Lesson 9 for November 28, 2015

Because they would die at war or by famine. You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons… (Jer. 16:1-4) Because unpeaceful days were coming when the dead couldn't be neither mourned nor buried. Do not enter the house of mourning… (Jer. 16:5-7) I will cause to cease every voice of joy and happiness. You shall not go into the house of feasting… (Jer. 16:8-9)

“‘But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’” (Jeremiah 27:11) In chapter 27, Jeremiah was ordered to make some wooden yokes. He must use one of them. The others must be delivered to the nations who joined Zedekiah to conspire against Babylon. The message was clear. Don’t listen to your prophets and sorcerers who say that Babylon would be defeated. Those submitting to Babylon shall live; if you don’t, you will be deported or destroyed. Disobeying that message meant to disobey God. God decides the future of all nations.

“The history of nations speaks to us today. To every nation and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes.” E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 43, pg. 536)

Hananiah used the same authority and similar words to Jeremiah’s (“Says the Lord”). Nevertheless, both messages were contradictory. Who should they believe? How would you solve a similar dilemma?

“Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 28:2-3) Jeremiah wanted the people to learn from their history, so they wouldn’t make the same mistakes their ancestors made.

Hananiah didn’t have arguments to defend his message, so he just repeated it. He also added a symbolic action, breaking Jeremiah’s wooden yoke (Jer. 28:10-11). “And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.” He had already defended his message. He is an example for us, since he left that “war” in the hands of God. God replied by using the “yokes of iron” metaphor (Jer. 28:12-14). No one would break God’s message about Babylon.

“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.”’ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” (Jeremiah 28:15-17) Hananiah died two months after breaking the wooden yoke, just like Jeremiah prophesied. That was a proof of Jeremiah’s message being true. Nevertheless, the people decided to continue believing Hananiah’s lies. Many people prefer to believe any lie—no matter how absurd—instead of believing Christ’s truth. That was prophesied, “and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:4). When people reject God permanently, He let them “believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

“To the end of time, men will arise to create confusion and rebellion among those who claim to be representatives of the true God. Those who prophesy lies will encourage men to look upon sin as a light thing. When the terrible results of their evil deeds are made manifest, they will seek, if possible, to make the one who has faithfully warned them, responsible for their difficulties, even as the Jews charged Jeremiah with their evil fortunes. But as surely as the words of Jehovah through His prophet were vindicated anciently, so surely will the certainty of His messages be established today.” E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 36, pg. 442)