Isaiah 45:13
Author: Steve Amato
Keywords: bible study,bible, isaiah

Translations: 简体中文 繁體中文

## Free Service

Isaiah 45:13
"I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty."

## Comment

In defending his own right to get paid for his Christian service Paul writes:

> Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? 1Cor 9:7-12

> And "the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel."1Cor 9:14

But he goes on to say that he freely gave up that right to get paid so that he may serve even better and offer the gospel free of charge. To serve God freely - not for a price or reward - that communicates the purity of our convictions. So also with Cyrus. Cyrus is portrayed here not as an opportunist - not as a man seeking personal benefits for this works of service. His attitude is pure. God is gracious in giving us benefits making personal rewards available for serving Him. Is your service to Christ dependent upon you receiving personal benefits? Or even if not, have you decided to give up such personal benefits and serve simply because it is the right thing to do? Your choice.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources