The obedient Rechabites, disobedient Judah
35
📚The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 📚“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink”.35:2 The Recabites did not belong to any of the tribes of Israel. They were related to the Kenites (1 Chron 2:55). Moses’ father-in-law was a Kenite (Jud 1:16). In this chapter God has Jeremiah test them to reveal their faithfulness to their forefather’s instructions (vs 6-10). He then contrasts the Recabites with the unfaithful people of Israel. It is a sad thing that people are much more likely to obey the instructions of men, and to follow traditions, than to obey the commands of God Himself (v 14; Matt 15:3-9). Shall we not learn the lesson God was teaching through this example (v 13)? If we do not, will not God mark it and take action against us (v 17)?⚜
3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4 📚and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5 📚And I set jars full of wine and cups in front of the sons of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink wine”.
6 📚But they said, “We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, ‘You shall never drink wine, neither you nor your sons. 7 📚And you shall not build houses, or sow seed, or plant a vineyard, or have any of these; but all your days you shall live in tents, so that you may live a long time in the land where you are staying.’ 8 📚So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters, 9 📚and to build no houses for us to live in; and we have no vineyard, or field, or seed. 10 But we have lived in tents and been obedient, acting in accordance with all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 📚But it so happened, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem’, for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians. So we are living in Jerusalem”.
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?’ says the LORD. 14 📚‘The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, commanding his sons not to drink wine, are being performed. For to this day they drink none, but obey their father’s command. However I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened to me. 15 📚I have also sent all my servants the prophets to you, rising up early and sending them, saying, Each of you turn now from his evil way, and amend your actions, not following other gods to serve them, and you will live in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers. But you have not turned your ear to me or listened. 16 📚Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have done according to the command of their father, which he commanded them, but this people have not listened to me, 17 📚thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have proclaimed against them, because I have spoken to them, and they have not listened, and I have called to them, and they have not answered.’ ”
18 📚And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your father Jonadab, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he has commanded you, 19 📚therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’ ”
35:18-19 Since that family knew what faithfulness was, God would chose some from among them to show that same faithfulness toward Himself. Because of the terrible unfaithfulness of Israel, God is emphasizing here how highly He regards faithfulness (on faithfulness see Matt 24:45; 25:21-23; Luke 16:10-12; 1 Cor 4:2; 1 Tim 1:12; 3:10; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 3:2).⚜