The word of the Lord has come in Jeremiah 27:17 “serve the king of Babylon”. How is it that this could be right and the will of God? It is only because of the rebellion of the people that this judgement has come. But there are men left behind in Jerusalem that are saying, in Jeremiah 28:2–3 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back'”. This is contrary to time of exile the Lord has spoken so the Lord says in Jeremiah 28:13 “You have broken yoke bars of wood, but you have made in place of them yoke bars of iron”. Then the Lord says of this false prophet in Jeremiah 28:16–17 “This year you will die because you have spoken rebellion against Yahweh.’ ” 17 And Hananiah the prophet died in that same year in the seventh month”.
Serve the King of Babylon and Live
Jeremiah 27:16–22
Those that had been left behind in Jerusalem where saying the temple would be restored, but the Lord had decreed exile for seventy years. They said in Jeremiah 27:16 “Look, the vessels of the house of Yahweh are about to be quickly brought back from Babylon” and Jeremiah says, “for they are prophesying a lie to you”. Then Jeremiah goes farther saying they must “serve the king of Babylon”, and the Lord always give a choice, if they don’t, it would be ruin for the city in
Jeremiah 27:17 “And you must not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a site of ruins?”
This idea of serving the king of Babylon was too hard for them to accept because after all, “Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel” was their God. But the Lord had said “listen to his voice” in
Deuteronomy 30:19–20 “So choose life, so that you may live, you and your offspring, 20 by loving Yahweh your God by listening to his voice and by clinging to him, for he is your life and the length of your days in order for you to live on the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors”.
But they had not listened, Jeremiah had stood in the council of the Lord and knew the decree so challenges these false prophets saying in Jeremiah 27:18 “if they are prophets … let them plead with the Lord”. But Jeremiah already knew the answer, there was no more pleading to be done in
Jeremiah 27:21–22 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Yahweh, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be brought to Babylon, and there they will stay until the day of my attending to them,’ declares Yahweh. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’ ”
May Yahweh Fulfill Your Words
Jeremiah 28:1–9
Now, Hananiah says in Jeremiah 28:1 “before the priests and all the people” in
Jeremiah 28:2–3 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the house of Yahweh”.
This is directly contrary to what Jeremiah has been saying. So, in
Jeremiah 28:6 ‘and Jeremiah the prophet said, “Amen! May Yahweh do so; may Yahweh fulfill your words that you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the house of Yahweh and all the exiles from Babylon to this place”‘.
But Jeremiah adds this direct challenge in Jeremiah 28:7-9 “nevertheless … at the coming of the word of the prophet, will become known as the prophet that Yahweh has truly sent”. This is Jeremiah speaking and not “thus says Yahweh of hosts” and Jeremiah is saying, when your word comes to pass, then we will know you are a true prophet. But Jeremiah also knows that this cannot come to pass.
You Have Made This People Trust in a Lie
Jeremiah 28:10–17
This is a public confrontation, two men known to be prophets, each with a different message and both claiming “Thus says Yahweh”. So to prove his point in
Jeremiah 28:10 “Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it”.
Saying something louder, saying it with passion, acting out with vigor doesn’t make what you say true. This is a common technique used to manipulate people because most people will back down from a boisterous confrontation. But the Lord is not intimidated. In
Jeremiah 28:13 “Go, and you must say to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You have broken yoke bars of wood, but you have made in place of them yoke bars of iron.”
And the Lord must separate between his true prophet Jeremiah and this false prophet. The Lord will not allow Hananiah to continue using his name. Jeremiah gives a decree, which was spoken in Jeremiah 27:1 “in the fifth month” in
Jeremiah 28:16–17 Therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘Look, I am going to send you from the face of the earth. This year you will die because you have spoken rebellion against Yahweh.’ ” 17 And Hananiah the prophet died in that same year in the seventh month.
The Heavens Were Opened, and I Saw Visions of God
Ezekiel 1:1–9
This is a much more spectacular encounter than others have had, Yahweh spoke to Abram in Genesis 12:1, Moses met the Lord through the burning bush in Exodus 3:2. This is an open vision, as if Ezekiel passed through into heaven, yet, he describes “the wheels … lifted from the ground” in Ezekiel 1:19 .
Wherever the Spirit Went They Went
Ezekiel 1:10–18
Ezekiel describes four living creatures in Ezekiel 1:5 “a human form” and in Ezekiel 1:6 “four faces … and four wings” and in Ezekiel 1:7 “the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf” … and there was complete unity of motion because in
Ezekiel 1:12 “And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit went they went, and they did not turn as they went”.
I Saw, and I Fell on My Face
Ezekiel 1:19–28
The Spirit Came Into Me and It Set Me On My Feet
Ezekiel 2:1–10
Study Verses
- Jeremiah 27:16–22 Serve the King of Babylon and Live
- Jeremiah 28:1–9 May Yahweh Fulfill Your Words
- Jeremiah 28:10–17 You Have Made This People Trust in a Lie
Today’s Reading
- Jeremiah 27:16-22
- Jeremiah 28:1-17
- Ezra 1:1-28
- Ezra 2:1-10
