What is the "yoke" of Messiah?

Mat 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I shall give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your beings. For My yoke is gentle and My burden is light.”

"yoke" is word #G
G2218 ζυγός zugos (zï-ğos') n.
1. a coupling.
2. (figuratively) servitude (a law or obligation).
3. (literally) the beam of the balance (as connecting the scales).
[from the root of zeugnumi “to join, especially by a yoke”]
KJV: pair of balances, yoke

ζυγός, ζυγοῦ, ὁ, for which in Greek writings before Polybius τό ζυγόν was more common (from ζεύγνυμι);

1. a yoke;

a. properly, such as is put on draught-cattle.

b. metaphorically, used of any burden or bondage: as that of slavery, 1 Timothy 6:1 (Leviticus 26:13), δουλείας, Galatians 5:1 (Sophocles Aj. 944; δουλοσυνης, Demosthenes 322, 12); of troublesome laws imposed on one, especially of the Mosaic law, Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1; hence, the name is so transferred to the commands of Christ as to contrast them with the commands of the Pharisees which were a veritable 'yoke'; yet even Christ's commands must be submitted to, though easier to be kept: Matthew 11:29f (less aptly in Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 16, 17 [ET] Christians are called οἱ ὑπό τόν ζυγόν τῆς χάριτος ἐλθόντες (cf. Harnack at the passage)).

2. a balance, pair of scales: Revelation 6:5 (as in Isaiah 40:12; Leviticus 19:36; Plato, rep. 8, 550 e.; Aelian v. h. 10, 6; others).



I believe it is doing His will.

John/Yahanan 10:27-30, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; neither will any man snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand: I and My Father are in accord."

John 14:23-24, “יהושע answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and We shall come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not guard My Words. And the Word which you hear is not Mine but of the Father Who sent Me.”

John/Yahanan 15:5-16, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, produces much fruit; but without Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch, and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and letting My words; abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done for you. In this is My Father glorified: when you produce much fruit; and in this way you become My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My Commands, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's Commands, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be complete. This is My Command: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: that one would lay down his life on behalf of his brothers. You are My brothers, if you do whatever I command you.”

1 Peter 2:16, “as free, yet not using your freedom as a cloak for evil, but as servants of the Mighty One.”

“servants” is word #G1401 δοῦλος doulos (d̮ou'-los) n.
1. (involuntarily) a slave.
2. (of necessity) a bond-servant.
3. (figuratively) a voluntary, fully devoted servant.
{literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency}, [from G1210]KJV: bond(-man), servantRoot(s): G1210

A parable about servants from Yahshua:

Matthew 25:14-30,

14 for it is like a man going from home, who called his own servants and delivered his possessions to them."

15 “And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability, and went from home."

16 “And he who had received the five talents went and worked with them, and made another five talents."

17 “In the same way, he with the two also, he gained two more."

18 “But he who had received the one went away and dug in the ground, and hid the silver of his master."

19 “And after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them."

20 “And he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents besides them.’"

21 “And his master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant. You were trustworthy over a little, I shall set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’"

22 “Then he who had received two talents came and said, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents. See, I have gained two more talents besides them.’"

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant. You were trustworthy over a little, I shall set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’"

24 “And the one who had received the one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed,"

25 and being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’"

26 “And his master answering, said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed."

27 Then you should have put my silver with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest."

28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to him who possesses ten talents."

29 ‘For to everyone who possesses, more shall be given, and he shall have overflowingly; but from him who does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away.

30 And throw the worthless servant out into the outer darkness – there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

When we read it in contest, it is the yoke of His guidance, teaching, and His being our Teacher.

If that sounded repititious, keep in mind any teaching of teh Gospel by anyone has come from Him.

A man can receive nothing except but it be given unto him from heaven
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. Luke 8:18

I believe His yoke is definitly His guidance and taking His yoke is being His doulos/servant.\\
John 12:25-26, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life shall lose it, and he who hates his life in this world shall preserve it for everlasting life." Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

John 14:23-26, “יהושע answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and We shall come to him and make Our stay with him. He who does not love Me does not guard My Words. And the Word which you hear is not Mine but of the Father Who sent Me. These Words I have spoken to you while still with you. But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.”

Christ becomes our co-laborer. We are yoked together with Him in the labors and afflictions of this world as we serve God. Christ shares the burden and make the heavy burden able to be borne by we who are too weak by ourselves.

Lovely picture of two oxen in a yoke plowing a field with the stronger pulling harder so the weaker does not fail.

No hardship or woe that Christ does not share with us so we might glorify Him in our lives.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Wow this is a really beautiful thought. It really personallizes and describes His effort in saving us. praiseYah!

Hebrews 4:14-15, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest Who has ascended into the heavens: Yahshua the Son of יהוה, let us hold fast our profession. For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all ways tempted as we are, yet was without sin."

Hebrews 7:24-25,"but He, because He remains forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save completely those who draw near to יהוה through Him, ever living to make intercession for them."

No most certainly not. Christ finished the work of redemption on the cross. The labor of serving is what we see here in this passage. Salvation is a one time event not an ongoing process. We serve because we are saved not to become or to remain saved.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

So Him making intercession for us is not a part of His work for our Salvation?

Hebrews 7:24-25,"but He, because He remains forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save completely those who draw near to יהוה through Him, ever living to make intercession for them."

To me this is what ENSURES our Salvation, Him guiding us in our lives, I went from not knowing Him to hearing of Him, learning a bit, and more and more following Him. WIthout His guidance I would have never accepted His sacrifice and path...

Ohh yeah, ok so I believe none are "saved" until we enter the kingdom, not the second we say His name. I believe those who call upon Him WILL be saved, for sure, but to me this is salvation:

Mat:29-31, "Immediately, but after the tribulation of those days will the sun be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His malakim with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of earth to the other."

notice this

1 Peter 1:3-9, “Blessed be the Strength and Father of our Master יהושע Messiah, who according to His great compassion has caused us to be born again to a living expectation through the resurrection of יהושע Messiah from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in the heavens for you, who are protected by the power of Yah through belief, for a deliverance ready to be revealed in the last time, in which you exult, even though for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by manifold trials, in order that the proving of your belief – much more precious than gold that perishes, and proven by fire – might be found to result in praise and respect and esteem at the revelation of יהושע Messiah, whom having not seen, you love; in whom you exult with unspeakable and esteemed joy, yet not seeing, but believing, obtaining the goal of your belief: a deliverance of lives.”

"deliverance ready to be revealed in the last time"

everyone will still occasionally sin, but He is able to keep us clean that deliverance ready to be revealed in the last time.

Sanctification not salvation. We are saved the moment we receive Christ as Savior. He walks with us as we sojourn in this world. We are completely saved and sealed unto the day of redemption. Our life here is to testify of His saving grace so that others will hear our testimony and come to Christ for salvation.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

I agree selaed but I say were have not yet recieved. that is why I quoted this:

1 Peter 1:3-9, “Blessed be the Strength and Father of our Master יהושע Messiah, who according to His great compassion has caused us to be born again to a living expectation through the resurrection of יהושע Messiah from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in the heavens for you, who are protected by the power of Yah through belief, for a deliverance ready to be revealed in the last time, in which you exult, even though for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by manifold trials, in order that the proving of your belief – much more precious than gold that perishes, and proven by fire – might be found to result in praise and respect and esteem at the revelation of יהושע Messiah, whom having not seen, you love; in whom you exult with unspeakable and esteemed joy, yet not seeing, but believing, obtaining the goal of your belief: a deliverance of lives.”

I don't believe the Yoke of Christ has anything to do with labor at all. I believe Christ used the word YOKE to illustrate that if we just BELIEVE in Him and are saved by Him, this is the actual labor. After All, He taught us if the world hated Him, they would also hate us. So there is no labor in the act of BELIEVING in HIM. The actual labor is KEEPING THE FAITH when we are tried and persecuted. This is why it is so LIGHT!! Because we just must continue to believe through it all. And believing is actually labor less. However, believing while being persecuted and tried IS LABOR since it has cost many people their lives for just BELIEVING IN CHRIST!!

Good post, appears you are quite the

Jesus spoke his ministry in parables more often than not. And much of the time these were born from what the Jews to whom he preached for the most part would have heard first in temple. As what we call the old testament.

Jesus also used relative figures of speech so as to deliver his message to an agrarian culture. Speaking the truth of the kingdom using imagery the people would be all too familiar with.
That's why he referred to his chosen as sheep and to himself as their shepherd. It is why he used the term yoke in Matthew 11 to describe what it would mean to follow his teachings. A yoke made the beast of burden wearing it a servant of its master at the bridle.
When we are in the faith of Christ we are servants of God's will and vision for each and every one of us as we serve in his name the world we live in.
His yoke therefore is light, because he loves us. His commands are that which offer respect for ourselves, and others, and always first and foremost for the Father.

Quite a bit of very good messages about the yoke and light burden. I posted some songs for I think a musician can be a good example of that so to speak. Most musicians don't play music because it's job or because they have too, they do it out of a labor of love.

John 6v57: "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me."

Col 3v23: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."

About sums it up!

Mat 11:29 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.

This is my second response to this thread, however you all seem to need the explanation in front of you. As you see, the yoke mentioned by our Lord is learning of Him, that is going to Him to learn.

He goes on to say He gives us for our souls... The Pharisees weigh heavy burdens upon us with their teaching for the which they will not lift a finger to carry......... The antecedents are there and easily understood grammatically, not dark hidden meanings, just simple language.

Do you not think the explanations was good enough, I think it was good enough for him.

?

Do we need a explanation or can it just be?