The Anointing:
What Destroys The Yoke?
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 10:27
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY, as in freedom, as in the captives set free. The yoke is the heavy burden set upon one by its master which forces it to submit to his will, thus the heavy yoke is put upon those which are in captivity. Yoke is a symbol of oppression by the oppressor, bondage, servitude, and slavery. The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing, or as it is said in the church, "The anointing breaks the yoke", which means where the Spirit of the Lord is yokes will be broken, and captives set free. I prefer it to be said as the scripture says it, it gives it more meaning.
Now, notice this, the Spirit of the Lord is what has the power to break the spiritual yoke, not a man or the gift, but the Spirit of God... I will revisit this later.
The anointing in the Bible was used to consecrate as in separate for use, or servatude to and of God. The Hebrew “mishchah” or “moshchah” it is derived from the primitive root “mashach” that often means to “smear or spread a liquid.”
Exodus 30:31-33 says, “And thou shall speak unto the children of Israel, saying, this shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compounds any like it, or whosoever puts any of it upon a stranger, shall be cut off from his people.”
Israel was prohibited from making this oil for use in anything else but what it was intended for, it was not to be as a common ointment, the punishment for doing this was excommunication. Nor were they to put it on the flesh of someone they did not know, because it was sacred and separate for those in service and ministry. They were not to take the oil of one and put it on another, it was “holy unto you.”
Oil was also used as a medication for the sick, and liniment for bodily pain (Isa.1:6).
It was still used as a symbol for miraculous healing by the 12 sent out from Jesus (Mark 6:13).
James uses oil in chpt.5(v14) with the Old Testament model except they prayed in the name of the Lord.
Here are some ways the anointing was used:
◆It was used for physical cleansing and the references to anointing as part of ordinary washing are numerous, in the Old Testament and New Testament. Ruth 3:3
◆as an expression of joy. Ps. 23:5; Heb. 1:9;
◆the disuse of oil could indicate grief (2 Sam. 14:2; Ps. 92:10; Dan. 10:3)
The figurative use of this word anoint (chrio) is in reference to the Holy Spirit upon the individual (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38). Only God anoints with the Holy Spirit (Heb 1:9; 2 Co. 1:21) because it is who God appoints and qualifies someone for a special function or calling.
The anointing in which one operates in is AUTHENTIC and SPECIFIC. Not only that, it is given by God, not man! No man can just walk around and fake the funk, you can't put yourself in a place that God has not placed you, and do what God has not called you to do.
Let's return to the anointing as far as breaking yokes. How does the breaking of the yoke occur?
Isaiah 10:27 says, "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."
In Hebrew the word shamenis used, (pronounced SHA-MEN). Shemen means fatness as in the fat of oil. So Isaiah 10:27 reads, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the fatness (of the oil).
Chemically, oil has a property that enables it to infiltrate barriers (such as the body's cellular membrane), break barriers, and break down components in certain compounds as it is a solvent. Like a natural oil's chemical property, the anointing of the Spirit of God is able to break through barriers and dissolve components that were once held together. An oil solvent is a chemical compound that breaks down petroleum products, a heavy oil, leaving a clean, oil free finish. So, when the anointing of God works on an individual, it leaves a clean finish. That's partially what the anointing does but there is something more specific about it.
As the Hebrew word shemen denotes, the anointing is a fatness. Many take this meaning and deduce that it means the yoke is broken due to the fact the the fatness of the ox's neck has grown so great as to break the yoke. I see it as meaning something different. If the yoke is pertaining to an ox wearing a yoke in bondage, and we are the ox, that meaning denotes that we are strong enough to break ourselves out of bondage. Now, I know that not to be true as if we moved on our own strength, we would still be bound, for we are weak. It is God who is strong and gives us power (by His anointing).
So when the word, anointing, or shemen (grease or oil) is used, how can a simple oil break a yoke, as strong as a yoke may be? When one thinks of a yoke, one thinks of a means to keep one in bondage, or a stronghold. While a yoke can be a stronghold, it is not always the case. A yoke can be sickness, sin, or any other burden.
Look at the story of the prophet Jeremiah and Hananiah in Jeremiah 28. Hananiah, a false prophet, prophesies that the yoke would be broken that King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, placed upon God's people and bring back Jaconiah, King of Judah. Jeremiah, replies and says, Amen, may the Lord do as you say (he's hoping for the best but no co-signing to the prophecy). He then goes on to mention how every other prophet from times past had prophesied against Judah but if what Hananiah said came to past, it would be known that Hananiah was truly sent by the Lord.
Hananiah then gets more confident and breaks the yoke off of Jeremiah's neck, repeating his false prophecy, stating the Lord said he would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar from the neck of all nations within the space of two years.
Jeremiah went his way and the Lord gave him a Word (a true Word of prophecy), saying that the yoke of wood that was broken shall be turned to iron and the yoke would be placed upon all the nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord also gave Jeremiah Word that Hananiah would die that same year for making the people to trust in a lie.
From the account we see two things: #1. Physical yokes can be broken by others, not taken off by one's own self, and, #2. The Lord has the power to break the true yoke, the spiritual yoke, of man, not mortal man in his own power.
The fatness or oil spoken of in the Scripture which breaks the yoke is the breaking of barriers by the POWER of the Lord God! No one else can free us from bondage but God and His Spirit, for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is LIBERTY (2 Corinthians 3:17); and whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).
A preacher /pastor is anointed by God for a specific purpose to facilitate the freeing of captives as it says in Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18-
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. -Luke 4:18-19
The preacher is ANOINTED to preach deliverance and to set free, that is referring to those who have actually been ANOINTED to preach. There are many preachers who have not been called or anointed and their words have no effect. There is a difference in saying something and having something to say. When one is not operating under the anointing, they are susceptible to misleading others just as Hananiah did in giving a false word, although pleasant to hear.
The occurrence of lack of yokes being broken lies not only on the preacher (which is not always their fault ), nor the minister, prophet or even the Lord; sometimes yokes do not seem to be broken as an individual who's yoke had previously been broken by the Lord, and given freedom, yet they return to their sins and are once again in bondage (taken on the heavy yoke once more).
[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 2:20
[Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.
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.
Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.] -Jeremiah 5:4-6 *This is speaking of Israel's transgression that they were not ashamed of nor repented of which caused the Lord to place the yoke of bondage upon them to serve King Nebuchadnezzar.
[Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.] -Romans 8:21
[Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.] -Galatians 4:3-7
[But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?] -Galatians 4:9
[Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.] -Galatians 5:1
So, in conclusion, the anointing of the Lord is specific and powerful, it CAN and DOES break yokes and frees those who are in captivity. God desires for us to be free in Him, that's why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, whose death gifted us the Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit that gives us power to overcome sin and take on the yoke of Christ, which sets us free. It is the preachers duty to preach in the anointing of the Holy Spirit that initiates the nonbelievers to come out of bondage by accepting Christ (Romans 10:15), as well as preaching the full Word to keep them in the Truth of righteousness. It is those who preach falsely who mislead the flock back into sin, only to be in bondage again, with the heavy yoke of sin, just as the false prophet Hananiah caused Israel to do in promising them peace while in their transgressed state.
Let this be a reminder that we should be thankful to God for His tender mercies and sacrifice of Love, Jesus Christ, Who has redeemed us and given us His yoke in place of the yoke of the world. Let us not be deceived and fall back into sin and rebellion against the Lord. Let us never take off this wonderfully blessed yoke and turn ourselves back into the hands of the enemy.
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And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. -2 Peter 2:13-21
But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. -2 Peter 2:22
