Water Carriers and Wood Hewers

Often God puts people  in places of leadership or in the spotlight who would rather avoid it.  Dr. Robert E. Speer was one of those people, who for 46 years served as secretary on the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions.  Based on the testimony of his biography, his faithfulness was an inspiration to many who sought to honour him upon his retirement, as the Presbyterian board had an age limit of 70.  As his retirement drew new, he wrote to the editor of a missionary magazine who planned to write an article about him, "In whatever you write, will you not make it just as impersonal as possible?  Let the cause fill the whole picture, and let us water-carriers and wood hewers who have sought to serve it be in our proper place out of sight." (Wheeler, W. Reginald. A Man Sent from God: A Biography of Robert E. Speer. Fleming H. Revell Co, 1956. page 253)

This reticence to public honour is evidence Dr. Speer continued to be small in his own eyes even when others considered him a spiritual giant.  The reference to the work of the ministry being as "water-carriers and wood hewers" takes me back to the Gibeonites, people of Canaan who deceived Joshua to make a league or covenant with them.  Having heard of the greatness of the God of Israel and knowing they were helpless before Him, they sent messengers wearing tattered clothes, with rations of mouldy bread and torn wineskins--as evidence they had been on a long journey--when they were neighbours.  When their ruse became apparent, Joshua and the elders confronted them for their deceit yet were bound by their oath before God to spare their lives.

Joshua gave his sentence upon the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:23-27:  "Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." ²⁴ So they answered Joshua and said, "Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵ And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us." ²⁶ So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. ²⁷ And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this day."

What Joshua framed as a curse turned out to be an incredible blessing, for the lives of the Gibeonites were spared and were given a position of service for the congregation and the altar of the LORD wherever God led His people.  The Gibeonites were given a role to support the Levites and priesthood who served in the tabernacle, providing wood for sacrifices and water for ceremonial cleansing.  People who were once under the sentence of death were given life and the privilege of serving the great God of Israel they feared all their days.  Their lives were not their own but to be poured out as living sacrifices unto the LORD who accepted them by grace.  Doesn't this closely resemble our standing as Christians by faith in Jesus Christ, having been purchased by His shed blood to serve and glorify Him forever?

The woodcutters and water carriers worked to provide the supplies required for the service of God's tabernacle, and unlike the high priest who wore special vestments they wore the clothing of common men.  Rather than standing above and blessing the people, their blessed God and His people with every swing of the axe, pull of the saw and the endless repetition of drawing and lugging water.  Their toil may have been unnoticed and unappreciated by man, but God knew their sacrifices and pains well.  He saw the splinters and blisters; God valued those who continued to toil even when priests their age had long since retired from public service.  The Gibeonites who were once outsiders and foreigners God brought near by His grace, and He allowed them to serve Him as His chosen inheritance.  Let us be as the Gibeonites in our service to Jesus Christ our great High Priest regardless of our role in ministry, content to faithfully serve the LORD out of sight so Christ may have the preeminence.