This takes place in the fourth year of Zedekiah, Jeremiah 28:1, and gives a brilliant example of divine facts. Here we see the chief culprit of these prophesies, the prophet Hananiah, whose name means ‘The Lord is Gracious’, Jeremiah 28:1-2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hananiah.
‘Hananiah, the son of Azur the prophet, one who called himself a prophet, who pretended to be in commerce with the Lord, and to receive revelations from him. He was probably a priest; for he was of Gibeon, a sacerdotal city in the tribe of Benjamin.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He chose either a sabbath or a new moon that he might confront Jeremiah not only in the presence of the priests but also of all the people.’
The lie is threefold.
1. Within two years, the temple vessels will be brought back, Jeremiah 28:3.
But Jeremiah has already said that the captivity will be for seventy years, Jeremiah 25:11. It was a lie.
2. Jehoiachin will be returned to Jerusalem along with the captives within two years, Jeremiah 28:4.
Jeremiah has said that Jehoiachin will die in captivity, Jeremiah 22:24-27.
3. God is going to break the yoke of Babylon, Jeremiah 28:4.
In Jeremiah 27:7, we see that Jeremiah has already told them that the Babylonian captivity will last for three generations at least. In Jeremiah 18, the false prophets said that they would say the direct opposite of what Jeremiah said, and this is exactly what this man Hananiah is doing.
Jeremiah now responds to Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the temple, Jeremiah 28:5, and says, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so!’ Jeremiah 28:6.
He seems to be ridiculing him. He doesn’t hate his people or his country. He wishes the best for both. That is why he can say, ‘amen’, he wishes it could be as Hananiah says, but he must accept the will of God. Despite how Jeremiah feels, this is the fact. He points back to other prophets to prove his message is true, Jeremiah 28:7-8.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning the other prophets.
‘Namely, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and others, all of whom denounced similar evils against a corrupt people.’
Then he says to Hananiah, where is the proof? Even here in the fourth year of Zedekiah, famine and war were already happening; things were in bad shape. From Josiah to Zedekiah, he had prophesied, and his word had come to pass.
They had not cultivated the land, and Jeremiah says this is my proof. Where is yours? You talk of peace, prove it! Prophet’s words in general speak against the people and everything that they said came to pass, Jeremiah 28:9 / Deuteronomy 13:1-3 / Deuteronomy 18:17-22 / 1 John 4:1.
Hananiah couldn’t answer Jeremiah’s question and appeared to be stuck for words, so he put on a show. He takes the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and breaks it over his knee, Jeremiah 28:10. This was to show a bit of face.
Scribner, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Encouraged by Jeremiah’s patience and in the absence of any answer from God that his prophecy was a lie, Hananiah resorted to violence, tore the yoke from the prophet’s neck, and broke it, probably to the great delight of the crowd who considered the action as a symbol of deliverance.’
God is going to break the yoke of Babylon, Jeremiah 28:11. Notice Jeremiah doesn’t retaliate; he went away and awaited God’s direction, so the yoke was on Hananiah!
Peter learnt the same lesson when he cut off a guard’s ear, Luke 22:49-51 / John 18:10-15 / Matthew 26:51-55. He then waited until the Spirit came before he did anything else, and so, he learnt the lesson to wait.
God points out Hananiah’s mistake, Jeremiah 28:12, and He gets Jeremiah to wear a yoke of iron, Jeremiah 28:13. Try breaking that across your knee, Hananiah! It was harnessed in a way that they could not take it off.
God says He will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar and they will serve him, and God will even give Nebuchadnezzar control over the wild animals, Jeremiah 28:14.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The meaning here is that the Babylonian disaster coming upon the nations would be even worse after the rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, which, of course, was finally led by Zedekiah. For Judah, it resulted in the second great siege of Jerusalem, the absolute and total destruction of the temple, and the removal of many more captives to Babylon.’
God didn’t send Hananiah, though he spoke in His name; Hananiah is a liar, Jeremiah 28:15 / Romans 16:17-18. His reward? A visit to the undertakers, Jeremiah 28:16.
God points a finger at Hananiah and says this very year, Jeremiah 28:1, you are going to die because he has caused these people to rebel against me, Jeremiah 28:16. In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died, Jeremiah 28:17.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Jeremiah 28:17.
‘Accords perfectly with Deuteronomy 18:20, which declares that to prophesy falsely in the name of Jehovah, as Hananiah had done, was to commit a capital offence.’