10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
12 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them 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 will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.”’” 15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am about to [b]remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have [c]counseled rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month.
As we continue this confrontation between the prophets, Hananiah takes it up a notch. God told Jeremiah to wear a yoke as a sign of the bondage that the people would receive for their rebellion and wicked deeds. So what does Hananiah do? He takes the yoke and breaks it. Now, I can’t imagine that was a simple thing, but perhaps the yoke wasn’t really that strong…
Either way, it was a spectacle, and Hananiah made his point (v. 11). Jeremiah doesn’t respond, which is telling in its own way, but later on, God gives him a message for Hananiah. In his foolish attempts to break the yoke of wood, Hananiah has really only strengthened the yoke of bondage that enslaved Israel. While Hananiah was focused on (not) being enslaved to Babylon, God was concerned with their hearts and minds, which were held captive by evil.
Which reveals somewhat of Hananiah’s motives–not that he wanted Israel to be held captive, but he wanted them (and himself) to be able to do whatever they wanted, without repercussions. The other reason, indeed the main reason anyone makes up their own truth and shouts it to the world, is to get attention, fame, glory, and all that goes with it.
Unfortunately, what also comes with chasing all this vanity, and thumbing our noses at God, is death. Paul wrote it clear as day, “the wages of sin is death…” The big payout Hananiah wanted, the wealthy and influential people he was courting, none of them could save his soul. All he was chasing was fleeting and shallow.
Paul didn’t stop there, “for the free gift of God is eternal life”, but that gift wasn’t enough for Hananiah. Whether he even understood it is another matter, since Jesus and God’s plan of salvation hadn’t yet been fully revealed. Yet if Hananiah knew the Scriptures at all, he had to know that God had promised His people good and amazing things: if they would humble themselves, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7).
The same is true for us, and we have to ask ourselves the very first question, “Whose glory am I seeking?” If we seek our own fame and fortune, we will be disappointed, for that pursuit is hollow and empty. When we seek to glorify God with our lives, we find “life abundant and full of glory.” Ironic, isn’t it? What we chase so hard can only be found when we give it all up for Him.
So give up, throw in the towel of your earthly ambition, and be like Paul, who also wrote, “I consider all these things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ.” That’s a lofty ambition indeed, and there can be none greater. Chase after God alone, and take no thought for your own glory and vanity. Leave it all at His feet, and then do it again tomorrow!