A Broken Yoke and an Iron Yoke

Jeremiah 28

  • 28:1 “that same year” - which is the fourth year, only “near” the beginning of the reign. Evidence that manuscripts that omit 27:1 entirely are the correct ones. “from Gibeon” - named after the Gibeonites that deceived Joshua, and where Saul came against David.
  • 28:2 “this is what the LORD .. says” - misquoting God is a dangerous business.
  • 28:3 “within 2 year” - not a smart false prophet. Never put a date on your predictions.
  • 28:4 “Jeconiah .. with all the exiles” - Hananiah predicts (in the name of the LORD) both the people and temple articles will be returned.
  • 28:6 “may the LORD do so” - Jeremiah affirms his own desire to see this outcome.
  • 28:7 “nevertheless” - wishing doesn’t make it so.
  • 28:9 “only if the word of the prophet comes true” - there is an obvious clear test of whether Hananiah is a true prophet. Hananiah echoes Isaiah 10:27 where the LORD will break the yoke of Assyria.
  • 28:10 “took the yoke off the neck of Jeremiah” - still wearing the yoke for months!
  • 28:11 “off the neck of all the nations” - Hananiah digs himself deeper to include the surrounding nations.
  • 28:12 “broken a yoke of wood, but .. fashioned a yoke of iron” - rebelling against the chastisement of God only increased the severity.
  • 28:15 “persuaded this people to trust in a lie” - by persuading the people to choose the way of death, their blood is on his hands. Do you think Hananiah was intentionally lying, or did he really think he had heard from God?
  • 28:16 “die this year .. you have preached rebellion against the LORD” - False prophecy gets the death penalty under the law of Moses. The judgement and execution is carried out by the Heavenly King of Israel Himself - the Judge of all the earth.
  • 28:17 “the seventh month of that very year, the prophet Hananiah died” _ Unlike Hananiah’s prophecy, Jeremiah’s is fulfilled. Hananiah has 2 months the repent and get right with Jehovah before his departure. What a merciful God! Do you think this dramatic confirmation of Jeremiah as the true prophet will make people listen?