The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 27

 

Matthew 11:29-30

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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

(ESV)

 

In an industrialized society, the term yoke is something people reading this may not understand. A yoke is an agricultural tool, a wooden crossbeam placed on the neck of two animals that attaches to a plow or trailer two animals are to pull. During a recent trip to Ohio and the Amish community in the state, I saw where a yoke is still in use. With this definition in mind, the yoke of the Lord mentioned in Matthew 11:30 symbolizes the crossbeam of the cross we as believers in Jesus as our savior are to bear (Matthew 10:34-39). The yoke of the cross is not a yoke of blessing and bliss but one of trouble (John 16:33; Matthew 10:34-38). The yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, while not the yoke of the cross, does promise peace to the people of Judah about to go into exile and something under which they should come.

 

1)      Coming under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:1-7) – The word of the Lord given to Jeremiah in this passage instructs the people to serve Nebuchadnezzar until the time of his reign comes to an end (Jeremiah 27:7). While this does not seem right because the people of Judah are living in the land the Lord has given them, they have been living in continual rebellion against God and practicing duplicitous worship, worshipping both Baal and the Lord. The consequences of this rebellion are in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 which include captivity and exile. Therefore, the people of Judah should not be surprised that they would come under the authority of their captors.

2)      Warnings (Jeremiah 27:8-22) – God issues three warnings to the nations, the king of Judah, the priests, and all the people.

a.       Warning to the Nations (Jeremiah 27:8-11) – This warning begins with a question of why a nation would choose death by the sword, famine, or pestilence instead of choosing life (Jeremiah 27:8). Unfortunately, there are false prophets in these nations who are telling the people they will not fall into Babylonian captivity. God’s warning to these nations is to ignore these lying prophets and come under the authority of the king of Babylon where they will be allowed to remain in their land (Jeremiah 27:9-11).

b.       Warning to Zedekiah king of Judah (Jeremiah 27:12-15) – Zedekiah, the king of Judah is given the same warning as the other nations (Jeremiah 27:12-13). The Lord also warns Zedekiah to ignore the lying prophets who are also saying Judah will not serve the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:14). The Lord warns King Zedekiah that He has not sent these false prophets and that following their prophecies will result in exile and death (Jeremiah 27:15).

c.       Warning to the priests and the people (Jeremiah 27:16-22) – The Lord also warns the priests and all the people

d.       about the vessels of the Temple that were carried off to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:16-18). The lying prophets are saying that these vessels will soon be returned which is a lie for not only will these vessels remain in Babylon, but the vessels remaining in Jerusalem will also go to Babylon until the Lord visits them (Jeremiah 27:19-22).

 

The people of Judah have continually rebelled against the Lord and failed to obey the Lord’s call to repentance. As such they must endure the consequences of their sin and go into exile, serving the king of Babylon. Fortunately, God is a merciful God and is providing safety while in exile in Babylon, and why he is warning the people not to listen to the lying prophets saying they will not serve the king of Babylon and instead subject themselves to the Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar. In addition, the warning to the priests and all the people indicates the vessels of the Lord are no longer going to be in Jerusalem, indicating that the presence of the Lord will not be in Jerusalem but Babylon (Jeremiah 27:19-22). Since there is safety in the presence of the Lord, the priests should encourage all the people of Judah to go to Babylon and dwell in the presence of the Lord there.

 

Under the New Covenant, the presence of God dwells in every believer in the person of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). However, we can become so caught up in our situation and the daily struggles of life that we forget about the presence of God in our lives. The challenge for all reading this is to live their lives with an awareness of the presence of God in their lives. We are God’s children and should live our lives with full awareness of the love of our Heavenly Father (1 John 3:1; Psalms 1:1-2). May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.