Religion for many is a burden...a yoke that is too heavy to bear as it restricts, prohibits, regulates to many things in our lives! The world of course...but we too think it is inhibitive and sometimes a burden. This is the very antithesis of the Word of God here...a yoke easy to bear!

Meaning: This passage is often times abused to use for the "universal love of all men." A God for all is a God for none however. None come except the Spirit calls him. The Father draws and brings us the knowledge! The text is broad..."I will give you rest for your souls..." We have spiritual UNREST because of sin, but this text addresses the whole child of God knowing the connection between our physical being and our spiritual lives! The Lord has a curable antidote for our whole being. If we are right with our Lord than we are right and well in our being! The Gospel has a curable effect on the body! The idea of "rest" is God's commentary on the idea of rest. The writer takes us to the depth of rest. He is the great High Priest who in meekness and humility bore our burden so that we may enter into that REST! That is why we take His yoke upon us. We are justified through Him and NOW we have peace with God! That is the rest we now have...freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ and freedom from anxiety and from guilt! "Take my yoke upon you!"

Manner: The yoke was placed upon the oxen to lighten the load between two or more to lighten as it distributes the load. The easiness of the yoke of God opposed to the slavery and heavy burden of bondage and sin. When it becomes a burden it is because the yoke of the load is not understood correctly and is being misunderstood. His Spirit bears witness to us first that we are sinners and that is the burden. Our burden! He continues to teach us about it and how He fulfilled it and makes the yoke and burden of the law easy as HE bore it all the way to the depths of hell and now our yoke is easy being the yoke of righteousness and complete redemption. We put the WHOLE yoke of God and His law on our shoulders which is light as He has fulfilled it! A matter of liberty and not of bondage. Do we see through Paul how light this yoke is?! We don't make the law void through faith, but establish it as we take the Lord's yoke upon us. "Walk in the old paths and ye will find rest for your souls." God said this as His people lived in the land of promise! Our flesh tells us the Sabbath and the law of God is so difficult and when we talk as such we are talking through the flesh and not the new man who has rest, peace, tranquility and great joy!

Joy: God calls us and commands us and we learn two things here:

1. That we have been lifted above our sin and guilt as He lifted it away on the cross.

2. He puts us in the liberty where we are free!

Learn of ME. Not the burden of the law, but the LOVE of the law and we can stand in the love of God and we take His yoke to love and serve Him. What a privilege.