Jeremiah Jeremiah’s Yoke

Lesson #9 for November 28, 2015

Scriptures: [Jeremiah 16:1-13; 27:1-18; 28; Hosea 1:1-3; Daniel 4:25; 2 Timothy 4:3-4][i].

1.    In this lesson we will see that Jeremiah not only gave messages from God to various individuals, including the king, but also he often had to live out object lessons to illustrate what he had to say. Will the day come when we might have to do something similar? (Luke 9:23ii) What does it mean to “carry your cross”? Could that ever be literal in any sense?

2.    While he was still a young man, Jeremiah was told that he must not marry or have children. He was not to participate in either ceremonies for mourning or celebration feasts. His life was to be a stark and lonely parable. Was Jeremiah’s life supposed to be a metaphor?

3.    Read Jeremiah 16:1-13iii. If you were a young person looking forward to a happy life with a wife and children, how would you feel about that message? Compare Hosea 1:1-3iv. Hosea was asked to marry a prostitute who turned back to her old ways after being married to him. That was clearly to illustrate the spiritual prostitution that had come over the nation of Israel. But, Jeremiah was asked to live a very strict, celibate life which was very rare, even extreme, for that time and culture. At that time when passing along one’s name and property to one’s children was considered to be very important, why did God ask Jeremiah not to marry? Think about Jeremiah’s situation. Compare the story of Abraham.

4.    Instead of building that sanctuary-tabernacle-tent in the wilderness in which only the priests were allowed to go in, why didn’t God build a set of classrooms for the education of the people? They did not even have a place to gather for “church.”

5.    Would it be more painful to remain single? Or, to marry and have children and then see something terrible happen to them? Or, perhaps, even not be able to care for them. Remember that Jeremiah lived through the siege of Jerusalem when for nearly three years they were surrounded by the troops from Babylon, and things became so desperate that people were eating their own dead children. (Jeremiah 19:9; Lamentations 2:20)

6.

Jeremiah 16:3-4: 3I will tell you what is going to happen to the children who are born here and to their parents. 4They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will mourn for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie like piles of manure on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation, and their bodies will be food for the birds and the wild animals.—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation (2nd ed., Jeremiah 16:3-4). New York: American Bible Society.

7.    Would it be fair to bring children into this world under those circumstances? And since there was no birth control, marriage almost inevitably led to having children. Wouldn’t you love to give the message of Jeremiah 16 to your family?

8.    Perhaps, Jeremiah’s solitary life was also supposed to warn the children of Israel of the difficult times that were coming when they would lose so much not only materially but also family and friends, etc. Jeremiah had only the Lord to depend upon. Then again, isn’t the Lord the only One who is utterly reliable? We can always count on Him.

9.    Read Jeremiah 27:1-18[v]. While the people of Judah were aware of the looming presence of the Babylonian troops, how difficult would it be to sell a message like Jeremiah’s? Who wants to hear that he is going into slavery or having to be forcibly removed from his home and probably to lose all his family, property, possessions, etc.?

As a faithful and true prophet of Yahweh, Jeremiah often stood alone among the religious leaders of his day and his countrymen (e.g., Jer. 26:8-9; 27:16-18vi), and even among his family and in the city of his birth (Jer. 11:21; 12:6vii).

His life truly exemplified the statement of Jesus, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (Matt. 13:57). (Believer’s Study Bible)

10.    Read Jeremiah 27:2viii. In one of the more incredible stories in this lesson, Jeremiah was asked to actually make a yoke out of wood with leather straps and put it on his own neck in order to give his message to either the kings or their ambassadors from surrounding nations who had come to meet the new king, Zedekiah. The wording of the text is a little confusing; it is possible that Jeremiah was asked even to make yokes for all the ambassadors or the kings themselves!

11.    What was the meaning of the yoke that Jeremiah wore? Read [Deuteronomy 28:48; 1 Kings 12:4]ix. In those verses, such a yoke was regarded as an expression of oppression. Jeremiah was trying to represent what was going to happen to the people of Judah in Babylonian captivity. The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide suggests that Jeremiah’s yoke was 1 A meters (almost 5 feet) long and 8 centimeters (3 inches) thick.

12.    Try to imagine yourself approaching the king and his very honored guests-some of them perhaps kings themselves-wearing a yoke and telling them that soon they would be doing the same! Remember that Jeremiah was living in a time when it was not uncommon for a king to order anyone bringing unwelcome news to be killed on the spot!

13.    It is quite likely that in addition to coming and welcoming the new king, Zedekiah, to the throne, those kings or their representatives were also plotting rebellion against Babylon. Read [Jeremiah 27:5; Daniel 4:25][x]. Jeremiah wanted to make it very clear even to those pagan rulers that God, the God of the Jews, was in ultimate control of everything. He made things in the beginning, and He can give that control to anyone He chooses. God is trying to tell us that even in the very difficult circumstance of being overrun by a foreign power and dragged off into captivity, He was still in control. Would that give you some hope for the future? Could God really have done something? While still maintaining freedom?

14.    Does it give you hope to know that God is completely Sovereign? Many of our Christian friends think that God is so far above us that nothing that we can do will affect Him in any way. The Bible clearly says that is not the case. Luke 15:7xi says that all heaven is affected by what we do.

7In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.-American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation (2nd ed., Luke 15:7). New York: American Bible Society.

15.    How many of us have been forced into situations which were very uncomfortable for us? Have any of us forced other people into similar circumstances?

16.    Jeremiah approached those high level officials at the palace.

The amazement of the assembled council of nations knew no bounds when Jeremiah, carrying the yoke of subjection about his neck, made known to them the will of God.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 444.1.

17.    Read [Jeremiah 28:1-9; Deuteronomy 18:21-22]xii. Try to place yourself in Jeremiah’s situation or even to be just an observer in that situation. How often do we believe what we want to believe as opposed to what the evidence really shows? Are we willing to follow the evidence wherever it leads? How do you know who to believe? What about Deuteronomy 13:1-3xiii?

Jeremiah, in the presence of the priests and people, earnestly entreated them to submit to the king of Babylon for the time the Lord had specified. He cited the men of Judah to the prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others whose messages of reproof and warning had been similar to his own. He referred them to events which had taken place in fulfillment of prophecies of retribution for unrepented sin. In the past the judgments of God had been visited upon the impenitent in exact fulfillment of His purpose as revealed through His messengers.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 445.1.

18.    It turned out Jeremiah was not the only one there claiming to speak for God. Unfortunately, Jeremiah’s speech was followed by a speech from Hananiah, a false prophet, who directly contradicted Jeremiah’s message. And Hananiah’s denial message was much more welcome to the ears of the listeners than was Jeremiah’s.

19.    Read Jeremiah 28:10-11xiv. How did Hananiah respond to Jeremiah’s visual prophecy? Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it into pieces. He claimed to be speaking for God and assured the people that this was how the Lord would break the yoke that King Nebuchadnezzar had put on the necks of the nations, and He would do it within two years. So, how should we decide who is telling us the truth? Will the time come in the future when there will once again be false prophets and false Messiah’s? (Matthew 24:3-4,11,23-24xv) What about Revelation 1:7xvi?

20.    Is it ever easy to accept an unwelcome truth? Will it be easy for those who have to live through the final days of this earth’s history?

21.    If you had been Jeremiah, how would you have responded? Jeremiah realized that right at that point, there was not much more he could say or do. So, he quietly left.

22.    Read Jeremiah 28:12-14. So, what was the sequel to that story?

12 Some time after this the LORD told me 13to go and say to Hananiah: “The LORD has said that you may be able to break a wooden yoke, but he will replace it with an iron yoke. 14The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that he will put an iron yoke on all these nations and that they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. The LORD has said that he will make even the wild animals serve Nebuchadnezzar.”—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation (2nd ed., Jeremiah 28:12-14). New York: American Bible Society.

23.    Jeremiah’s wooden yoke was broken in pieces by Hananiah. But, God said He would replace it with an iron one. It would be virtually impossible to break an iron yoke.

24.    Was that a message of revenge from Jeremiah? Or, was Jeremiah trying to make it even more clear that rebellion against God would result in even more serious consequences?

25.    How many of us have learned the hard way the problems connected with being obstinate? Is it difficult to submit to the Lord? Shouldn’t we recognize that God’s ways are always the best ways even though we might not like them at the time? Read Jeremiah 28:15-17xvii. What was the result of this exchange between Hananiah and Jeremiah? Jeremiah stated bluntly to all those gathered there that Hananiah was trying to make them believe a lie. And Jeremiah prophesied that before that year was over, Hananiah would be dead; and, in fact, Hananiah died in the seventh month. But, unfortunately, Hananiah’s message had had its evil effects. They wanted to believe what Hananiah said. So, instead of preparing themselves, submitting to Jehovah’s counsel, and surrendering to Babylon, they resisted to the point that Zedekiah was forced to watch as all his high officials and his family were murdered and then his eyes were gouged out. He died a short time later after being taken to Babylon as a blind man. How would you like to walk hundreds of miles right after having your eyes gouged out?

26.    What lessons should we learn from reading Jeremiah 28:15xviii? Compare [2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12]xix. The great controversy is all about who is telling us the truth-God or Satan. Anything that deviates from the truth is a lie. As recorded in John 14:6, Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Satan will try in every way possible especially at the end of this world’s history to imitate Jesus’s manner of coming, His way of speaking, His ability to perform miracles, etc., in order to deceive, if possible, the very elect. (Matthew 24:23-24)

27.    What lies perpetrated by Satan himself are commonly believed in the world today? Are some of Satan’s lies believed even among Christians? What about the immortality of the soul? Ever-burning hell? The validity of praying to saints? That God is arbitrary, vengeful, unforgiving, and severe? Our only safety is in carefully studying God’s Word.

28.    Most of our Christian friends who accept the Bible believe that the millennium discussed in Revelation 20 will be a golden time when Jesus will come to this earth and reign in peace. Does it seem to you that we are moving in that direction? Or, are we, as suggested by a number of passages in the Bible, moving toward a time of trouble, plagues, devastation, and destruction just prior to the return of Jesus Christ? Is this another of Satan’s lies?

29.    Satan’s original weapon was deception, and he used it on the angels in heaven. He has become exceedingly adept at using it. The only way to detect a counterfeit is to know, understand, and recognize the truth clearly and precisely.

30.    One of Jeremiah’s important points in countering Hananiah’s lies was to point out that a number of previous prophets had given messages similar to the one Jeremiah was giving at that time. Compare the following message from Ellen White for us.

We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.—Ellen G. White, General Conference Bulletin, January 29, 1893 par. 5; February 20, 1899 par. 16; RH, October 12, 1905 par. 22; Life Sketches 196.2; CET204.1; TM 31.1; 3SM 162.3; LDE 72.1; YRP 229.4.

31.    Many experts have said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history!” What does that mean to us? A careful study of our history makes it very clear that our problem is not the Lord’s leading; but rather, it is our lack of following! And even our poor memories of God’s leading in the past!

32.    Maybe the greatest threat to Christians is a common idea that God will somehow grade on the curve. It is easy for us to look around and feel comfortable because we think we are just about as good as others. Does that make us savable?

33.    Why do people reject the truth? We reject some messages because we do not want to believe they are true. We reject other messages because they do not fit with our current paradigm or way of thinking. How should we deal with each of these serious issues? Can we be certain that our picture of God and His will is the correct one? If so, how?

34.    In our day, will there come a time when even our family relationships might be affected by our relationship with Christ? Read [Matthew 10:34-39; Luke 12:51-53; Luke 14:25-27]xx. How would you respond to a request by Jesus Himself to carry a cross? How many of us are carrying crosses today?

35.    When speaking to a friend or acquaintance who is not a Seventh-day Adventist, do we try to sugarcoat our message to make it sound better? Is that a good idea? Doesn’t God want us to make the message as attractive as possible? Is that different from sugarcoating our message?

36.    As we have seen in this lesson, Jeremiah’s life was his message, and his message was his life. He had to illustrate what he had to say in some very unusual and even painful ways.

37.    James and Ellen White had four sons. One died in infancy; another one died at the age of 16. Because of their work for God, they had to leave the care of their children in the hands of others for much of their early lives. Do you think you could do something like that? Do you think God expected them to do that? What sacrifices is God asking you to make in serving Him? Has God ever asked you to step out of your comfort zone?

38.    How many of us have heard sermons from our own pastors or perhaps someone on the television or a video that sounded a little bit like preaching to “itching ears”? When a pastor speaks very bluntly and plainly-assuming he is speaking the truth-do we appreciate that? Or, does that make us really uncomfortable?

39.    When he first began his ministry as recorded in Jeremiah 1:5xxi, Jeremiah was told that he would be a prophet to the nations. His wooden-yoke prophecy was given to three different audiences at different times. First, it was given to Jehoiakim somewhere between 609 and 605 B.C., just before the first conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; then it was given again to Zedekiah some time around 594 B.C.; and finally, it was given to the kings or possibly their representatives from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. These nations surrounding Judah all tended to be hostile, and none of them wanted to hear or even to think of the idea that they might be conquered by Babylon. But, they all were.

40.    Jeremiah’s message was simple and straightforward: Serve the king of Babylon as God tells you to, and you will live, and your country and your city will be preserved. (Jeremiah 27:11-12,17xxii) He said that even the nations would be preserved, and their farmers would be able to continue farming their properties. Jeremiah begged each of his audiences not to be deceived by false prophets. (Jeremiah 27:9,14,16xxiii)

41.    Zedekiah was the last king to serve Judah, and he did so during that terrible siege. As things got worse and worse, Zedekiah called Jeremiah secretly to hear what God might have to say to him. Look at these words from Ellen White describing what happened.

There was still opportunity for the king to reveal a willingness to heed the warnings of Jehovah, and thus to temper with mercy the judgments even now falling on city and nation. “If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes,” was the message given the king, “then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with [457] fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.” [Jeremiah 38:16-18]—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings 456.3.

The king was even too weak to be willing that his courtiers and people should know that he had held a conference with Jeremiah, so fully had the fear of man taken possession of his soul. If Zedekiah had stood up bravely and declared that he believed the words of the prophet, already half fulfilled, what desolation might have been averted! He should have said, I will obey the Lord, and save the city from utter ruin. I dare not disregard the commands of God because of the fear or favor of man. I love the truth, I hate sin, and I will follow the counsel of the Mighty One of Israel.

Then the people would have respected his courageous spirit, and those who were wavering between faith and unbelief would have taken a firm stand for the right. The very fearlessness and justice of this course would have inspired his subjects with admiration and loyalty. He would have had ample support, and Judah would have been spared the untold woe of carnage and famine and fire.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings 458.1-2. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

42.    When people see a looming threat, it is so much easier and more natural to try to fight against it.

43.    At the time when Hananiah predicted falsely that Babylon would collapse within two years and the items from the temple and the people that had been taken to Babylon would be returned, Nebuchadnezzar was quenching an internal revolt at home; it might have seemed like there was a possibility that he would not return to Jerusalem.

44.    Jeremiah, of course, would have loved it if Hananiah’s prophecy could have been true. But, he knew it would not.

45.    Hananiah had spoken using the same prophetic phrases that Jeremiah had used. His message sounded authentic and was much more appealing to his audience. So, how do we differentiate between true messages and false messages when they sound so much alike? When Hananiah finished, Jeremiah just kept quiet. When should we speak up for God? When is it better to keep quiet? Does it help to speak up on behalf of your Christian beliefs at a time or place when you are quite certain that anything you say will be made fun of? Or, despised? Have you ever had such an experience?

i-Jeremiah 16:1-13; The Lord's Will for Jeremiah's Life

16 Again the LORD spoke to me and said, 2 “Do not marry or have children in a place like this. 3 I will tell you what is going to happen to the children who are born here and to their parents. 4 They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will mourn for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie like piles of manure on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation, and their bodies will be food for the birds and the wild animals.

5 “You must not enter a house where there is mourning. Do not grieve for anyone. I will no longer bless my people with peace or show them love and mercy. 6 The rich and the poor will die in this land, but no one will bury them or mourn for them. Not one of you will gash yourself or shave your head to show your grief. 7 No one will eat or drink with anyone to offer comfort when a loved one dies. No one will show sympathy, not even for someone who has lost a father or mother.

8 “Do not enter a house where people are feasting. Do not sit down with them to eat and drink. 9 Listen to what I, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, have to say. I will silence the sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of wedding feasts. The people here will live to see this happen.

10 “When you tell them all this, they will ask you why I have decided to punish them so harshly. They will ask what crime they are guilty of and what sin they have committed against the LORD their God. 11 Then tell them that the LORD has said, ‘Your ancestors turned away from me and worshiped and served other gods. They abandoned me and did not obey my teachings. 12 But you have done even worse than your ancestors. All of you are stubborn and evil, and you do not obey me. 13 So then, I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. And there you will serve other gods day and night, and I will show you no mercy.’”

27:1-18; Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke

27 Soon after Josiah's son Zedekiah became king of Judah, the LORD told me 2 to make myself a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and to put it on my neck. 3 Then the LORD told me to send a message[a] to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who had come to Jerusalem to see King Zedekiah. 4 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, told me to command them to tell their kings that the LORD had said: 5 “By my great power and strength I created the world, human beings, and all the animals that live on the earth; and I give it to anyone I choose. 6 I am the one who has placed all these nations under the power of my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and I have made even the wild animals serve him. 7 All nations will serve him, and they will serve his son and his grandson until the time comes for his own nation to fall. Then his nation will serve powerful nations and great kings.

8 “But if any nation or kingdom will not submit to his rule, then I will punish that nation by war, starvation, and disease until I have let Nebuchadnezzar destroy it completely. 9 Do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim they can predict the future, either by dreams or by calling up the spirits of the dead or by magic. They all tell you not to submit to the king of Babylonia. 10 They are deceiving you and will cause you to be taken far away from your country. I will drive you out, and you will be destroyed. 11 But if any nation submits to the king of Babylonia and serves him, then I will let it stay on in its own land, to farm it and live there. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

12 I said the same thing to King Zedekiah of Judah, “Submit to the king of Babylonia. Serve him and his people, and you will live. 13 Why should you and your people die in war or of starvation or disease? That is what the LORD has said will happen to any nation that does not submit to the king of Babylonia. 14 Do not listen to the prophets who tell you not to surrender to him. They are deceiving you. 15 The LORD himself has said that he did not send them and that they are lying to you in his name. And so he will drive you out, and you will be killed, you and the prophets who are telling you these lies.”

16 Then I told the priests and the people that the LORD had said: “Do not listen to the prophets who say that the Temple treasures will soon be brought back from Babylonia. They are lying to you. 17 Don't listen to them! Submit to the king of Babylonia and you will live! Why should this city become a pile of ruins? 18 If they are really prophets and if they have my message, let them ask me, the LORD Almighty, not to allow the treasures that remain in the Temple and in the royal palace to be taken to Babylonia.”

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 27:3 Probable text a message; Hebrew them.

28: Jeremiah and the Prophet Hananiah

28 That same year,[a] in the fifth month of the fourth year that Zedekiah was king, Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from the town of Gibeon, spoke to me in the Temple. In the presence of the priests and of the people he told me 2 that the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, had said: “I have broken the power of the king of Babylonia. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylonia. 4 I will also bring back the king of Judah, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, along with all of the people of Judah who went into exile in Babylonia. Yes, I will break the power of the king of Babylonia. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

5 Then in the presence of the priests and of all the people who were standing in the Temple, I said to Hananiah, 6 “Wonderful! I hope the LORD will do this! I certainly hope he will make your prophecy come true and will bring back from Babylonia all the Temple treasures and all the people who were taken away as prisoners. 7 But listen to what I say to you and to the people. 8 The prophets who spoke long ago, before my time and yours, predicted that war, starvation, and disease would come to many nations and powerful kingdoms. 9 But a prophet who predicts peace can only be recognized as a prophet whom the LORD has truly sent when that prophet's predictions come true.”

10 Then Hananiah took the yoke off my neck, broke it in pieces, 11 and said in the presence of all the people, “The LORD has said that this is how he will break the yoke that King Nebuchadnezzar has put on the neck of all the nations; and he will do this within two years.” Then I left.

12 Some time after this the LORD told me 13 to go and tell Hananiah: “The LORD has said that you may be able to break a wooden yoke, but he[b] will replace it with an iron yoke. 14 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that he will put an iron yoke on all these nations and that they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. The LORD has said that he will make even the wild animals serve Nebuchadnezzar.”

15 Then I told Hananiah this, and added, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, and you are making these people believe a lie. 16 And so the LORD himself says that he is going to get rid of you. Before this year is over you will die because you have told the people to rebel against the LORD.”

17 And Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 28:1 One ancient translation That same year; Hebrew That same year at the beginning of his reign.

2. Jeremiah 28:13 One ancient translation he; Hebrew you.

Hosea 1:1-3; 1 This is the message which the LORD gave Hosea son of Beeri during the time that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Hosea's Wife and Children

2 When the LORD first spoke to Israel through Hosea, he said to Hosea, “Go and get married; your wife will be unfaithful, and your children will be just like her.[a] In the same way my people have left me and become unfaithful.”

3 So Hosea married a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. After the birth of their first child, a son,

Footnotes:

1. Hosea 1:2 get married; your wife … her; or marry a prostitute, and have children by her who will be just as bad as she is.

Daniel 4:25;

25 You will be driven away from human society and will live with wild animals. For seven years you will eat grass like an ox and sleep in the open air, where the dew will fall on you. Then you will admit that the Supreme God controls all human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

3 The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. 4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.

ii-Luke 9:23

23 And he said to them all, “If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.

iii-Jeremiah 16:1-13 The Lord's Will for Jeremiah's Life

16 Again the LORD spoke to me and said, 2 “Do not marry or have children in a place like this. 3 I will tell you what is going to happen to the children who are born here and to their parents. 4 They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will mourn for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie like piles of manure on the ground. They will be killed in war or die of starvation, and their bodies will be food for the birds and the wild animals.

5 “You must not enter a house where there is mourning. Do not grieve for anyone. I will no longer bless my people with peace or show them love and mercy. 6 The rich and the poor will die in this land, but no one will bury them or mourn for them. Not one of you will gash yourself or shave your head to show your grief. 7 No one will eat or drink with anyone to offer comfort when a loved one dies. No one will show sympathy, not even for someone who has lost a father or mother.

8 “Do not enter a house where people are feasting. Do not sit down with them to eat and drink. 9 Listen to what I, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, have to say. I will silence the sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of wedding feasts. The people here will live to see this happen.

10 “When you tell them all this, they will ask you why I have decided to punish them so harshly. They will ask what crime they are guilty of and what sin they have committed against the LORD their God. 11 Then tell them that the LORD has said, ‘Your ancestors turned away from me and worshiped and served other gods. They abandoned me and did not obey my teachings. 12 But you have done even worse than your ancestors. All of you are stubborn and evil, and you do not obey me. 13 So then, I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. And there you will serve other gods day and night, and I will show you no mercy.’”

iv-Hosea 1:1-3

1 This is the message which the LORD gave Hosea son of Beeri during the time that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Hosea's Wife and Children

2 When the LORD first spoke to Israel through Hosea, he said to Hosea, “Go and get married; your wife will be unfaithful, and your children will be just like her.[a] In the same way my people have left me and become unfaithful.”

3 So Hosea married a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. After the birth of their first child, a son,

v-Jeremiah 27:1-18 Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke

27 Soon after Josiah's son Zedekiah became king of Judah, the LORD told me 2 to make myself a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and to put it on my neck. 3 Then the LORD told me to send a message[a] to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who had come to Jerusalem to see King Zedekiah. 4 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, told me to command them to tell their kings that the LORD had said: 5 “By my great power and strength I created the world, human beings, and all the animals that live on the earth; and I give it to anyone I choose. 6 I am the one who has placed all these nations under the power of my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, and I have made even the wild animals serve him. 7 All nations will serve him, and they will serve his son and his grandson until the time comes for his own nation to fall. Then his nation will serve powerful nations and great kings.

8 “But if any nation or kingdom will not submit to his rule, then I will punish that nation by war, starvation, and disease until I have let Nebuchadnezzar destroy it completely. 9 Do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim they can predict the future, either by dreams or by calling up the spirits of the dead or by magic. They all tell you not to submit to the king of Babylonia. 10 They are deceiving you and will cause you to be taken far away from your country. I will drive you out, and you will be destroyed. 11 But if any nation submits to the king of Babylonia and serves him, then I will let it stay on in its own land, to farm it and live there. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

12 I said the same thing to King Zedekiah of Judah, “Submit to the king of Babylonia. Serve him and his people, and you will live. 13 Why should you and your people die in war or of starvation or disease? That is what the LORD has said will happen to any nation that does not submit to the king of Babylonia. 14 Do not listen to the prophets who tell you not to surrender to him. They are deceiving you. 15 The LORD himself has said that he did not send them and that they are lying to you in his name. And so he will drive you out, and you will be killed, you and the prophets who are telling you these lies.”

16 Then I told the priests and the people that the LORD had said: “Do not listen to the prophets who say that the Temple treasures will soon be brought back from Babylonia. They are lying to you. 17 Don't listen to them! Submit to the king of Babylonia and you will live! Why should this city become a pile of ruins? 18 If they are really prophets and if they have my message, let them ask me, the LORD Almighty, not to allow the treasures that remain in the Temple and in the royal palace to be taken to Babylonia.”

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 27:3 Probable text a message; Hebrew them.

vi-Jer. 26:8-9;

8 and as soon as I had finished all that the LORD had commanded me to speak, they grabbed me and shouted, “You ought to be killed for this! 9 Why have you said in the LORD's name that this Temple will become like Shiloh and that this city will be destroyed and no one will live in it?” Then the people crowded around me.

27:16-18 6 Then I told the priests and the people that the LORD had said: “Do not listen to the prophets who say that the Temple treasures will soon be brought back from Babylonia. They are lying to you. 17 Don't listen to them! Submit to the king of Babylonia and you will live! Why should this city become a pile of ruins? 18 If they are really prophets and if they have my message, let them ask me, the LORD Almighty, not to allow the treasures that remain in the Temple and in the royal palace to be taken to Babylonia.”

vii-Jer. 11:21;

21 The people of Anathoth wanted me killed, and they told me that they would kill me if I kept on proclaiming the LORD's message.

12:6 (GNT)

6 Even your relatives, members of your own family, have betrayed you;

they join in the attacks against you.

Do not trust them, even though they speak friendly words.”

viii-Jeremiah 27:2

2 to make myself a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and to put it on my neck.

ix-Deuteronomy 28:48;

48 So then, you will serve the enemies that the LORD is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked—in need of everything. The LORD[a] will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed.

1 Kings 12:4

4 “Your father Solomon treated us harshly and placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects.”

x-Jeremiah 27:5;

5 “By my great power and strength I created the world, human beings, and all the animals that live on the earth; and I give it to anyone I choose.

Daniel 4:25

25 You will be driven away from human society and will live with wild animals. For seven years you will eat grass like an ox and sleep in the open air, where the dew will fall on you. Then you will admit that the Supreme God controls all human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses.

xi-Luke 15:7

7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent.

xii-Jeremiah 28:1-9; Jeremiah and the Prophet Hananiah

28 That same year,[a] in the fifth month of the fourth year that Zedekiah was king, Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from the town of Gibeon, spoke to me in the Temple. In the presence of the priests and of the people he told me 2 that the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, had said: “I have broken the power of the king of Babylonia. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylonia. 4 I will also bring back the king of Judah, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, along with all of the people of Judah who went into exile in Babylonia. Yes, I will break the power of the king of Babylonia. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

5 Then in the presence of the priests and of all the people who were standing in the Temple, I said to Hananiah, 6 “Wonderful! I hope the LORD will do this! I certainly hope he will make your prophecy come true and will bring back from Babylonia all the Temple treasures and all the people who were taken away as prisoners. 7 But listen to what I say to you and to the people. 8 The prophets who spoke long ago, before my time and yours, predicted that war, starvation, and disease would come to many nations and powerful kingdoms. 9 But a prophet who predicts peace can only be recognized as a prophet whom the LORD has truly sent when that prophet's predictions come true.”

Footnotes:

1. Jeremiah 28:1 One ancient translation That same year; Hebrew That same year at the beginning of his reign.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22

21 “You may wonder how you can tell when a prophet's message does not come from the LORD. 22 If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and what he says does not come true, then it is not the LORD's message. That prophet has spoken on his own authority, and you are not to fear him.

xiii-Deuteronomy 13:1-3

13 “Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder, 2 in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before. Even if what they promise comes true, 3 do not pay any attention to them. The LORD your God is using them to test you, to see if you love the LORD with all your heart.

xiv-Jeremiah 28:10-11

10 Then Hananiah took the yoke off my neck, broke it in pieces, 11 and said in the presence of all the people, “The LORD has said that this is how he will break the yoke that King Nebuchadnezzar has put on the neck of all the nations; and he will do this within two years.” Then I left.

xv-Matthew 24:3-4,Troubles and Persecutions

3 As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. “Tell us when all this will be,” they asked, “and what will happen to show that it is the time for your coming and the end of the age.”

4 Jesus answered, “Watch out, and do not let anyone fool you.

11,

11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people.

23-24

23 “Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. 24 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible.

xvi-Revelation 1:7

7 Look, he is coming on the clouds! Everyone will see him, including those who pierced him. All peoples on earth will mourn over him. So shall it be!

xvii-Jeremiah 28:15-17

15 Then I told Hananiah this, and added, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, and you are making these people believe a lie. 16 And so the LORD himself says that he is going to get rid of you. Before this year is over you will die because you have told the people to rebel against the LORD.”

17 And Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.

xviii-Jeremiah 28:15

15 Then I told Hananiah this, and added, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you, and you are making these people believe a lie.

xix-2 Timothy 4:3-4;

3 The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. 4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

9 The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, 10 and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. 11 And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false. 12 The result is that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in sin, will be condemned.

xx-Matthew 10:34-39; Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; 36 your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.

37 “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. 38 Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples. 39 Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.

Luke 12:51-53;

51 Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division. 52 From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters, and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.”

Luke 14:25-27 The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, 26 “Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well. 27 Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

xxi-Jeremiah 1:5

5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”

xxii-Jeremiah 27:11-12,

11 But if any nation submits to the king of Babylonia and serves him, then I will let it stay on in its own land, to farm it and live there. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

12 I said the same thing to King Zedekiah of Judah, “Submit to the king of Babylonia. Serve him and his people, and you will live.

17

17 Don't listen to them! Submit to the king of Babylonia and you will live! Why should this city become a pile of ruins?

xxiii-Jeremiah 27:9,

9 Do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim they can predict the future, either by dreams or by calling up the spirits of the dead or by magic. They all tell you not to submit to the king of Babylonia.

14,

14 Do not listen to the prophets who tell you not to surrender to him. They are deceiving you.

16

16 Then I told the priests and the people that the LORD had said: “Do not listen to the prophets who say that the Temple treasures will soon be brought back from Babylonia. They are lying to you.

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