[George]

The following list of Scriptures equals ALL of the verses in the Holy Bible with the words “Yoke”, “Yokes”, “Yoked”, and “Yokefellow”.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [2 Timothy 2:15]

Please read the verses and study them according to the “principles” for Bible study laid down in Isaiah 28:10 & 13.

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

After you have read and studied all of the verses – Tell me if a Biblical marriage is being "joined together" or is it being “yoked together”?

“YOKE” – OLD TESTAMENT

{41 Verses = A “Burden” or “Servitude”}

Genesis 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Leviticus 26:13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

Numbers 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

Deuteronomy 21:3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

Deuteronomy 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

1 Samuel 6:7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

1 Kings 12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

1 Kings 12:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

1 Kings 12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

1 Kings 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

1 Kings 12:14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

2 Chronicles 10:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

2 Chronicles 10:9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?

2 Chronicles 10:10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

2 Chronicles 10:11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

2 Chronicles 10:14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Isaiah 9:4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isaiah 14:25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

Isaiah 47:6 I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Jeremiah 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

Jeremiah 5:5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

Jeremiah 27:8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Jeremiah 27:11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

Jeremiah 27:12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Jeremiah 28:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Jeremiah 28:4 And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Jeremiah 28:10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it.

Jeremiah 28:11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

Jeremiah 28:12 Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah 28:14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

Jeremiah 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

Jeremiah 31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Jeremiah 51:23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

Lamentations 1:14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

Lamentations 3:27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Ezekiel 34:27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

Hosea 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Nahum 1:13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

“YOKES” – OLD TESTAMENT

{3 Verses = A “Burden” or “Servitude”}

Jeremiah 27:2 Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

Jeremiah 28:13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

Ezekiel 30:18 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

“YOKE” – OLD TESTAMENT

{6 verses = “Yoke of Oxen” – Paired Together for “Work”}

1 Samuel 11:7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

1 Samuel 14:14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

1 Kings 19:21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

Job 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

“YOKE” – NEW TESTAMENT

{6 Verses = A “Burden” or “Servitude”}

Matthew 11:29 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.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Luke 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

Acts 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

1 Timothy 6:1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

“YOKED” – NEW TESTAMENT

{1 verse = “Yoked together” – Paired Together for “Work”}

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

“YOKEFELLOW” – NEW TESTAMENT

{1 verse = “Yokefellow” – Paired Together for “Work”}

Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

After having read and studied all of the verses – can you see WHY I say that being “YOKED TOGETHER” has absolutely NOTHING TO DO with a BIBLICAL MARRIAGE?

Being “yoked together” may describe Muslim marriages, or Hindu marriages, etc., but being “YOKED TOGETHER” has absolutely NOTHING TO DO with a BIBLICAL MARRIAGE!

I think most Christians can “discern” for themselves the truth of the Scripture (just from the “words”) - without the “aid” of a Dictionary; or a college education; or the ability to be able to conjugate verbs, or tell the difference between nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, or prepositions! Can you imagine Peter, James, or John using “grammatical rules” to teach God’s Holy word? Give me a break!

My wife and I are NOT “YOKED TOGETHER” in marriage. We are NOT A “TEAM”, NOR are we “PARTNERS” in this life. God has JOINED us together in ONE BODY (One Flesh), of which I am the HEAD. She is NOT my SERVANT (or SLAVE), NOR is she my MASTER. She is my HELPMEET and life’s COMPANION; and there is no one on this earth who means as much to me as she does! NOT my parents; NOT our children; NOT our grandchildren; NOT our great-grandchildren; and NOT my dear and close friends. Only Almighty God is more precious to me than my wife.

The very idea that a genuine Biblical marriage is “like” being “yoked together”, goes against every Biblical precept presented in the Bible! When two oxen are “yoked together” to do work, they must be “EQUALLY YOKED” – that is they must be “EQUALS”. How can I be the head of the body if my wife and I are “EQUALS”? How can the Lord Jesus Christ be the HEAD of HIS BODY – IF we are “EQUAL” with Him? It doesn’t “work” and that is WHY so many “Christian” marriages fail in the Western world today!

I wouldn’t care if all the Dictionaries in the world said that a Christian marriage is like being “yoked together” - you couldn’t PROVE it from the Scriptures; NOT unless you are the kind of person who is adept at “twisting’, “wresting” and CHANGING the Holy words of God!

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. {“JOINED” – NOT “yoked together”! ONE FLESH – NOT 2 separate (but “equal”) “workers”!}
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

See if you can find that in the Muslim Koran or the Hindu Vedas.

Psalms 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

[Biblestudent]

Aloha, Brother George!


1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

[Fredoheaven]

And the scripture cannot be broken. Even our Lord defined it or the word "yoke" which means a burden. All of the O.T. scripture references and even the N.T. refers to bondage or burden. Anyone can look closely about the word and how Christ define it in Matthew 11:30.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light

Thank you sir for an excellent study.

[custer]

Originally Posted by George

I think most Christians can “discern” for themselves the truth of the Scripture (just from the “words”) - without the “aid” of a Dictionary; or a college education; or the ability to be able to conjugate verbs, or tell the difference between nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, or prepositions! Can you imagine Peter, James, or John using “grammatical rules” to teach God’s Holy word? Give me a break!

{{{Pam ducking}}} George...I don't have the gloves on!

{{{Pam ducking}}} I don't expect a reply; I just have an observation -

We should be very thankful that Peter, James, John, and other writers (Bible or otherwise) were/are able to "tell the difference between" parts of speech...without that ability there would be no written or spoken language!

Pam
www.custerfamilyfarm.com

[greenbear]

Thanks for this study, George. You distinguished so clearly between the concepts of servitude and being joined as one flesh. Christian marriage is such a beautiful type of Christ and His redeemed body, as you illustrated with your lovely description of your own marriage to Renee. May God bless you for your faithful teaching of his Word.

Jennifer

[Renee]

WE ARE NOT YOKED TOGETHER

Matthew 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

Mathew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Mathew 19:6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

Mark 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

I find it very enlightening that when the Bible speaks of yoking two things together it is to work or a burden I am not yoked to George, and he is not yoked to me. We have been joined by God and we are one flesh.

Perhaps one of the many reasons many marriages don’t work is because they are yoked! When you are yoked and do not agree it is impossible to walk together. When you are yoked it is easy to unyoke, you just take off the harness. When you are one, you are only half of a person and think of the other person as the one who makes you whole. I have said to George, “you complete me”. We are not a team, When God looks upon us He sees George as my head. George will be responsible and answer to God for anything he may have made me do wrong, (remember Abraham and Sarah?). And I will be responsible for all the times I have not been submissive to him. I am his help meet, not just a helpmate, I try to meet his every need, for that is the purpose that God has made me for.

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

We are one flesh in many ways. We have been married now for 48 years, and The Lord has truly blessed us. We are not only one flesh, but one heart and one mind. One cannot truly understand one flesh until they have lived many years with a person. It takes a lot of work and a lot prayer and a lot of faith in God and His Word, and His written word.

I am trying to figure out what race I belong to, or for that matter what race does George belong to? I have 3 different bloods running in my veins, and he has 7, that gives our children 10. What part of their body is Chinese, Spanish, Filipino, Swedish, Indian, French Canadian, Scottish, and what have you. I can’t even count the different types of blood our Grandchildren have. Ham, Shem, Japheth, we have them all! What is race now days? You are either a saved soul or a lost soul, all God sees is the Blood of Christ.

I have seen many divorces between saved people, and don’t tell me it takes two to tango. It takes two to make a marriage work, but only one to destroy it.

I’ve seen a marriage where the guy was saved and married an unsaved idol worshiper steeped in Catholicism and they are still married today after many, many years. God sanctified their marriage and their Children. The wife was saved a few years into their marriage and all seven children made professions of faith, granted the way of the world has claimed some of them for a season. Where is the condemnation? 8 souls were saved through that joining.

Mark 10:4 and they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

Mark 10:5And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

Like the divorce issue; because of the hardness of our heart, God provided a way of not condemning interfaith marriages. It is not His will or His way, but His permissive will. He knows the deceitful heart of men and made a way by which the unsaved is sanctified. The saved cannot become unclean so God sanctifies the unsaved because they are one.

There are marriages that we would not condone today that in the beginning were allowed. The only wife for Seth was his sister, a big no no today.

In the Love of Chrirst,
Renee

[greenbear]

Renee:

Like the divorce issue; because of the hardness of our heart, God provided a way of not condemning interfaith marriages. It is not His will or His way, but His permissive will. He knows the deceitful heart of men and made a way by which the unsaved is sanctified. The saved cannot become unclean so God sanctifies the unsaved because they are one.

Now that is the answer I've been looking for! Thank you, Renee.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Grace and peace,

Jennifer

[Jassy]

I've been reading the exchanges here and I have learned much.

Originally Posted by Renee

WE ARE NOT YOKED TOGETHER

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

We are one flesh in many ways. We have been married now for 48 years, and The Lord has truly blessed us. We are not only one flesh, but one heart and one mind. One cannot truly understand one flesh until they have lived many years with a person. It takes a lot of work and a lot prayer and a lot of faith in God and His Word, and His written word.

What a lovely example for all of us here.

Originally Posted by Renee

I am trying to figure out what race I belong to, or for that matter what race does George belong to? I have 3 different bloods running in my veins, and he has 7, that gives our children 10. What part of their body is Chinese, Spanish, Filipino, Swedish, Indian, French Canadian, Scottish, and what have you. I can’t even count the different types of blood our Grandchildren have. Ham, Shem, Japheth, we have them all! What is race now days? You are either a saved soul or a lost soul, all God sees is the Blood of Christ.

I can understand that - what difference does it make? We are all ONE MIND in Christ... if we are in the Body of Christ. I personally love:

1 Corinthians 1:10 - "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Originally Posted by Renee

I have seen many divorces between saved people, and don’t tell me it takes two to tango. It takes two to make a marriage work, but only one to destroy it.

Yes, I've also seen this. I know of a Christian friend whose brother was married to a woman that left him and their children, to run into the arms of a MINISTER that she had met at a Christian conference out of state!! The husband was devastated. And their children were very confused and I'm sure that the result of it is yet to come - as the children are growing up and they're angry with things.

I loved your true story about the saved man and his unsaved wife, who was later saved and all 7 of their children made a profession of faith! What a LOVELY and encouraging example of what faith can accomplish! Indeed, where is the condemnation? Thank you for your post.

Jassy

[Brother Tim]

I must interject a comment here:

Anecdotal illustrations are always dangerous to establish facts. There are likely as many and possibly many more stories of Christians who became mates of unsaved persons, who later greatly regretted that decision.

One of my sisters got married to an unsaved catholic who had pursued her for years. During that time, she had lost her fiance and his parents in a traffic accident while they were travelling to Florida for the wedding. After a period of time, she married the catholic. Much later (17+ years) after a rough marriage, she finally consented to a divorce. She later confided with my mother that she knew 3 weeks into the marriage that she had made a mistake.

I would tend to say that the story told above was a very minority exception to the rule.

While the "yoke" reference and argument are on target regarding marriage, the rest of the passage uses obvious disconnects as back-up evidences for the mandate: "what fellowship", "what communion", "what concord", "what part"... All of these are evidences that there will be discord in any type of relationship. There is also the admonition about walking together in agreement (Amos 3:3).

I could never counsel a believer to marry or even court a non-believer.

[custer]

Originally Posted by Brother Tim

I must interject a comment here:

Anecdotal illustrations are always dangerous to establish facts. There are likely as many and possibly many more stories of Christians who became mates of unsaved persons, who later greatly regretted that decision.

One of my sisters got married to an unsaved catholic who had pursued her for years. During that time, she had lost her fiance and his parents in a traffic accident while they were travelling to Florida for the wedding. After a period of time, she married the catholic. Much later (17+ years) after a rough marriage, she finally consented to a divorce. She later confided with my mother that she knew 3 weeks into the marriage that she had made a mistake.

I would tend to say that the story told above was a very minority exception to the rule.

While the "yoke" reference and argument are on target regarding marriage, the rest of the passage uses obvious disconnects as back-up evidences for the mandate: "what fellowship", "what communion", "what concord", "what part"... All of these are evidences that there will be discord in any type of relationship. There is also the admonition about walking together in agreement (Amos 3:3).

I could never counsel a believer to marry or even court a non-believer.

and