Yoke on our neck
Nahum 1:1-15
The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh
1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh;
12 This is what the Lord says: “Although they have allies and are numerous,
they will be destroyed and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more.
13 Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.”
14 The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
“You will have no descendants to bear your name.
I will destroy the images and idols that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.”
15 Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news,
who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed
We pursue happiness. Then, what is happiness, and why are we pursuing happiness? If we feel happy all the time, we'll never ask for it, such as air, water, sunshine, etc. Of course, we search these as well, because of air pollution. These days, I have been thinking of the identity of sins, about which many meditators including religious ones have been trying to solve them, as they are the source of pain in life, like the yoke on our neck.
The source of sins that cause us to suffer from them is because of the first human Adam, who disobeyed God's command: You can enjoy everything in the garden of Eden. However, Never eat the tree of life! From that time, we humans were destined to live with sins, and we have to try to solve them or live with them. Then what are sins? It doesn't mean the law of each country, but it means all kinds of sinful nature we humans have in our heart.
We rarely notice them in life, but they oftentimes come out like a volcano through our emotion, our minds and thought, and they come out and harass us mentally, emotionally, and physiologically. So if we want to live happy lives, we'll have to deal with it well.
One of the ways to do is knowing and noticing the identity of sins and how they work in our heart and in our lives. It invades, afflicts, and destroys, by returning us to keep the yokes on our necks again and again, even though we have got freed from them, thanks to the belief of Jesus' redemption. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
