What is the yoke of Yeshua and why is it easy?

Bow Yoke for Oxen

Matthew 11:29, Take my yoke. This is an invitation to the marriage covenant with Yeshua; to become yoked to him in love, voluntarily through love, not compulsion or fear (see notes at Song 8:6).

Here Yeshua is inviting his followers to take on themselves the yoke of the marriage covenant (the New, Renewed or Everlasting Covenant of Jer 31:31, 33 and Heb 8:8); that is, to accept him as their heavenly and everlasting spiritual Bridegroom. This is the yoke of the bondservant to which all the apostolic writers made reference when they called themselves the bond servant of Yeshua.

Men have only two choices: Be a bond servant to Satan or to Yeshua. The former leads to judgment against sin which is death, while the latter leads to mercy and forgiveness, deliverance from death and sin through Yeshua resulting in eternal life.

The marriage covenant or New/Renewed/Everlasting covenant isn’t one of compulsion (based on the fear of death), but is based on voluntary servitude and is a freewill choice. Love can’t exist under an atmosphere of compulsion, but only when there’s freewill choice.

This freewill choice to take on oneself the yoke of Torah is evidenced in the decision of the apostles vis-à-vis the Gentiles inclusion into covenantal relationship with Yeshua and the rest of the believers in Acts 15. The Pharisee believers were compelling the Gentiles to follow the Torah as a prerequisite for salvation and inclusion into the community of believers (Acts 15:1). On the contrary, the apostles made it clear in their verdict that only certain minimum requirements be imposed on the Gentiles to be granted entrance into the community of believers. The Gentiles needed to be drawn into the Torah covenants, not by compulsion or fear, but through invitation and freewill choice based on love. The apostles go on to say in Acts 15:21 that on this basis, the Gentiles will learn to take on the yoke of Torah little-by-little out of love for Elohim and Yeshua their Bridegroom, and not out of fear and compulsion.

Matthew 11:30, My yoke is easy. The farmer of biblical times when plowing his field with a team of oxen had to ensure that the yoke was not ill-fitting, but that it fit comfortably on the necks of the animals pulling the plow. An ill shaped and a heavy yoke would irritate the oxen making the task of plowing difficult for both the animals and the operator, while a comfortable, well-fitting yoke made the task much easier.

 

5 thoughts on “What is the yoke of Yeshua and why is it easy?

  1. “Plowing the field” is a fitting analogy when one contemplates that the whole process of redemption is to return to the Garden of Eden (pre Fall) via the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven. Remember that one of Adam’s tasks was to “dress” (cultivate) the Garden. Plowing, seeds and trees are all symbolic of the Garden of Eden. Remember that Mary mistook Yeshua for the “gardener” at Yeshua’s resurrection! This invokes Garden of Eden imagery!

  2. In my opinion, references to “fruit”, “vineyards” and “vines” are also evocative of Garden of Eden settings!

  3. Matthew 13:8 and Matthew 13:32 are great teaching examples of this imagery. The “crop” and “tree” are produced in the Garden of Eden and the “kingdom of heaven” is the New Jerusalem in Revelation!

  4. Oh what a read, the future is upon us, His return is but days away. He stops by once in a while through other people and you know the King walks among us now. Blessings to All in the name of the Living Savior!!!

  5. I have been receiving Matthew 11:28-30 for a few days now in different ways .Looked it up in the Greek Hebrew and Aramaic and the expanded meanings of some of the words and now on Google where I came across this. I love your explanation. it fits in perfectly to what Yeshua must be saying to me at this point in my life. Thank you for sharing this!

Share your thoughts...