Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, [8] I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:6-8 KJV
In the old covenant, it was illegal in Israel, for an Israelite to keep a Hebrew slave as property. There were circumstances where a Hebrew would be so poor as to sell himself or herself to slavery. Even in such times, it was illegal to treat these slaves as property. According to the law, they were to be treated as hired slaves until the year of Jubilee and they were not to leave empty-handed, Leviticus 25:39-46. Even when the year of Jubilee was not close by, a purchased Hebrew slave was to be kept for a maximum of six years and he was to let go on the seventh year for nothing. The exception to this rule, however, was in a case where the slave says “I love my Master, wife, and children and I will not go free”. In this case, he was taken to a door and a hole was opened in his ear. Once this is done, this man was a slave for life and would serve as a slave forever, Exodus 21:1-6.
A hired servant in this regard was different from this slave. The hired servant could still choose to work for the master for wages and perhaps if the relationship between him and his master was good and the master permitted, he could redeem or purchase the wife and children he had gotten from this master after years of service. However, the slave had forfeited his freedom forever for love’s sake, a love for his master. Although this was speaking of a law in the old covenant, it has a very real application to us in the new covenant. For one, we see Jesus, who is the Son of God, come to earth as a servant of God. Though He was a Son and God, He did not consider equality with God something so dear that he would hold on to it, but he traded His glory to come to earth as a man to die, Philippians 2:6-9. This was done out of pure love for the Father. Psalm 40:6-8, Hebrews 10:5-7 shows that Jesus submitted His ears to be opened as well, delighting to do every Word from the Father.
Isaiah 50:4-6 and Proverbs 8:30 speak prophetically of Jesus, who is the Wisdom of God, as one brought up by the Father. Isaiah spoke prophetically of Jesus saying, “He awakened my ear to hear as one who is trained. He opened my ear and I was not rebellious, neither did I turn away.” He also mentioned that as a result, He did not resist beating and shame, knowing that the Lord was with Him, speaking again of Christ in Isaiah 53. Here we see the power in the opening of the ear. To the servant who decides out of love to serve the master, power is also given to Him to enable him to obey. Hence, when Jesus cried with strong groanings, in Hebrews 5:7 to Him who was able to save Him from death, much help was given to Him to overcome death because He feared. The reward for this total obedience and this reckless abandon by Jesus was that He was given the name above all names, given power over all flesh and anointed with the oil of Gladness above His fellows. It was no bother to the Father to commit all of Himself to one who was willing to give Himself to Him without reserve and so the Son is called the express image of the Father, Hebrews 1:1-4. This is the highest honour since any creature that will see God, will see Him in Jesus.
In our case, we have been delivered from the powers of darkness and brought into the glorious liberty of the Son of God. However, the decision to lay down our lives completely without a care of what God will use it to do lies in our hands. This is a decision a man can make only when He realizes the depth of the Love the Father has for Him, 1 John 4:19. Paul, having been persuaded of the Love of God in Romans 8:37-39, called himself a bondservant (willful slave) of Jesus Christ. Although this did life he chose was full of perils, 2 corinthians 4:8-18, Paul knew that the end of it was so much glory and honour that all the afflictions he had were considered light compared to it.
Final thoughts: Songs of Solomon 8:6 says Love is as strong as death and this is indeed the case for many who have, from the heart, chosen this path to love the Master at whatever the cost. This love is expressed by obedience, sometimes, even unto death. Some who chose this path were sawn in two, some thrown to lions, some abandoned by family, some tortured to death, each one precious in the eye of their Lord. Their love for God did not waver in the face of death. Each man who made this declaration to love their master was given the supernatural ability to endure light affliction while rejoicing because the more affliction, the greater the weight of glory. To all who choose this path and by the strength of God, overcome, they inherit all things as Sons of God, Revelations 21:7.
Prayer: Lord Jesus I pray that You show me today, the length, the breadth, the depth and the height of Your Love for me today. Awaken my heart to love and adore You, O My Lord, awaken My heart to pour out before You, O My Lord, Awaken My heart to know Your love and to love You in return. Freely flowing from an awakened heart. Amen.
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