Day 1619

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday,

 

The yoke is an image of being under authority and submitting to direction, and it carries the implications of a covenant relationship with blessings or curses. This agricultural image was reintroduced by the prophet in Hosea 10:11-12, as the Israelites were being removed from the Promised Land because of their disobedience to God:

 

Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, but I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself. Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

 

The time of threshing was over, and the days of the yoke were upon Israel. When a trained heifer was allowed to thresh, it would walk freely on the harvested stalks until the grain was separated from the ears. It was a time to benefit from its previous hard work as the heifer was allowed to eat as it threshed (Deuteronomy 25:4). Contrast that with the hard work of breaking up fallow ground, which is ground that was previously plowed and readied for sowing but then laid useless and unproductive. It required the discipline of the yoke to accomplish this task as the oxen team was directed to plow, harrow, sow, and then reap. God’s purpose in this imagery was to indicate Israel’s absolute need for His leadership to bring about their fruitfulness. Would the people reject His yoke?

 

Seize the moment and find rest from the heavy burden of sin by taking on the easy yoke of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). There is a harvest to be reaped, so join with Jesus to “break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12).