For today’s Monday’s Marinate I would like to suggest there may be an additional, underlying reason Obed-Edom received blessings from God.
The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.— 2 Samuel 6:11
We already discussed in detail how the LORD blessed Obed-Edom’s household and his family. We learned from his example how to access God’s blessing for ourselves and our families. If you missed the discussion, you can read about it here.
Might I suggest part of Obed-Edom’s blessing came as a result of prophetic words spoken over him from birth? This is purely a suggestion on my part. But it is a question to ponder.
Was Obed-Edom fulfilling his prophetic destiny firmly established when his parents named him? Every day they called his name, his parents were re-establishing Obed-Edom’s kingdom calling.
As Christ-followers, we know there is power in a name. There is one name that is above every other. Jesus.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth .— Philippians 2:9-10
Power. In a name. Blessings bestowed upon us—forgiveness, mercy, salvation—because of Jesus’ holy name. For Christians, our very names, derived from Christ.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.— Ephesians 2:14-15
Names are significant. Names establish our identity. Names mean something.
What does Obed-Edom’s name mean?
Obed-Edom relates to the Hebrew עֲבֻדָּה abuddah, which is “a feminine noun meaning service, servants. This word usually refers to an entire household of servants.”*
Again, might I suggest Obed-Edom was true to his name, and so was his entire household. Obed-Edom’s family comprised of a household of servants, obedient to God’s call on their lives. I don’t think this is too far a stretch when we look at the positions of authority God gave Obed-Edom’s family, positions which required sacrifice and service.
In turn, the entire household was blessed for their obedient service.
The label “servant” may cause concern for some. Consider this:
Both Moses and Job were righteous men of God. Both were referred to as servants of God. Moses in Exodus 14:31, and Job by GOD HIMSELF in Job 1:8.
King David refers to himself as a servant of God in Psalm 19.
God called Mary, Jesus’ mother, to be the virgin mother of our Savior. Mary called herself the Lord’s servant.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.—Luke 1:38
That is some excellent company to keep.
As if that is not enough, Christ Himself was a Servant.
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”— Matthew 20:28
Obed-Edom was true to the meaning of his name. He was blessed because he obediently served God for kingdom purposes. He was a faithful, righteous servant of God.
Obed-Edom lived long before Christ’s ministry here on earth. Obed-Edom did not have the servant-hood example Christ Jesus left for us. How much more should we desire to serve God for kingdom purposes?
Members of the church were first called Christians in Antioch. (See Acts 11:26)
How can those of us who call ourselves Christians be true to our name? God calls us to be His servants who show proper respect to everyone. (See 1 Peter 2:16-17)
Let’s keep good company. Let’s be the Moses, David, Job, Mary, & Obed-Edoms of our time. Let’s be servants for Christ like those in our spiritual family lineage. Let’s be part of the church body whom God uses to be the help the world needs.
QUESTONS:
- What image does the word “servant” bring to mind?
- How does considering Christ as a Servant affect your mind-set about the word “servant”?
- What does being a servant for Christ look like to you? If you do not know how God is calling you to serve Him, ask Him. He will answer.
- For further study: Consider researching the meaning of Obed-Edom’s sons & grandsons. (For time purposes, we couldn’t cover here.) See 1 Chronicles 26 for the genealogy of Obed-Edom’s family.
*Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D. Expanded Edition Strong’s Complete Word Study Concordance. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2004.