A Burden Accepted
December 25 Submit your neck to her yoke, that your mind may accept her teaching. For she is close to those who seek her, and the one who is in earnest finds her. Sirach 51:26
Yoke – On this day when the ancient world celebrated the renewal and return of the fertility gods, a day that Christianity has adopted into its own calendar for reasons buried in church history, it might do us some good to look at a verse not found in our usual Bibles but nevertheless, apparently on the mind of Yeshua. The parallel is Matthew 11:29 (“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”). Of course, we know that that last part of this teaching from Yeshua cites a passage from the prophet Jeremiah. But we might not realize that the first part of this statement parallels passages in Proverbs and in Sirach (sometimes called Ecclesiasticus). Sirach is part of the wisdom literature of the 2nd Century BC. You can read the text here.
Yeshua’s adaptation of the material in Sirach demonstrates that He was familiar with the wisdom literature of the rabbis. But that isn’t the most important point about this parallel and the parallel with Proverbs. The crucial point is the difference Yeshua introduces. In both Sirach and Proverbs, Wisdom is personified, calling for men to come to “her” to receive instruction in living and the blessings of a righteous life. In both books, the narrator acts as the intermediary between Wisdom and the reader. But Yeshua changes all that. He is not the go-between. He is Wisdom itself. In other words, Yeshua does not cast Himself as the prophet or teacher pointing toward Wisdom (the divine instruction). He casts Himself in the role of Wisdom, and thereby claims that He is divine.
No one in His audience could have missed the change or the claim. Even if the audience didn’t specifically recall the Sirach passage, everyone would have known the text of Proverbs. Yeshua’s proclamation was unmistakable. No rabbi would ever make such a claim, at least no rabbi who did not believe that he was the manifestation of God Himself. The first point Yeshua makes is that He is the authority on Wisdom and that He is the only intermediary between God and men. Now that we see how powerful this verse really is, we also need to ask why Yeshua employed the imagery of the yoke.
The Hebrew concept of a yoke is almost always negative. Jews viewed yokes as a symbol of oppression. They had a long history of yoked captivity and tyranny. To suggest that people willingly take a yoke upon themselves would be inconceivable, except in one instance. The rabbis taught that voluntarily accepting the yoke of Torah was an experience of freedom, not of slavery and servitude. This positive use of ‘ol (Hebrew “yoke”) is found in the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah said: Whoever takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, from him will be taken away the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care; but whoever throws off the yoke of Torah, upon him will be laid the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care” (Pirkei Avot 3:6).
Add this background to our familiarity with the Matthew text. Yeshua declares His divine authority with regard to instructions for living. He is the only mediator of truth. Then He tells us to willingly accept His yoke, the yoke of kindness. What is that yoke? The only positive reference found in His own cultural setting claims that the yoke is Torah. Yeshua builds on the popular and familiar teaching of the rabbis and takes it one step further. Once again, He calls His followers to return to the only teaching that relieves us of the world of slavery – to return to His Torah since He is its divine author.
Perhaps this day should be remembered as a day when we acknowledge that Yeshua comes with supreme authority to bring us out of slavery by returning us to God’s eternal instruction. Perhaps when the angels sang, “Peace on earth and good will toward men,” they were offering in song what Yeshua offered in teaching. “Return unto me. Come back to My direction and be freed from worldly care.”
Topical Index: Sirach 51:26, Matthew 11:29, Jeremiah 6:6, Proverbs 8, yoke, ‘ol, Torah
Sirach is part of the wisdom literature of the 2nd Century BC. You can read the text here.
It is His doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from G-d, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well! Therefore – as the Tanakh says – “Let anyone who wants to boast, boast about ADONAI.” (1 Corinthians 1.30)
When I was a young lad, I wondered about wisdom. “Wisdom is better than gold,” I read in the book of Proverbs- written by the second wisest man that ever lived- Solomon.
But that was then, and this is now. There word of the LORD has not changed, but I have. I no longer wonder about wisdom. What is the wisest thing we can possibly do? The mother of Yeshua said unto the servants (us)- “whatever He says unto you do it.” The wisest thing you and I can do is to obey G-d. Yes, just do it. Why? Because obedience is the pathway to blessing. We are to follow Him- the most obedient man ever to live. And He is our Example. Yes? Yeshua even went so far as to say- “I delight to do your will, O G-d.” It was not a drudgery or a duty, but rather, a delight. It is not something we “have” to do, it is something we “get” to do. Amen.
The second wisest man that ever lived? Who is the first? lol! – We know His name, don’t we? lol! Just as YHWH said unto Abraham- “please (na) do as I ask.” Just as we who are fathers say unto our children- “please do as I ask..” Is obedience all that difficult? Are we so full of rebellion and pride we are no longer capable of doing what is pleasing to our Abba? I don’t think so. We are able,- all He needs from us is our “yes.”
“The wisest thing you and I can do is to obey G-d. Yes, just do it. Why? Because obedience is the pathway to blessing.”
Hi Carl,
I agree completely, but the “devil is in the details” as Ross Perot once reminded us 🙂
Good evening dear fellow-sojourners,
When I first began my journey (mid 80’s) in discovering “Yeshua,” within his own backyard. I was so blown away by what I was discovering, I did not have a people to share in and filter what I was learning. The information that is so readily availiable now to the masses was not not in so easy reach then.
My journey in trying to share with others the signifiance and importance of what I was discovering has been a very painful one. I wouldn’t trade the HOLY journey G-d has led me on in the pursuit of His truth, but I would like to go back and trade how I have shared it at times with others.
There is a verse in Ecclesiastes that says “G-d is in heaven and you are on earth, therefore let your words be few. It might be that if my words are fewer, His words may become MORE in my heart/mind and life. Or it might be that I need to realize how weighty and powerful G-d has made my words, therefore; be wise because you will give account for every word you speak. I do not believe I have wrestled with this enough. May I take your yoke Yeshua and speak only what you speak and do only what you do.
Thanks Skip for this teaching today from the eleventh chapter of Matthew. I have lived in and thought much of this chapter, concerning the ministry and mission of Yeshua.
Did the angels sing? “…praising God and saying, Peace on Earth…”