Jeremiah 27, we'll read two verses then we'll read a few in 28 also. Jeremiah 27 in verse 1 it says, In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord. Thus said the Lord to me, Make thee bonds in yoke, and put them upon thy neck. In chapter 28 in verse 12 it says, Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from up the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Thou hast broken the yoke 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, and I have given him the beast of the field also. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you again for your goodness and your mercy toward us, Lord, and for another day that you bestowed upon us, Lord, and as we come this morning, Lord, we pray that you would again bless us from this book of Jeremiah, Lord, that we will continue this faithful prophet that though everybody was against him, yet he kept preaching your truth Lord kept the course and submitted to what you had to say to him and so Lord help us to be Jeremiah of our days Lord not to fear but to preach as it were and to teach thy truth and so God we ask this in your blessed and holy name amen well again in chapter 26 if you recall Jeremiah was arrested and then he was release and then the Lord asked or I should say commanded Jeremiah in chapter 27 where we would have the message for the people and God is gonna tell Jeremiah to do something very very spectacular that is gonna affect all the people because he's gonna put on a iron yoke and walk around the city with his iron yoke and I'm sure he probably felt strange, looked strange, but nonetheless he obeyed the word of the Lord. He put on this yoke of the ox upon him to go preaching the word that God had given him. Again it says, in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, King of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Thus saith the Lord to me, Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem, unto Zedekiah king of Judah, and command them to say unto their masters. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. Thus shall you say to your masters." What a unbelievable scene the people will have as Jeremiah is commanded to wear the yoke of a nox while he goes preaching. As God is going to send a very symbolic message to the people so that they can understand the seriousness of what is going on. But also it was a symbolic message to the false prophets and to the priests that Jeremiah was going to warn them not to take heed to the false prophets, the priests, and anyone else that were teaching lies about what was going on. Remember we've already established the point that God has already established the fact that judgment is coming and nothing's going to change that. But the people are still saying that somehow that the Lord will deliver them, saying peace, peace, when there was no peace. And so the message is to the people, to the deceitful leaders that rose up in opposition to Jeremiah. In chapter 27, the symbolic lesson of the yoke, of the ox yoke that was worn by Jeremiah was a severe warning to all the people, to the priests, to the king, and the ambassadors that came from the five cities to completely surrender and not to rebel against the Lord. And then in chapter 28, the removal and the breaking of the yoke by the false prophet Hamaniah is basically a type and picture of false prophets in the land. So in chapter 27 we have the message of the people and in the first 11 verses we have the proclamation for all people. It was not just to King Zedekiah, it was not just for the prophets and the priests, but you notice there's five kings or I should say five nations mentioned here as they sent their envoys, their ambassadors, their messengers, or whatever you want to call them, to Zedekiah, thinking that if they can get a coalition of nations together, they can overthrow Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Because they understood that one nation alone could not fight against Nebuchadnezzar. So they thought, if we come together, all five, and then if we're all six of us, we can overthrow the Babylonians. and this is the idea here, but Jeremiah is told to put on this yoke, bonds and yoke upon him, upon his neck as you would put upon an animal and he's supposed to go around the city preaching, telling people to surrender, subject themselves because what that yoke represented was what? Submission. In other words Submit to the word of God do not rebel against the God of heaven and So the message is first it was to three specific people first to the five nations assembled there Jerusalem secondly to the king that a kayak and then thirdly to the priests and the people Okay, and so the message was very very clear because the prophet was to make again an ox Yoke and wear it around his neck And he was to go with this very special message. And the first of this group, as we said already, are the five specific nations that are mentioned there in verse 5. The Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, the Phoenician nations of Tyrus and Sidon. These five nations came to Jerusalem and Jeremiah is preaching to them. And I'm sure that all these envoys, ambassadors, messengers, when they saw Jeremiah walking around with that yoke upon his neck, I'm sure they thought, this guy is crazy. This guy is strange. He is weird. And he's bringing a message to us from God. But again, the purpose for this was that that yoke would symbolize for the people to completely surrender. Not to rebel, but to surrender because it represented servitude and submission to the captivity to Nebuchadnezzar. And so Jeremiah was to wear the yoke while he was delivering this particular message first to the five kings. And the message was very powerful because as these five kings were trying to form some sort of an alliance with King Sedekai against Babylon to break up the Babylonian yoke that was upon them through Nebuchadnezzar. And they could have been, I understand, brought into slavery under the laws of the Babylonian, paying taxes, whatever, all those things. But they understood that no nation again alone could stand or oppose the power of the Babylonians. So they needed an alliance of nations. And they thought that they could get together they could do it. But Jeremiah was going to go to the kings first and the whole aspect of the message was go back and tell your kings to submit to the Lord. And again there's no doubt in my mind that the arrival of Jeremiah when they were meeting was a big surprise to the people. again they probably look at Jeremiah going who is this lunatic? Who is this crazy man? I can imagine when they first caught a glimpse of Jeremiah approaching them wearing the yoke. Who wears a yoke around their neck? But the message was very powerful and perhaps we can say that the message was more shocking than the wearing of the yoke because it was telling them Do not rebel. Surrender to God. Jeremiah declared that the source of his message was from the Lord God Almighty. He says again, And command him to say unto the masters, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty God, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, And then it reminds them that this is not just any God. Not some God of your imagination. But we're talking about the God of creation. We're talking about the living and true God. We're talking about the God that we preached on Wednesday night. A sovereign God who is in control of everything. Okay? Whether they be people. Whether it be creation. Everything. He is sovereignly over. And notice what he says. you tell your five masters in verse 5 that I the Lord of hosts I have made the earth the man and the beast there upon the ground by my great power and by my outstretched hand and has given it to whom it seemeth meet unto me and now have I given all these lands into the land into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon and notice that what does he call Nebuchadnezzar my servant and I'm amazed that he doesn't even talk he does not only talk about the people but even includes the beast of the field that they were all in subjection to Nebuchadnezzar why because God had raised him up to be king I don't want to go to the book of Daniel, but if you know anything in the book of Daniel, you understand that that first king that was in Daniel's dream was King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians, that he was going to be the first of the four world empires. And so God would raise up Nebuchadnezzar, that even the beast of the fields have I given unto him to serve him. And he says it so clearly again in verse 7. Remember, he's talking to the envoys, the messengers that came to the city representing those five He tells them and all nations shall serve him that is all the nation will serve Nebuchadnezzar and they'll serve his son Not only his son, but his son's son that is his grandson until the very time of his plan come and then many nations and great King shall serve themselves of him and It shall come to pass at verse 8 that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and they will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, famine, with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand." And notice, he sends Jeremiah with that yoke upon his neck, and now he tells the people this is what they must do. It was a figurative application to a literal application of their full submission to Nebuchadnezzar. Amazing that he uses that phrase because they're looking at Jeremiah with a yoke upon his neck. But now they're telling them that they will not put their neck under the yoke. If they don't put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, then judgment would come upon them severely. And so Jeremiah was going to declare some very important, unmistakable, distinct points in his message. And of course, as we've seen, it was from the Lord of Hosts. It was from the sovereign creator of all the earth. And that God, by his own great power, he who had made the earth, the people, even the animals, the creatures, that he would give to Nebuchadnezzar dominion over the earth to whom he had chosen, which was Nebuchadnezzar, which was his servant. And basically what he's telling the people that God, the Lord of hosts, he's the one that has power. He has authority and the right to raise up leaders, raise up one and put one down so that his purpose might be accomplished upon the earth. And so, Jared, my message was very important. And again, he focused upon these five messengers, envoys, ambassadors, whatever you want to call them, that the living and true God had given King Nebuchadnezzar the rule and reign over everything. Everything was in subjection to Nebuchadnezzar because God said so until, of course, we know, the Medes and the Persians would come and overthrow Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian kingdom, which we know in the earlier chapter we already saw with what the 70-year captivity. After the 70 years of captivity, the Lord would bring them back. But for right now, they were to submit to what was going on. They must not throw off. the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar. That's why Jeremiah wore that yoke, to let them know this is what they must do to Nebuchadnezzar, because rebellion in the alliance would be futile. It would be useless against Nebuchadnezzar, because the sovereign God had definitely determined in its power, in its will, that the Babylonians would rule the nations of the earth. And some coalition of five, six nations were not going to twerk the hand of the Almighty God. And so Jeremiah strongly urges the nations, the envoys, the messengers, to hearken to the message of Jeremiah and be careful. Do not listen to the lies of the people And interestingly, in verse 9, he mentions five specific ways that they're going to be saying lies. He says in verse 9, Therefore hearken not to your prophets, that is your false prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your sorcerers, I've given or to your enchanters your Sorcerers which speak unto you saying you shall now Excuse me. You shall not serve the king of Babylon And so all these mediums that they were using whether they were false prophets You know medium enchanters Sorcerers diviners, whatever means they use Daniel says, don't believe him. It is a complete lie. Verse 10 says, because for they prophesy a lie unto you to remove you far from your land, and that I should not, and that I should drive you out, and you should perish. What a message. Rebellion would lead to their utter defeat to all the survivors. Because again, in verse 10, it says, for they prophesied a lie unto you to remove you far from your land, and that I should not drive you out, and you should perish. Either they're going to subject themselves, put a yoke, and submit to Nebuchadnezzar, or they were going to perish. He tells them in verse 11, 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." There was some hope for the nations if they obeyed God, if they listened to the Lord. If the nations subjected themselves, submitted themselves, accepted the ethic of the Babylonian rule, the people would be allowed to live in peace in their own land. What a powerful message by Jeremiah for the people. And then in verses 12 to 18, we have the proof in the proclamation. Proof in the Proclamation after giving this particular message to these five envoys and messengers and ambassadors to the kings that were visiting He gives the same message to King Zedekiah Okay there in verses 12 to 15. He says I speak also 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 Why will you die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore hearken not to the words of the prophet that speak unto you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon. For they prophesied a lie unto you, for I have not sent them, save the Lord. Yet they prophesied a lie in my name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish. ye and the prophets that prophesy unto you." So it's basically the same message that Zedekiah must submit to the yoke of the Babylonians and not believe the lie of the false prophet. And if he were to do that, again, they would live in peace. But to rebel against what the Lord was saying would surely lead to death. It would lead to war, to famine, to disease, as it says there in verse 13, pestilence, and all those things. Disobeying the commandments of the Lord, okay, and resisting the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar would only bring disaster upon the nation, and therefore the king had to stop listening to the false prophets and listen to Jeremiah. They were only giving him false hope. by encouraging rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. And the Lord, again, declared very clearly in verse 15, they were not sent by him. They were lying. And if the king believed them, then the king was doomed to perish also. What a message. In verses 16 to 18, the concluding message is Zedekiah, where he says that he's also speaking now to the priests. And I speak to the priests and to all people, verse 16, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now surely be brought again from Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you. It's the same message to the five kings, to Zedekiah, and to the priests. What? These false prophets are lying to you. Clearly verse 17, hearken not unto them. Serve the king of Babylon and live. Wherefore should this city be laid waste? What powerful message by Jeremiah to his own people. The priests and the people were not to listen to the false prophet. Again, the false prophets were prophesying that the Babylonians would be defeated and that the exiles that were deported would somehow be returned. And in a minute we'll see that even the artifacts from the temple, the vessels and things that were taken will be brought back. But Jeremiah knew that the hopes and predictions of the prophets were false. They were not true. The prophets were lying to the people. And they were lying to the king. They were lying to the priest. And then the message again, the king, the priests, and the people must submit to the yoke that is the rule of the Babylon, or of Babylon, I should say, or they will suffer complete devastation. He said, why should you allow this city to lie in waste? I can't imagine any stronger than setting forth a case that never, excuse me, that Jeremiah's there with a yoke upon his neck, telling them to do this, to submit to the king of Babylon, or basically you shall perish. There was no other way. There was no other means. Except they totally submit to what was being said then in verse 18 But if they be prophets and if the word of the Lord be with them Let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah at Jerusalem Go not to Babylon what he's saying that Some of the artifacts that are left, which he mentions in 19 and other, he says, they will be taken to Babylon, the things from the house of God, from the temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar had already taken some things. And so the prophet's saying, see, God's going to deliver us, because he's not going to take everything from us. There was remaining temple articles that were not taken in the earlier Babylonian invasion. But then in verses 19 to 22 of chapter 27, the promise in the proclamation, because now notice again in verse 19, Jeremiah very specifically speaks that God gave him this message. For thus sayeth the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiachin of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem, they shall be carried to Babylon. And there Shall they be until the day that I visit them, say the Lord, then will I bring them up and restore them to this place. In other words, Jeremiah was saying the opposite of what these false prophets were saying. They were saying because some of the things that were left, like the pillars and the sea and the bases, you see, they're not going to take them. And God's going to send everything back. Well, apparently they didn't believe Jeremiah because some did rebel. Turn to second Kings 25, or excuse me, first Kings 25, I believe. No, it was second Kings. Make sure I get my, Yeah, 2 Kings 25. In 2 Kings 25, verse 1, it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came, and he and all his host against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it and around it, and they besieged the city, and sadly Notice what happened to Zedekiah, verse seven. And they slew the son of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with fetters of brass and carried him to Babylon. But look what it says in verse 10 now. And all the army of the Chaldees, they were with the captain of the guard, break down the walls of Jerusalem. And rest of the people were taken. Some were killed. But note what it says in verse 13. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brazen seed that was in the house of the Lord, did they cut these breaking pieces and carry the brass of them to Babylon." Go back to Jeremiah 27. The thing that Jeremiah was saying happened. What the false prophet had said did not happen. And so what a severe warning by God to the people. But it would end this again. There was a promise in the proclamation because he tells him again in verse 22. Yes, you're going to be carried to Babylon until the day that I visit them. In other words, God was going to visit them. And then in verse 22, he says, I will bring them up and restore them to this place. And God did. We know as we have studies in Nehemiah, Ezra and Haggai that the Lord did. do that as the Lord fulfilled his promise and the articles of the temple were all returned but that would not be until the future and then now in chapter 28 we have the message of perversion where a false prophet now arises and he's going to attack the message of Jeremiah He's going to attack the word of God. He rises up, saying that the Lord sent him, that the Lord said this to him. And sadly, we have many of those in our day. They love to tell you what God said to them. And I'm always amazed, many things. I'll give anybody in here, I'll let them speak for a few minutes. And then you shake your head, realizing that that's not even the word of God. So what you're saying is a complete lie. And you still have them in our day that false prophets rise up and say lies, say they're sent from God, but they're not sent from God. And that's why, this is why you need to know the Word of God so you might be able to discern between truth and error. Back then they didn't have the blessings of the full Word of God. Okay? But we know the teaching of the Word of God in Deuteronomy. If a prophet prophesied and came to pass, he was a true prophet. But if a prophet prophesied and didn't come to pass, that means he was a false prophet and he was put to death. So to say, death saved the Lord or the Lord told me in the days of Jeremiah was very dangerous if it was not of God. It would cost you your life. Well again, Jeremiah will expose the false prophet Hananiah And so we see the message of perversion. In verses 1 to 4, we see the false prophet's prophecy, or Hananiah's false prophecy. He 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 Azor, the prophet, which was of Gibeon, and he must have been a priest because that's where the priests were in Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the Lord, He says Jeremiah said he spoke unto me and then I came and confronted Jeremiah They come to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priest and of all the people say Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel saying I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon Within two 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 them to And I'll bring again to this place Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah that went up into Babylon, say the Lord, and I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." It was a message of deception. It was a lie. Amazing that this man, I guess, He felt he had the numbers with the people and the people would just believe to what he has to say. Unbelievable. So what we have before us right now in the temple is a big confrontation between the false prophet Hananiah and the true prophet of God, Jeremiah. We know that Hananiah strongly opposed Jeremiah. And he seized the opportunity to confront him in front of all the people and a large number of the priests and the worshipers that were present. If Hananiah, I believe he was a priest, then he would have perhaps more credibility with the priests that were there at the temple and in the minds of the people. And sadly, they were more likely to believe him than a man standing with yoke upon his neck. Jeremiah has really lost it now. walking around with a yoke around his neck. The message of Hananiah totally contradicted the message of the yoke that Jeremiah had delivered. Hananiah claimed, what, that the Lord God had given him the message and that the Lord God would deliver the people. He made three specific claims that contradicted the warnings of Jeremiah. He claimed that the Lord would break the yoke of Babylon. He claimed that within two years, the articles of the temple would be returned, everything that was removed in the early invasion. And thirdly, that the Lord would return King Jehoiakim and the people that had been exiled in the first invasion of Judah by the Babylonians. All three claims were a complete contradiction of Jeremiah's message. But I'll put it to you this way. Everybody listen to me. The message of the false prophet Hananiah was the message that the people wanted to hear. That's what they wanted to hear. And sadly, we live in a day that many people love to hear the false prophets and what they say. Because they're not going to preach on sin. They're not going to preach on judgment. They're not going to preach on hell. They're not going to preach on repentance and those things. They want to hear a real soft, sweet message. God just loves all of us, and we're all going to heaven. And people love it. And this is why this prophet went to that place and waited until he was at the temple. Why didn't he confirm Jeremiah when he was speaking to the five kings? Why didn't he confirm Jeremiah when he was talking with King Zedekiah? No, at the temple, because he knew that the priest would probably line up with him. And he knew that it was a message that the people wanted to hear. It promised them liberty, freedom from the Babylonians, restoration of their nation. And so the people, you can see them saying, yes, yes, that's it, that's it. They long for that to be delivered. Again, they rejected the Lord before, and the Lord had already sent Nebuchadnezzar in the first invasion, I believe it was in 605 BC. And then there was another one in, I believe, 596 BC. In other words, they were committing themselves to more judgment, because they believed the false hope, again, by the false prophet, which gave them a fleshly security. Which, again, is no different than the health and wealth gospel that is sugar-coated with its lies and deception. And again, sadly, so many embrace and believe their lies. I will take the time to go to Jeremiah 6, again, 14-19. How they hear the false prophets saying, peace, peace, when there was no peace. And that's exactly what happened here. And then, quickly, in verses 5-9, we have the false prophets, excuse me, I said that wrong. In verses 5-9 we have Jeremiah the faithful prophet's pretense. In other words, he was smart. He kept quiet, basically. He didn't argue. He didn't fight. And that should teach us something. But when we're in a group, when I say in a group, I mean if you're at work or with your family, there's a lot of people, that's not the time to really discuss things. so vehemently regarding the Word of God. It's always better when it's one-on-one. Okay? And Jeremiah here, he could have, in front of all the people, just... But notice what Jeremiah did. After he says all his lies, Hananiah, the faithful prophet's pretense, in verse five through nine, then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah, in the presence of the priest, and in the presence of the people that stood in the house of the Lord, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen. I love that. Amen, Hananiah. The Lord do so. The Lord perform thy words, which thou hast prophesied to bring again the vessels of the Lord's house and all that is carried away captives from Babylon into this place. Nevertheless, Hear thou now this word that I speak in the years, and in the years of all the people. The prophet that hath been before me, and before thee of old, prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms of war, and of evil and pestilence. And the prophet would prophesied of peace. When the word of the Lord prophet shall come to pass, then shall that prophet be known that the Lord had truly sent him." Wow. Amazing, he says, Amen. Whether he shouted or not, I'm not sure, but I'm sure he did. And everybody probably just looking at Jeremiah going, whoa, whoa, whoa, Jeremiah. But again, Hananiah's message was not true. It was false. It contradicted the word of God. So Jeremiah just used the examples of the prophets of the years gone by. But then quickly, notice what happened, beginning in verse 10. Because now we're going to have the false prophet's pretension, or presumption, I should say, in verses 10 and 11. In verse 11 of chapter 28 of Jeremiah, and Hananiah speak in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus said 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 years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way. Wow. Excuse me, verse 10. I missed that. Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from Jeremiah's neck and break it. I missed that earlier. I'm sorry. That's what I wanted to get to. So here, Jeremiah has the yoke upon him. He's been preaching to the city, to the five envoys of the different kings, to the king, to the priest, to the people. Hananiah comes, takes it off him, and he breaks it to symbolize that God is going to break the yoke of the Babylonians? My, my, my. If he only knew what he did. And then in verses 12 to 14, now again the faithful prophet's prophecy as God now going to tell Jeremiah what's going to happen. At verse 12. Because remember, Jeremiah went his way. He didn't fight. After he took off, you know, he could have rebuked him, you know, The Lord put that on me. The Lord did this, and you, the Lord is going to punish you. You're going to hell. You're going to, you know, all, no. Kept quiet and went in his way. Verse 12, the faithful prophet's prophecy, all the way to 14. Then the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thou saith the Lord, thou hast broken the yoke of wood. But thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thou said 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. And I have given him the beasts of the fields also. And then we conclude with the false prophets' punishment in verses 15 to 17. Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah. Unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore doth sayeth the Lord, Behold, I will cast thee off from the face of the earth, which thou didst die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. Wow! What a powerful message to Hananiah to prove that everything that he said was not going to come to pass in two years. The Lord brought swift punishment upon Jeremiah. The false prophet message was discredited, showing forth that it was a lie, and that Jeremiah was God's true prophet. That Hananiah had spoken from the thoughts of his own heart, from the imagination of his own heart. And what a severe warning to all false prophets. Again, a false teacher is one who proclaims to be from God. but teaches a different message than what the Bible teaches. My, my, my. And if my memory is correct, I believe because of the calendar of the Jewish calendar, they're different than ours. And so when he said that the prophet died the same year in the seven month, in other words, he died Two months later, not seven months later, but two months later, when this prophecy was given by Jeremiah, and he died. This is why, again, the word of God is very clear in warning us against false prophets. Christ said, beware, false prophets would come to you in sheep's clothing. And that's what Hananiah did. But inwardly, they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. My, my, my. Christ tells us there in Matthew 24, and many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive, not few, shall deceive many, many. And then, of course, we'll see some of this tonight, though we won't get that deep into Galatians 1, as we'll open up Galatians this evening, where Paul wrote to the Galatians wine. I marvel that you are so soon removed from them that call you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel, which is not another. But there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you that you have received, let him be accursed." What severe judgment for false prophets. My, my, my. Remind me also of what Peter says there in his epistle. But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false prophets among you, who will privately bring in what damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And again, it breaks the heart when you read what he says, it's what Christ says, and not a few and many shall follow the pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And so sad, but nonetheless, this is why we ought to be students of the word of God, that we might be able to discern between truth and error. And so what powerful chapters here in Jeremiah 27 and 28, between a true prophet and a false prophet. And so what we see again in Jeremiah 26 to 29, the rejection of the message and of the messenger. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you again this morning for reminding us of this faithful young preacher that went forth against all the odds, against all the people, even when he stood alone, yet he proclaimed the truth, not fearing man, but fearing the God that sent him. And Lord, will you grace us and help us to emulate Jeremiah, Lord, not to be afraid of people, to make a boldest alliance, Lord, to preach your word in truth, in truth and in love and in mercy, Lord. And so, God, we ask all these things in your blessed and holy name. Amen and amen. Let me just