SACRED SERVICE

The Hebrew term ʽa·vadhʹ basically means ‘to serve’ (Gen. 14:4; 15:13; 29:15) or ‘to perform labor,’ as in cultivating the ground. (Gen. 4:12; Deut. 28:39) When used with reference to service rendered to Jehovah or to false deities, ʽa·vadhʹ implies worship or sacred service. (Ex. 10:26; Deut. 11:16) Similarly, the Greek verb la·treuʹo denotes serving. It is used in regard to serving God (Matt. 4:10; Luke 1:74; 2:37; 4:8; Acts 7:7; Rom. 1:9; Phil. 3:3; 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 9:14; 12:28; Rev. 7:15; 22:3), as was done at the sanctuary or temple (Heb. 8:5; 9:9; 10:2; 13:10), and also in connection with false worship, rendering service to created things. (Acts 7:42; Rom. 1:25) In the Christian Greek Scriptures the noun la·treiʹa appears solely with reference to serving God.—John 16:2; Rom. 9:4; 12:1; Heb. 9:1, 6.

The only One to whom worship or sacred service can be rightly directed is Jehovah God. (Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8) On account of their special covenant relationship to Jehovah God the privilege of rendering sacred service as spirit-begotten sons of God and members of a “royal priesthood” should have gone to the Jews. But the majority lost out because of their failure to exercise faith in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 9:3-5, 30-33; 1 Pet. 2:4-10) Many, like the Pharisee Saul before his becoming a Christian, imagined that they were actually rendering sacred service to God by persecuting Christ’s followers.—John 16:2; Acts 26:9-11; Gal. 1:13, 14.