Hananiah Speaks Today

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Not every word of comfort to the sinner is from God.

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First… Jeremiah’s prophecy

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Submit to Nebuchadnezzar

6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

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At some point, the nations that submit now will eventually have Nebuchadnezzar serve them, things will reverse

7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

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Refusal to obey will be met with punishment

8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

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Do not listen to false prophets who say the opposite

9 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

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Accept the yoke and live

11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

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Repeat command not to listen to false prophets who tell lies

14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

15 For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

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Hananiah contradicts Jeremiah

**Note – just because his father Azur was a prophet does not mean he is one

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Hananiah says the Lord has broken the yoke

28 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.

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Hananiah promises restoration of temple wealth and captives

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.

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Jeremiah responds that past prophesies were against nations due to their evil, but if peace is now prophesied, and it is true, then it will prove the Lord spoke to Hananiah

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.

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Hananiah breaks the wood yoke from Jeremiah’s neck, claiming that the yoke of the king of Babylon would be broken in 2 years

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.

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The Lord denies to Jeremiah that the yoke is broken

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.

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Jeremiah tells Hananiah he is a false prophet and liar, and he will die for his rebellion

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.

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Hananiah dies

17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

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Today’s application

Basic theme throughout scripture is this:

Obey God and be blessed.

Disobey God and expect punishment.

So…

If a nation has sinned, it should not expect a blessing.

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There may be some righteous, obedient people in a nation, but that will not stop the punishment.

They will be affected, but will still have the covering of God.

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Scripture says that it rains on the just and unjust. The just may survive, but the unjust will not.

Today, we have mostly unrighteous nations, so they should expect punishment.

This usually comes in the form of “pestilence, famine and the sword.” (Jer 21:7)

The wicked should not expect blessings instead.

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Most are in denial about punishment, as it is an unpleasant experience intended to bring repentance, and most do not want to repent.

There are some Hananiahs today, declaring that God will not judge their sinful country, and that other nations will not be used against them, which could take the form of sanctions, attacks, invasions, slavery, insurrections, etc.

The false prophets consider punishment contrary to God’s will, “doom and gloom,” and not possible due to the small number of believers in the country.

Attitude: God loves us, He will not do anything bad to our country.

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But most “believers” are “do–nothings.”

They believe, but have no works, and do not oppose the wickedness they see.

They are politically correct.

Most are guilty of looking the other way while sin abounds. So, indirectly, they support sin.

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As far as the “Doom and Gloom” accusation, look in the bible, from cover to cover. God always punishes sin.

The book of Revelation predicts “doom and gloom” throughout the end times.

Only at the end, when the WRATH of God ends, is there light and hope.

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God will put His hand of protection over His true saints, but judgment will come to this world.

Do not be deceived by lying words that sound good, promising wealth and restoration, when it is not deserved.

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