Jeremiah 27-28

As we noted in yesterday’s study, God’s word to Jeremiah went beyond Judah.  The coming judgment would reach all the nations that surrounded Judah.  Eventually God would also judge Babylon for their arrogance in going beyond what God intended.  The only way out was to submit to Nebuchadnezzar (27:11).

In today’s passage there is an illustration of “bonds and yokes.”  Jeremiah delivers “yokes” to the emissaries of each of the nations who had come to Jerusalem.  They were to take these home and deliver the message that God would put each of those nations in bondage to His instruments of judgment.

Since the false prophets were still prophesying peace and that Judah would not be in bonds to Babylon, Jeremiah put out a challenge to the others who claimed to speak for God.  If they were speaking for God, why not intercede with God, praying that the vessels of the temple would not go to Babylon.  This challenge was put out at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah (27:12).

One of the false prophets, Hananiah, took Jeremiah up on his dare (28:1-4).  He prophesied that the vessels would be returned within two years, along with King Jeconiah who was taken captive when Zedekiah was made king in his place (2 Chr. 36:5-10).  Hananiah took the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke them.

Who spoke the truth?  The answer was found in the means given to God’s people in the Old Testament for determining a false prophet (Deut. 18:20-22).  If the word they spoke did not come to pass they were to be put to death.  God therefore gave Jeremiah an unmistakably clear sign to show the people the truth.  The sign?  Hananiah would die in that same year, which he did.

This reminds me of Jesus.  He called people to believe Him.  And if they would not believe Him, then they should believe His works (John 5:36).  His miraculous signs were likewise unmistakable.  When He gave sight to the blind (e.g. John 9) there was no question that it was a miracle.  Everyone who knew him could corroborate the story.  Today’s supposed “miracle workers” and “faith healers” do works that cannot be truly verified.  Yet on the basis of flimsy testimony we are supposed to blindly put our trust in them and reward them financially.  That is not the way of Christ.  That is not the way of Scripture.

I believe the proof of a message today is its correspondence with the Bible.  I am not interested in supposed new words from God through dreams or visions.  I find great sufficiency in God’s finished pure word.  If you disagree and insist that God somehow has something more to say than what He said through His Son (Hb. 1:1-3), can you at least take seriously the need to test all things (1 Th. 5:21).  There are many antichrists today (1 John 2:18).  There are many whose messages tickle the ears (2 Tim. 4:3).  Do not be among those who will not endure sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3)!  Need I remind you, the antichrist himself will prove himself as Satan did, with all power, signs and lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9).