All the Bible stories that I learned before the age of 20 are etched more deeply in my mind. Here is one of the new ones that I am trying to become more familiar with. You’ll find it in Jeremiah chapter 35.
Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah was king of Judah. God told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers in the temple and offer them wine to drink.
So Jeremiah spoke to one of them, a man called Jaazaniah, to tell the other Rechabites—his bothers, sons, and others—to come to the temple.
When they came, Jeremiah set pitchers of wine and cups and told them to drink. They did not touch the wine. They were teetotallers.
They told Jeremiah that they would not touch the wine; they did not drink wine because their ancestor Jonadab, the son of Rechab, had bound the family under an oath before God that they would never drink wine. In fact, Jonadab’s oath involved more than just wine-drinking. The Rechabites were not to build houses or farm or have vineyards; they had to live in tents and live a nomadic life. This family had been faithful to the oath and had lived like nomads. In fact, even at that point in time, they were in the city of Jerusalem only because Nebuchadnezzar had come against the land.
God told Jeremiah to use the Rechabites for a Show and Tell lesson to the Israelites. What a contrast! Here, on the one hand, was a family that had been faithful to the commands of thier ancestor Jonadab, and there, on the other hand, was a nation that was disobedient to many (and persistant) messages from the God of heaven to stay away from idolatory. “I have called to them and they have not answered,” God said.
God would punish the nation with terrible disaster. But the Rechabites, He would bless with godly descendants.
You write Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah was king of Judah. God told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into one of the chambers in the temple and offer them wine to drink. But if you read carefully Gods words its says JEREMJIAH CHAP 35 VERSE 2 GOE UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IN TO ONE OF THE CHAMBERS AND GIVE THEM WINE TO DRINK … IT SAID GIVE. GIVE THEM WINE TO DRINK.. NOT offer BIG DIFFERENCE THAN AFTER THEY SAID WE WILL NOT DRINK NO WINE: FOR JONADAB THE SON OF RECHAB OUR FATHER COMMANDED US, SAYING YE SHALL NOT DRINK NO WINE NEITHER YE, NOR YOUR SONS FOR EVER Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;
THUS WE OBAYED THE VOICE OF JONADAB THERE FATHER
9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. AGAIN THEY KEEP OBEYING THE THERE FATHER
11 But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar 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 dwell at Jerusalem.
12 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME ONTO JEREMIAH NOT THOSE MEN
13 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD
14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. HERE GOD SPOKE UNTO THEM BUT THE HEARKENED NOT UNTO HIM THESE PEOPLE PREFERRED OBEYING THE WORD OF JONADAB RATHER THAN GODS
15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me. GOD EVEN SENDS THEM SERVANTS TO RETURN FOR THERE EVIL WAY FROM THERE EVIL WAY THEY WHERE GOING AFTER OTHER gods AND SERVING THOSE gods WHILE KEEPING THERE FATHERS COMMAND
16 Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me:
HERE GOD IS SAYING BECAUSE THE SONS JONADAB PERFOREMED THE COMPARTMENT IF THEIR FATHER BUT THIS PEOPLE HATH NOT HEARKENED UNTO ME GOD TOLD THEM TO DRINK THE WINE THEY DISOBEYED
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered. EVERY ONE IN JUDAH AND ALL THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM INCLUDING THESE NOMADS RCHABITES WICH IM PRETTY SURE WAS A TEST TO SEE IF THEY WHERE TO LISTEN TO GOD OR MAN WHERE PROBABLY OFFERED A CHANCE TO SEE IF BY DRINKING THE WINE THEY CAN PROVE THEY WHERE GODLY PEOPLE BUT INSTEAD THEY FAILED BRINGING ALL THE EVEIL THAT GOD HAS PROMISED ON THERE HEADS
18 And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:
19 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever. 18 19 CANT BE ANY CLEARER THESE PEOPLE WHERE NOT BLESSED AND GOD WILL NOT BLESS ANY REMNANT OR ANY ONE WHO FOLLOWS THE WICKED DOCTRINES OF MAN
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever. SO JOANADAB THE SON OF RECHAB SHALL NOT WANT A MAN TO STAND BEFORE ME FOR EVER ANY ONE FOLLOWING RECHABITE DOCTRINE ARE CURESED NOT BLESSED
HERE GOD GIVES THEM A COMMAND AND THEY REFUSE TO DRINK THE WINE BECAUSE THE RECHABITES WHERE FOLLOWING THE DOCTRINES OF MAN