Breaking The Yokes

Isaiah best describes the anointing of the Spirit. He sets the stage with a brief history lesson and in verse 24 he speaks the word of the Lord to the people of his day, “…do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did” (v. 24, NIV).

It’s easy to understand why they would be afraid of the Assyrians. The favorite pursuit of the Assyrian kings were war and hurting people. They were merciless and savage people. The army was ruthless and effective. They burned cities as well as children. They beheaded people and chopped off hands.

Isaiah was telling them not to be afraid of the Assyrians anymore than they were of the Egyptians. Don’t be intimidated by them.

Isaiah 10:25 continues His word to His people about their enemies: “For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” He uses the phrase “yet a very little while…” which tells me that no matter what we face it is temporary!

I may not understand your problems, but Jesus does and whatever those problems may be, they are temporary when submitted to Him. It is the same way with revival. Difficult times in the church are temporary; they can be changed when the Anointed One comes on the scene. The point is simple: things do not have to be this way.

Are you tired of the way things are; are you tired of the enemy having control in your life, then something can be done about it if you want.

Then in verse 26 the prophet says of the enemies of Gods’ people: “The LORD Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt.”

“Oreb” refers to the oppression of Israel during the time of Gideon. The people of God found themselves tired of fighting. No longer wanting to enter into conflict, they reverted to hiding in caves. They laid down their weapons for the shelter of a hiding place; it was time for fresh oil. The “waters” in this passage refers to the time when Moses lifted his staff over the Red Sea, which parted before Him.

Isaiah lays all of this as a foundation to this message in verse 27: “It shall come to pass in that day [of deliverance] that his [the enemy’s] burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”

The yoke is the oldest form of harness. The yoke is a device for linking two or more animals to a cart or plow. Early yokes consisted of curved wooden bars that rested on the shoulders of the animals or where fastened to the horns or necks by metal or rope collars. The yoke was attached to the vehicle by a pole.

Here Isaiah shares the concept of the anointing in a way that every Israelite would understand. Any passerby in Israel could observe two oxen yokes together. In the case of oxen of differing sizes, the smaller ox would simply have to go wherever the larger animal would lead.

The Assyrians were a yoke on the neck and shoulders of Israel. God was going to deliver them from the power of the Assyrians.

The yoke is figurative of bondage and affliction. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright” (Leviticus 26:13 (NKJV)

14 "The yoke of my transgressions was bound; They were woven together by His hands, And thrust upon my neck. He made my strength fail; The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand” (Lamentations 1:14 (NKJV)

They shall be wholly delivered from the power of the Assyrian, and from the fear of it. They shall not only be eased of the Assyrian army, which is now quartered upon them and which is a grievous yoke and burden to them, but they shall no more pay that tribute to the king of Assyria which before this invasion he exacted from the, and they shall be no longer at his service nor lie at his mercy, as they have done, nor shall he ever again put the country under contribution.

We are like Israel is in relation to Assyria. We have allowed the devil to put yokes on us. We have allowed him to lead us around, to lead us where we really do not want to go. Many have been under his yoke and have been seeking to be free from it.