Lesson 9 November 21-27 Jeremiah's Yoke

Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 28.

Memory Text: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

As we have already seen, God's prophets preached not only through words but also through object lessons. At times the prophets had to live out the messages; it was another way to get the point across.

Thus, Jeremiah again was called to “live out” the words he was to deliver. First, he had to wear a wooden yoke. “Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck” (Jer. 27:2). That had to have been a burdensome task, even under the best of circumstances; in this case, it became harder because a false prophet challenged what Jeremiah said. This week we can get a powerful look at truth and error contending for the hearts and minds of the people. We will see, too, how a message of grace can also be a false message.

Jeremiah also was forbidden to enter into mourning when others mourned and rejoicing when others rejoiced. In these cases, the point was to help the people realize what was coming because of their sins, and so to repent and obey, lessening the doleful consequence of their sinful actions.

Sunday November 22 A Solitary LifeNo question, Jeremiah's lot in life wasn't an easy

one (he would be the first to admit it too!). Things, though, were even harder than we might have imagined.Read Jeremiah 16:1-13. The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,Jer 16:2  Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.Not take thee a wife. This prohibition doubtless came early in the prophet’s life, for Hebrew youth generally married at an early age (see on Gen. 38:1; 2 Kings 22:1; 23:36; see Vol. II, p. 151). The reason for this prohibition is

indicated in Jer. 16:3, 4. Both parents and children were soon to suffer the most tragic fate. Jeremiah’s unmarried state was thus a sign to that rebellious generation. Compare Isa. 8:18; Eze. 24:24, 27. The conduct of the work of God often requires personal sacrifices (Luke 14:26; see on 1 Cor. 7:29).Jer 16:3  For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;Jer 16:4  They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.Jer 16:5  For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.

5. House of mourning. The LXX reads “mourning feast.” This prohibition emphasized further the seriousness of the troubles that were to come upon Judah (see Eze. 24:15–27; see on Lev. 10:6, 7). My peace. No greater affliction could come upon the people of Judah than this, for God’s “peace” comprehended all other blessings as the full expression of the Lord’s “lovingkindness and mercies” (see John 14:27; see on Jer. 6:14).

Jer 16:6  Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

6. Not be buried. See on v. 4. Cut themselves, … make themselves bald. These heathen practices “for the dead” were forbidden in the law (see Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1; cf. Jer. 7:29). Evidently the Israelites had adopted these customs, probably following them with increasing frequency during the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh (see Jer. 41:5; Micah 1:16). Of the two evils, the shaving of the crown of the head was probably more commonly practiced.

Jer 16:7  Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or

for their mother.7. Tear themselves. In this passage the LXX reads, “Thou shalt not break

bread in mourning for them,” a reading supported by two Hebrew MSS and adopted by some English versions. If the reading is correct the reference here is probably to funeral meals.

Jer 16:8  Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

8. The house of feasting. Not only was Jeremiah to avoid the place of mourning (see v. 5); he was also to refrain from attending any social occasion of gladness or merriment. In the solemn awareness of his solitary mission he was to remain aloof from such gatherings.

Jer 16:9  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.Jer 16:10  And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

10. What is our iniquity? Another instance when the apostates out of their spiritual obtuseness or hypocritical surprise inquire why God’s judgment should come upon them (see chs. 5:19; 13:22). Blinded to the reality and depth of their own iniquity, they could not see that they were worse than others, and found spurious yet soothing comfort in the comparison. Ever did they cling to the forms of true worship and trusted in the Temple (see on ch. 7:4).

Jer 16:11  Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;Jer 16:12     And ye have done worse than your fathers ; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil

heart, that they may not hearken unto me:Jer 16:13  Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

12. Imagination. Literally, “stubbornness.”13. Serve other gods. Since persistently God’s people were determined to

serve foreign gods in their own land, in righteous retribution the Lord would place them in the land of these gods to serve them there.

What was the Lord's message to Jeremiah here? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: His message was to basically live out in his life the seriousness of the nation’s plight. Not to marry, not to lament, not to rejoice. However harsh, in what ways would it have been a blessing to the prophet? (Compare with Hos. 1:1-3. Hosea 1:1-3 1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotryAnd children of harlotry,For the land has committed great harlotryBy departing from the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.) MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: Basically, just to be able to participate with Christ and his suffering. His abstinence would lighten his load in ministry.

In contrast to Hosea, who was to marry a harlot in order to show just how corrupt the relationship had become between the Lord and Israel due to the nation's spiritual harlotry, Jeremiah was to refrain from marriage and from having children altogether. This was something rather rare and extreme for that time and culture. In Israel, starting a family was very important for every young man. Besides the love and companionship between spouses, it was also important to carry on the family name. Why did God forbid Jeremiah from starting a family? So that his own life

would be an object lesson on how terrible that time would be when families broke up and when the pain of separation became a heavy burden on the survivors. Jeremiah's lack of family life was a constant warning and lesson for his contemporaries.

Jeremiah's solitary lot extended into other areas as well. He was forbidden to enter a house where there was mourning; this would symbolize the people's unwillingness to respond to God's calls for repentance and revival.

Along with times of mourning, he was not to join their festivals of joy and celebration. This was to symbolize the coming time when the Babylonians would bring an end to all of their joy and rejoicing.

In these ways, the human bonds that are forged, whether in mourning or joy, would be denied Jeremiah. His life and the sorrows of his life were to be object lessons. If only the nation would learn from them!

How should this account help us learn to appreciate the human support that we enjoy getting from others, or that we give to others? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: By putting ourselves in his place. Think about our need and how it would it would have been if we didn’t have that when we need it. As we think of what it must have been like for him to not have the people and resources in his life our heart should cry out in thanks..... plus think of the benefits that we experience or setbacks in our lives without them... However important this support, how can we learn that, ultimately, our best support comes only from the Lord? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can best learn it from experience and example. See in times of need, opposition, desperation and uncertainty, opportunities to learn.

Monday November 23 Jeremiah's YokeRead Jeremiah 27:1-18. Symbol of the Bonds and Yokes1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord,

saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck, 3 and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel - thus you shall say to your masters: 5 ‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me. 6 And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. 7 So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. 8 And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,” says the Lord, “with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. 9 Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’10 For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,” says the Lord, “and they shall till it and dwell in it.”’”12 I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; 15 for I have

not sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the vessels of the Lord”s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon’; for they prophesy a lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? 18 But if they areprophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.”What is the message of the Lord to the people? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: The acting out of such symbolic predictions as this (see Isa. 20:2; Jer. 18; 19; Eze. 12:5–7; Acts 21:11) was to impress forcefully upon the people what the future held for them, and to arouse them, if possible, to a sense of their spiritual lack. Appearing as he did, as though he were a captive slave in bonds or a beast of burden under the yoke, Jeremiah would capture the attention of all as words alone could not. The nations involved in this conspiracy, especially Zedekiah, were to be left without any excuse for thinking that their plans had any prospect of success. Why would this seem treasonous to many who heard it? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: It would seem treasonous because his life and choices would appear as a betrayal of his king and country. It would suggest supporting the enemy or demonstrating a lack of loyalty to all that he should represent.

The yoke Jeremiah had to put on his body was an unmistakable sign of the humiliation that the nation suffered; it's what we call a military occupation. (In Deuteronomy 28:48 and 1 Kings 12:4, the idea of a yoke appears as an expression of oppression.) Jeremiah had to

experience physically what the Babylonian invasion meant. The wooden yoke Jeremiah put on his arms and shoulders was one and a half meters long and eight centimeters thick. The essence of his message was that if a country revolted against Babylon, the Lord would take it as if the country had revolted against Him, and the rebellious would suffer as a result.

Though there is some ambiguity in the original texts, it seems that Jeremiah did not have to make a yoke only for himself, but also for the envoys of foreign countries who had come to Jerusalem and were plotting against Nebuchadnezzar-despite the Lord's warnings not to. The natural response would be to fight against a foreign invader, which is what they wanted to do. No doubt, then, Jeremiah's words were not at all welcome.What's especially important about the message in Jeremiah 27:5? 5 “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.” (See also Dan. 4:25. Daniel 4:2525 They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.) MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: That God is ultimately in charge of the world, its governments and providently works out that which is His will.

Here again, as we find all through the Bible-Old and New Testaments-the Lord as Creator is Sovereign over all the earth. Even amid what appears to be chaos and catastrophe (invasion and dominion by a pagan nation), the power and authority of God is revealed, and this was, and is, to be a source of hope to all in the faithful remnant.It's one thing to be under a yoke of bondage. However, ask yourself: Have you placed someone else under an unfair yoke, and if so, why not remove it now? MY

POSSIBLE ANSWER: Not that I am aware of. But it is possible to do that by the expectations and demands that we place on others...whether it be our spouses, children or work associates.

Tuesday November 24 War of the ProphetsBad news is bad news, and often we don't want to hear it, or we want to rationalize it away. Such was the case here in Judah with Jeremiah and the yoke that he bore, an unmistakable message of warning to the people. “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 .Read Jeremiah 28:1-9. Hananiahs Falsehood and Doom1 And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.   3   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. 4 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.”5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of theLord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord”s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.7 Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 The prophets who have been before me and

before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms - of war and disaster and pestilence. 9   As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known   as   one whom the   Lord   has truly sent . Imagine you are a Judean standing there and watching all this going on. Whom would you believe? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: We would be placed in a position to decide and forced to make a decision. The unfortunate thing about Jeremiah’s criteria is that by time it comes to pass, it would be too late for they would be captives. Based on the word of God, we would apply the test to the prophet. After prayer and scrutiny, I would hopefully side with Jeremiah.Whom would you want to believe? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: No doubt we would want to believe the one who preaches that which is reassuring... the one who meets our expectations and what we want to hear. What reason would you have, if any, for believing Hananiah rather than Jeremiah? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: His

Jeremiah raised his voice in the name of God, and Hananiah spoke in the name of God too. But who was speaking for God? They both couldn't be! For us today, the answer is obvious. For someone at that time, it might have been more difficult, even though Jeremiah does make a powerful point in Jeremiah 28;8-9: the prophets in the past have preached the same message that I am, that of judgment and doom.

“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 .In short, just as we today are to learn lessons from sacred

history, Jeremiah was seeking to get the people in his time to do the same thing: LEARN FROM THE PAST, SO YOU DON'T MAKE THE SAME ERRORS THAT YOUR FOREFATHERS DID. If it had been hard for them to listen to him before, now with the “ministry” of Hananiah there to counter him, Jeremiah's task was going to be that much more difficult.Hananiah, whose name means “God has been gracious,” seemed to be presenting a message of grace, of forgiveness, of salvation. What lessons should we learn from this false preacher of grace? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: A) Do not believe just anyone who purports to speak in the name of the Lord. B) Examine the person and his message. C) Look at the evidence of history. D) Pray for God’s revelation and guidance. E) Remember that we are in a war, to be indecisive is criminal.

Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 440 – 446.Chapter 36 – The Last King of Judah

Zedekiah at the beginning of his reign was trusted fully by the king of Babylon and had as a tried counselor the prophet Jeremiah. By pursuing an honorable course toward the Babylonians and by paying heed to the messages from the Lord through Jeremiah, he could have kept the respect of many in high authority and have had opportunity to communicate to them a knowledge of the true God. Thus the captive exiles already in Babylon would have been placed on vantage ground and granted many liberties; the name of God would have been honored far and wide; and those that remained in the land of Judah would have been spared the terrible calamities that finally came upon them.

Through Jeremiah, Zedekiah and all Judah, including those taken to Babylon, were counseled to submit quietly to the temporary rule of their conquerors. It was especially important that those in captivity should seek the peace of the land into which they had been carried. This, however,

was contrary to the inclinations of the human heart; and Satan, taking advantage of the circumstances, caused false prophets to arise among the people, both in Jerusalem and in Babylon, who declared that the yoke of bondage would soon be broken and the former prestige of the nation restored.

The heeding of such flattering prophecies would have led to fatal moves on the part of the king and the exiles, and would have frustrated the merciful designs of God in their behalf. Lest an insurrection be incited and great suffering ensue, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to meet the crisis without delay, by warning the king of Judah of the sure consequence of rebellion. The captives also were admonished, by written communications, not to be deluded into believing their deliverance near. "Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you," he urged. Jeremiah 29:8. In this connection mention was made of the Lord's purpose to restore Israel at the close of the seventy years of captivity foretold by His messengers.

With what tender compassion did God inform His captive people of His plans for Israel! He knew that should they be persuaded by false prophets to look for a speedy deliverance, their position in Babylon would be made very difficult. Any demonstration or insurrection on their part would awaken the vigilance and severity of the Chaldean authorities and would lead to a further restriction of their liberties. Suffering and disaster would result. He desired them to submit quietly to their fate and make their servitude as pleasant as possible; and his counsel to them was: "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; . . . and seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace." Verses 5-7.

Among the false teachers in Babylon were two men who claimed to be holy, but whose lives were corrupt. Jeremiah had condemned the evil course of these men and had warned them of their danger. Angered by reproof, they sought to oppose the work of the true prophet by stirring up the people to discredit his words and to act contrary to the

counsel of God in the matter of subjecting themselves to the king of Babylon. The Lord testified through Jeremiah that these false prophets should be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and slain before his eyes. Not long afterward, this prediction was literally fulfilled.

To the end of time, men will arise to create confusion and rebellion among those who claim to be representatives of the true God. Those who prophesy lies will encourage men to look upon sin as a light thing. When the terrible results of their evil deeds are made manifest, they will seek, if possible, to make the one who has faithfully warned them, responsible for their difficulties, even as the Jews charged Jeremiah with their evil fortunes. But as surely as the words of Jehovah through His prophet were vindicated anciently, so surely will the certainty of His messages be established today.

From the first, Jeremiah had followed a consistent course in counseling submission to the Babylonians. This counsel was given not only to Judah, but to many of the surrounding nations. In the earlier portion of Zedekiah's reign, ambassadors from the rulers of Edom, Moab, Tyre, and other nations visited the king of Judah to learn whether in his judgment the time was opportune for a united revolt and whether he would join them in battling against the king of Babylon. While these ambassadors were awaiting a response, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah." Jeremiah 27:2,3.

Jeremiah was commanded to instruct the ambassadors to inform their rulers that God had given them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and that they were to "serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come." Verse 7.The ambassadors were further instructed to declare to their rulers that if they refused to serve the Babylonian king they

should be punished "with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence" till they were consumed. Especially were they to turn from the teaching of false prophets who might counsel otherwise. "Hearken not ye to your prophets," the Lord declared, "nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein." Verses 8-11. The lightest punishment that a merciful God could inflict upon so rebellious a people was submission to the rule of Babylon, but if they warred against this decree of servitude they were to feel the full vigor of His chastisement.

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.Against determined opposition Jeremiah stood firmly for the policy of submission. Prominent among those who presumed to gainsay the counsel of the Lord was Hananiah, one of the false prophets against whom the people had been warned. Thinking to gain the favor of the king and of the royal court, he lifted his voice in protest, declaring that God had given him words of encouragement for the Jews. Said he: "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord's house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: and I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." Jeremiah 28:2-4.

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."The prophet which prophesieth of peace," Jeremiah proposed in conclusion, "when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him." Verse 9. If Israel chose to run the risk, future developments would effectually decide which was the true prophet.

The words of Jeremiah counseling submission aroused Hananiah to a daring challenge of the reliability of the message delivered. Taking the symbolic yoke from Jeremiah's neck, Hananiah broke it, saying, "Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years."And the prophet Jeremiah went his way." Verse II. Apparently he could do nothing more than to retire from the scene of conflict. But Jeremiah was given another message. "Go and tell Hananiah," he was bidden, "Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. . . ."Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month." Verses 13-17.

The false prophet had strengthened the unbelief of the people in Jeremiah and his message. He had wickedly declared himself the Lord's messenger, and he suffered death in consequence. In the fifth month Jeremiah prophesied the death of Hananiah, and in the seventh month his words were proved true by their fulfillment.

Wednesday November 25 The Yoke of IronThe battle between the prophets wasn't just one of words, but of deeds as well. In obedience to the command of God, Jeremiah put the wooden yoke around his neck; this was an overt symbol of the message that he had carried to the people.What was the prophetic symbolism of Hananiah's act? Jer. 28:1-11. Hananiahs Falsehood and Doom1 And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the   Lord   in the presence of the priests and of all the people , saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 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.3. Two full years. It is possible that the alliance between Judah and the neighboring nations against Nebuchadnezzar (see ch. 27:1–8) was taking shape and that Hananiah did not doubt the certainty of its success. 4 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.”5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of theLord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord”s house and all who were carried away captive,

from Babylon to this place.7 Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:

6. Amen. The prophet may have meant, “I wish that were the case; it would be wonderful if that were true.” Some, however, hold that Jeremiah uttered these words in biting irony, the prophet seemingly putting himself in accord with the prediction of Hananiah only the more emphatically to reveal its falsity.

7. Nevertheless. The Lord had something to say in the matter regardless of any wishes or predictions of man. 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms - of war and disaster and pestilence. 9   As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known   as   one whom the   Lord   has truly sent.

9. Peace. See on ch. 6:14. Prophet be known. To gain favor the false prophet satisfied and deceived the people with promises of an assured prosperity, in opposition to the predictions of “evil, and of pestilence” (see v. 8) given by the true prophet (see on ch. 14:13). Jeremiah knew he could rest his case on the issue of the fulfillment or nonfulfillment of his prophecies (see Deut. 18:20–22).

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiahs neck and broke it. 

10. Brake it. This experience of the false prophet Hananiah and the true prophet Jeremiah parallels that of Zedekiah and Micaiah (1 Kings 22:8–25). By this presumptuous act of force Hananiah undoubtedly wished to show the people that he would not permit them to be outraged by this odious symbol of servitude. His breaking of the yoke was meant to be a guarantee that the Babylonian power would be destroyed.

11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.Jeremiah went his way. The true prophet did not resist or retaliate against Hananiah’s use of physical force. MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: Hananiah undoubtedly wished to show the people that he would not permit them to be outraged by this odious symbol of

servitude. His breaking of the yoke was meant to be a guarantee that the Babylonian power would be destroyed.

Imagine, for example, that after Jesus cursed the fig tree (Mark 11:13, 19-21), someone who had heard what Jesus said and knew what had happened had replanted a new fig tree in the same spot, all in an attempt (MY POSSIBLE ANSWER Continued): to refute the prophecy of Jesus there. This is what Hananiah did with Jeremiah and the prophecy that the yoke around his neck symbolized. It was an act of open defiance of what Jeremiah said.Note, too, Jeremiah's reaction. The texts record nothing of what he said right after the yoke was broken. He just turned around and walked away. If the story ended there, it would have seemed that the prophet had retreated in defeat.Read Jeremiah 28:12-14.12 Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also.”’” What happened next? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: God gives His true Prophet a message sometime later.What was Jeremiah's new message? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: God gives Jeremiah a message saying the He will use Babylon to enslave all the nations with a yoke of iron and not of wood.

Jeremiah's response wasn't a message of revenge: you did this to me, so I will do that to you. Instead, it was another clear message from the Lord, but even stronger than what came before. Hananiah might have been able to break a wooden yoke, but who can break an iron one? In a sense,

what the Lord said to them was that by their obstinacy and refusal to obey, they only were making matters worse. If you thought a wooden yoke was bad, try an iron one.Who hasn't learned the hard way about making things more difficult for ourselves by obstinacy? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: True, probably most of us... Especially those who tend to be independent and self-willed. When dealing with the Lord, why is it always better to submit and surrender right away than to keep on fighting and making things harder on yourself? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: We can be spared of greater embarrassment, pain and loss. Demonstration and example of love and commitment. Increase our growth in sanctification.

Thursday November 26 Trusting in Lies“Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but

thou makest this people to trust in a lie” (Jer. 28:15).The answer about who was right, whether Jeremiah or

Hananiah, came soon enough. Jeremiah 28:16-17 tells the fate of the false prophet, which was just what the true prophet had said it would be.(16 Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against theLord.” 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.)

Though Hananiah died, he still had done damage to the nation. His works, in a sense, followed him. He made the people “to trust in a lie.” The Hebrew verb is hiphil, a causative form of the verb “to trust.” He caused them to trust in a lie, not in the sense of physically forcing them, but through deception. Even though the Lord had not sent him, he spoke in the name of the Lord, which carried a lot of weight in Judah. Added to that, Hananiah's message of “grace,” “deliverance,” and “redemption” was certainly something that the people wanted to hear, considering the great threat that Babylon posed to the nation. It was,

though, a false “gospel,” a false message of salvation that the Lord had not given them. So, at a time when the people needed to hear the words of Jeremiah and the message of redemption that he brought, they listened to the words of Hananiah instead, and this made their woes only worse.What do the following texts have in common with Jeremiah 28:15? 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.”

2 Timothy 4:3, 43 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

3. The time will come. The apostle was undoubtedly thinking of the great apostasy that was soon to develop in the church, and which would continue to imperil it until the second advent of Christ (see on Matt. 24:23–27; Acts 20:28–31; 2 Thess. 2:1–12; 1 Tim. 4:1–3; 2 Tim. 3:1–5). Endure. That is, listen to willingly. Sound. Or, “healthy” (see on ch. 1:13). Only the truth will give strength and vitality to the Christian. Erroneous teachings breed quarrels and leanness of soul (cf. 1 Tim. 6:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 17, 23; 3:8). Doctrine. That is, the “word” (v. 2). Compare “sound words” (ch. 1:13). After. That is, in harmony with. Lusts. Or, “desires” (see on ch. 3:6). Heap to themselves. That is, accumulate around themselves. Itching ears. Not of the teachers, but of those who “will not endure sound doctrine,” as the Greek makes clear. Because of their perverted “lusts” these shallowminded hearers “itch” for fanciful interpretations of Scripture with which to gratify their curiosity and personal “desires.” They are interested only in those portions of Scripture they can construe as promising them peace and security. They neglect the stern demands of “sound doctrine,” which cut deep into a man’s soul. They have a superficial desire for religion, but only for so much of it as will not disturb the routine of their perverted lives.

4. They shall turn. Those who “will not endure sound doctrine” willfully choose their own destiny. No man’s will is forced; no man is lost because God or anyone else decreed his damnation. Those whom Paul here describes refuse to accept the Bible as their sole authority and standard for religious teaching and personal conduct. Truth. “Sound doctrine” (v. 3) does not praise man. Rather, it exposes his miserable condition and reveals his ignominious fate apart from the intervention of the grace of God. “Truth” reveals the nature of God and of His remedy for sin. An adjustment of the life, a total redirection of his interests and goals, in harmony with the truth, constitutes man’s only acceptable response to “sound doctrine.” Fables. See on 1 Tim. 1:4. Even when making use of the Bible, these unfaithful Christians construct their own doctrinal theories, which accord with their personal desires. Biblical words may clothe their thoughts, but the ideas

expressed are fraught with error. Bible texts used apart from their original meaning and context may prove as unsafe for guidance as the mere words of men.1

MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: The similarity is in the tendency to trust that which God has not said and those who teach fables. They are interested only in that which they can construe as promising them peace and security.

2 Thess. 2:10-12 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

10. All deceivableness of unrighteousness. That is, all deceit that comes from unrighteousness. This further identifies the nature of the counterfeit by laying bare its purpose (to deceive) and origin (unrighteousness). In them that perish. Literally, “to [or, “for”] the perishing ones,” or “for them that are perishing.” The same Greek phrase occurs in 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3. Satan succeeds in deceiving the unredeemed. The elect will not be deceived (cf. Matt. 24:23–27). Received. Gr. dechomai, “to receive with favor,” “to welcome” (see on 2 Cor. 6:1). Paul here puts his finger on the reason why the unbelievers will be deceived. They had had an opportunity to love the truth, but had spurned that privilege. The love of the truth. The unregenerate not only reject truth but even refuse to entertain a love for truth, that is, they hate truth. This attitude does not concern truth in the abstract, but “the truth,” the one great truth that comes from God, which is embodied in Christ Jesus. Final condemnation of sinners will be based on their rejection of Jesus, who is “the truth” (John 14:6). Their refusal to cherish a love for what is true makes them susceptible to being influenced by all that is deceitful, by all the machinations of the wicked one. Might be saved. Just as rejection of the truth which is in Christ Jesus spells death, so its acceptance brings life unto eternal salvation.

 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

11. For this cause. Or, “because of this,” that is, because of the unbelievers’ refusal to love and believe the truth. What follows is a result of their obdurate attitude. God shall send. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 10) the reading “God sends”; that is, at the same time the “Wicked” one is flooding the world with his deceits (vs. 8–10). At the final stage in world history here forecast, the unregenerate have clearly chosen lies in preference to truth, and have placed themselves beyond redemption. God therefore abandons them to the course of their choosing (see on Rom. 1:18, 24). In the Scriptures God is often said to do that which He does not prevent (see on 1 Sam. 16:14; 2 Chron. 18:18). Strong delusion. Literally, “a working of error” (cf. on v. 9), that is, an operation that leads to the final error that results in irrevocable condemnation. A

1 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 7, p. 348). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

lie. Rather, “the lie,” that is, the crowning deception, when Satan impersonates Christ. There can be no worse lie than this, that the author of evil should pose as Christ, the Source of truth. Those who are deluded into thinking Satan to be Jesus are beyond redemption.

12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

12. Might be damned. Gr. krinō, “to judge.” The result of such judgment is to be inferred from the context, not from the word krinō (see on Rom. 2:2).

Believed not the truth. A negative definition of those who, in v. 11, are said to believe literally, “the lie,” as in v. 10 they are said to receive not the love of the truth.

But had pleasure. That is, they found their pleasure in unrighteousness or iniquity. This is the inspired analysis of the mentality of those who are lost: they preferred sin to righteousness, they enjoyed doing what was wrong rather than doing what was right. 2

MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: Thessalonians has in common with Jeremiah that fact that unbelievers will be deceived while having an opportunity to love the truth, but had spurned that privilege. Their refusal to cherish a love for what is true makes them susceptible to being influenced by all that is deceitful, by all the machinations of the wicked one.

Things are no different today: we are in the great controversy, a battle for the hearts and minds of the world's billions. Satan is working diligently to get as many as possible to “trust in a lie,” and that lie can come in many guises and forms, just as long as it is always a lie. After all, because Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), Satan's lies can be about anything and everything, just as long as they don't contain the truth as it is in Jesus.What are some of the lies that are so prevalent in your culture today? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: A) That prosperity is synonymous with God’s approbation or favor. B) That faith and works saves a person over against works being an evidence of saving faith. C) That God will accept our sincerity over against

2 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 7, pp. 274–275). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

obedience to his revealed will. D) that the dead are not really dead. E) God has changed His law... the 7th day Sabbath. F) that Jesus was a good man but not really the Savior. G) that God loves us so much and that he will save us no matter what condition we are in. Why is clinging to Jesus, and His Word, our only protection against them? MY POSSIBLE ANSWER: it is only the truth that will set us free. Our relationship to Jesus and the practice of the truth that he taught and lived is the only catalyst for and means of change. Clinging to the truth in Jesus is a defense against the deceptions of the enemy. It is the nature of the truth to give strength and vitality to the Christian... it exposes his miserable condition and reveals his ignominious fate apart from the intervention of the grace of God. “Truth” reveals the nature of God and of His remedy for sin.

Friday November 27 Further Thought: :

As we have seen, people want to believe good news, not bad. They wanted to believe, for instance, in Hananiah's message, not Jeremiah's. Today the same thing happens as well. Many still insist, for instance, that our world will only improve over time. Yet, even an atheist like Terry Eagleton sees just how farcical that idea is: “If ever there was a pious myth and piece of credulous superstition, it is the liberal-rationalist belief that, a few hiccups apart, we are all steadily en route to a finer world. This brittle triumphalism is a hangover from the heroic epoch of liberalism, when the middle classes' star was in the ascendant.

Today, it sits cheek by jowl with the cynicism, skepticism, or nihilism into which much of that honorable lineage has degenerated.”-Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate, (Yale University Press), Kindle Edition, p. 70. Though some aspects of life have improved, our world, in and of itself, offers us little hope, little consolation, especially in the long run. If we are to have

any real hope, it has to be in something divine, not earthly, in something supernatural, not natural. And of course, that's what the gospel is all about: God's divine and supernatural intervention in our world and our lives. Without that, what do we have other than just more Hananiahs and their lies?

Discussion Questions:1Think about our earth's future as a whole, even if from a

purely human standpoint. Does it look hopeful and full of promise, or does it look fearful, dangerous, and full of uncertainty? What reasons can you give for your answers?

2 Jeremiah's message, as we saw in the context of Hananiah's lies, was to look at the past, to look at history, and to learn from it. Ellen G. White wrote something similar: “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.”-Life Sketches , p. 196 . What does she mean by that? What has happened in our past, and God's teaching in it, that can help us be prepared for what will undoubtedly come in the future?

3Hananiah gave a false message of grace. What are some of those false messages of grace today that we must guard ourselves against? Grace, of course, is our only hope, but in what ways can it be presented as a lie?

In=========Ellen G. White, Life Sketches, pp. 194 - 196.

Chapter 31 - Burden BearersOctober 25, 1869, while at Adams Center, N. Y., I was shown that some ministers among us fail to bear all the responsibility that God would have them. This lack throws extra labor upon those who are burden bearers. Some ministers fail to move out and venture something in the cause and work of God. Important decisions are to be made, but as mortal man cannot see the end from the beginning, some shrink from venturing and advancing as the providence of God

leads. Some one must advance; some one must venture in the fear of God, trusting the result with Him. Those ministers who shun this part of the labor are losing much. They are failing to obtain that experience which God designed they should have to make them strong, efficient men that can be relied upon in any emergency.During my husbands affliction, the Lord tested and proved His people, to reveal what was in their hearts; and in so doing He showed to them what was undiscovered in themselves that was not according to the Spirit of God. The Lord proved to His people that the wisdom of man is foolishness, and that unless they possess firm trust and reliance on God, their plans and calculations will prove a failure. We are to learn from all these things. If errors are committed, they should teach and instruct, but not lead to the shunning of burdens and responsibilities. Where much is at stake, and where matters of vital consequence are to be considered, and important questions settled, Gods servants should take individual responsibility. They cannot lay off the burden, and yet do the will of God.Some ministers are deficient in the qualifications necessary to build up the churches, and they are not willing to wear in the cause of God. They should have a disposition to give themselves wholly to the work, with their interest undivided, their zeal unabated, their patience and perseverance untiring. With these qualifications in lively exercise, the churches would be kept in order.God had cautioned and warned my husband in regard to the preservation of his strength. I was shown that he had been raised up by the Lord, and

that he was living as a miracle of mercy - not for the purpose of again gathering upon him the burdens under which he once fell, but that the people of God might be benefited by his experience in advancing the general interests of the cause, and in connection with the work the Lord has given me, and the burden He has laid upon me to bear.During the years that followed the recovery of my husband, the Lord opened before us a vast field of labor. Though I took the stand as a speaker timidly at first, yet as the providence of God opened the way before me, I had confidence to stand before large audiences. Together we attended our camp meetings and other large gatherings, from Maine to Dakota, from Michigan to Texas and California.The work begun in feebleness and obscurity has continued to increase and strengthen. Publishing houses and missions in many lands attest its growth. In place of the edition of our first paper carried to the post office in a carpetbag, many hundreds of thousands of copies of our various periodicals are now sent out monthly from the offices of publication. The hand of God has been with His work to prosper and build it up.The later history of my life would involve the history of many of the enterprises which have arisen among us, and with which my life work has been closely intermingled. For the upbuilding of these institutions, my husband and myself labored with pen and voice. To notice, even briefly, the experiences of these active and busy years, would far exceed the limits of this sketch. Satans efforts to hinder the work and to destroy the workmen have not ceased; but God has had a care for His servants and for His work.

In reviewing our past history, having travelled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. 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.We are debtors to God to use every advantage He has entrusted to us to beautify the truth by holiness of character, and to send the messages of warning, and of comfort, of hope and love, to those who are in the darkness of error and sin.

=========God’s Saving Hand—Part 2

Treating the wounds was nearly as painful as the burns themselves. Every day nurses removed the bandages and soaked the burns in salt water. Then they gently scraped the burns to remove the dead skin. This would help prevent infection. The nurses taught Mrs. Banda how to wash the wounds and apply the medicine. She stayed in the hospital with her husband and son to prepare their meals and help care for them.After two long months Pastor Banda insisted that he could stay no longer in the hospital. His muscles were weak, and he could barely walk, but he was concerned about his church members.After Pastor Banda returned home, Joshua and his mother remained in the hospital for four more months. Every day his mother talked gently to him as she cleaned and dressed his wounds. Her presence strengthened the boy and gave him hope.It was difficult for the family to be separated for so

many months. They couldn’t visit one another, but they could pray.After six months Joshua was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for another three months of physical therapy. He couldn’t walk, but he learned to shuffle along behind a walker. His mother began a new routine of daily therapy. She soaked his legs in warm water, then stretched the muscles in his legs. It was painful, but she urged Joshua to sing instead of cry.At last Joshua was able to go home, but his mother continued treating him and encouraged him to walk. When he saw his friends playing outside, he wanted to play too. After a year of recovery and therapy Joshua was able to walk without help.Pastor Banda’s recovery took a long time too. His damaged leg muscles would not stretch enough to allow him to ride a bicycle. And this made it very difficult for him to get from one church to another in the countryside. But his churches continued to grow in size and in faith.Pastor Banda knows that throughout their ordeal God was beside each member of the family, encouraging, blessing, and healing. “God was blessing us even during our most difficult hour,” he says. “When I returned to work from the hospital, the church prospered even more, and more people came into the church than had been coming before the fire.”Mrs. Banda was also grateful for God’s blessings during the terrible ordeal. “I thank God for saving my husband and son,” she says. “This experience taught me the importance of spending more time with my family. I had failed to notice some special qualities in little Joshua that I saw when he was in the hospital.

For example, he has a wonderful talent for singing that I did not fully realize until I heard him singing while he was confined to his bed in the hospital. During our long hospital stay we had time to become good friends with each other and with God.”___After studying at Solusi University in Zimbabwe, Wesley Banda is now an ordained minister working in Malawi. While at Solusi, Oliva Banda also took some classes, as time permitted.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. email: info@adventistmission.org    website: www.adventistmission.org