 |  |
While these references were being considered, we had at the back of our mind the
well known words, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve". And yet these words did not appear in any of the passages we had collected. The
reader will hardly need to be reminded that the words concerned occur in Matt. 4: 10 in
connection with the Lord's temptation in the wilderness, but although the Saviour used
the words, "It is written", it must be admitted that no such text occurs in our O.T.
Scriptures. When we turn to the Septuagint Version, however, we find that Deut. 6: 13
is quoted word for word from the version, except for the one word "worship". In
Matt. 4: 10 the Greek word is proskuneo, but in the LXX of Deut. 6: 13 the Greek
word is phobeo, "fear", a correct translation of the Hebrew yare. We have here a
problem of the first magnitude, but it comes more appropriately under the heading of
Quotations from the O.T. in the New rather than under the simpler heading of Worship. It
will perhaps suffice for the moment if we quote the words with which Appendix 107 of
The Companion Bible opens:
"It is a fact that in quotations from the Old Testament the Greek text sometimes differs
from the Hebrew.
The difficulties found in connection with the subject arise from our thinking and
speaking only of the human agent as the writer, instead of having regard to the fact that
the Word of God is the record of the words which He Himself employed when He spoke
`at sundry times and in divers manners' . . . . . denying the Divine speaker and Author the
right that is claimed by every human writer for himself."
Matt. 4: 10 is included in a list of twelve such passages where the words of the
quotation are varied "by omission, addition, or transposition". In dealing with Satan, the
Saviour adopted the LXX version with the substitution of proskuneo for phobeo, and the
addition of the word "only" for His own wise purposes.
Coming back now to the general question, we must try to discover why the words
"serve" and "worship" should be used together when idolatry is spoken of, but not so
used when the object of the service or the worship is the true God. Can we truly
"worship" God, if we do not "serve" Him? Can we hope that any "service" we render
can be acceptable to Him if "worship" is absent? These are our problems, and we have
found no solution to them in the writings of men. The answer, if it comes at all, must
come from the same source that has provided the problem, the Word of God itself.
In Psalm 105: 42 Abraham is called a "servant" of the Lord, but Melchisedec, who
was a priest, and so connected with worship, is not so described. Moses, too, is called a
"servant" (Josh. 1: 1, 2), but not Aaron the priest. Joshua, the Captain of the Lord's host,
is referred to as the "servant" of the Lord (Josh. 24: 29); but not Eleazar the priest.
David is given the title "servant" of the Lord, (Psa. 18:, title, and 89: 3), but not
Abiathar the priest. Eliakim, the master of Hezekiah's household, is called a "servant"
(Isa. 22: 20), also Isaiah the prophet (Isa. 20: 3); but not Hilkiah the priest. The people
themselves, both as "Jacob" (Isa. 44: 1) and "Israel" (Isa. 49: 3) are called the
"servant" of the Lord, but their priestly office is reserved for a future day (Isa. 61: 6).
And even in the case of Christ Himself, who is spoken of prophetically as "My Servant"
(Isa. 42: 1) and "My Servant the Branch" (Zech. 3: 8), we have the testimony of