There's Always a False Prophet

Every hero has an anti-hero. In the case of Jeremiah, that person is named, Hananiah. He's a false prophet "ministering" at the same time and falsely prophesying that the exile to Babylon will only be two years. You can imagine the appeal of such a message. Two years is far better than the 70 Jeremiah predicted. 

Hananiah represents the message people wanted at a time when Jeremiah offered the message people needed. Jeremiah's yoke illustration must have triggered something animus in Hananiah. Watch what he does.

Jeremiah 28:1–4 (ESV) In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 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 LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

At this particular time, Nebuchadnezzar was putting down a rebellion under his reign. So Hananiah interpreted that (wrongly) as some sort of relief for Israel's judgment. 

What is Jeremiah's response? At first he offers a good bit of sarcasm. 

Jeremiah 28:6 (ESV) the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles.

It's as if Jeremiah is sarcastically saying, "Yes! Would that God would only send us away for 2 years, that would be lovely." But he cannot remain there, he speaks the truth once more. 

Jeremiah 28:7–8 (ESV) Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.

Jeremiah states that his ministry aligns with those before them. God has been warning and the people have been resisting. Hananiah then steps up the hostility and insults Jeremiah in front of them all.

Jeremiah 28:10–11 (ESV) Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. 11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

What appears to be a defeat in this battle of prophets for Jeremiah is no such thing. Jeremiah just refuses to play the game Hananiah is offering. He waits. He comes back to Hananiah with an even stronger word. Instead of a yoke of wood, it will be a yoke of iron. And why? Because of Hananiah's false prophecies! It is interesting to consider that the false prophets of a nation contribute to increased judgment on that nation. 

Then Jeremiah prophesies over the false prophet. 

Jeremiah 28:15–17 (ESV) And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.’ ” 17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

Hananiah represents what every generation will experience - false prophets of God. It is no different in our day. There is great money to be made for telling people what they want to hear. But those names in the Bible that matter - Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, John the Baptist and Jesus? They told people what was true regardless of the consequences. 

Let us follow them and bear the scorn of our generation but bring glory to God in the process.