1-4 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon said to me in the temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people, “This is what the  Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the Lord’s temple that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from here and transported to Babylon. And I will restore to this place Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon’ - this is the Lord’s declaration- ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

5-7 The prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the temple of the Lord. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do that. May the Lord make the words you have prophesied come true and may he restore the articles of the Lord’s temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place!  8-9 Only listen to this message I am speaking in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace - only when the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the Lord has truly sent.”

10-11 The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke bar from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it.  In the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the  Lord says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” The prophet Jeremiah then went on his way. (Jeremiah 28 :1 -11 Christian Standard Bible)

Today's reading goes back to what we read earlier in Jeremiah when God called him to put on a yoke to symbolize the yoke of Babylon that God was placing on the nation, and which they needed to submit to. But what was the message of the prophet Hananiah in vs 1-4?

He claimed that God had broken Babylon's yoke and that, within two years, those who had been taken captive would return to Jerusalem. No doubt, that would have been a popular message which the King and the people eagerly accepted. In vs 5-7 Jeremiah says he would like to believe what Hananiah said, and that he hoped the yoke would be broken. But what was the caution Jeremiah gave to the people in vs 8-9.

He pointed out how many of the earlier prophets had all preached that many kingdoms – including Israel and Judea - would be shaken and would fall. He probably had prophets like Isaiah, Amos and Micah in mind. And, speaking through Jeremiah, God had Himself said: “The priests and prophets have healed the wound of my people lightly, by falsely saying, ‘Peace, peace’, when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 8:11) What was Hananiah's response? (vs 10-11)

It was pretty dramatic. He must have had a forceful personality and sounded very convincing. And that's where an important lesson comes in. Ever since the gospel went into the world there have been times when people arose with forceful personalities, and who sounded very convincing in what they taught. And yet their message was a false one. It wasn't the true message of the peace that can only come through believing in the same Jesus that was preached by the apostles. That's why the apostle Paul gave such a strong warning to Christians when He said: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we - or an angel from heaven - should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!” Galatians 1:6-8

Don't be misled by preachers who are dramatic and who only preach the sort of messages that make you feel good. We need to carefully consider what we hear in the light of what is taught in the Bible by the faithful prophets and apostles of old.