Know The One You Serve_1

I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” – Isa. 43:15 NIV

The act of service is one of subservience. It will always require that the one who intends to serve has, not just a huge respect for the one who is being served but a clear understanding of the personality of the one to be served. This is because service will imply that the one who is serving is implementing the desires of the one to be served and in accordance with the standard prescribed by the one to be served. Any service outside the above guidelines should not be expected to be recognized and acknowledged and so should not be expected to attract any form of compensation from the one who is being served.

This is a knowledge and awareness that seems to escape the Christian today with regards to their service to Jehovah and subsequent expectation of recognition and reward for Service. Without a desire to know who or what the god that they aspire to serve wants, they expend lots of efforts implementing the desires of their spiritual leaders or at best their own desires, erroneously believing that they are serving Jehovah. Spiritual leaders are also in some cases guilty as they do nothing to educate the followers about this very important piece of information as the continued status of ignorance of the followers remain a huge advantage to them. No wonder today’s Christian congregation are filled with members who have earned the recognition and appreciation of their leader but still do not manifest the expected divine glory. It is not unusual to find Christians raise prayer points asking for divine intervention against imagined enemies who are presumed to be against the manifestation of their probably inexistent glory. They are deceived into believing that like the case of Daniel, Jehovah has since given a positive response to their request and the glory would have since manifested but for the modern day Princes of Persia, and so are encouraged to continue to increase their spiritual activities with the belief that something would break somewhere. This, the followers continue to do rather than strive to achieve success by acquiring knowledge about their situation – Hos. 4:6. It definitely cannot be that modern day Princes of Persia have become so powerful that no one in a congregation will be sufficiently graced to overcome them and achieve victory. Sometimes, to give the impression to the congregants that victory is being achieved by some others, arranged testimonies are presented which help to hold down the followership in their ignorance.

The Israelites in the time of Prophet Isaiah had experienced several years of punishment from Jehovah, with the surrounding nations as the tool for their punishment. This was the consequence of their regular transgressions of His laws, and biblical records noted several occasions when they made unsuccessful appeals to Jehovah for reprieve. When Jehovah in his mercy became ready to forgive and grant them reprieve, he not only sent someone who knew Him well, but started by letting the people know who He was. This act is characteristic of Jehovah as it was the same process he deployed when he was going to save the Israelites from the Egyptians. He had introduced Himself to Moses and also told him how he was going to introduce Him to the Israelites when he meets with them – Exo. 3:1-15. He was not just describing Himself but was probably letting them know who He was since they seemed not to know Him as being capable of providing victory in such circumstances.

In today’s foundation scripture, He was ready to intervene again in the challenges of the Israelites but they will first have to know Him in relation to His proposed intervention. Using four adjectives, he described Himself as their Lord, their Holy One, their Creator and their King. A proper understanding of the activities of the Israelites preceding their movement into exile will show that the areas emphasized by Jehovah were the areas that they fell short in. If they were going to receive a reprieve that would last, they will need to always act according to such description of His personality, else they may either not receive the expected reprieve or the reprieve may not be sustained.

That the Christian today desires such intervention is not in contention but it may not be too surprising that today’s Christian may also be guilty of this ignorance that put the Israelites in bondage in exile. The four areas that Jehovah identified as possible areas where the people fell short are as listed below;

1. Jehovah desires to be regarded and related with as Lord – Isa. 43:15a.
2. Jehovah desires to be related with by Christians as their Holy One – Isa. 43:15b.
3. Jehovah desires that the Christian and indeed all human beings remember at all times that He is their Creator – Isa. 43:15c.
4. Jehovah desires to be related with by the Christian as a King – Isa. 43:15d.

All the above points listed by Jehovah will be discussed further in the second part of this teaching but in the meantime the Christian should be aware that knowing and relating with Jehovah from these perspectives will instantly position them, not only for reprieve and restoration but also for eternal prosperity in this realm and in the life after life. Stop seeking victory over all those imagined enemies who have been portrayed as the powers behind all those glories that are not manifesting. Serve Jehovah by observing and living in accordance with His desires and expectations and you can be sure that all the long lost glory will be returned, and you will, like Job, be restored, not only to the level of the glory that was lost, but into a greater glory – Job 42:12-17. May Jehovah grant us all the ability to live according to His expectations in Jesus name. Amen.