Jeremiah Reproves Israel
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But another message was given to Jeremiah: “Go and tell Hananiah,
saying, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but
thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these
nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and
they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.
Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now,
Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to
trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee
from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou
hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died
the same year in the seventh month.”
This false prophet had strengthened the unbelief of the people in
Jeremiah and his message. He had wickedly declared himself to be the
Lord’s messenger, and he suffered death in consequence of his fearful
crime. In the fifth month Jeremiah prophesied the death of Hananiah,
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and in the seventh month his death proved the words of the prophet
true.
God had said that His people should be saved, that the yoke He
would lay upon them should be light, if they submitted uncomplain-
ingly to His plan. Their servitude was represented by a yoke of wood,
which was easily borne; but resistance would be met with correspond-
ing severity, represented by the yoke of iron. God designed to hold
the king of Babylon in check, that there should be no loss of life nor
galling oppression; but by scorning His warning and commands they
brought upon themselves the full rigor of bondage. It was far more
agreeable to the people to receive the message of the false prophet, who
predicted prosperity; therefore it was received. It wounded their pride
to have their sins brought continually before their eyes; they would
much rather put them out of sight. They were in such moral darkness
that they did not realize the enormity of their guilt nor appreciate the
messages of reproof and warning given them of God. Had they had
a proper sense of their disobedience they would have acknowledged
the justice of the Lord’s course and recognized the authority of His
prophet. God entreated them to repent, that He might spare them
humiliation and that a people called by His name should not become
tributary to a heathen nation; but they scoffed at His counsel and went
after false prophets.