“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.” (Jeremiah 31:18)
Unlike Judah, Ephraim had long been alienated from the worship of God. They served Baal in Bethel and Dan. When God’s corrective judgment came upon them to lead them to repentance they were at a loss as to how to now walk and please God.
In a similar way, when Gentiles, who “knew not God,” were made covenant children through Christ, they were “unaccustomed to the yoke” which they were now called to wear. Yes, there is liberty in Christ – liberty from sin, not liberty to sin. Jesus delivers from us from the heavy yoke of sin so we might take upon ourselves the easy yoke that He wore. Now, we must learn of Him and His ways of submission to the Father. Self-will and stubbornness must be replaced by meekness and obedience.
The spirit of the world is one of radical personal autonomy. The person who answers to no one but themselves, and lets no one tell them what to do is celebrated. Should such a one come to relationship with God through Jesus Christ they have a whole new mode of living to learn. They are “unaccustomed to the yoke.”
Paul’s ministry was specifically to the Gentiles. He told those who previously had walked in the vanity of their minds to no longer do so. That was their way of life when they were alienated from the life of God. They were calloused to what God wanted of them. But now they were to be taught by the Son how to worship the Father and live for His pleasure, and not their own.
The blessing of the New Covenant is that God not only has granted both Jew and Gentile repentance, but He has turned to us in such a glorious and gracious way that He makes true worshippers out of those who were once idolators. All glory to God for this so great salvation!
No more bemoaning is necessary.