The word “yoke” appears 60 times in the Bible. Literally, a yoke is a wooden beam used between two oxen to enable them to pull a load together. Yes, it is an agricultural tool.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthrew 11:28-30
But wait, when Jesus said his yoke was easy, was he talking about farming?
Not quite. Yoke has many symbolic meanings in the Bible. In this article, we will explore:
- The usages of yoke in the Bible.
- What could yoke mean to us in the modern days?
Yoke in the Bible
The use of yoke is not limited to the New Testament. In fact, it appears more times in the Old Testament than in the New.
Yoke means oppression
In the Old Testament, yoke typically means oppression and slavery.
For example, God refers to the slavery of Israelites in Egypt as their yoke.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.
Leviticus 26:13
On the same note, Jeremiah talked about Babylon’s oppressive rule as a yoke. In 586 BCE, the Babylonian King conquered Jerusalem. To the devastation of the Jews, the Temple was destroyed during the conquest. Many Jews were forcibly deported to Babylon.
If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.
Jeremiah 27:8
Jesus’s yoke
When Jesus talked about his yoke, he hinted at a different kind of kingdom. He would not rule over us like the kings and political powers in the world.
Instead of coercion, there is love and understanding.
Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
Mark 10:42-45
Instead of taking advantage of the powerless, there is compassion and giving.
” He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19
Instead of self-serving, people serve each other.
Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:26-28
What does yoke mean now?
What is the yoke of the present day? Are we as free as we thought?
First, here is an endless demand for consumption in today’s capitalist world. We are encouraged to buy more and to go into debt. We are encouraged to buy more things, get a bigger house, and have a nicer car. Like slaves, we need to work more and more to catch up.
Sin is also a yoke to us. It causes us to do something we hate to do (Romans 7:15-20). But we cannot stop. We keep doing it. The solution? Embrace Jesus’s way.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1
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