How bending our necks to God’s ultimate Plan is Advice Worth Taking: Jeremiah episode #17

Inspired by the book of Jeremiah chapter 27 and 28

Unnecessary Burdens

When I was 10 years old, my family went with other families to the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. The Dad’s were all going on a 5 day hike, and I remember waving them off as they descended into the canyon, carrying their big back packs.

The story goes that one of the mom’s, worried her husband might starve, packed his backpack with multiple tinned foods: Sausages, baked beans, and others. With over 10 tins, each weighing between 250g to 500g - you can imagine this poor dad’s struggle on the first day as he wondered, sweating and out of breath, why he could not keep up with the others!?

Let’s not go through life carrying unnecessary burdens.

Photo by Ray Harrington on Unsplash

Now imagine this guy carrying bricks with the same volume, and we are getting closer to God’s Wisdom for our lives !

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Some Context:

In 597 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar II surrounded Jerusalem and captured King Jehoiachin. The king and his family, as well as 10,000 elite citizens (including officials, craftsmen, and warriors), and many treasures from Solomon’s Temple, were carried off to Babylon.

King Zedekiah (reigning in Judah), was planning to form a coalition with neighboring nations¹, in order to rebel against Babylon. Hoping that Egypt, the superpower from the South, might come to their aid.

Picture a summit meeting, at Zedekiah’s table, with each of these nations represented. Jeremiah, as God’s prophet, walks in and warns them that Nebuchadnezzar is His instrument (of Judgement): Don’t fight against him, but submit and serve him, go to Babylon until the appointed time of God.

In other words, God is in this, don’t resist Him … put on humility.

HUMILITY - A DEMONSTRATION

Perhaps because he had already been preaching, and warning for more than 20 years with little to show for it, or perhaps inspired by Isaiah who walked around naked and barefoot for 3 years to convey one of God’s messages.² Jeremiah put on wooden yoke, to tell these rulers that it is better to accept God’s will (yoke) and live, than to rebel and die.

Have you heard the term “stiff necked”? I had never come across it until the age of 19 when I started reading scripture. This verse from the book of Act’s explains it well, where Stephen is being accused of blasphemy, and is explaining to the religious leaders how they have missed God’s plan, even though it is in front of their eyes. He says in Acts 8: 51, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

He was pointing to their stubborn persistence in their own ways. A refusal to

BEND THEIR NECKS.

Like King Zedekiah, we often want to do things our way, and in our stubbornness we bypass the Lord’s council, which often seems contrary to our understanding.

The apostle James writes: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” I can’t help notice the order, first, to be humble, or in Jeremiah’s words, to bend your neck to God.

I cannot finish without mentioning Jesus, who spoke perfectly on this topic. As a carpenter he surely knew about yokes, and how God’s yoke is tailored for each person: perfectly crafted³. The contrasted iron yoke, brutally put together, is brought to us in Jeremiah chapter 28.⁴

Jesus, who cares for each on of us, said:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

(Matthew chapter 11)

Thanks for being with me.

LETS PRAY TOGETHER

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Almighty Father, as we read Jeremiah, we see how obedience to your words contains life. Thank you for your word, and thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, who took the yoke that we could not bear, in order that we might find your Yoke to new life.

Today, in Jesus Christ, we ask your forgiveness for persisting in our own ways. And that you give us the strength and courage to do your will, and learn from You, that we might continue on the path of everlasting life.

Amen.

If you enjoyed this, let me know in the comments, your support is valuable and I appreciate you being here. Lets grow together.

1. The nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon

2. The Holy Bible, The book of Isaiah chapter 20

3. Can’t help thinking how Jesus was also a carpenter, who would have known how to customize a wooden yoke to prevent unnecessary pain, bruising, and swelling.

4. Jeremiah Chapter 28 verse 13: “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.”