Speak the Truth Even When Unpopular
December 21, 2019
Commentary
Hananiah was one of the false prophets who openly confronted Jeremiah (vv. 1–4). He came from Gibeon, a town in the territory of Benjamin located northwest of Jerusalem. In front of the priests and people, Hananiah boldly claimed that God would quickly break Babylon’s power and restore the captives and temple within two years (vv. 5–11). His message sounded encouraging, so many people wanted to believe him. Jeremiah also desired peace for the nation, but he knew Hananiah’s message was false because it contradicted God’s Word.
To strengthen his message, Hananiah violently removed the wooden yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke it before the people (v. 10). The yoke had been given by God as a symbol of Judah’s coming bondage to Babylon. Even after breaking the yoke, Hananiah continued claiming to speak for the Lord (v. 11). Jeremiah faithfully spoke the truth, though it was unpopular and difficult to hear. Hananiah spoke lies that brought the people false hope and temporary comfort.
After this, God gave Jeremiah another message for Hananiah. Though the wooden yoke had been broken, God said it would be replaced with an iron yoke that could not be broken (vv. 12–14). Judah’s judgment would become harsher because the people rejected God’s truth. Jeremiah exposed Hananiah as a false prophet because God had not sent him, yet he led the nation to trust lies rather than the Lord.
Jeremiah warned that rebelling against God’s messenger is rebelling against God Himself. False teaching is dangerous because it leads people away. Since Hananiah encouraged rebellion against the Lord, God declared that he would die. Two months later, Hananiah’s death confirmed that Jeremiah had truly spoken God’s Word (v. 17).
Application
Am I carefully examining the voices and influences I listen to each day? Am I willing to accept God’s truth even when it is difficult to hear? Do I ignore or avoid God’s Word because I prefer comfortable messages? Am I testing what others say by the truth of Scripture? Are my words and actions leading others closer to God’s truth or away from it?
Jeremiah 28:1–17 (NET)
1 The following events occurred in that same year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. To be more precise, it was the fifth month of the fourth year of his reign. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah in the Lord’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. 3 Before two years are over, I will bring back to this place everything that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from it and carried away to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and all the exiles who were taken to Babylon.’ Indeed, the Lord affirms, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon.’”
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah responded to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Lord’s temple. 6 The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do all this! May the Lord make your prophecy come true! May he bring back to this place from Babylon all the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple and the people who were carried into exile. 7 But listen to what I say to you and to all these people. 8 From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.”
10 The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. 11 Then he spoke up in the presence of all the people. “The Lord says, ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of servitude of all the nations to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon before two years are over.’” After he heard this, the prophet Jeremiah departed and went on his way.
12 But shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, the Lord’s message came to Jeremiah. 13 “Go and tell Hananiah that the Lord says, ‘You have indeed broken the wooden yoke. But you have only succeeded in replacing it with an iron one! 14 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.”’” 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie. 16 So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 In the seventh month of that very same year the prophet Hananiah died.
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