Jeremiah 28, The Opposing Prophet

Bing AI says, “Rap contests are exciting platforms where aspiring artists showcase their lyrical skills, battle it out, and gain recognition.” James Corden of late-night TV had several rap battles with his famous guests, like the one with Anne Hathaway. Jeremiah had a word battle with Hananiah, with Hananiah seeking recognition but getting much more than he bargained for.

^28:1 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of Yahweh in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “This is what Yahweh Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of Yahweh’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

Jeremiah was still wearing the makeshift yoke Yahweh had told him to wear to the Temple and prophesy, and was in the Temple area once again, communicating without speaking the judgment God was sending on Judah. Hananiah was one of those prophets about whom Jeremiah had warned who were claiming God told them the days of Babylon’s rule over them were coming to an end and that the Temple articles Babylon had stolen from them would be returned. Hananiah took this opportunity to publicly repeat this prophecy in Jeremiah’s presence, adding that Jehoiachin, the previous king, would also come back from exile, even setting a two-year time for fulfillment.

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of Yahweh. ⁶ He said, “Amen! May Yahweh do so! May Yahweh fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of Yahweh’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. ⁷ Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by Yahweh only if his prediction comes true.”

Jeremiah’s response seems a sincere desire for this prophecy to come true, though he knows it won’t. He warns Hananiah that he, Hananiah, is outside the pale of the prophets who have come before him prophesying disaster for Judah, and that thus for him to be recognized as truly from Yahweh his prediction would have to come true.

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said before all the people, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

Hananiah tries a little drama of his own, taking the yoke off of Jeremiah’s shoulders and breaking it in front of everybody, proclaiming in the name of Yahweh that this is what Yahweh will do to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar that has been sitting on the shoulders of the nations they have conquered. Jeremiah does not argue. He has no need to. He simply leaves. It would seem to the crowd there that Hananiah has won this word battle.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what Yahweh says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. ¹⁴ This is what Yahweh Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! Yahweh has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. ¹⁶ Therefore this is what Yahweh says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against Yahweh.’”

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died. (Jeremiah 28)

Yahweh sends Jeremiah back to Hananiah, in private or publicly, we aren’t told, to tell him that Yahweh will make an even stronger yoke of iron that can’t be broken, a harder yoke that Babylon will impose on the nations, including Judah. And he tells Hananiah that because he misrepresented Yahweh and helped convince the people of a lie, God would take his life within the year. And it happened.

—

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think motivated Hananiah?
2. Do you think Jeremiah was right to simply leave the Temple after Hananiah’s demonstration?
3. Which message do you think is harder to proclaim, destruction or prosperity?
4. Is there any credible reason to think that our country is facing disaster from God’s hand?