[The Lord told Jeremiah], “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron”’”…So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month (Jer 28:13, 17).

We live in a day when many believers do not think doctrinal issues are very important. They desire unity and see disputes in these areas as disrupting that goal. There is a strong tendency to adopt a live and let live mentality. If a believer believes in assurance of salvation and someone else does not, it is not a point over which we should argue. The same is true in regard to speaking in tongues. Good people can have different views. God would not want us to quit working together simply because we have different doctrinal positions.

There is another way to put this, even though the wording may make some uncomfortable. This attitude is one which declares that false teaching is not very important. For example, the Bible either teaches assurance, or it does not. If it does, then denying assurance is false teaching. But many would say that it is a minor issue and that we should not get bent out of shape over it.

There is an example of such a situation in Jeremiah 28. Jeremiah is preaching a message to the people of Judah. He tells them that they will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. Captivity is coming. They are to submit to the yoke of Babylon, accepting that God is disciplining the nation. They will serve the king of Babylon for all that time. Jeremiah uses a very literal sermon illustration of this fact. While preaching, he wears a yoke made of wood, showing the people that they will be under the authority of Babylon.

Another prophet, however, has the exact opposite message. His name is Hananiah. He says that the yoke of Babylon will be broken. There is no need to submit to their king. He tells the people that within two years, the power of Babylon will come to an end. The Jews that already live in Babylon will return to Judah. To make his point, Hananiah takes the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and breaks it (Jer 28:10).

Hananiah was a well-respected leader among the people. Not only was he considered a prophet, but he came from a town called Gibeon, which was well known for its priests. We can assume that his father had been a religious leader. Hananiah was able to speak in the temple in the presence of the priests and a large crowd of people (Jer 28:1). He clearly demands the attention of the Jews in Jerusalem.

Did it matter whether the people listened to Jeremiah or to Hananiah? What harm could come from giving the people hope of a soon end to their misery under the thumb of Babylon? That was the message of Hananiah. Even if he was wrong, it would give the people some encouragement. Ignorance can be bliss. In addition, Jeremiah could be wrong. But even if he was right, there was no need to live under such a cloud of doom. If the nation was going to go to Babylon in the future, they could cross that bridge when they got to it. Let them enjoy life now.

It is to be noted, however, that God says the different teachings of these two men made a huge difference. The people wound up listening to Hananiah. He was giving them a message of hope and good news. But the Lord said that by breaking the yoke on Jeremiah’s neck, Hananiah had broken a yoke of wood and replaced it with a yoke of iron (Jer 28:13). Because the people did not think they needed to yield to Babylon’s power, they rebelled against it. As a result, the Babylonians burnt their city to the ground, destroyed the temple, and killed many people who died as a result of their rebellion. Things would have been much easier for them if they had simply given up and accepted their servitude to Babylon. It was the difference between wood and iron.

The Lord’s dealings with Hananiah also showed that He took the matter seriously. Hananiah had said all would be great in two years. The Lord said Hananiah would die within two months (Jer 28:16-17). As discipline for his false teaching, the Lord took his life.

There are many areas of Christian living that the Bible does not address or make clear. We can have different opinions on such things. We can live and let live.

But there are other things the Bible is clear about. When it is, we should stand for the truth. False teaching leads to negative consequences for those who hear and accept it. It did to those who heard and followed Hananiah. It is true for Christians today. Watch out for the spirit of the age that tells us false teaching is not important.