With Cords of Love

I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke of their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. Hosea 11:4 ESV

We can’t fully appreciate the beauty of this verse, for we no long put yoke to animal expecting them to carry a heavy burden. In the preceding verse it says: ³ “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them.” ESV

“Ephraim, it was I who taught you to walk, and when you stumbled, I lifted you up. But you comprehended it not. As a father leads his son, I have led you with love. The heavy yoke that caused you to stumble, I lifted from you. It was Me who eased the yoke on your jaw. Then, I bent down, fed you when you were hungry, and supplied water when you were thirsty.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

God is wanting to give you rest. He longs to supply us with spiritual food and water, as He did in the desert and to relieve the heavy burden which presses upon us. He accomplishes this with the Sabbath.

With cords of love, as a father leads his child, God leads us to rest in Him on the Sabbath, He lifts the heavy burden, then He feeds us, and supplies us with water. Yet, like Ephraim of old we do not recognize what God has done for us in creating the Sabbath.