The Sweet Yoke of Yeshua
When we open our bibles to the end of Matthew chapter 11, we read Yeshua inviting the people who are burdened to take up his yoke, because the burden on his yoke is light.
Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Maybe the best way to understand the light yoke is to understand the heavy yoke that He's inviting people to be relieved of.
What is the Heavy Yoke, A Burden Grievous to Bare?
Yeshua is calling out to those who are heavy laden, as if they cannot find rest for their souls. But what is this heavy yoke?
Your father made our yoke hard. Now then, lighten the hard service of your father and [relieve us] from the heavy yoke which he placed upon us and we will serve you. 1 Kings 12:4
A hard yoke is equated to hard service. Man-made religious and political dogma that weighed upon the people. This is consistent with what Yeshua taught as recorded in Hebrew Matthew:
The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses: All therefore whatsoever he* [Moses] bid you observe, observe and do; but do not ye after their [the scribes and the Pharisees] reforms and their precedents, do not do: for they say [they observe the bidding of Moses], but do not do [the bidding of Moses]. For they [the scribes and the pharisees] bind heavy burdens grievous to be borne, and lean on shoulders of men; but they [the scribes and the pharisees] will not move them with one of their fingers. Matthew 23:2-4
*Moses in this passage comes from the Hebrew Matthew.
The Bidding of Moses
But isn't the "bidding of Moses" a heavy burden? Isn't this the law that we (as Christians) have been set free from because it is so grievous? Not according to scripture:
And Moses called unto all Israel and said to them "...the hidden things belong to the LORD, but the things revealed are for us and to our sons forever, to do all the words of this Law... for this command which I [Moses] bid you today, it is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off." Deuteronomy 29:2,30
Oh, but that's OLD TESTAMENT stuff, what about NEW TESTAMENT Christian? Are Christians supposed to keep the commandments also?
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
Scripturally speaking, these two witnesses establish that the bidding of Moses is NOT the heavy burden that Yeshua was speaking of.
Yeshua has already alluded to the casting off of man-made religious "reforms" and "regulations", and teaches us to listen to the commandments of God as given through the bidding of Moses.
But what is the light yoke? Is the light yoke the bidding of Moses? Or something else?
The Matter of Gentiles and the Bidding of Moses
It's easy to say that the "law of Moses" is for the Jews, but what about the Gentiles? What about that whole argument about circumcision?
When a disagreement occurred among the Gentile believers in Galatia, James the Just made a ruling and through the process explains the light yoke for us.
The controversy was this: men came from Jerusalem to the early churches claiming that their obedience in the spirit is nullified because of the condition of their flesh, that because the converted Gentiles were not circumcised according to the CUSTOM of Moses (according to the tradition of the elders), they could not be saved.
And certain ones, having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren "If you are not circumcised after the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved." Acts 15:1
and
There rose up certain of those from the sect of the Pharisees who believed saying "It is required to circumcise them [Gentiles], to command them also to keep the Law of Moses." Acts 15:5
These "certain ones from Judea" who are "from the sect of the Pharisees" were proclaiming that Gentiles must perform the "custom of Moses" in order for them to be commanded to keep the Law of Moses.
In other words: they were teaching that adult Gentiles must be circumcised (according to the custom) before being commanded to keep the Law of Moses, as if doing the bidding of Moses is somehow nullified because of their uncircumcision in the flesh.
How can they require Gentiles to perform the "custom" of Moses, to keep the Law of Moses?
The "Custom of Moses" vs The Law of God
The issue these Pharisees had was that certain CUSTOMS (like adult circumcision) were not being practiced among the Gentiles - yet the people of the nations were purified in their hearts, turning towards God in repentance and obedience. Concerning the Gentiles, Simeon spoke to the congregation and said:
"God did bear them testimony, having given them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us, and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith." Acts 15:8-9
Hearts purified by the faith, Holy Spirit given to them - these are all phrases summed up with what James speaks to the congregation:
James answered saying "Men, brethren, listen to me. Simeon declared how at first God did look after to take out of the nations a people for His name... therefore I judge not to trouble those who turn back to God from the nations... for from former generations, Moses has those preaching him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." Acts 15:14-21
James was acknowledging, just as Simeon was acknowledging, that the converted Gentiles had purified hearts, hearing the words of Moses in every city, every Sabbath. Therefore James wrote to them:
"We have heard that certain men have out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions... it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no further burden than these requirements..." Acts 15:24, 28
What was unsettling to their minds? That the converted Gentiles must burden themselves with the heavy load of the Pharisees in order to be saved - that the hearing and doing of the words of Moses were insufficient. Quite unsettling!
So James sent apostles to assure the young converted Gentiles that there shall be no further burden laid upon them, beyond what Moses preaches in the synagogues every Sabbath day, except a few listed requirements to separate the converted Gentiles from their pagan surroundings.
Indeed, this is a light yoke to bear.
Circumcision as Initiation into the Sect of the Pharisees
The council recognized that this is much more than an argument about circumcision, but this was about placing of the burdens of the Pharisees upon new believers. The customs (tradition of the elders) were acknowledged as a burden, as Peter said:
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Acts 15:10
This is not the easy yoke of Yeshua, where the burden is light. No, this is the heavy yoke of slavery:
I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. Leviticus 26:13
You may say "Circumcision according to the custom of Moses is not slavery" No, circumcision itself is not slavery. Child circumcision on the 8th day is righteousness according to the Law of God (as Yeshua was circumcised on the 8th day) and there are some instances when adult circumcision is profitable in faith. But circumcision as an initiation into the sect of the Pharisees, placing the believer under all of their reforms and their precedents, is a form of slavery. Paul explains this to us in his letter to Galatia:
As many as are willing to make a good appearance in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised or lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Messiah, for neither do those circumcised themselves keep the Law [of Moses] but they wish you to be circumcised that they may glory in your flesh... in Yeshua the Messiah neither circumcision benefits anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
He further explains in his letter to the Romans:
If those who are uncircumcised keeps the righteousness of the Law [of Moses], shall not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And those who fulfill the Law [of Moses], though uncircumcised by nature, shall they not judge you who are circumcised yet a transgressor of the Law [of Moses]? Romans 2:26
The new creation keeps and fulfills the Law of Moses! Yet the Pharisees would not recognize the conversion of Gentiles in their faith in Yeshua (new creation), as long as they refused to practice the Pharisaical mode of behavior, which follows the commandments of men, rather then the commandments of God as given through Moses.
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you round the sea and dry land to make one convert and when he is made, you make him twice more the son of gehenna than yourselves. Matthew 23:15
Keeping the Righteousness of the Law
This is the light yoke of Yeshua: The Righteousness of Law of God.
Yeshua breaks the bands of traditional interpretations and rules and restores obedience to the Most High, keeping the righteousness of the Law of God.
The Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?" Mark 7:5
Yeshua answered them and said:
"Having put away the commandments of God, you hold the tradition of men... making the word of God of no effect through your tradition." Mark 7:8,13
The scribes and Pharisees were considered righteous among people, but did not keep the commandments of God as given through Moses:
Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet none of you keep the Law! John 7:19
Clearly, Yeshua was not impressed with their man-made behavior of righteousness, as they did not keep the Law of Moses, making the word of God of no effect in their lives.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:29-31
Yeshua, the one risen from the dead, offers the true form of righteousness, if only people would hear Moses and the prophets and take up His yoke.
The SWEET Yoke of Yeshua
There is a version of Matthew written in Hebrew that presents the Yoke of Yeshua in a very interesting way. As the words of Yeshua are written, the text line gets shorter and shorter, until Yeshua's last word is on a single line: "Light". It's as if the burden gets lighter and easier as the reader progresses.
There are a few differences in this version that are also very fascinating. Being in Hebrew, the words can be connected with other scripture to give insight into what Yeshua was offering.
Wearied
Humble in Spirit
A resting place for your souls
Pleasant and Sweet Yoke
I Pray That we All Take On the Sweet Yoke of the Prophet Like Moses
. Father of SIX (!!!) wonderful children. The guy behind the camera. Blockchain enthusiast.
Bless the Most High!