Verbs of the Covenant
“You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13
Worship – Would it surprise you to know that the word translated “worship” in this verse comes from the language of slaves? The word avadh is associated with compulsory labor and work, typically by slaves. In fact, the Hebrew word for slave comes from this same root. That’s why some Bibles translate this verse, “and you shall serve Him”.
If the Old Testament ties worship to serving as a slave, what does that tell us about God’s idea of freedom? In our culture, we prize freedom. It is the political currency of today’s world. We think that every man and woman desires to be unrestrained in life’s choices. But this is not the Biblical view of freedom. This is the Greek world view, built on the idea that Man is the independent center of the world. God has a very different perspective.
God settles the issue of freedom in a way we would find most uncomfortable. God tells us that unrestrained choice is a myth. There is no such thing as freedom defined that way. In fact, the truth is that we are slaves, either to sin and self or to God. When Jesus said, “You cannot serve two masters”, you can be sure that he was thinking about slavery. There is no third option: to be free of any master. In this world, the truth is that the only option you have is whom you will serve.
Of course, we are often seduced by the mythology of Greek freedom. We want to think that we don’t serve anyone. We like the idea of being unrestrained. But that fable leads only to destruction because it amounts to serving someone or something other than the Creator of life and the Master of the universe. In the end, it leads nowhere.
God calls us to another kind of slavery. He calls us to serve Him only. Why should he do that? Because He is the only Master who loves us so much that He always does what is in our best interests. He is not the cruel dictator or the fickle tyrant. He is the master whose character is built on compassion, mercy, forgiveness and grace. If my only choice is whom I will serve, why would I not serve the one who loves me completely? Serving God is the best thing I can do for myself.
Worship is service. It is service by one who volunteers to become a slave for life. It is service by one who sees that this is the best possible choice. It is the expression of gratitude by a slave for the benevolence of the Master.
