1. Is The Yoke On You? “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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

2. The Facts, Please! A Yoke In Bible times, a yoke was a rough wooden beam shaped to fit across the necks of a pair of animals. It was held in place by two sticks that came down the sides of the necks and were held together by ropes or leather fasteners.

3. More Facts, Please! Oxen were the animals usually used in working the land or pulling loads. A yoke linked the oxen together so they could work more efficiently. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish rabbis (teachers) used the phrase “take the yoke of” to mean “become the pupil of” a certain teacher.

4. Still More Facts, Please! A Mantle A mantle (a coat or cloak) was an almost square piece of cloth, worn on top of other clothing. It was usually made of two pieces of thick woolen material sewn together, with slits for the arms. A prophet’s mantle was, as a rule, a sheepskin with the wool turned outward. This is probably the kind of mantle worn by the prophet Elijah. If a prophet wished to appoint a man to be prophet in his place after he was gone, he would throw his mantle over the man’s shoulders. This meant that he was the man best suited to do the job.