“It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.”
Lamentations 3:27
After having reminded the reader that God’s loyal–covenant-keeping–love never ceases and after declaring that God’s compassions never fail, Jeremiah states that it is good to…
- wait silently on the Lord
- bear the yoke
To wait silently and to bear the yoke is a disposition of surrender. Therefore, Jeremiah desires to take the ancient people of God to a place of surrender, for it is through this ground that they (and we) will find what is truly good.
In waiting, we yield control of the process and the destination.
- Yielding the process... to yield the process is to view with joy–what James said are–various trials because the outcome of such affliction produces the kind of maturity that seeks God’s wisdom. That wisdom from above (pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy) is the wisdom wrought by experiencing God’s goodness.
- Yielding the destination… to yield the destination is to accept that God’s end for us is far better than our imagination because we believe He is “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.“ While the pieces of the puzzle (afflictions in life) may not be easy to understand in isolation, they are still being fit together with the other pieces to produce a mysteriously beautiful portrait far more grand than we could have imagined.
In bearing the yoke, we find rest in the refuge of walking according to God’s Word.
- John Calvin explains, “…we are said to bear the yoke of God, when we relinquish our own judgment, and become wise through God’s word, when, with our affections surrendered and subdued, we hear what God commands us, and receive what he commands.”1
- As Jesus put it, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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.”
Thus, true goodness is found in fellowship with God by grace through faith and cultivates a disposition of waiting and resting.
That’s why the Psalmist would proclaim, “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever” Psalm 16:11.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- To surrender is to wait and to bear.
- To wait is to trust, and to bear is to rest.
- To trust is to accept present circumstances as God’s best.
- Challenges spiritually, relationally, physically, emotionally, and intellectually are all part of God’s forge to remove the dross from our lives.
- To rest is to bring God’s Word into everyday life.
- Knowing and delighting in God’s Word opens my eyes to the path of obedience that leads to peace and rest.
1John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Prophet Jeremiah and the Lamentations, vol. 5 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 414.
2 Luke 2:14 (New American Standard Bible)
3 Luke 2:14 (New International Version)
4 Luke 2:14 (King James Version)