Jeremiah chapter 28

Hananiah masquerades as a prophet. Jeremiah counters the false message of Hananniah.

 


 

HANANIAH MASQUERADES AS A PROPHET

 

VERSE 1. That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD’s house, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

in the fourth year, in the fifth month. This date was August to September in 593 BC.

Hananiah the son of Azzur. He might have been the brother of “Jaazaniah son of Azzur” who was denounced by Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 11:1. Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

who was of Gibeon. Gibeon was about six miles northwest of Jerusalem.

It was one of the towns Joshua had assigned to the priests. So Hananiah may have been from a priestly family.

 

VERSE 2. “The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. This message from Hananiah directly contradicts the prophecy of Jeremiah.

 

VERSE 3. Within two full years I will bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried to Babylon.

Within two full years. This is the claim of a false prophet who is lying.

False prophets tell us they are prophesying in the name of the LORD God. But the LORD God did not send them. What they prophesy is a lie. They are agents of evil. Read more »

 

VERSE 4. I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, who went to Babylon,’ says the LORD; ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

 

VERSE 5. Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people who stood in the LORD’s house,

 

VERSE 6. even the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so. May the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all those who are captives, from Babylon to this place.

Amen! May the LORD do so. Jeremiah wished that the false prophecy of Hananiah would come true.

But Jeremiah knew it would not.

 

VERSE 7. Nevertheless listen now to this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people:

 

VERSE 8. The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, of evil, and of pestilence.

The prophets who have been before me. Jeremiah is an authentic prophet. He stands in the long line of authentic prophets from the LORD God.

 

VERSE 9. The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet happens, then the prophet will be known, that the LORD has truly sent him.”

when the word of the prophet happens. How can you tell if a prophet is authentic? It is when their prophecy is fulfilled.

False prophets tell us they are prophesying in the name of the LORD God. But the LORD God did not send them. What they prophesy is a lie. They are agents of evil. Read more »

The LORD God calls us to be spiritually fruitful. We are to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But in our day, the fruitfulness of many Christians has been hijacked. Read more »

 

VERSE 10. Then Hananiah the prophet took the bar from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and broke it.

Hananiah the prophet took the bar. The LORD God commanded Jeremiah to wear the yoke.

Now this false prophet takes it off Jeremiah. And breaks it.

False prophets tell us they are prophesying in the name of the LORD God. But the LORD God did not send them. What they prophesy is a lie. They are agents of evil. Read more »

 

VERSE 11. Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “The LORD says: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from off the neck of all the nations within two full years.’ ” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

 

JEREMIAH COUNTERS THE FALSE MESSAGE OF HANANIAH

 

VERSE 12. Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the bar from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

 

VERSE 13. “Go, and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘The LORD says, “You have broken the bars of wood, but you have made in their place bars of iron.”

 

VERSE 14. For the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel says, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. I have also given him the animals of the field.” ’ ”

 

VERSE 15. Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.

NCV translation. Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, and you have made the people of Judah trust in lies.

The Lord did not send you. False prophets tell us they are prophesying in the name of the LORD God. But the LORD God did not send them. What they prophesy is a lie. They are agents of evil. Read more »

 

VERSE 16. Therefore the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD.’ ”

 

VERSE 17. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

 


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JEREMIAH

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