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Text: Jeremiah 27-28
Jeremiah is given a visible illustration to visually affect the hearts of the people. He takes a yoke and puts it on himself. Jeremiah tells Israelites and certain surrounding nations that they will all be put under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Their only hope was to submit themselves to serve the king of Babylon. Verses 27:5-10 is the message. This message was brought by Jeremiah at the beginning of king Jehoiakim’s reign and ran for at least twelve years, past the beginning of king Zedekiah’s reign.
Zedekiah was a puppet king who Nebuchadnezzar installed. He was one of the sons of king Josiah. After Zedekiah was installed on Jerusalem’s throne, the power went to his head and he decided to throw off the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar and rebel. Concurrent with his rebellion was a false prophet named Hananiah who contradicted Jeremiah’s message. Hananiah said prosperity would return to Jerusalem in two years.
Hananiah’s false prophecy (vss 1-4)
- The man
- He gives the people the message they want.
- He also shields the king from bad press seeing Zedekiah was only a puppet king installed by Nebuchadnezzar.
- Hananiah is a political figure. He is not a prophet.
- The message
- Speaking confidently is not an indicator of truth, it’s just an indicator that you believe what you’re saying
- Prosperity without repentance.
- It’s not that false prophets only say positive things. It’s not that they prophecy peace. They’re false prophets because they prophecy peace when there is no peace.
- No mention of spiritual matters or heart matters. Nothing about the people knowing God.
- Minimize the judgment of God
- Provides a rival voice against the voice of the LORD through Jeremiah.
- The motive
- Hananiah is people-pleasing, he perverts judgment because he respects titles and power, and money.
Jeremiah’s fair response (vss 5-9)
- Hopeful
- He said I hope you’re right.
- I’d rather be labeled a false prophet and the LORD be happy than be right about the LORD being angry with us.
- Historical
- He said many have prophesied bad news and I’m not the first to say these things. If you think there’s going to be peace in two years then I hope you’re right, but the real test is whether these things happen or not. At that point, everyone will know who the real prophet is.
- He’s referencing Moses, When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
- He said Hananiah is not a prophet yet because what he said hasn’t happened. However, the things I’m saying have happened many times in our history and in other countries.
Hananiah’s fiery display (vss 10-11)
- Hananiah is apparently very angry with Jeremiah. He takes the wooden yokes that Jeremiah has been carrying as a sign of national bondage and smashes them to pieces.
- Hananiah is either a very good actor or he really believes what he’s saying because he hates God’s message so much.
- Jeremiah patiently leaves until the LORD speaks to him again.
- We would all root for him to have some witty comeback, but Jeremiah is faithful to the LORD. And if he has no word from the LORD then he doesn’t speak even when the temptation to speak is great.
Jeremiah’s final word (vss 12-17)
- Iron yokes
- The LORD speaks to Jeremiah with this message for Hananiah. You broke wooden yokes and God will shackle this nation and others with iron yokes.
- Hananiah attempted to remove God’s chastisement.
- Therefore this year you’ll die. And Hananiah dies in the 7th month. His life was snuffed out within two months of bringing the false prophecy.
- Indictment
- You’ve caused people to trust a lie in 28:15.
- You’ve taught the people rebellion in verse 28:16.
- This is something every man or woman who fancies themselves a teacher of the word of God should fear. You should be very careful that you are not the CAUSE of people believing a lie. God said Hananiah is the CAUSE of people trusting a lie. If your motive is to please the people, to build the crowd, to please some personality that you admire, you can’t please God.
