The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 571

HOMILETICS. Vera, 1-17.-The story of Hananiah the prophet. Hananiah, priesta.nd professional prophet, now presents himself a.s the rival and opponent of Jeremiah. A rude and shallow man, he probably thrusts himself forward unasked, as the representative of the popular prophets of smooth things whom it is the true prophet's painful duty to refute and rebuke. His own conduct and Jeremiah's behaviour to him a.re both clearly brought before us in this chapter. I. THE CONDUCT OF HANANU.H. 1. He utters e. pleasing prophecy. He promises n speedy overthrow of the tyranny of Nebuchadnezzar. Even Jeremiah heartily echoes the wish that the prediction could be true. It is always easiest to prophesy smooth things, to soothe nnd flatter rather than convince men of siu and persuade them to accept the darker truths. 2. He.nnniah speaks with great positiveness. He boldly claims the authority of God for what he says (ver. 2). His assertions are definite, minute, inherently consistent. Daring assumptions such as those of Hananiah carry the unthinking as by storm. A brazen face, a loud voice, a positive assertion, are enough to convince many people without the slightest ground in reason. You have only to say a thing very strongly and to repeat it very often, and the mere force of utter- ance will make way for it where calm, measured reasoning quite fails. Hananiah is definite in detail. People have a tendency to believe what they can understand clearly and imagine vividly. We must be warned, therefore, (1) that they who make the loudest claims to speak for God may have least right to do so; (2) that the truth of a statement must be measured, not by the vehemence with which it is asserted, but. by the strength of the grounds on which it rests; and (3) that the reality of things cannot be ascertained by reflection on the consistency, clearness, and fulness of our subjective ideas a.bout them. 3. Hananiah manifests a stupid insolence under contradiction. He cannot reason with Jeremiah, he cannot refute the great prophet's words, he has no new thoughts to contribute; he can only repeat his former assertion with loud words nod passionate actions. He is e. poor, unintellectual creature, whose notion of controversy is like that of foolish people we sometimes meet with-people who imagine that to argue is just to repeat an assertion with dogged obstinacy. Hnnaniah loses his temper and behaves with rudeness to Jeremiah. '!'he last refuge of the helpless controversialist is insolence and abuse. II. THE BEIIAVIOUR OF JEREMIAH TO HANANUH. 1. He heartily assents to the Ca.Isa prophet's desire for the happiness of the nation. "Jeremiah said, Amen: the Lord do so," etc. (ver, 6). He had been accused of e. traitorous wish to see his  582 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' JEREMIAH. [oH. xxvm. 1-17.