Approaching studies within Jeremiah, instead of trying to follow chronologically, which is difficult with this book, for roughly the first half of the book, the first 29 chapters, we will instead only produce studies within their appropriate chapters, theming them as follows:

• Jeremiah’s Calling                     Ch.1
• Jeremiah’s Main Message        Ch.2,3,5,7,21,22
• Jeremiah’s Action Parables      Ch.13,18,19,27
• Jeremiah’s Opposition              Ch.11,12,14,18,20,26,28
• Jeremiah’s Message of Hope   Ch.3,23,24,25,29

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, and the particular theme, as with studies elsewhere, each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read on the main Bible page.

Jeremiah’s Oppositiion: 7. Hananiah Opposes Jeremiah

Jer 28:1-17

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 the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “This is what the Lord 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 the Lord’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 the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. ⁶ He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’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 the Lord only if his prediction comes 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 the Lord 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.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. ¹⁴ This is what the Lord 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! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. ¹⁶ Therefore this is what the Lord 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 the Lord.’”

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Hananiah prophesy? v.2-4
2. How did Jeremiah say this should be judged? v.9
3. What did Hananiah do in response? v.10,11
4. How did the Lord respond to this? v.12-14
5. What had Hananiah been doing? v.15
6. What did Jeremiah predict that happened? v.16,17

B. Think:

1. Why do you think it is easier to prophesy peace rather than judgement and need for repentance?
2. How did Jeremiah react to Hananiah when the Lord said nothing?
3. How did he change when the Lord spoke to him?

C. Comment:

Life, as we have seen, was not always easy for Jeremiah.  On this occasion another so-called prophet is predicting that Babylon would be broken within two years and everything and everyone taken to Babylon so far will be returned. This, of course, was quite contrary to all that Jeremiah had been prophesying. The way Jeremiah responds is instructive. God hasn’t said anything to him yet about Hananiah and so he responds graciously with a simple spiritual principle.  “I hope you are right”, is what he basically says, “but in the past, prophets with good news are not normally from God and are only proved to be so when their prophecies have been fulfilled, which wasn’t often!”

Hananiah reveals the sort of person he is and rejects this and so Jeremiah quietly leaves. The Lord however, doesn’t leave it and gives Jeremiah a counter-prophecy to bring which includes the warning that He will take Hananiah’s life for giving the people a lie to believe in. Within two months Hananiah is dead!  The Lord is serious about this whole issue and wants to make sure the people understand the truth, and will back His man to make sure the people realise who he is!

D. Application?

1. Ask the Lord to help you be gracious in the face of opposition.
2. Be open for the Lord to speak to you and through you when the world is being unrighteous and ungodly.