In the Old Testament, a prophet named Amos, a shepherd and fig grower by trade, declared that sometime in the future, God would restore Israel through the coming Messiah, in which all nations will be brought to the Kingdom of God. Although Israel would still experience exile and God’s judgement, it’s not the end of their story (Amos 9:11-15, ESV).
Amos’s vision of a plumb line reveals that Israel fails to meet God’s standard and cannot escape judgment because of their so-called acts of worship and lack of concern for others (7:7-9). Their grand display of worship lacked sincerity and integrity, and they placed their focus on themselves rather than on God, not to mention their oppression of people (4:45; The Holman Bible Dictionary, 61).
We all fall short of the plumb line, but the Good News is that, because of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven (Rom. 3:23-24), and it’s not the end of our story either. God’s message of judgment was also a demonstration of His grace. The message served as a warning to Israel, but it also presented an opportunity for them to repent and be restored to God (5:4).
The problem was that they didn’t recognize their need for repentance. They were still worshipping idols even as they believed in the law of Moses, replacing sincere spirituality with insincere religiosity (ESV Study Notes).
It is the same with some today. The world says everything goes, and even if they believe in God, they may not see a need for repentance. Our need for a Savior extends far beyond mere belief. We are in dire need of His grace through Christ, which extends to an intimate relationship that outweighs religion and rituals every time. True faith requires a transformative change of heart and a personal connection with God’s grace, rather than simply adhering to external forms of religion.
That is the beauty of God’s redemptive story and His love for us. When Jesus said, “Come to me,” that is an invitation to trust Jesus personally, not merely believe historical facts about Him (Matt. 11:28). “All who labor and are heavy laden” in context refers to those oppressed by the burden of religious legalism imposed on people by the scribes and Pharisees. Still, the wider application is that Jesus provides rest for our souls (v. 29, ESV Study notes).
It is an eternal rest for all who seek forgiveness and freedom from the crushing legalistic burdens and guilt of trying to earn salvation by good works (ESV Study notes). The “yoke” in verse 29 is a metaphor for the law of works. John 1:17 confirms that the OT law came through Moses, but the NT Grace came through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law (Rom. 10:4).
Paul’s writings reiterate this message. “Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian” (Gal. 3:24-25, Emphasis added).
According to The Holman Bible Dictionary, Paul, like Moses, affirms that without the law, we would not know what sin was (Rom. 7:7; Deut. 4:6-8). “Furthermore, he, like Jesus, captures the spirit of the OT law by reducing its demands to love God and one’s neighbor” (Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13, Brand, 996).
In summary, The Holman Bible Dictionary explains that even though not all the OT laws associated with the old covenant continue under the new, there is no wedge between the law of the OT and the grace of the NT. The old covenant and its laws were a form of grace. God redeemed His people and called them into a covenant relationship with Him. The grace in the NT calls for a response. Our obedience is a demonstration of love for God and does not come as a burden, but out of a desire to please God for rescuing us.
Both the OT law and the NT grace of Jesus Christ call for the redeemed to “respond to God’s grace with unreserved love for Him and self-sacrificing love for others” (Brand, 997).
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins” (Romans 3:24-25, NLT, emphasis added).
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matt. 11:28-30, emphasis added).
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 