The Yokes On You

The title for today’s message is “THE YOKES ON YOU.”

I prefaced todays message on my Facebook page yesterday this way: Tomorrows message - “The Yokes on you." From its smallest an Ox is placed in a yoke, the purpose to control it, to harness its energy for the owners use. We are no different. The only difference is whose Yoke you are wearing.

Since few if any here are farmers let me begin by explaining what a yoke is:

Yoke n.

a. A crossbar with two U-shaped pieces that encircle the necks of a pair of oxen or other draft animals working together.

b. A frame designed to be carried across a person's shoulders with equal loads suspended from each end.

c. Nautical A crossbar on a ship's rudder to which the steering cables are connected.

d. Its something that connects or joins together; by a bond or tie.

e. Any of various emblems of subjugation, under which conquered enemies of ancient Rome were forced to march in subjection.

f. The condition of being subjugated by a conqueror; bondage: example the yoke of drug addiction.

Synonyms - Hitch couple (picture like train cars) fasten (like a bolt and nut) tether (like two ropes of equal diameter) join or attach.

In those definitions I gave you several aspects of being Yoked. Some good and some bad.

It’s not the Yoke that is bad, it’s what are we yoked to.

1. Cross bar w Oxen – good picture, plowing a field pulling equally, same direction same goal.

2. Two people yoked, each pulling their equal weight. Marriage, work.

3. Nautical yoke – Controlling the entire direction a ship will travel.

4. And lastly Subjugation – bondage. Bad.

Isaiah 10:27 New King James Version - 27 It shall come to pass in that day That his 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.

Now to understand what the prophet was referring to I want to read that out of the amplified Bible which in essence give a clearer understanding as to what the Greek words spoke of.

Isaiah 10:27 -Amplified Bible

27 And it shall be in that day that the burden of [the Assyrian] shall depart from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke shall be destroyed because of fatness [which prevents it from going around your neck].

I want to talk about 2 things this morning First the Yoke, and secondly the Anointing.

You know you are not here by mistake this morning.

Most of you will never farm, but in the day we were reading about an OX was called a beast of burden.

The ground would get real hard, and they would need the OX to pull the pow that would turn over the soil.

But the ox wouldn’t do it willingly because the Yoke didn’t seem natural to them. So when they were very young the master would take it and put it on the baby’s neck, so that the OX grew older the only thing it knew was the Yoke. Because it was yoked so early it would obey.

And even thought it grew in size and age it would willingly take on the Yoke, in a later season.

Here is a Bible thought a long that line. – Train up a child in the way that they should go. THE YOKE. And when they are old they won’t depart from it.

It’s a picture of Deut 6 where the fathers are told to teach their children everywhere they were about God.

Since yokes are so rarely used anymore and unless you were raised on a farm you might think I’m talking about the eggs that you had for breakfast.

It the passage that I read to you this morning – The Yoke was bad. The Yoke was the Assyrians. Who had taken them captive.

And God is coming to the Israelites to let them know He is going to free them from that yoke!

They are in bondage right? Just like we can be in bondage to a slew of things.

Here is a little history for you from Israel’s captivities – When they were taken into captivity in Babylon, Josephus tells us that in the first generation several literally severed their thumbs so they wouldn’t be able to do the work required of them.

By the second generation, they had stopped doing that but begrudged being there, by the third generation they were not only ok with it, but when the Medes and Persians took over Babylon they made the transition to being their servants

We have all heard the illustration, the frog in the water.

But God is telling them, my power, my anointing, is going to break that yoke the enemy has placed on you. . Can I get an amen.