II Kings 24:20, II Chronicles 36:14-15, Jeremiah 28:1-17
“And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.” (II Chronicles 36:13)
Zedekiah had taken an oath before God that he would serve Nebuchadnezzar. In breaking that oath, he was demonstrating his lack of respect for God, just as he had by refusing to listen to the prophets.
“For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” (II Kings 24:20)
“Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.” (II Chronicles 36:14)
For three hundred fifty years, the only time the people of Judah had served the Lord completely was under Hezekiah’s reign. Under the good kings, they had resisted, continuing to serve their idols and worship nature in spite of the king’s orders, and eagerly embracing those things when a king led them away from God. The people were as much at fault as the bad kings. They couldn’t just lay the blame on them.
God was fed up with their ongoing rebellion. He would use Zedekiah’s rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar to make Babylon destroy Judah and Jerusalem, because of their sin. Some of the religious leaders encouraged the rebellion.
“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, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 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: 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.” (Jeremiah 28:1-4)
Hananiah, who proclaimed himself a prophet, claimed that God had told him that the rebellion was God’s plan and that it would succeed. Making a set of iron horns, he proclaimed that God would drive out the Babylonians like they’d been chased out by bull. Within two years, Babylon would return everything they had taken, according to him. It was what the people wanted to believe and was widely accepted.
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: “ (II Chronicles 36:15)
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel tried to warn them that their actions were bringing God’s judgment on them. Even at this point, simply submitting to God and asking forgiveness could have prevented the heartbreak to come, because he loved them. Jeremiah made a wooden yoke trying to warn them that following Hananiah’s advice was just going to lead to greater slavery.
“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, 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.
“Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; 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. 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.” (Jeremiah 28:5-9)
Jeremiah said he hoped Hananiah was right and the Babylonians would return everythin as he claimed, but according to the scriptures the test of whether a prophet was speaking God’s word or not was whether the prophecy happened. Within two years, they would know whether Hananiah was speaking for God or not.
“Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake 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.” (Jeremiah 28:10-11)
Angry at Jeremiah’s inference that he was wrong and not speaking for God, Hananiah broke the Jeremiah’s yoke and said that God had said he would break Babylon’s yoke. Jeremiah simply walked away. There was no use arguing.
“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, 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.” (Jeremiah 28:12-17)
God wasn’t finished, however. A short time later, God directed Jeremiah to tell Hananiah that by breaking Jeremiah’s wooden yoke and promising that Judah would be delivered instead of encouraging them to repent and turn to God, Hananiah was forging a yoke they couldn’t break for the people. In effect, he was teaching them to disobey God, and god was going to kill him for it. Two months later, Hananiah was dead.
“And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.” (II Chronicles 36:13)
Zedekiah had taken an oath before God that he would serve Nebuchadnezzar. In breaking that oath, he was demonstrating his lack of respect for God, just as he had by refusing to listen to the prophets.
“For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” (II Kings 24:20)
“Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.” (II Chronicles 36:14)
For three hundred fifty years, the only time the people of Judah had served the Lord completely was under Hezekiah’s reign. Under the good kings, they had resisted, continuing to serve their idols and worship nature in spite of the king’s orders, and eagerly embracing those things when a king led them away from God. The people were as much at fault as the bad kings. They couldn’t just lay the blame on them.
God was fed up with their ongoing rebellion. He would use Zedekiah’s rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar to make Babylon destroy Judah and Jerusalem, because of their sin. Some of the religious leaders encouraged the rebellion.
“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, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 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: 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.” (Jeremiah 28:1-4)
Hananiah, who proclaimed himself a prophet, claimed that God had told him that the rebellion was God’s plan and that it would succeed. Making a set of iron horns, he proclaimed that God would drive out the Babylonians like they’d been chased out by bull. Within two years, Babylon would return everything they had taken, according to him. It was what the people wanted to believe and was widely accepted.
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: “ (II Chronicles 36:15)
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel tried to warn them that their actions were bringing God’s judgment on them. Even at this point, simply submitting to God and asking forgiveness could have prevented the heartbreak to come, because he loved them. Jeremiah made a wooden yoke trying to warn them that following Hananiah’s advice was just going to lead to greater slavery.
“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, 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.
“Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; 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. 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.” (Jeremiah 28:5-9)
Jeremiah said he hoped Hananiah was right and the Babylonians would return everythin as he claimed, but according to the scriptures the test of whether a prophet was speaking God’s word or not was whether the prophecy happened. Within two years, they would know whether Hananiah was speaking for God or not.
“Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake 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.” (Jeremiah 28:10-11)
Angry at Jeremiah’s inference that he was wrong and not speaking for God, Hananiah broke the Jeremiah’s yoke and said that God had said he would break Babylon’s yoke. Jeremiah simply walked away. There was no use arguing.
“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, 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.” (Jeremiah 28:12-17)
God wasn’t finished, however. A short time later, God directed Jeremiah to tell Hananiah that by breaking Jeremiah’s wooden yoke and promising that Judah would be delivered instead of encouraging them to repent and turn to God, Hananiah was forging a yoke they couldn’t break for the people. In effect, he was teaching them to disobey God, and god was going to kill him for it. Two months later, Hananiah was dead.
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