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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will
break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
Jeremiah, in the presence of all the priests and the people, said that
it was the earnest wish of his heart that God would so favor His people
that the vessels of the Lord’s house might be returned and the captives
brought back from Babylon; but this could only be done on condition
that the people repented and turned from their evil way to the obedience
of God’s law. Jeremiah loved his country and ardently wished that the
desolation predicted might be averted by the humiliation of the people,
but he knew the wish was vain. He hoped the punishment of Israel
would be as light as possible, therefore he earnestly entreated them to
submit to the king of Babylon for the time that the Lord specified.
He entreated them to hear the words that he spoke. He cited them
to the prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others whose
messages of reproof and warning had been similar to his own. He
referred them to events which had transpired in their history in fulfill-
ment of the prophecies of retribution for unrepented sins. Sometimes,
as in this case, men had arisen in opposition to the message of God and
had predicted peace and prosperity to quiet the fears of the people and
gain the favor of those in high places. But in every past instance the
judgment of God had been visited upon Israel as the true prophets had
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indicated. Said he: “The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when
the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be
known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.” If Israel chose to run the
risk, future developments would effectually decide which was the false
prophet.
But Hananiah, incensed at this, took the yoke from Jeremiah’s
neck and broke it. “And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the
people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within
the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.”
He had done his work; he had warned the people of their danger; he
had pointed out the only course by which they could regain the favor
of God. But though his only crime was that he had faithfully delivered
the message of God to an unbelieving people, they had mocked his
words, and men in responsible positions had denounced him and tried
to arouse the people to put him to death.