The Benefits of Servanthood

Based on Leviticus 23-25

"For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 25:55.

Looking at where we're at on our Bible journey, having left Egypt not too long ago, this "servant" title may seem odd to attribute to God's people. But in reality, there's a huge difference between serving God and being a slave to this world, and that's what God wanted His people to see! In fact, this same concept applies to us today! Here are some reasons why serving The Lord was (and is) beneficial to us!

1. There were feasts & days of rest!

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." Leviticus 23:1-3.

The Lord ordered special times of observation, celebration & restoration for His people. Some special feasts were the sabbath & Pentecost). They were to take a break from their work in order to stay in awe of God's work. On the sabbath day, they were to let God provide for them. God still desires for us to rest, because it is so easy to get lost in our own strength & abilities and forget why we are putting forth the effort in the first place! We will see in later chapters that Pentecost is celebrated now more than ever before because it's the day in the New Testament when God poured out His Spirit! The celebrations continue!

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:"
Leviticus 23:10.

Knowing that The Lord was at work & on their side, they did not have to fear giving the firstfruits of their labor to Him. These would be a part of a sacrifice, once brought unto the priest. This is similar to our work today. The first tenth portion of the money we make should be a tithe to The Lord (Leviticus 27:32, Numbers 18:26). And never fear, The Lord has a way of blessing and restoring us in this process of giving!

2. We serve a fair & just God, not like the Egyptian pharaoh!

"And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus 23:22.

God's provision even extended to the poor & the stranger! This shouldn't surprise us, since we know that Jesus is God, and Jesus shows so much compassion upon these people in His ministry.

"Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 24:22.

Whatever was done, good or bad, all would be judged equally in the sight of God. No status or position would exempt anyone from justice being served. The Law is the Law, and obedience is obedience, even today! There is no favoritism!

3. There was even a year of JUBILEE!

"And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." Leviticus 25:10.

There were always benefits in serving The Lord, but this time was a special celebration!

"And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years."
Leviticus 25:20‭-‬21.

God provided the increase before as people stored up for times of rest, but in this instance, the blessing was truly multiplied! The land would bring forth fruit for 3 years!

"I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God."
Leviticus 25:38.

God brought His people forth out of Egypt to GIVE, but also to BE their God! He is a God of blessing & benefits when we serve Him with a willing heart, but the best benefit is knowing He will always be our God who loves us.