Jeremiah 35 contains an intriguing episode from the strange life of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is told by God to invite a clan of Israelites called the Rechabites to the temple in Jerusalem and provide them with wine to drink. What an invitation – a surprise and an honour!
On arrival they were welcomed and taken to the room where they were to be hosted and were presented with tables covered with pitchers full of wine and plenty of cups. However, there quickly emerged a problem: the Rechabites refused to drink any of the wine. It turned out that the Rechabites didn’t drink alcohol and so wouldn’t touch a drop of wine. God had invited a bunch of teetotallers to a wine party!
The house of Rechab were part of the family of Israel but their ancestor Jonadab, son of Rechab, had asked them to show their dedication by adding additional commands for them to follow. These included not drinking wine, not sowing seed or planting vineyards, and not building houses but living in tents instead (vv6,7). They had faithfully kept all of these over generations.
So it seems that God had manufactured a test for the Rechabites which struck at the core of their identity. Would they, in the face of such a flattering offer, be willing to relinquish their principles for just a day in order to appear grateful? How much did the command of their forefather matter to them? All sorts of questions must have gone through their minds as they were confronted with tables laden with wine: Surely if this was taking place in the Temple it must be ok? Surely it would be dishonouring to our hosts to refuse? Surely an exception to this rule could be made on this occasion since Jonadab could not have imagined this scenario? Surely God would understand? And it would only be this one occasion…
But their response is fascinating. The Rechabites refused to drink the wine, and instead unwaveringly obeyed the commands of Jonadab.
At this point God speaks to Jeremiah showing why he set up the test. In fact, it wasn’t really a test; it was an opportunity for God to use the Rechabites as a positive contrast to the rest of the people of Israel.
The crux of the issue is that this family of Israelites were prepared to unwaveringly obey some additional arbitrary rules even though Jonadab was just a man, while God’s people refused to faithfully follow His good and perfect commands. The reverse should be true: unwavering obedience to the perfect Lawgiver should be so easy once we understand what God is like.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stuns His audience by saying that even our flawed human fathers know how to give good gifts and so how much more will our perfect heavenly Father give us good things? The point is that if we understood what God was truly like we would have no difficulty in asking for and expecting good things from Him. Here God uses a similar argument as He speaks to Jeremiah to explain why He had set up this wine festival for teetotallers. If the Rechabites were prepared to obey a man from way back in their family tree, how much more should the Israelites be prepared to obey God?
And this is the punchline God asks Jeremiah to deliver: ‘Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have followed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.’ (v16) These people have taken so seriously the command of a man that they are prepared to refuse the temptation of a Temple wine festival in order to faithfully continue to keep his commands. In contrast, God the perfect law and guidance giver, has spoken consistently to His people about the way to live and yet they have consistently rejected Him, not listened to Him and failed to follow His commands:
‘I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not listened to Me.’ (v14)
‘Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again ….but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.’ (v15)
‘I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’ (v17)
The unwavering obedience of the Rechabites in the face of temptation stands in contrast to, and in judgement over, God’s people. The fact that the Rechabites were prepared to closely follow an arbitrary decision to add some additional family guidelines serves as an example of how much more willing God’s people should be prepared to follow the perfect commands of God. The Rechabites example of obedience of a mere mortal should point us towards the centrality of complete, wholehearted obedience of God.
Not even a wine party in the house of God could distract them from their commitment to obedience!
Loving God and following His commands go hand in hand: ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). And Jesus’ final words to his followers in Matthew’s gospel succinctly describe the priority obedience must have: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to follow all that I commanded you.’ (Matthew 28:19,20)
Radical discipleship is faithfully obeying the commands of God, whatever the cost or circumstances.
Having a heart totally aligned with God’s priorities is His desire for us.
Unwavering obedience is a mark of true disciples.
And that’s exactly what the Rechabites exemplify for us so well.
The Sharpened Sword 