Islam the Straight Path

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Introduction
Jeremiah 28 stands at a crossroads of sorts within the book of Jeremiah. The prophet was in a season of maturity and growth in his ministry. Up to this point, he had sent forth many prophetic messages in the name of the LORD, with virtually little to no opposition, at least physically and in content, to his message. In this passage, however, we begin to see the personal conflicts that begin to arise because of his seemingly “hopeless” message regarding the exile of Judah to Babylon; conflicts with the people themselves, with the prophets in Judah, and with the prophets in exile. Jeremiah 28 details his personal conflict with a prophet in Judah.

II. Text and Translation
1. And in that same year, in the reign of Zedekiah the king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the eyes of all the priests and in the eyes of all the people, saying: 2. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3. In two years, I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and took to Babylon. 4. And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah, who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”
5. And the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the eyes of the priests and the eyes of all the people standing in the house of the LORD. 6. And the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! Thus may the LORD do. May the LORD fulfill the words which you have prophesied, to bring back the utensils of the house of t...

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...ge under consideration – the office of the prophet and the temple. The office of the prophet has already been discussed. The temple forms the locale for the narrative, which mentions also the priests who were in attendance. The temple was clearly an important part of the cultural, economic, and religious of Israel. It was the center around which all its activities revolved. It symbolized, in prophecy and tradition, God’s relationship with his people. While this chapter mentions the specific date Hananiah challenged Jeremiah, there does not seem to be any indication that it fell on any religious or national holiday. However, because it did serve as a hub for the people, it would be safe to say the message was given at a time when many people were in attendance. This would obviously make Hananiah’s message more significant, and the challenge to Jeremiah more intense.

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