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I was reading through Isaiah chapter 14 yesterday.  The verses 12  through 15 talk about the fall of satan and how he was defeated and brought down.

Reading further, I came across verses 24 - 27. It was as though all the verses above, that declared satan as defeated, were insufficient for the reader and GOD decided to make it clear : "Surely as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand."

This is HIS promise: God has an Eternal Plan for each of us! And everything is going according to HIS plan.

I went on to read verse 25 : "I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down." This verse seemed more like a prophesy. Jesus indeed crushed satan at Calvary- trampled on a mountain.

The second half of the verse says: "His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders." This verse, I am sure, will remind you of our saviour's words in Mathew 11:28 and 29:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you ...... and you will find rest for your souls." God's eternal plan was this that satan be defeated and we be freed from our burden of sin and guilt.

But again I had a question, GOD said that He would remove satan's yoke from us, but He also says "take my yoke". Why take another yoke in place of the first?

But His gentle spirit clarified it for me. Satan's yoke is cumbersome and heavy. One that will chain us and pull us back from reaching etarnal life. It is a yoke were he entangles us in sin and accuses us day and night. A yoke that puts the burden of guilt and fear.

But the yoke that Jesus talks about is a yoke that is just for guiding us. Left on our own we stray from the ways of God, but God's yoke will lead us on the right path. As though He already anticipated this question Jesus says in Matthew 11:30 : "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

And Isaiah 14:26 finishes saying: "This is the plan determined for the whole world."

These are just a few thoughts from my meditaiton. Hope this encourages you just as it did for me.

Meet u in eternity,
Karen

Another thing to consider is that Satan wants us to think we can merit our salvation.  That we can work our way into heaven and this led those of the Old Covenant to try to fulfill the letter of the law.   But God even tried to tell them He wants mercy not sacrifice.

Hos 6:6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

But in the New Covenant Jesus teach us the same thing more clearly when He says that love fulfills all the law and the prophets.

Matt 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Mat 22:37-40  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.   This is the first and great commandment.   And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Paul taught us that same message of course since it is from the same Holy Spirit.

Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

He went on to make it ever so clear when he pointed out that the letter was death and the spirit is life.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

So I see Satan's yoke as trying to convince us that we can merit salvation through fulfilling the letter of the law - which is of course heavy or impossible; while Christ's yoke is simply to love God and one another as a fulfillment of the spirit of the law - which is easy once we accept the grace of God which He free gives us.

Michael!  Dude!  Except for the words "heavy or" that was spoken like a true Baptist!    ;)
Amen!

Your Bro in Him.
JN

PS - You're welcome to visit my church any day.  You'd LOVE the spirit-filled worship and the calls of "Amen!" during the teaching!

Michael,

If we are simply to love God and one another then why has the church at Rome invoked all these other laws, known as church laws?

Is not God's law being fulfilled in these two commandments sufficient?
Why throw off one yoke and take on another?

Ollie

As long as you are referring to the directives of the Church and not the instructions within the scriptures that explain how to obey Christ then we are talking about discipline not salvation.

The laws of the Church are issues of discipline, they are to help us in our walk.

Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The issues with regard to the sacraments Christ established and the directives to love and serve are issues of salvation as expalined in scripture but are fulfilled easily by anyone who loves God and his brother.

FWIW:
Consider the purpose of a yoke...as in used on a brace of oxen (or mules). It is so that they will walk step in step....when one (the lead)  turns right, the other does too...when the lead stops, the other stops. In that context, consider:
Isa 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

When we are yoked with Jesus, He is the leader...via the Holy Spirit and His Word we are led into that which is righteous and pleasing in His sight.

Of course, we can always be like Saul...and kick against the goads. (sometimes it feels more like a cattle prod!)

Yes exactly He leads but we must follow.  Following is works of love they do not merit us the gift of salvation but they are required to accept it.  If we do not follow or we kick against the goads we risk tossing aside or letting go of the free gift by throwing off the yoke.

;D


   
:(

Have you ever noticed that when two animals are yoked, the lead always gets his way? Eventually? Of course, that depends on whether or not they are actually yoked.