The Burden of YHWH vs. False Religion
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
For this commandment which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
Do Not Add or Remove
I think the following verses are very important. Almost everybody adds or removes to some degree. Your author has personally tended to add to God’s laws, making things harder for himself unnecessarily.
You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.
Whatever thing I command you, that you shall observe to do. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it.
You shall observe to do therefore as YHWH your God has commanded you. You shall not turn away to the right hand or to the left.
Be careful to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are few who find it.
Our Works Come From God
YHWH, you will ordain peace for us, for you have also done all our work for us.
And when the Righteous One shall appear before the eyes of the righteous, Whose elect works hang upon the Lord of Spirits, And light shall appear to the righteous and the elect who dwell on the earth ...
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Please don’t take these verses the wrong way. We are commanded to do good works such as helping the needy.
The Burden of False Religion
False religion adds manmade rules and traditions to God’s laws. It also corrupts His true laws (like the fourth commandment, which tells us to rest from our burdens).
For they [the Pharisees] bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
When this people or a prophet or a priest asks you, “What is the burden of YHWH?” you shall say to them, “You are the burden. I will cast you off, says YHWH.” And as for the prophet, priest, or the people who say, “The burden of YHWH,” I will punish them and their households. Thus shall you say to one another, among yourselves, “What has YHWH answered?” or “What has YHWH spoken?” But “the burden of YHWH” you shall mention no more, for the burden is everyone’s own word, and so you pervert the words of the living God, YHWH of hosts, our God.
... How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
If you take away from among you the yoke, finger pointing, and speaking wickedly; and if you pour out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise in darkness, and your obscurity will be as the noonday ...
Traditions of Men
Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught ...
They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.
Unauthorized Sacrifice
As time passed, Cain brought an offering to YHWH from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. YHWH respected Abel and his offering, but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering.
Why was Cain’s offering not accepted while Abel’s was?
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before YHWH, which he had not commanded them. Fire came out from before YHWH, and devoured them, and they died before YHWH.
See also 1 Samuel 13:8-14.
The Sacrifice that He Desires
For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says YHWH. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats. [...] Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
See also my study on love.
Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
Humility
YHWH, my heart isn’t arrogant, nor my eyes lofty; nor do I concern myself with great matters, or things too wonderful for me. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does YHWH require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Final Notes
For thus said the Lord YHWH, the Holy One of Israel, “You will be saved in returning and rest. Your strength will be in quietness and in confidence.” You refused ...
There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God. [...] For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God.
This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
See also my study on God’s law.