Jeremiah 28:1

 Jeremiah 28:1 says, And it came to pass the same year, in 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, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,  A supposed prophet of God came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah and said that Jeremiah was wrong as we see in the next verse.  Verse two states, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  This priest, Hananiah, told the king that God had spoken to him and that God said He had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  He directly contradicted what Jeremiah said God was saying.  Sometimes, people claim to be speaking for God when they say things that are in direct opposition to His word.  We must know enough to recognize God's truth, and the Bible and the Holy Spirit will help us to do so.  Verse three adds, 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:  Hananiah said that within two years that all the vessels of the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken into Babylon  would be returned to the temple in Jerusalem.  He was prophesying what would make him popular with the king, but it was not God's word.  Today, people may say things that are supposedly God's word to make them popular with people, but often it is not.  Verse four continues, 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.  Hananiah also said that Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim would be returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon.  This also was in opposition to what Jeremiah had said that God said.  Verse five declares, Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,  Then verse six adds, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.  Jeremiah did not stop Hananiah from saying what he had to say, but once he finished, in front of all the leaders, he then disputed what Hananiah had said.  We don't need to get in to shouting matches with other people when what they say is not consistent with God's word, but we do need to make sure that God's truth is told, even with the biggest. most powerful audience around us.  Verse seven continues, Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;  Jeremiah called on the priests, the people of Judah, and Hananiah himself to listen to his words.  They had listened to Hananiah, and now it was time to listen to Jeremiah.  We can only call on people to listen to us today when we proclaim the word of God.  Verse eight states, The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.  Jeremiah said that prophets in the past had prophesied against many countries of coming war, evil and pestilence.  Jeremiah said basically that he was not the first prophet to prophesy of coming doom in God's name, so why should he be viewed differently.  We must proclaim God's word faithfully, no matter how the world may view us.  Verse nine proclaims, The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform.  Jeremiah said that the truth of the prophesy of Hananiah who prophesied that peace would come in two years would be proven by whether peace came at that time or not.  Many people today do not accept the fact of the coming judgment of God, and the only way that it will be proven is when it occurs, but anyone claiming that it is not coming will be proven wrong in that day.  Loud arguments will not win them over to accepting God's word, and there is really no reason for us to be angry with them.  We are to reach out to them with the love of God, not so we can be proven right, but so that they might know the truth of God.