Welcome and thank you for taking a bible beak to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

While Jesus walked this earth, He lived under the Old Testament Law, observing all the commandments that the Jewish people followed. When Jesus met the woman of Samaria at the well, she said, "'I know the Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that one comes, He will declare all things to us.' Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He.'" (John 4:25-26). Jesus told the Jewish multitudes, "Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18). And indeed, when He was crucified, He said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30), as He fulfilled all prophecy and what He was sent to do and gave up His life.

That brings us to our question, "What is the 'yoke of slavery'?". Paul tells those of the Galatian region, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain? Does He then , who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:1-5). And we understand that our faith comes by hearing, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17). The Old Testament Law was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, "But before faith came, we were kept under custody under the Law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves in Christ." (Galatians 3:23-27).

This Old Testament Law was not perfect or else we would not have needed a New Testament Law, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second." (Hebrews 8:7), and again, "And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it." (Hebrews 9:15-17). The covenant, or will, is only a valid document when the one who made it dies, as did Jesus on the cross, so the New Testament makes perfect those who draw near (Hebrews 10:1).

And so, to continue the answer to our question, we turn to read, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by Law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (Galatians 5:1-8).

So there we have the answer to our question as the "yoke of slavery" is the Old Testament Law as those who try to force "circumcision", part of the Old Law, upon another will be "under obligation to keep the whole Law" (Galatians 5:3)! Those who have been "bewitched" (Galatians 3:1) are trying to be justified by the Old Law and they are "severed from Christ" (Galatians 5:4), and those who are seeking to be justified by the Old Law, or religiously trying to hold onto it, are 'fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4).

The Lord compares the Old Law and the New Law to the two women of Abraham. Allegorically speaking, Hagar, the handmaiden, is the bondwoman, and Sarah, his wife, is the free woman through whom Isaac, her son, also comes by the promise so that all nations would be blessed, that is Jesus Christ! Today, we are the children of the free woman, the New Testament church for life (Galatians 4:22-31)!