourable a service it is.

First, they are taken up with the noblest objects. Philosophers call their metaphysics the most noble science, because it deals with the highest beings. God’s servants, like Caleb, constantly follow Him (Num. 14).

Next, they act from the noblest principles. Love constrains them, and indeed, by regeneration, they partake of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1), which elevates the spirit far above what the most famous among the Greeks or Romans could ever reach.

Then, they aim at the noblest ends, such as the glory of God, the good of His church, the salvation of their own souls. Others, like men of low spirits, have low designs. “Who will show us any good? is that which many say” (Psa. 4).

And they receive the noblest reward. “Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of immortal glory.” “Blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find waiting; verily, I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all that he hath.” What more can be imagined?

There is gain in being God’s servant

As it is honourable, so it is truly gainful to be His servants. “Godliness is great gain, for it hath the promises of this life, and that which is to come.” Like ships that go to a far country, they keep a trade with heaven, where they have wine, and milk, and honey, and white linen, and eye-salve, without money and without price.

No sooner do His elect children, though they were prodigals before, come to their father’s house, but they are clothed with the best robe, and fed on the fatted calf, and given a ring on their hand, and shoes on their feet. Granted, that which usually goes under the name of riches is not their portion, but their gain is more noble, and they lay up to themselves where the moth cannot enter.

There is enjoyment in being God’s servant

As it is gainful, so it is exceeding pleasant to be God’s servant. We may say, as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon’s servants, “Blessed are those servants who stand by and hear the wisdom of thy words.”

Their walks are sometimes to green pastures, sometimes to the fields, sometimes to the gardens, to see if the pomegranates bud, sometimes to the banqueting house. It is true, they also sometimes walk down to the wilderness (Hosea 2:14), but there they are allured, and a door of hope is opened to them.

What excellent company they have in these walks! Enoch walked with God (Gen. 6). If to walk with the wise is, in Solomon’s eyes, so great a privilege (Prov. 13:2), what must it be to walk with the only wise God?

What sweet fellowship they have in these walks! Sometimes they sit down under His shadow, sometimes He kisses them with the kisses of his mouth, sometimes He eats with them, sometimes He takes them in His bosom (Isa. 40:11). How pleasant a life must this be! The apostle simply calls it “the life of God” (Eph. 4:18).

They live the sweetest life. Satan can say to God of Job, “Hast thou not set a hedge about him, and about all he hath?” “About all he hath,” is saying a lot. “Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” Who? It is like the expression that Ahasuerus used with Esther, “Who is he, or where is the man, that durst presume to do this?” It is the highest act of boldness that ever the creature attempted, to be a persecutor of those who have salvation for walls and bulwarks, and are sheltered under the faithfulness of God, as a bird under the feathers of the mother hen (Psa. 71).

Lay all this together and see if it is not a high eulogy to be His servant!

Appropriate responses from God’s servants

Respect

If it is so great a privilege to be God’s servant, then this reproves those who undervalue the privilege. Some disdain His service as a bondage, even though they call Him master and lord, but David preferred the lowest employments in His service to dwelling in the tents of wickedness. Some, like Canaan, are “servant of servants” (Gen. 9:25), and despise their own mercy. Rectify your opinion of his service, since it is the honour of angels, who are in Scripture referred to more often by their service than their nature, though their nature is most pure and excellent spirit.

Consolation

Here is consolation for His servants. Though their service is never so low, yet their privilege is great, and especially since they are friends, as well as servants.

In fact, one who does the will of Christ, he is His father, His mother, His brother, His sister. Rejoice in your privilege, even when it has a mixture of the cross with it.

Striving

If it is such a great privilege to be His servants, then they should strive to do His service acceptably. These are the qualifications required in His servants if they are to serve acceptably.

Loyalty. They cannot serve two masters, for they must cleave to the one, and leave the other. You must give up on lusts, Satan, and the world, and you must not serve others in opposition to Him. These opposites send many out of His servants, and like Gideon’s 22,000, they return to their tents (Jud. 7:3).

Responsiveness. A servant cannot stand on his own rights, but must be at the beck of his master. If the centurion said to one, “Go!” he had to go. You must not stand and dispute your duty — His will is reason enough, even if His will is that you are to suffer for righteousness’ sake. Supposing His will was that we should walk on a sea of trouble, we ought to say with Peter, “Master, if thou wilt bid me, I will come unto thee.”

Cheerfulness. His service must be done cheerfully (Psa. 110:3). It is true, we are to serve him with reverence, and godly fear (Heb. 12:28), yet this is not inconsistent with cheerfulness. He does not love to have service wrung out of us, as if to an austere and rigorous master, as the man who had the one talent called him; but we are to rejoice in trembling.

Assiduousness. We must labour to do Him service in every thing. Servants are to obey their masters, as the servants of Jesus Christ, directing and referring to His honour their most ordinary employments.

Selflessness. We must not lay stress on our service, as if it deserved our hire. When we have done all, we are unprofitable servants. Indeed, though He say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” yet our reply ought to be, “When saw we thee hungry, and fed thee?”

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