The Breaking of the Yoke!
Leviticus 26
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, September 22.
Leviticus 26 summarizes the blessings and curses of the Levitical Law, both of which are the promises of God. Verses 1-13 give the blessings for obedience, verses 14-39 promise the curses for disobedience, and verses 40-46 describe an opportunity for repentance.
Leviticus 26:12-13 is a critical passage to understand because it visually reminds the Israelites of what God did for them in the Exodus, the eternal grace He has extended to them in rescuing them from slavery:
“I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.”
There is a contrast built into this everyday agricultural image of bearing a heavy burden—the oxen yoke. God broke the yoke of their slavery to Egypt and the burden of walking under Pharaohs oppression, so that they could walk upright with Him in covenant faithfulness. Thousands of years later Jesus reminded a reprobate group of Israelites of God’s promises in Matthew 11:30 utilizing this same agricultural imagery:
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
To walk in covenant faithfulness is to walk uprightly in the yoke of God’s blessings, but to walk in disobedience to God’s covenant is to be bowed down by the heavy yoke of slavery.
That is why Paul said in Galatians 5:1,
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Seize the moment and take on yourself the easy yoke of Jesus Christ and experience the blessings of covenant faithfulness—rest for your soul! God has already broken the yoke of slavery for you; live in the freedom Christ has given you by walking in the new way of the Spirit.
God bless your day!
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