King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 6 notes
1And 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,
2Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
3Within 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:
4And 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.
5Then 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,
6Even 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.
7Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;
8The 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.
9The 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.
10Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.
Was Jeremiah carrying this yoke still around?
It wasn't easy to be a prophet of old, carrying with you the burdens and symbols of your prophecies.
11And 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.
Does that mean Jeremiah was carrying this yoke on his head everywhere he went?
12Then 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,
13Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.
14For 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.
The beast also. The same point is re-emphasized here.
15Then 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.
The prophet said to the prophet — interesting, but since he was false, why was he being called a prophet? Oh, maybe the title had come to stay, or he used to prophesy accurately in time past.
This makes me wonder, was Hananiah just being dubious, or he genuinely was hearing voices, voices of his own heart or a deceptive spirit which he thought were GOD's?
We ought therefore to be careful, because in an attempt to represent GOD, we can be genuinely wrong.
16Therefore 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.
And it happened.
My only challenge with Hananiah... Why would you deliberately forge a lie 🤥?
I mean, it's so cruel, but human nature.
17So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
So what if Jeremiah hadn't prophesied his death?
Many would have thought it a natural death.
How many deaths occasioned by rebellion and misrepresentation of God have taken lives, and many took it for death by natural causes?