Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. Exodus 21:6
This doesn’t sound like much of a loving scene, does it? A man is brought before judges in a solemn ceremony, and then is taken to a door post to have his ear pierced with an awl to create a permanent mark. And all of this is to mark the man’s commitment to a lifetime of service to his master. What is so loving about all of that? Actually, everything. Because, just before this little ceremony, the man makes a decision based entirely on love. Although he has completed six years of service and is free to go, he decides to remain, declaring his love for his master and his wife and children. Would we make such a commitment?
This scene from ancient Israel is a little like the commitment of a Christian today to serve and follow the Lord Jesus. Our salvation has delivered us from serving the devil, and has brought us into the great liberty of being in God’s own family. Now we have a decision, and it should be an easy decision, because at salvation’s moment, we recognized Jesus Christ not only as our Saviour but also as our Lord. Like the ancient Israelite, we acknowledge our love for our Lord. We acknowledge it, but how much do we appreciate it? Constant reminders of His love for us in both saving us and in keeping us, will help us to love Him and to commit to His lordship.
Nobody bores our ears with awls today to mark our submission to Christ. But we should be marked by loving obedience to His Word and loving submission to His will. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/vm0pd-8kE1A