In
the foregoing chapter Jeremiah had charged those prophets with lies who
foretold the speedy breaking of the yoke of the king of Babylon and the speedy return of the vessels of the
sanctuary; how here we have his contest with a particular prophet upon those
heads. I. Hananiah, a pretender to prophecy, in contradiction to Jeremiah,
foretold the sinking of Nebuchadnezzar's power and the return both of the
persons and of the vessels that were carried away (ver. 1-4), and, as a sing
of this, he broke the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah, ver. 10, 11. II.
Jeremiah wished his words might prove true, but appealed to the event
whether they were so or no, not doubting but that would disprove them, ver.
5-9. III. The doom both of the deceived and the deceiver is here read. The
people that were deceived should have their yoke of wood turned into a yoke
of iron (ver. 12-14), and the prophet that was the deceiver should be
shortly cut off by death, and he was so, accordingly, within two months,
ver. 15-17.
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Hananiah's
False Prophecy.
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B.
C. 597.
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1 And it came to pass the same year, in the
beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and
in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was
of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD,
in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3
Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of
the LORD's
house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and
carried them to Babylon: 4 And I will bring again to this place
Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah,
that went into Babylon, saith the LORD:
for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. 5 Then the
prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the
priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of
the LORD,
6 Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD
do so: the LORD
perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of
the LORD's
house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this
place. 7 Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in
thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; 8 The prophets
that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many
countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of
pestilence. 9 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.
This struggle between a true prophet and a false one is said here to have
happened in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, and yet in the
fourth year, for the first four years of his reign might well be called the
beginning, or former part, of it, because during those years he reigned
under the dominion of the king of Babylon and as a tributary to him; whereas
the rest of his reign, which might well be called the latter part of
it, in distinction from that former part, he reigned in rebellion
against the king of Babylon. In this fourth year of his reign he went in
person to Babylon (as we find, ch. li. 59), and it is probable that
this gave the people some hope that his negotiation in person would put a
good end to the war, in which hope the false prophets encouraged them, this
Hananiah particularly, who was of Gibeon, a priests' city, and therefore
probably himself a priest, as well as Jeremiah. Now here we have,
I. The prediction which Hananiah delivered publicly, solemnly, in the
house of the Lord, and in the name of the Lord, in an august assembly, in
the presence of the priests and of all the people, who probably were
expecting to have some message from heaven. In delivering this prophecy, he
faced Jeremiah, he spoke it to him (v. 1), designing to confront and
contradict him, as much as to say, "Jeremiah, thou liest." Now
this prediction is that the king of Babylon's power, at least his power over
Judah and Jerusalem, should be speedily broken, that within two full
years the vessels of the temple should be brought back, and Jeremiah,
and all the captives that were carried away with him, should return; whereas
Jeremiah had foretold that the yoke of the king of Babylon should be bound
on yet faster, and that the vessels and captives should not return for 70
years, v. 2-4. Now, upon the reading of this sham prophecy, and
comparing it with the messages that God sent by the true prophets, we may
observe what a vast difference there is between them. Here is nothing of the
spirit and life, the majesty of style and sublimity of expression, that
appear in the discourses of God's prophets, nothing of that divine flame and
flatus. But that which is especially wanting here is an air of piety;
he speaks with a great deal of confidence of the return of their prosperity,
but here is not a word of good counsel given them to repent, and reform, and
return to God, to pray, and seek his face, that they may be prepared for the
favours God had in reserve for them. He promises them temporal mercies, in
God's name, but makes no mention of those spiritual mercies which God always
promised should go along with them, as ch. xxiv. 7, I will give
them a heart to know me. By all this it appears that, whatever he
pretended, he had only the spirit of the world, not the Spirit of
God (1 Cor. ii. 12), that he aimed to please, not to profit.
II. Jeremiah's reply to this pretended prophecy. 1. He heartily wishes it
might prove true. Such an affection has he for his country, and so truly
desirous is he of the welfare of it, that he would be content to lie under
the imputation of a false prophet, so that their ruin might be prevented. He
said, Amen; the Lord do so; the Lord perform thy words, v. 5,
6. This was not the first time that Jeremiah had prayed for his people,
though he had prophesied against them, and deprecated the judgments which
yet he certainly knew would come; as Christ prayed, Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me, when yet he knew it must not pass
from him. Though, as a faithful prophet, he foresaw and foretold the
destruction of Jerusalem, yet, as a faithful Israelite, he prayed earnestly
for the preservation of it, in obedience to that command, Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem. Though the will of God's purpose is the rule of
prophecy and patience, the will of his precept is the rule of prayer and
practice. God himself, though he has determined, does not desire, the death
of sinners, but would have all men to be saved. Jeremiah often
interceded for his people, ch. xviii. 20. The false prophets thought
to ingratiate themselves with the people by promising them peace; now the
prophet shows that he bore them as great a good-will as their prophets did,
whom they were so fond of; and, though he had no warrant from God to promise
them peace, yet he earnestly desired it and prayed for it. How strangely
were those besotted who caressed those who did them the greatest wrong
imaginable by flattering them and persecuted him who did them the greatest
service imaginable by interceding for them! See ch. xxvii. 18. 2. He
appeals to the event, to prove it false, v. 7-9. The false prophets
reflected upon Jeremiah, as Ahab upon Micaiah, because he never prophesied
good concerning them, but evil. Now he pleads that this had been the
purport of the prophecies that other prophets had delivered, so that it
ought not to be looked upon as a strange thing, or as rendering his mission
doubtful; for prophets of old prophesied against many countries and great
kingdoms, so bold were they in delivering the messages which God sent by
them, and so far from fearing men, or seeking to please them, as Hananiah
did. They made no difficulty, any more than Jeremiah did, of threatening
war, famine, and pestilence, and what they said was regarded as coming from
God; why then should Jeremiah be run down as a pestilent fellow, and a
sower of sedition, when he preached no otherwise than God's prophets had
always done before him? Other prophets had foretold destruction did not
come, which yet did not disprove their divine mission, as in the case of
Jonah; for God is gracious, and ready to turn away his wrath from those that
turn away from their sins. But the prophet that prophesied of peace
and prosperity, especially as Hananiah did, absolutely and unconditionally,
without adding that necessary proviso, that they do not by wilful sin put a
bar in their own door and stop the current of God's favours, will be proved
a true prophet only by the accomplishment of his prediction; if it come to
pass, then it shall be known that the Lord has sent him, but, if not,
he will appear to be a cheat and an impostor.
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Hananiah
Condemned.
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B.
C. 597.
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10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke
from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it. 11 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. 12 Then the word of the LORD
came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had
broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
13 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. 14 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.
15 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.
16 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. 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the
seventh month.
We have here an instance,
I. Of the insolence of the false prophet. To complete the affront he
designed Jeremiah, he took the yoke from off his neck which he
carried as a memorial of what he had prophesied concerning the enslaving of
the nations to Nebuchadnezzar, and he broke it, that he might give a sign of
the accomplishment of this prophecy, as Jeremiah had given of his, and might
seem to have conquered him, and to have defeated the intention of his
prophecy. See how the lying spirit, in the mouth of this false prophet,
mimics the language of the Spirit of truth: Thus saith the Lord, So will
I break the yoke of the king of Babylon, not only from the neck of this
nation, but from the neck of all nations, within two full years.
Whether by the force of a heated imagination Hananiah had persuaded himself
to believe this, or whether he knew it to be false, and only persuaded them
to believe it, does not appear; but it is plain that he speaks with
abundance of assurance. It is no new thing for lies to be fathered upon the
God of truth.
II. Of the patience of the true prophet. Jeremiah quietly went his way,
and when he was reviled he reviled not again, and would not contend
with one that was in the height of his fury and in the midst of the priests
and people that were violently set against him. The reason why he went his
way was not because he had nothing to answer, but because he was willing to
stay till God was pleased to furnish him with a direct and immediate answer,
which as yet he had not received. He expected that God would send a special
message to Hananiah, and he would say nothing till he had received that. I,
as a deaf man, heard not, for thou wilt hear, and thou shalt answer,
Lord, for me. It may sometimes be our wisdom rather to retreat than to
contend. Currenti cede furori--Give place unto wrath.
III. Of the justice of God in giving judgment between Jeremiah and his
adversary. Jeremiah went his way, as a man in whose mouth there was no
rebuke, but God soon put a word into his mouth; for he will appear for
those who silently commit their cause to him. 1. The word of God, in the
mouth of Jeremiah, is ratified and confirmed. Let not Jeremiah himself
distrust the truth of what he had delivered in God's name because it met
with such a daring opposition and contradiction. If what we have spoken be
the truth of God, we must not unsay it because men gainsay it; for great
is the truth and will prevail. It will stand, therefore let us stand to
it, and not fear that men's unbelief or blasphemy will make it of no effect.
Hananiah has broken the yokes of wood, but Jeremiah must make for
them yokes of iron, which cannot be broken (v. 13), for (says
God) "I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations,
which shall lie heavier, and bind harder, upon them (v. 14), that
they may serve the king of Babylon, and not be able to shake off the
yoke however they may struggle, for they shall serve him whether they will
or no;" and who is he that can contend with God's counsel? What was
said before is repeated again: I have given him the beasts of the field
also, as if there were something significant in that. Men had by their
wickedness made themselves like the beasts that perish, and therefore
deserved to be ruled by an arbitrary power, as beasts are ruled, and such a
power Nebuchadnezzar ruled with; for whom he would he slew and whom he
would he kept alive. 2. Hananiah is sentenced to die for contradicting
it, and Jeremiah, when he has received commission from God, boldly tells him
so to his face, though before he received that commission he went away and
said nothing. (1.) The crimes of which Hananiah stands convicted are
cheating the people and affronting God: Thou makest this people to trust
in a lie, encouraging them to hope that they shall have peace, which
will make their destruction the more terrible to them when it comes; yet
this was not the worst: Thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord;
thou hast taught them to despise all the good counsel given them in God's
name by the true prophets, and hast rendered it ineffectual. Those have a
great deal to answer for who, by telling sinners that they shall have peace
though they go on, harden their hearts in a contempt of the reproofs and
admonitions of the word, and the means and methods God takes to bring them
to repentance. (2.) The judgment given against him is, "I will cast
thee off from the face of the earth, as unworthy to live upon it; thou
shalt be buried in it. This year thou shalt die, and die as a rebel
against the Lord, to whom death will come with a sting and a curse."
This sentence was executed, v. 17. Hananiah died the same year,
within two months; for his prophecy is dated the fifth month (v. 1)
and his death the seventh. Good men may perhaps be suddenly taken off by
death in the midst of their days, and in mercy to them, as Josiah was; but
this being foretold as the punishment of his sin, and coming to pass
accordingly, it may safely be construed as a testimony from Heaven against
him and a confirmation of Jeremiah's mission. And, if the people's hearts
had not been wretchedly hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, it would have
prevented their being further hardened by the deceitfulness of their
prophets.
