prophets and kings-第69节

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st　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

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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；

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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。

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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。

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The　unrest　caused　by　the　representations　of　the　false　prophets　brought　Zedekiah　under　suspicion　of　treason；　and　only　by　quick　and　decisive　action　on　his　part　was　he　permitted　to　continue　reigning　as　a　vassal。　Opportunity　for　such　action　was　taken　advantage　of　shortly　after　the　return　of　the　ambassadors　from　Jerusalem　to　the　surrounding　nations；　when　the　king　of　Judah　accompanied　Seraiah；　〃a　quiet　prince；〃　on　an　important　mission　to　Babylon。　Jeremiah　51：59。　During　this　visit　to　the　Chaldean　court；　Zedekiah　renewed　his　oath　of　allegiance　to　Nebuchadnezzar。

Through　Daniel　and　others　of　the　Hebrew　captives；　the　Babylonian　monarch　had　been　made　acquainted　with　the　power　and　supreme　authority　of　the　true　God；　and　when　Zedekiah　once　more　solemnly　promised　to　remain　loyal；　Nebuchadnezzar　required　him　to　swear　to　this　promise　in　the　name　of　the　Lord　God　of　Israel。　Had　Zedekiah　respected　this　renewal　of　his　covenant　oath；　his　loyalty　would　have　had　a　profound　influence　on　the　minds　of　many　who　were　watching　the　conduct　of　those　who　claimed　to　reverence　the　name　and　to　cherish　the　honor　of　the　God　of　the　Hebrews。

But　Judah's　king　lost　sight　of　his　high　privilege　of　bringing　honor　to　the　name　of　the　living　God。　Of　Zedekiah　it　is　recorded：　〃He　did　that　which　was　evil　in　the　sight　of　the　Lord　his　God；　and　humbled　not　himself　before　Jeremiah　the　prophet　speaking　from　the　mouth　of　the　Lord。　And　he　also　rebelled　against　King　Nebuchadnezzar；　who　had　made　him　swear　by　God：　but　he　stiffened　his　neck；　and　hardened　his　heart　from　turning　unto　the　Lord　God　of　Israel。〃　2　Chronicles　36：12；　13。

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While　Jeremiah　continued　to　bear　his　testimony　in　the　land　of　Judah；　the　prophet　Ezekiel　was　raised　up　from　among　the　captives　in　Babylon；　to　warn　and　to　comfort　the　exiles；　and　also　to　confirm　the　word　of　the　Lord　that　was　being　spoken　through　Jeremiah。　During　the　years　that　remained　of　Zedekiah's　reign；　Ezekiel　made　very　plain　the　folly　of　trusting　to　the　false　predictions　of　those　who　were　causing　the　captives　to　hope　for　an　early　return　to　Jerusalem。　He　was　also　instructed　to　foretell；　by　means　of　a　variety　of　symbols　and　solemn　messages；　the　siege　and　utter　destruction　of　Jerusalem。

In　the　sixth　year　of　the　reign　of　Zedekiah；　the　Lord　revealed　to　Ezekiel　in　vision　some　of　the　abominations　that　were　being　practiced　in　Jerusalem；　and　within　the　gate　of　the　Lord's　house；　and　even　in　the　inner　court。　The　chambers　of　images；　and　the　pictured　idols；　〃every　form　of　creeping　things；　and　abominable　beasts；　and　all　the　idols　of　the　house　of　Israel〃all　these　in　rapid　succession　passed　before　the　astonished　gaze　of　the　prophet。　Ezekiel　8：10。

Those　who　should　have　been　spiritual　leaders　among　the　people；　〃the　ancients　of　the　house　of　Israel；〃　to　the　number　of　seventy；　were　seen　offering　incense　before　the　idolatrous　representations　that　had　been　introduced　into　hidden　chambers　within　the　sacred　precincts　of　the　temple　court。　〃The　Lord　seeth　us　not；〃　the　men　of　Judah　flattered　themselves　as　they　engaged　in　their　heathenish　practices；　〃the　Lord　hath　forsaken　the　earth；〃　they　blasphemously　declared。　Verses　11；　12。

There　were　still　〃greater　abominations〃　for　the　prophet　to　behold。　At　a　gate　leading　from　the　outer　to　the　inner

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court　he　was　shown　〃women　weeping　for　Tammuz；〃　and　within　〃the　inner　court　of　the　Lord's　house；　。　。　。　at　the　door　of　the　temple　of　the　Lord；　between　the　porch　and　the　altar；　were　about　five　and　twenty　men；　with　their　backs　toward　the　temple　of　the　Lord；　and　their　faces　toward　the　east；　and　they　worshiped　the　sun　toward　the　east。〃　Verses　13…16。

And　now　the　glorious　Being　who　accompanied　Ezekiel　throughout　this　astoni