The Prophetic Word- Days 89 thru 94: Take His Yoke

The Prophetic Word

Day 89: You will be under one of two yokes.

In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on the following scriptures:

“I will go to the great [men] And speak to them, For they [must] know the way of the Lord, The ordinance of their God.” But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law] And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him]. Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their desertions of faith are countless.”

Jeremiah 5:5-6 AMP

“Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces. And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’” Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.”

Jeremiah 28:10-17 NLT

“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.”

Isaiah 10:27 NKJV

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

John 5:39-40 NKJV

“But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?””

Luke 13:12-16 NKJV

Man was not created to be autonomous unto himself. We were created to have fellowship with our Father. When sin entered in, the ability for man to be led from the heart was lost.

Being alienated from God left man in a situation similar to a boat with no rudder. So, man began to search for control, tragically finding it in the world system.

Now, thanks to Jesus redeeming us, raising us to new life, and filling us with His Holy Spirit, we can once again be lead from the heart.

Sadly, many people stay under the sway of the world’s yoke, the world’s rule. Even some Christians have not fully submitted to the yoke of Christ and find themselves vacillating between the rule of Christ and the rule of sin!

Make no mistake, you will be under the yoke of Jesus Christ or the yoke of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Tomorrow we will begin our investigation into the two yokes—one of which—everyone will come under.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 90: A yoke connects you to something.

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”

Amos 3:3 NLT

Let’s begin today by reviewing this from yesterday:

Man was not created to be autonomous unto himself. We were created to have fellowship with our Father. When sin entered in, the ability for man to be led from the heart was lost.

Being alienated from God left man in a situation similar to a boat with no rudder. So, man began to search for control, tragically finding it in the world system.

Before going further, let’s look at what an actual yoke is.

Given, those of us living in a modern society may not have had much opportunity to observe the use of a yoke.

However, from biblical times even until now (in some parts of the world), yokes are commonly used.

Now, a yoke is a beam or connecting device used to attach two animals in order that they go in the same direction. This device is used for farming purposes as well as for purposes of pulling loads of all sorts.

In the Bible, actual yokes, as well as yokes as a metaphor, are referenced.

For example, in the story of Elisha being chosen to be Elijah’s protégé, we see an actual yoke referenced:

“Elisha left him, took two oxen, and butchered them. He boiled the meat, using the oxen’s yoke ⌞for firewood⌟. He gave the meat to the people to eat. Then he left to follow and assist Elijah.”

1 Kings 19:21 GW

It’s interesting that we see that Elisha destroys the actual yoke used on his oxen by making a fire with it to cook them. But with that, we also see that Elisha then goes with Elijah—or becomes “yoked” to him—to go wherever he goes.

That’s just it, being under a yoke with something takes you in the same direction as the other thing/person under that yoke.

Indeed, the Bible employs the use of the yoke to indicate a position of servitude or obedience.

“And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the Lord, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”

Jeremiah 27:8 NKJV

In the above scripture we see that the Lord is punishing His rebellious people by putting them under the “yoke” of, or being made to serve, Nebuchadnezzar.

In our opening scripture we see a question illustrating the truth that if you are walking along with something—if you are yoked with something—you have come into agreement or have been made subject to the thing to which you are yoked or connected.

Of course, the intent of this scripture is to make the point that it is necessary to be in agreement in order to go in the same direction. But with that, if you are going in the same direction, it follows that you have come into agreement— whether voluntarily or involuntarily—with the force with which you share the yoke. So, shouldn’t we be careful about which yoke we are under?

We’ll look more into this tomorrow.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 91: Don’t get under the wrong yoke.

“I will go to the great [men] And speak to them, For they [must] know the way of the Lord, The ordinance of their God.” But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law] And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him]. Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their desertions of faith are countless.”

Jeremiah 5:5-6 AMP

As discussed yesterday, when you are under the yoke with something, you go where it goes.

With that, were you aware that a close relationship with a person or persons, puts you subject to going in their same direction?

Indeed, I have seen many miserable marriages between people who hadn’t thought about where their spouse intended to go, before saying “I do.” Somebody said, “Love is blind; but marriage is 20/20.” I would say that it is most likely sexual attraction that makes us blind. And, sexual lust has more to do with what we want than what we don’t want, and is certainly not about what we need. Yes, and many of those “love is blind” marriages, end in heartache.

In terms of other kinds of relationships, tragically, some people have ended up in great trouble, or even been killed, because they weren’t careful about with whom they were involved.

I know a young woman who thought she was driving her friends to do some shopping and they attempted to rob the store while she sat waiting in the car.

In another case, a young man went with some friends to “rip off” a gas station, thinking that though this was obviously wrong, it would be a petty theft and no one would get hurt. Yet, during the robbery, one of the other people in the group shot and killed a security guard!

I know another case where a young man thought he was giving a ride home to a woman and ended up being shot dead by her husband when he dropped her off. He had no idea what she had been up to and no idea what he was walking into.

Sadly, I could go on. Again, you better know with whom you are involving yourself.

Indeed, as Christians, we are to be very careful about our relationships.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.

II Corinthians 6:14-16a NKJV

We are the temple of God. As such, we must not be hooked up with that which is evil. And, make no mistake, this principle also applies to the realm of the spirit.

“What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.”

1 Corinthians 10:19-21 NLT

In our opening scripture we see the prophet Jeremiah trying to find anyone who still had righteous judgment.

Sadly, he found that even those who should have known better, had refused the yoke of God, making light of His Law and walking in disobedience to it. And, while they rejected God’s yoke (control), they made themselves idolaters and servants of sin. God says of them:

““How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels.”

Jeremiah 5:7 NLT

Friend, if you aren’t under the yoke of God, or you vacillate between God’s yoke and that of the world, the flesh, and the devil, you can be sure you will end up going where you never thought you would go.

We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 92: The yoke is an instrument of learning.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

In actual usage with beasts of burden, the yoke isn’t only used to get the animals going in the same direction, but also to train an unexperienced animal. The “novice” will learn what to do while being under the yoke with the “expert.”

The same principle is true in our Christian walk. That is, we can’t do what we don’t know. And, we can’t know what we need to know without being taught.

In the interaction between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, we see the eunuch expressing the fact that understanding can’t come without a teacher.

“As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.”

Acts 8:26-31 NLT

Indeed, the same fact is conveyed by Paul in his discourse on the importance of the preaching of the Gospel.

“For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!””

Romans 10:13-15 NLT

As well, when Paul was teaching concerning other matters of Christian conduct, he reminds the people in the churches (under his care), that they must learn to imitate, or follow, the example of Christ.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

Also, he reminds them that they can depend on his example to show them what God would have them do.

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT

In our opening scripture we see Jesus giving an invitation to be His follower; yes, an invitation to come under His yoke and learn from Him!

Now, we know that in actual operation, the yoke connecting us to Jesus Christ is the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit of God.

““There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”

John 16:12-15 NLT

Sadly, not all will come to Him, submitting to His rule, taking Him as their Teacher.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”

John 5:39-40 NLT

And, rejecting the yoke of Christ leads to disaster.

We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 93: The yoke is an instrument of judgment.

“Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness. “So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land. The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery.””

Nehemiah 9:34-37 NLT

Yesterday we ended by making note of the fact that some people reject the yoke of the Lord. Such was the case in the days of the prophet Jeremiah. Indeed, he looked to see if there were any among God’s people who still walked according to His commands. But he found none.

“I will go to the great [men] And speak to them, For they [must] know the way of the Lord, The ordinance of their God.” But [I found the reverse to be true, that] they too had all alike broken the yoke [of God’s law] And had burst the bonds [of obedience to Him]. Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their desertions of faith are countless.”

Jeremiah 5:5-6 AMP

As a result of the people rejecting the yoke of God, they were going to be subjected to the yoke of an oppressor!

Make no mistake, in every case, the one who rejects the yoke of God, refusing to walk according to His commands, is submitting themselves to a yoke of oppression, a yoke of bondage.

Jeremiah tried to warn the people; but the other prophets spoke what God had not said, making them believe they would not have to subject themselves to an oppressor.

To illustrate to the people the judgment that was coming, the Lord told Jeremiah to wear a wooden yoke before the people. He was then to say that they would be subjected to an oppressor (in this case, Nebuchadnezzar).

One of the prophets who was speaking falsely, Hananiah, broke the yoke off of Jeremiah’s neck and gave a false prophecy of deliverance.

Because of this action, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to tell the people that now—rather than a yoke of wood—they would wear a yoke of iron. Indeed, their bondage would be severe!

“Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces. And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’” Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.”

Jeremiah 28:10-17 NLT

Additionally, we see that Hananiah died because he prophesied falsely.

In our opening scripture we see the words spoken by the leaders of the people as they were seeking to regain the favor of God. They confessed their sin of disobedience; they mourned their refusal to come under the yoke of God which had resulted in their slavery.

Remember, it is only by taking on the yoke of Jesus Christ that we can be free from a yoke of bondage.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God—Who is the yoke of Jesus Christ—breaks the yoke of oppression!

We’ll put all this together tomorrow.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 94: Jesus breaks the yoke of bondage.

“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?””

Luke 13:10-16 NKJV

Jesus made a statement to His followers to which some of the people took umbrage.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?””

John 8:31-33 NLT

He said that the truth would set them free; and they were scandalized by the representation of themselves as being slaves.

“Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

John 8:34-36 NLT

Yes, Jesus made Himself even more popular with them by basically saying that—because they lived a lifestyle of sin—they were, in fact, slaves to sin!

Now, we know that Jesus came to set us free from sin. But, some wrongly believe that His work has freed everyone from sin whether or not they walk in obedience to Him.

However, the apostle Paul made clear that the habitual sinner remains in a subservient position to sin.

“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

Romans 6:12-16 NLT

The work of Christ did not give us an excuse to sin, but rather, the power to say no to sin.

What a wonderful gift it is that we no longer have to be a slave of sin. Sadly, some choose to continue in sin and refuse to come under the yoke of obedience with Christ.

The Lord wants to set us free from sin. He wants to help us walk in righteousness. He set multitudes free from demons while walking the earth. He still sets people free, doing so now through His Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

“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.”

Isaiah 10:27 NKJV

Yes, the anointing breaks the yoke of oppression!

In our opening scripture we see Jesus setting a woman free who had been bound by the devil for 18 years.

Now, are you bound by something? Don’t walk in any sort of bondage one moment longer. Turn to Jesus and get completely under His yoke. Walk in obedience to His will and be free. Yes, free, indeed!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!