What Yoke is on You?

[Isa 10:27 NKJV] "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." I really love this verse! The history/context of this scripture refers to the trouble the Israel found themselves in when they had built a plethora of idols throughout the land and their consistent lack of faith and trust in God. You see the Lord allowed the Assyrians to come into Israel and be used as a chastising rod to correct her behavior and convince her that His way was full of righteousness and truth. Typically, when someone wrongs us, we completely cut them off and leave no room for mercy, truth and grace. Here in this scripture and context, God is being very graceful and merciful and encourages Israel that the yoke of the Assyrians will be destroyed and their time of correction will be lifted. The yoke (the Assyrians) will be destroyed. They (the Assyrians) had been controlling them and even killed many and led thousands into captivity. Had Israel believed God and trusted Him the correction would not have been needed...in this situation. I've been talking to our congregation lately about the differences between chastisement and chastening. Chastisement is the correction of wrong doing and chastening is the teaching, discipline or training to prevent wrong doing. The Hebrew writer in chapter 12 tells us to "Not to despise the chastening of the Lord". However, if we are honest, don't we do exactly that? The Israelite's had to endure not just chastening but chastisement or the scourging of the Lord. The Assyrians was tool that God used to whip the children of the Hebrew nation. God often uses tools to bring correction and discipline to our lives...This action is really a description of grace. It doesn't seem so at the time, but it does produce a good and peaceable fruit.

Because of our sin, a yoke is placed around us which leads us (everywhere we go) into destruction. God can use this yoke to lead us into repentance and then this yoke can be destroyed. This is a difficult yoke and leads us into some horrible places of our lives and trust me the enemy will use this to harm us and even attempt to destroy us. But God! God will use this to bring us into a right relationship with Him...this is grace and mercy with a foundation of love! Jesus said that His yoke is easy and the burden is light. He will destroy the yoke of sin and replace it with the yoke of mercy and grace and lead us into a close fellowship with Him.

No matter where we are in life, there will be a yoke around us.

You choose the yoke of bondage and destruction or the yoke of freedom and life.