What can leaders in multicultural ministry learn from David, one whom God called His servant? From his beginnings as a shepherd, God chose him to rule over all Israel. His Spirit filled David with wisdom and understanding to equip him for service. Considered a type for the Messiah, David humbly served, felt persecution, and experienced exaltation for the God of Israel. Unlike Christ, he had a sinful nature succumbing to moral failure. God’s mercy did not depart from David, however (2 Sam 7:15-16). Regardless of successes and failures David remained a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). This character study illustrates his traits as a servant of the Lord and provides application for them to pastoral leadership in a multicultural church.
Jan Paron, PhD | August 30, 2014
Character Study of King David
God chose David conditioned on his heart rather than outward appearance (Ps 89:20). He took him from a shepherd in the sheepcote to prince over all Israel (2 Sam 7:8). God gave His servants special assignments—David’s rule held critical significance for the messianic Kingdom to come. The Lord covenanted with David that He would build him a house to raise up His seed for an everlasting dynasty (2 Sam 7:12-16). Jesus, the son of Abraham and the son of David (Matt 1:1; Acts 13:22-23), fulfilled this covenant with His kingship, which traced to the seed from the House of Judah (Acts 13:23).
David did not rule immediately, rather served the reigning king, Saul. Because the Lord was with David when His Spirit came upon him, David behaved wisely in all he did (e.g., 1 Sam 16:18; 18:14, 28). Saul recognized the spirit upon David and thus feared him (18:12). All Israel and Judah loved him, though, including Saul’s son Jonathan. As David rose in service and showed even more wisdom through the Lord, Saul conspired against him. Despite Saul’s attempts to slay David, God protected the future king and sustained him (e.g., 21:9, 9; 22:1, 23). David went on to rule over all Israel because he depended on the real King of Israel in faith and subservience while following His will.
Lessons for Leadership in a Multicultural Church
Pillar One: A Servant of the Lord Belongs to God Through Covenant
The Lord chose David, a shepherd and youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, to rule over all of Israel (1 Sam 16:12; 2 Sam 7:8). He selected David based on his heart. God still looks for a leader after his own heart—apart a person’s background, race, ethnicity, gender, or age.
Pillar Two: A Servant of the Lord Submits to His Commission
David yielded to his commission from the Lord without hesitation. He submitted to serving King Saul as his armor bearer, valiantly facing Goliath, and fighting Israel’s opposition. Sometimes leaders encounter conflict when unifying the diversity of cultures. Leaders should stay the course, and let the Lord of hosts fight the battles (1 Sam 17:47b).
Pillar Three: A Servant of the Lord Places the Future in His Hands
Jealous over David’s accomplishments, Saul sought to kill him. (23:1-9; 26:20). God did not deliver him to Saul (23:14), but kept him. Carrying out the vision of a multicultural church requires endurance for the future. God keeps His covenantal leaders: “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Ps 32:7 NIV).
Pillar Four: A Servant of the Lord Follows God in Faith
God viewed David a man after His own heart, because he did everything the Lord wanted Him to do in faith (Acts 13:22c; Heb 11:33). Leading a multicultural congregation calls for a servant who will walk by faith to follow Jesus’ mandate for unity (John 17:20-23).
Pillar Five: A Servant of the Lord Speaks Gentle Truth
The narrator repeatedly described David as “wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with Him” (1 Sam 18:14 KJV). Given the chance to kill Saul, David heeded the directives from the Lord not to stretch forth his hand against him (24:6). After David explained his innocence, Saul said that David was a better man repaying him good for evil (v. 17). Leaders should minister according to the Lord’s wisdom, loving their enemies, and praying for those who persecute them towards unity in diversity for Christ (Matt 5:44).
Pillar Six: A Servant of the Lord Trusts Him, Absent of Fear and Discouragement
Even under trials and testings, David enquired of the Lord for direction (e.g., 23:2, 4; 30:8). He did experience fear, but God comforted him and built his faith. In a later trial, David “But David found strength in the LORD his God” (1 Sam 30:6 NIV). God wants His leaders to lean on Him, rather than fear and address the challenges of multicultural ministry on their own.
Pillar Seven: A Servant of the Lord Prevails with His Commission
The Lord directed Samuel to anoint Saul as leader who would have authority over His people Israel (9:16-17); however, David was 30 when all the elders of Israel anointed him as king. Prior to this, only the tribe of Judah recognized him as king. Uniting a church across cultures requires patience for God’s hand to prevail and operate on His time.
Taking Up the Charge
David’s character presents an intriguing portrait of the human embodiment of a leader. From a confident young man in the pasture ready to battle for the living God (1 Sam 17:26) to a dimming ruler who made Solomon king over Adonijah (1 King 1:7-8), David served the Lord to the end. Though David led through losses and victories, frailties and faith, he kept his sights on God. David’s last words to his son Solomon concerned keeping the charge of the Lord God so that He could accomplish His promise to the royal throne for a successor to rule over Israel (1 Kgs 2:3-4; cf. 2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:29). Likewise, leaders must take up the charge to serve the fulfilled King Jesus from the House of Judah. Walk in His ways and do wisely to unite His people.
The biblical testaments harmonize together into one united narrative of which God revealed His identity and salvation plan to all humanity. Scripture interprets Scripture as its own testimony—It reveals a completely Spirit inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative text. The Word of God contains guiding truth for a believer’s walk. Students of the Word exegete and interpret Scripture to unlock its meaning. Against the backdrop of scriptural exegesis and interpretation, the meaning of servant of the Lord comes forth.
Exegesis answers the question, What did the biblical author mean? Tate (1997) defined exegesis as the process of examining a biblical text for what its original readers understood it to mean in a given context. In doing so, it considers the grammatical aspect of word meaning (lexicon) and order (syntax) looking at relationships for meaning. Words or phrases take on various meanings depending on the author’s intent. Additionally, exegesis examines the historical-cultural aspects through biblical geographical, social, political, archeological, political, cultural, philosophical, and religious views or events from the time of writing (Bernard, 2005). Working in tandem with exegesis, Tate (1997) explained that interpretation draws out implications from the text for contemporary readers and listeners. Interpretation depends on thorough exegesis combining grammatical and historical aspects with illumination from the Holy Spirit for understanding. The Holy Spirit does not contradict His own Word, rather reveals meaning.
The fusion of exegesis and interpretation leads to hermeneutics. Simply stated, hermeneutics reflects on a past event and culture to understand its meaning in a current situation (Braaten, 1966). Hermeneutics = exegesis + interpretation. Theological study offers 19 hermeneutical principles ranging from the dispensational principle to numerical. Three of these principles (first mention, context, and typical) will guide exegesis and interpretation of servant of the Lord to study the subject’s deeper meaning.
Exegeting and Interpreting Servant
Two words surface when mentioning the concept of Christ-centered servitude in the New Testament: diakonos and doulos. This author (2013) wrote that a diakonos servant (Matt 20:26) shows the qualities of a minister who seeks nothing more than unselfish ambition to God’s service as His subordinate in all humility, love, and submission. Further, a servant waits on and carries out the commands from the King: “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matt 23:11). Working with diakonos, a doulos servant (Matt 20:27) revealed a bondservant who gives up self-interests and will to advance God’s mission as a slave for the sake of Christ. This enslavement brings joy, devotion, obedience, yielding, and sacrifice: “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all’” (Mark 9:35). Christ followers must hold the beliefs and show the actions of both diakonos and doulos. A third word, pais (Greek), gives even deeper meaning into the subject of servitude. Thayer (2009) defined pais as one whose “agency God employs in executing His purposes: “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show justice to the Gentiles: (Matt 12:18 KJV; Isa 42:1). This passage fulfilled what the Prophet Isaiah foretold about the coming messiah, Jesus. It also precedes diakonos and doulos in the Book of Matthew and announces the reason behind servitude (Matt 20:27; 23:11). To understand servitude, What do the first mention, typical, and context principles uncover about the characteristics of a servant of the Lord for believers in Christ?
First Mention Principle
Hartill (1947) stated that the first mention about a subject comes from God about truth related to a subject that stands connected in His mind. The first mention of servant (Hebrew: עֶבֶד`; ebed) occurred in Gen 26:24, in which God referred to Abraham as His servant: “And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham they father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.” A critical point about the name servant of the Lord relates to the fact that the God Himself identified Abraham as His servant and did so in a possessive form, “my servant” (26:24b). Scripture showed that Abraham followed God’s will by leaving Haran to follow the Lord’s command to go to a land God would show him (12:1). Ancient peoples held land, family, and inheritance as significant elements in their society. Land sustained a farmer’s livelihood, while it represented the urban dweller’s political identity. Children inherited the family land. They worked it to sustain their livelihood, care for their family, and ensure the family lineage. The land, family, and inheritance linked together (Walton, Matthews, & Chavalas, 2000). When Abraham left his father’s house and kindred upon God’s command, he forfeited everything familiar from Haran to go “unto a land that I will show thee” (Gen 12:1d). Instead, he placed his future in the Lord’s hands and followed Him. For the Lord to name Abraham servant brings to mind characteristics of obedience, submission, trust, and faithfulness. These traits tied to God’s covenant and resulted in Abraham gaining a new identity, everlasting inheritance, and divine security.
Some of the Old Testament servants of the Lord included Abraham (Gen 26:24), Moses (Exod 14:31; Deut 34:5; Josh 1:2, 13), Joshua (Josh 24:29; Judg 2:8), Hezekiah (2 Chron 32:16), Isaiah (Isa 20:3), Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon (Jer 25:9), Zerubbabel (Hag 2:23), prophets as a group (2 Kgs 17:13; Amos 3:7; Jer 7:25; 26:5), and the faithful ones of Israel (Isa 49:1-6). Upon closer examination of their character traits as His servant, Scripture revealed its attributes. The servants of the Lord accomplished something particular for Him. Moses led the Israelites from Egypt. He served as God’s instrument to demonstrate His acts (Exod 14:31) and gave His commands (Josh 1:13). God called Moses his servant even after death (1:2). Caleb had a different spirit than the children of Israel. Caleb fully followed God (Num 14:24) as opposed to the Israelites who tested God, did not heed His voice, and provoked (spurned or despised) Him (14:22). God called King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, known as the wicked one in Rabbinical literature (Jewish Encyclopedia, 2011), His servant because he worked for Him. Nebuchadnezzar would strike the land of Egypt (Jer 43:10c-11; AMP).
Context Principle
What does the study of servant of the Lord’s context further determine about its characteristics? The context principle considers a subject through the context of the immediate passage, chapter, book, testament, and Bible (Hartill, 1947; Segraves, 2001). Words, phrases, or passages before or after a word influence its meaning, too, as do surrounding events, conditions, and audience. For example, servant of the Lord first appears in Gen 26:24. The Lord appeared to Isaac and reaffirmed the covenant He made with His servant Abraham. The passages prior to verse 24 open more understanding about servant of the Lord.
A look at the chapter revealed that events occurred at the time of famine. God directed Isaac to sojourn temporarily in Gerar. There, the Lord appeared to Isaac and told him He would favor him, give all these lands, and confirm the oath He swore to his father Abraham (26:3-5 NIV). He emphasized that Abraham obeyed Him; did everything He required; and kept His commands, decrees, and instructions (v. 3). The Lord spoke again to Isaac in Gen 26:24, “I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake” (KJV). Earlier verses from chapter 26 showed that the Lord’s servant Abraham had an obedient character based on His actions.
By widening the examination of servant to other chapters from Genesis and books of the Old Testament more definitions surface, all influenced by context. From Genesis to 2 Kings, nine variations of servant occur excluding servant of the Lord. These occurrences reflect meanings contrary to servant of the Lord:
Slave, Servant of Servants (Gen 9:25). Noah petitioned a curse as a servant of servants; lowest servant, or slave of slaves. A servant of servants can apply to an individual or whole people when subject and tributary to another.
House of Bondage (Gen 13:3, 14). The Lord delivered Israel from the house of slaves in the land of Egypt.
Consummate Host (Gen 18:3). Servant denotes someone who welcomes a guest with all humility and offers the best, ready to take care of and serve (See also, Gen 19:19a, Lot perceived himself to be a servant, but his character did not match Abrahams’s).
Servant of the House (Gen 24:2). A servant in this contextserved the household.
Subjects of a Chief (Gen 26:15).This passage showed collective servants who served a person of importance.
Man Servant (Gen 41:12). Slave in this context, indicated a man-servant who served someone else.
Polite Address to Equals or Superiors (Gen 43:28).Servant showed a way of addressing one’s superior to show respect.
Subject to Forced Labor (Gen. 49:15). The intent of servant here meant that the person possessed a new knowledge based on actions, whether good or bad actions. This might fit with knowledge gained based on revelation or conviction.
Servant of the King (1 Sam 18:5). A slave denoted a paid member of the king’s army who held respect in the eyes of the people. In 2 Kgs 8:13a servant of the king carried a negative connotation: “And Hazael said, What is your servant, only a dog, that he should do this monstrous thing?”
The context principle indicated that a servant of the Lord belonged to the divine Master, rather than a worldly (Gen 24:2). A servant of the Lord carried an exalted stature, honorable in God’s eyes rather than dishonorable (2 Kgs 8:13). God esteemed the title, rather than the respect people gave men of war (1 Sam 18:5). The title transcended a polite address (Gen 43:28). This servant voluntarily submitted to everything God required and kept His commands, decrees, and instructions. God did not force obedience (49:15). Further, the servant carried out the Lord’s requests based on faith in God’s covenantal promises for Israel, generation to generation. The Lord’s scope of authority went beyond that of a master’s household (24:2) As opposed to the cursed servant of servants (9:25; 26:15), the Lord blessed His servant with ensuing spiritual and physical prosperity.
Typical Principle
The typical principle pertains to a type from the Old Testament that clearly revealed itself in the New Testament to show a divinely appointed illustration of some scriptural truth (Hartill, 1947; Segraves, 2001). Continuing to follow occurrences of servant of the Lord, the most significant presents itself in Isa 42:1-8. The unidentified “my servant” type in Isa 42:1, prefigured the antitype Messiah: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles” (Isa 42:1). Jesus Christ, the Lord’s Servant fulfilled these words foretold by the Prophet Isaiah in Matt 12:18. In this prophecy, God assured the helpless servant Israel that He will bless them through His Servant to come Who will rule over the earth (Isa 42:8-9). His servant will bring justice, a divine mishpat, to the nations with salvation (42:1, 3-4). He will do so gently in truth: Neither will He break a bruised reed nor quench a smoking flax (v. 3). But, He will prevail in establishing it. Isaiah 42:4 in the Amplified version detailed the meaning of establish, “He will not fail or become weak or be crushed and discouraged till He has established justice in the earth.”
Seeking the Pillars of Truth
The Bible is the Word of God with truths for daily living. These truths provide each believer and the collective Body of Christ with subsequent meaning that shapes their understanding for God’s intentions as His servant. It also beacons their walk with guiding principles to serve Him. What truths, then, did God have in mind about servant (Hebrew: עֶבֶד`; ebed) in Gen 26:24? Think of the following pillars as the answer to this question. These pillars of truth apply to Christ followers as His servant, His beloved:
Pillar One.A servant of the Lord belongs to God through covenant.
Pillar Two. A servant of the Lord submits to His commission.
Pillar Three. A servant of the Lord places the future in His hands.
Pillar Four. A servant of the Lord follows God in faith.
Pillar Five. A servant of the Lord speaks gentle truth.
Pillar Six. A servant of the Lord trusts Him, with the absence of fear and discouragement.
Pillar Seven. A servant of the Lord prevails with His commission.
God exalts His beloved with the title servant: The Most High bestows them with a name of honor. With this title, though, comes responsibility. Every believer must journey in faith like Abraham and walk as the Servant Jesus to promote the cause of the Gospelto all nations. It takes nothing less than faith and trust in God to serve. Heed the Lord’s words to Joshua, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Josh 1:). Submit, follow, trust, and prevail in faith as a servant of the Lord.
Jan Paron, PhD/August 19, 2014 Dean and Professor of Urban Ministerial Leadership All Nations Leadership Institute
References
Braaten, D. (1966). History and hermeneutics. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress.
Conner, K. (1980). Interpreting symbols and types. Portland, OR: Bible Temple Publishing.
Conner, K. & Malmin, K. (1983). Interpreting scriptures: A textbook on how to interpret scripture. Portland, OR: City Bible Publishing.
Hanson, P. (1995). Isaiah 40-66. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.
Harrill, J. (2000). Servant. In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 1189). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Hartill, J. (1947). Principles of biblical hermeneutics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Oswalt, J.. (1998). The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
Jesus’ taught greatness as a need for Kingdom leadership. He emphasized two key traits that form the backbone of greatness common to all His disciples. Let’s study the DNA for greatness by examining diakonos and doulos as a servant to understand greatness values in the Kingdom.
Jan Paron, PhD | March 1, 2013
A magnifying glass enlarges an object for the viewer’s eye. Typically, a magnifying glass provides two to six times the original visual power. When you view print through a magnifier you see larger and sharper letters and words. This enlargement enables you to negotiate textual meaning. Using this same principle, let’s enlarge the word great for a clear image of its DNA.
Investigating Greatness
But having called them, Jesus said, ‘You know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the GREAT ones exercise authority over them. But it will be not so among you. But whoever desires to become GREAT among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to become first among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many(Matt 20:25-28 LITV).
In the still of worship, I heard the Lord under His Spirit’s unction.—“In ME, you find freedom. In ME, you find all you need. In ME, you live. I AM THE LIVING GOD.” In that instance, the Lord enlarged, and then revealed the meaning of greatness! The Lord defines greatness by the manifested Promise from the inward interior, rather than the visible worldly accomplishments on the outward exterior. God came in flesh as Jesus to minister and ransom Himself for many (Matt 20:27; John 1:14). Jesus, God with us, desires to dwell in His beloved through the presence of His Spirit’s infilling (Acts 1:5; 2:38). We find freedom in Christ by chaining our will to Him. With this newfound freedom God’s Spirit reshapes and renews our character to Kingdom greatness as servants of Christ. He exchanges the old DNA of great as ‘ruler’ over the nations with ‘lordship’ (Greek: katakyrieuō) and ‘authority’ (katexousiazō),for the new DNA of great as a ‘servant’ (Greek: diakonos, διάκονος and doulos, δοῦλος). Servant includes two different traits: minister and bondservant. Simply stated, one with DNA of Kingdom greatness has leadership backboned by both.
The first trait shows the qualities of a minister (diakonos; Matt 20:26). A minister seeks nothing more than unselfish ambition to God’s service as His subordinate in all humility, love, and submission. A person who ministers waits on and carries out the commands from the King. “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matt 23:11).
On the other hand, the second reveals a bondservant (doulos; Matt 20:27) with Kingdom criteria as first. A bondservant gives up self interests and will to advance God’s mission as a slave for the sake of Christ, approaching enslavement with joy, devotion, obedience, yielding, and sacrifice. “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all’” (Mark 9:35).
(Photo Credit: Matthew 20:25-27 KJV Chart, Jan Paron 2013)
Common DNA of Greatness in Koinōnia
Partakers of Christ must activate their common DNA of greatness to strengthen koinōnia and create synergy for mission. Synergy occurs when the combined effect of two or more people is greater than the sum of their efforts. Members in koinōnia must converge in one mind and one accord, representing the authority of the name of Jesus in greatness. Think for a moment about geese in a shared flight formation. When geese stay in the “V” formation they move faster, more efficiently and go a longer distance as a team. Geese even share leadership this way. When the lead goose tires, it flies back into the “V” for another to take its place. All these different actions contribute to the synergy and subsequent success in completing their destination. Both traits of greatness in koinōnia, the two being diakonos and doulos, contribute towards the faith community successfully following God’s vision and mission for humanity. One trait without the other weakens the whole of koinōnia. When the common DNA of minister (diakonos) and bondservant (doulos) merge, they form a strong and unending chain that binds koinōnia to shared purpose in Christ. We become one in totality as ambassadors for Christ, seeking to reach all tribes and nations for the cause of the Gospel (2 Cor 5:20a).
Closing: Endued with Power for Greatness
The Amplified version of Matt 20:18b reads “All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” The name and authority of God is Jesus. Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) until they “were endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 KJV).[1] Jesus was going to transfer the power of God to His disciples through the Promise. The Book of Acts further tells that “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4). The same applies to today’s believers. What’s on the inside, the indwelt Promise through baptism of the Holy Ghost (as part of New Birth), empowers us to represent the Name in greatness with our outward expression. Reverend Terry Black says “When we signed on to this Holy Ghost thing, and when it began to fill us, something began to take over in us that’s more powerful than us. And, it has the ability to take over our weakness and supernaturally accomplish its divine purpose in our lives.”[2] He describes it as 33 A.D. When 33 A.D. takes over, greatness becomes a reality in our lives to bring synergy to God’s vision and purpose…Amen! Let all God’s people say so be it.