在耶利米書第二十六章中，我們可看到假先知所行的惡、耶利米傳講信息的潛在的危險，以及上帝拯救他的計畫。耶利米為忠心完成上帝的工作，順從上帝來到耶和華殿的外院，向到聖殿來參加一大聚會的百姓大膽傳講上帝所要他說的話。這是約雅敬王登基不久時的事，當時還有悔改的希望（26：3）。

        耶利米揭露他們的罪行，向他們提出有條件的要求（26：4~6，13）。那些忿怒的祭司假先知立刻逮捕他；他們就是那些預言將有平安的人（27：14）。如果不是有一些賢明的首領，特別像亞希甘這樣的人（參王下22：12）站出來為耶利米辯白，說當年希西家王的改革是從彌迦所說同樣先知性的預言所得到好的結果（26：18；彌3：12），不然他們就要殺害耶利米，然而，耶利米得到更大的保護──也就是耶和華自己的保護（1：19），他信靠上帝使他面臨死亡有難以置信的勇敢。如果他們殺害他，祇有增加他們流無辜人的血之罪（26：15），像上帝另一先知烏利亞的血；他因傳與耶利米相同的信息而被殺害，是一個未被傳頌的英雄（來11：36~40）。在新約聖經中記載雅各被殺，而彼得被釋放（參徒12：1~8），雖然我們有限的頭腦不明向為何如此，但上帝的旨意在他們各人的身上成全了。

        從第二十七和二十八章的內容，可以清楚看到西底家王登基不久發生的事情（26：3，20；28：1）。然而，第二十七章第一節說是約雅敬登基的時候，這在有的聖經抄本被省略掉，很可能由於原抄寫人從26：1抄錯之故。那時候，猶大臣服於巴比倫，耶和華的話臨到耶利米。西底家和周圍列國尚抱著擺脫巴比倫綑綁，並聲明他們完全獨立的希望；所有這些國家包括猶大都有假先知和占卜者，告訴他們不久即將擺脫巴比倫的手。但是耶利米告訴西底家，猶大的先知自稱從上帝領受的話全是謊言，耶和華宣告祂未曾差遣他們（27：9~10，14~15）。然而，上帝藉著耶利米說話；並且藉著在他頸項上的軛作活的例證，警告他們應留在尼希甲尼撒的軛下一段長的時間，到上帝的時間來到（拉1：7~11），他們將接回與耶哥尼雅（約雅斤，參王下24：12~13）同時被掠到巴比倫去的聖殿器皿。如果他們不順從上帝臣服於巴比倫，聖殿中所剩下所有較大件的設備也都將被掠到巴比倫去（27：19~22；參王上7：21~37；王下25：13~17）。

        在第二十七章當耶利米的頸項上還帶著軛的時候，同年一個假先知名叫哈拿尼雅，他是押朔的兒子，聲稱他有從上帝來的預言，所說的與耶利米的預言背道而馳（22：26，27；27：16）。依照一般先知的做法，哈拿尼雅把耶利米頸項上的軛取下來折斷，就他的預言作戲劇式的說明（28：10；例如19：10；代下18：10）。耶利米回應「阿們」（28：6），像是說甚願他的預言成真（參申18：20~22）。由於耶利米從上帝領受的預言實在成真了，證明他是一位真先知。那年之內，哈拿尼雅死了，乃因他說自己的話出於上帝，嚴重得罪上帝所得的審判。甚至今天信徒必須知道，還有許多冒眛為上帝說話，需要警覺危險的假先知。人如何知道是來自上帝的真話？第一、必須檢查是否與上帝全盤的話一致；第二、說話人的生命必須顯示結果子的憑據；第三、像耶利米所強調的，如果真是從上帝來的話，必定會實現。

        信實的上帝阿，求您賜給我們有一信靠您的意願，甚至當我們有限的頭腦不能明白您道路的時候。求您使我們自己完全降順於您，讓您的旨意在我們的身上得以完成。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        In Jeremiah 26, we see the wickedness of the false prophets, the potential danger of Jeremiah's message, and God's plan for his deliverance. Jeremiah was faithful to fulfill the Lord's task by obediently going to the outer court of the Temple and boldly speaking all the words that the Lord had given him to relay to the people gathered for one of the great Feasts. This occurred early in the reign of Jehoiakim, when there was still hope for repentance (26:3).

        Jeremiah exposed their sinfulness and gave a conditional appeal (26:4-6, 13). The angered priests and false prophets immediately arrested him. They were the same ones who were prophesying that there would be peace (27:14). They would have killed Jeremiah if it had not been for the few wise elders, particularly Ahikam (cf. 2 Kings 22:12ff), who stood up in Jeremiah's defense, mentioning the good result (Hezekiah's reformation) that came out of Micah's similar prophetic words (26:18; Micah 3:12). Yet Jeremiah was defended by One greater, the Lord Himself (1:19), and Jeremiah trusted in God, which accounts for his incredible boldness in the face of near death. If they killed him, they would only add to their sin by shedding more innocent blood (26:15), like the blood of Urijah, a prophet of God who spoke the same message as Jeremiah and was killed — he was an unsung hero of faith (Heb. 11:36-40). In the New Testament, James was killed but Peter was delivered (cf. Acts 12:1-8), and though with our limited minds cannot understand the reason why, God's will was done in each of their lives.

        From the content of chapters 27 & 28, it is clear that the event occurred at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign (26:3, 20; 28:1). However, the first verse of chapter 27 says it was the beginning of Jehoiakim's reign, which is omitted in some manuscripts, for it was likely miscopied from 26:1 by a transcriber. At the time the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah, Judah was a vassal state subjected to Babylon. Zedekiah and the neighbouring nations still had hopes of throwing off the yoke of Babylon and asserting their complete independence. All these nations, including Judah, had false prophets and soothsayers telling them that they would soon succeed in casting off Babylon; but Jeremiah told Zedekiah that the prophets in Judah, who claimed to have received the word of God, were lying, and the Lord proclaimed that He had not sent them (27:9-10,14-15). Through Jeremiah, however, the Lord did speak. With Jeremiah's real-life illustration of the yoke on his neck God warned that they should remain under Nebuchadnezzar's yoke for a long time; therefore, until the Lord's own time (Ezra. 1:7-11), they would not receive back the sacred vessels from the Temple that had been carried off to Babylon with Jeconiah (Jehoiachin, cf..2 Kings 24:12-13). If they did not obey God and subject themselves to Babylon, all the larger sacred furnishings of the Temple would also be carried off to Babylon (27:19-22; cf. 1 Kings 7:21-37; 2 Kings 25:13-17).

        In the same year of the events in chapter 27, while Jeremiah was still wearing the yoke, one of the false prophets named Hananiah, the son of Azur, claimed to have a prophecy from God which contradicted Jeremiah's (22:26, 27; 27:16). In the common manner of the prophets, Hananiah dramatized his prediction by breaking the yoke that Jeremiah had worn (28:10; e.g. 19:10; 2 Chron. 18:10). Jeremiah's response of "amen" (28:6) may have been said with a longing to see his prediction come true. Jeremiah was not convinced, but at that time he had no new word from God, so all he could say was that time would tell if Hananiah was sent by God (28:9). The test of a true prophet was if his predictions came true (cf Deut. 18:20-22). Jeremiah was proven to be the true prophet, for the prophecy he received from God did indeed come true. Within the year, Hananiah was dead, which was the Lord's judgment against him for the serious offense of speaking his own words and claiming they were God's. Even today, believers must be aware that there are still false prophets who need to be warned of the danger in presuming to speak for God. How can one tell a true word from God? Firstly, it must be put to the test to see if it is in accord with the whole word of God; secondly, the life of the one who spoke the word must show evidence of fruit; and thirdly, as Jeremiah emphasized, the word must come to fulfillment if it is truly from the Lord.

        Faithful God, we pray for a willingness to trust You, even when our limited minds cannot understand Your ways. We surrender ourselves totally to You, that Your will may be done in our lives.