‘“Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord ’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord , ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”’
Jeremiah 28:2-4
This is about to be a long read, but stick with me for a moment.
Consider our text today like looking behind the curtain of Jeremiah 29:11
At this time, the children of Israel had been taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Yes, the same Nebuchadnezzar God humbled. God allowed Israel to go into exile because of their disobedience. Some were carried away into Babylon, others remained behind. Think occupation. Think colonisation. They were displaced, missing home, living as strangers in a foreign land.
Unnecessary Lie
And then Hananiah shows up with a prophecy. He told the people that in two full years God would break the yoke of Babylon, restore everything that was taken, and return them to Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 28:1–4). Imagine hearing that. Two years. Not long. This is temporary. No need to settle. No need to build. No need to plant. We will be gone soon.
Jeremiah heard this and responded carefully. He said, “Amen. May the LORD do so.” But he also reminded them that when a prophet speaks peace or doom, the fulfilment of that word is what proves whether it truly came from God (see Jeremiah 28:5–9).
Doubling Down
Then Hananiah went further. He broke the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and said this was a sign that God would break Babylon’s power in two years (see Jeremiah 28:10–11). I can only imagine how excited these people were. Maybe they didn’t shout, or maybe they did, but one thing is sure. Hope filled the air. Their expectations were reset around a timeline God had not given.
But God wasn’t about to let that happen. He told Jeremiah that Hananiah had lied. And because he caused the people to trust in a lie, there was a consequence. A yoke of iron would replace the yoke of wood (see Jeremiah 28:12–17). In other words, it’s over for him.
Think Am Well
When we open our mouths to say, “God said,” make sure that God actually said it. Sometimes ideas come into our hearts. Sometimes we sense things in our spirit. And before we verify, we attach God’s Name to it. We say “God said” when what we really mean is, “This is what I think,” or “This is what I sense,” or “This is what I want to happen.” Once you say “God said,” you cross a line. You are no longer just sharing. You are shaping how people hope, how they wait, how they prepare, and how they obey. That is not a small thing. You don’t actually have to say God said.
Scripture shows us this clearly. Paul the Apostle often differentiated. There were times he said, “The Lord says,” and other times he said, “I speak not the Lord.” (see 1 Corinthians 7). He did not blur the lines. Moses usually says nothing until he has confirmed from God. When the daughters of Zelophehad brought their case, Moses did not rush to answer. He went back to God first, then returned with, “This is what the LORD says.”
Or Just Pause
That willingness to pause and say, “I don’t know yet,” is not weakness. It is for your safety. Sometimes the rush to say “God said” is not faith. It is fear. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of not being trusted. Fear of not sounding spiritual enough. But you already carry the Spirit of God. It is okay to say, “I sense this,” while still being unsure. Scripture tells us we know in part and we prophesy in part.
Partial knowledge is not failure. Pretending certainty is where the danger is. Hananiah was not judged for hoping. He was judged for lying in God’s Name. God’s Name carries weight. He does not lack integrity. If He did not say it, do not put His Name behind it.
Prayer
Lord, let truth be formed in my inward parts.
Help me to hear You clearly and not communicate falsehood.
I come against every need for validation that causes me to say what You did not say.
Purge my heart and my voice.
Let my yes be yes and my no be no.
You desire truth in our inward parts, and I trust that as You fix my inward parts, my outward words will follow.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
