Read Jeremiah
27-28 & 2
Timothy 4
To discover:
As you read consider what
God was asking of the nations.
To ponder:
Now we come to the
reign of Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle and successor (27v1, 28v1, see 2 Kgs
24v15-20). God instructs Jeremiah to make and wear a yoke, and then send God’s
word to the nations around Judah
through their envoys (perhaps this is how he passed previous oracles to
nations). God said he is the LORD God Almighty of Israel ,
who made the earth and all peoples and animals, and who gives it to who he
pleases. He stated that he will cause these various countries and even their
wild animals to be subject to his “servant” Nebuchadnezzar, until the time of
his son and grandson, when many nations and great kings will subjugate him (see
Dan 5v30-31). He continued, that if any nation refuses to bear Nebuchanezzar’s
yoke and serve him, they will be destroyed by him. So they should not listen to
their own prophets or future tellers, as they speak lies that will only serve
to cause their nation to be banished and perish. By contrast, if they serve
under Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke, God will enable them to keep their land (27v1-11).
By bringing all this to pass in accordance with Jeremiah’s word, God would of
course display to the nations that he is the true God. Jeremiah adds that he
gave the same message to Zedekiah, urging him to submit to Babylon’s yoke,
asking why he would choose for him and his people to die for not doing so, and
saying the prophets are not sent from God but prophesying lies (27v1-15). Christians
don’t have a holy land as such on earth, and so are called to serve the rulers
of this world as good citizens (so far as it doesn’t dishonour God), just as
the Jews were to Nebuchadnezzar, until the day God comes in Christ to bring
them to their heavenly Jerusalem. And we should note that refusing to do this
in rebelliousness, will ultimately be to our harm (see Rom 13v1-5).
Jeremiah also told the priests not
to listen to the prophets who were saying that soon the articles take to Babylon
during Jehoiachin’s reign would be returned (see 2 Kgs 24v13). Instead, he
urged them to serve Nebucadnezzar so that they live and Jerusalem
is not destroyed. Indeed, he said that if they truly had the word of the LORD
then they should pray that the remaining furnishings would not be taken from
the temple to Babylon . But he added
that God had said that these things would actually be taken to Babylon ,
and remain there until the day God himself would come for them and bring them
back to Jerusalem (27v16-22). We
should recognize the shock of losing these items. It signified the end of
worship at the temple, and of the special presence of God himself in protecting
Israel . Rather
than preaching peace and freedom from judgement irrespective of repentance,
false teachers today would also do better to pray for the maintenance of true and
godly worship.
Chapter 28 begins with a record how
the “prophet” Hananiah spoke to Jeremiah in the temple and in front of the
priests and people that God. He declared that God had said he would break the
yoke of Nebuchadnezzar within two years and bring back the articles of the
temple, all who had so far been exiled, and king Jehoiachin himself. With some
sarcasm, Jeremiah replied “Amen,” may God do it, but added that from early
times prophets had prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries,
but the one who prophesies peace will be recognised only if his prediction is
fulfilled (28v1-9). The point is probably that because there is nothing to be
gained in negative prophesies, and because messages of judgement have
historically been the primary (although not total) message of true prophets, those
speaking them are much more likely to be genuine. But it is easy, often
beneficial to oneself, and against the grain of God’s previous messages to
preach peace. The key issue for those who do is therefore whether they are from
the LORD, and so whether their message comes to pass. It’s another reminder to
be particularly cautious of those whose message is always encouraging.
It seems Jeremiah was still wearing
the yoke he had made, so Hananiah took it off him and broke it to symbolise his
message that God will break the yoke of Babylon
from the neck of the nations within two years. Jeremiah went on his way, but
sought Hananiah out shortly afterwards, with a personal message from God to
him: It was that in place of the yoke of wood, he would put a yoke of iron on
the necks of the nations so they serve Nebuchadnezzar. And because Hananiah
persuaded Judah
to trust lies and rebel against God’s word to serve Nebuchadnezzar, that very
year he would die – as he did just two months later (28v10-17, 28v1). This is
the seriousness with which the LORD views those who give people false hope.
Praying it home:
Praise God that he
restrains evil so that believers can often live peacefully under unbelieving
rulers. Pray that Christians would be good citizens, setting their hope firmly
on the return of Christ.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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