This was the Youth Session theme, dealt with under three headings, the first of which was, “The yoke in his life—Jeremiah”, as an introduction to which Bro. N. Davies (Newcastle) read Lamentations 3. 22-26.
In opening his remarks Bro. B. Luke (Adelaide) appealed to us to rouse our thoughts and pull ourselves out of the comfort and ease of today. The Spirit of Christ was in Jeremiah testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow (1 Peter 1. 11), not only in the message Jeremiah proclaimed but also manifested in deed and reality throughout his life for he was one of the most devoted and self-abasing servants of the Lord.
We might ask why Jeremiah’s life was chosen to demonstrate this principle at a Youth Night. Jeremiah was a young man, as can be seen from Jer. 1. 6 and 7. Moffatt renders the word translated in these verses “child” as, “I am too young”. This can also be seen in Lam. 3. 27, where it is recorded, “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth”. From the context we know that this verse refers to Jeremiah himself. Although he was young Jeremiah bore this yoke or burden, the work and labour of Yahweh, with all its hardships to the extent that he felt like and appeared as an old man. “Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame” (Jer. 20. 18). This passage is cited from Psalm 90. 10, which is a psalm of Moses describing the weakness of old age. We should compare Jeremiah’s life with that of the young man, Jesus, who at the age of 33 was described by Isaiah as “a tender plant”, a “suckling” whose visage was so “marred” and deformed that it appalled those who saw it.
The yoke was used to team oxen together in pairs for the purpose of ploughing or drawing wheeled vehicles. It caused the animals to stoop and bend their necks. The spiritual significance of the yoke is that of service, bondage or subservience, as can be seen in Ezekiel 34. 27. In Jer. 30. 8 we notice that the yoke is broken from off the neck. In the scriptures the neck has an important spiritual import. According to its stiffness or suppleness so is one said to be defiant or yielding to the will of God. Thus the generation to whom Jeremiah spoke are likened to that generation which died in the wilderness (Jeremiah 7. 25, 26; 5. 5).
In chapters 27 and 28 of the prophecy we see how Jeremiah bore the yoke Yahweh had placed on him. Jeremiah was instructed by God to make yokes for the foreign ambassadors and explain that these meant that their lands were given to Nebuchadnezzar and that they were to be in bondage to him. Jeremiah also tells Zedekiah that Israel, too, had to bring their necks under the yoke of Babylon. The priests are warned not to heed the prophets amongst them who said that the vessels of Yahweh’s house would return from Babylon, but that they should rather make intercession that the vessels remaining in Jerusalem should not go to Babylon. Despite this, Hananiah, a prophet from Gideon, insisted that God had told him that the vessels and the captives would return to Jerusalem and the yoke of Babylon would be broken. We have God’s answer to Jeremiah about this prophet in chapter 28. 12-14.
We can see ample evidence in the life of Jeremiah that shows his struggling under the yoke of service, his neck bowed down in recognition of the will of His God. He had to preach an unpopular doctrine and he fearlessly denounced the generation of his day as the Spirit of God moved him.
Throughout his life Jeremiah suffered physically as he bore the yoke. How did he continue and what was his inspiration day by day? The answer is in Jer. 15. 16: “Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart . . .”.
After Bro. J. Roberts (Elizabeth) had read 1 Timothy 4, the Chairman, Bro. L. S. McKenzie (Sydney Central), asked Bro. B. Hodson (Wanganui) to speak on, “The yoke in his life—Timothy”. In Matthew 19 we have the account of the young man who asked Jesus what he had to do to obtain eternal life and how when told he had to dispose of his wealth and position it was too much for him and “he went away sorrowful”. Christ comes before career, position, business or any other worldly pursuit, for have we not been commanded to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 7. 33).
Many of us have been brought up under the influence of the scripture and at some stage in our lives have been faced with two alternatives: to be like the young ruler and stumble at the demands made upon him by Christ, or to follow the example of the young man Timothy who from a child had known the Holy Scriptures, but despite the problems he came up against he took Christ’s yoke upon himself.
Timothy, a young man whom Paul loved, was a native of Lystra, where he was highly esteemed by the brethren. Paul took him to Ephesus where he left him to deal with the false teachers who were there. Paul was delayed so he wrote this letter to Timothy which we can apply to ourselves and endeavour to carry out Paul’s instructions.
In 1 Tim. 4. 8 we read, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come”. The Greek in this verse conveys the idea that bodily exercise profits for a little time, but godliness is profitable for all time. Physical exercise must be carried out in moderation because if we abuse our bodies our mind is affected. Although physical exercise is necessary the advantages derived from it are far outweighed by those derived from studying the Word. Paul exhorts Timothy and us to “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. . . . Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all”. He stresses the fact that we must be doers of the word as well as hearers; study our motives, analyse and criticise anything we do (1 Thess. 4. 1012; Prov. 15. 28).
After singing hymn No. 78, a group from Adelaide sang Anthem 26, “Come Unto Me”, which served as an introduction to the address, “Christ’s yoke on youth today”, by Bro. G. Hawkins (Enfield).
It is difficult to talk to youth he said, because they will not be told. They think you only want to pick; they want to find out for themselves. To them there is excitement (harmless enough they think) which elders deprive them of. Older brethren and sisters and parents sometimes help this feeling by exaggerating their own acts of rebellion in their former ignorance. Young people, especially boys, want something to brag about, too, because it makes them feel mature and important. They feel immature, clumsy, inferior, unimportant, insignificant and want to be noticed. The best way to attract attention is to be different and in so doing they quite often disgust the old and shame their parents.
Our youth have a very difficult time because everything in the world is against them: its dress, speech and actions—all of which have such appeal. The world today excites the senses, dulls the intellect, caters for lust and desire without restriction, justifies immorality and evil and covers wrong-doing: it destroys all that is lovely and nice.
The social environment over the last 15 years has exploded. Its changes have been so fast and drastic that most are numb to the magnitude and enormity of this age, particularly older people, who cannot fully appreciate the trials of modern youth.
Let us heed Paul’s warnings, think of the great men and women of faith listed in Hebrews 11 and then look to Jesus and lay aside every weight and run the race. Such things as T.V., pictures, dances, concerts, careers, education, novels, fashions (dress), companions and sport: if we endeavour to burden ourselves with one or more of these weights we will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to run the race which leads to life eternal.
Some young people ask God to wait until they have finished their education or enjoyed the pleasures of this world for a season and then they will serve him. This is not good enough. God will not wait! Paul exhorted Timothy, and in so doing exhorts us, to “flee youthful lusts”. Some of us have so many weights that we can’t start the race, others have had so many that their race is permanently affected. We must flee from the sting of evil just as Joseph fled from the house of Potipher when evil was put before him.
In Matthew 11. 28-30 we read, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Jesus’ offer to us is that if we are burdened and fatigued he will refresh us. Our obligation to him is that we must be joined to Him (His yoke) and that we must learn of Him (His meekness, humility, troubles and strength). If we do this the freedom we will receive is exemption from the troubles of this life; work will be easy and our burdens will be carried by Him.
When we are burdened down, troubled or fatigued it is because we are not in Christ’s yoke, but are attempting to use our own. Young people, let us determine right now to “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us” and come to Jesus; take his yoke upon us and he will give us rest.
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay