Call to Commitment

Chapter 35

 

An unbroken vow

      1.      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, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink." 

 3.      Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, 

 4.      and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door. 

 5.      Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; 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 drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever. 

 7.      You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.' 

 8.      Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 

 9.      nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed. 

 10.  But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 

 11.  But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, 'Come, 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." 

 Chapter 35 was written before the previous three, which were presented in the time of Zedekiah’s reign. This chapter takes us back to the prophecies during the reign of Jehoiakim. Notice the entire scope of Jeremias prophecies in chapter 1:2 and 3, from the time of Josiah through the reign of Jehoahaz, Josiah’s son. The Pharaoh of Egypt dethroned him after reigning only three months, and took him to Egypt, where he died. Pharaoh made Eliakim, another son of Josiah, king, and changed his name to Jehoiakim, who reigned for 11 years. Jeremiah’s ministry continued through the short reign, only three months, of Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’s son, and on through the 11-year reign of Jehoiachin’s uncle and another son of Josiah, Mattaniah, better known as Zedekiah.

 It is King Jehoiakim, who is reigning at the time that this chapter is written (1). This book not only contains prophecy and history, but teaching from the Lord Himself, sometimes in forms of parables. This is a little different, God now uses an example of followers of a man called Rechab to give another lesson to the people of Jerusalem from Jeremiah.

 It is a significant time in Judah, because Chaldean raiders, as well as Syrians, are invading the land. At this time, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to visit the house of the Rechabites and bring them into a chamber of the temple (2).  Jeremiah speaks to their leader Jaazaniah, his brothers and sons, the chief people in the group, as well as the entire clan of Rachabites (3). He takes them to the temple, into the chamber of sons of Hanan, descendants of a man of God, named Igdaliah. Their chamber was next to the chamber, where the princes met, above the chamber of the high-ranking guard of one of the doors of the temple, Maaseiah (4).

 As the Lord instructed, Jeremiah serves the Rachabites wine and told them to drink (5). They refuse this attempt of the prophet to honor them in the temple, somewhat of an insult to his hospitality. However, they explain to him their religious duty placed upon them by their founder, Jonadab, Rechab’s son. He gave his followers and their descendants, a command not to drink wine (6). Wine, in Bible times, meant not only fermented drink, but also juice. In fact, they were not to plant vineyards, so they were forbidden to eat the fruit of the vine. These people were not to settle down and build houses, but were to be pilgrims, living in tents. This was to them a covenant, which they were to keep, in order to enjoy its blessing in their land (7).

 Every one of them, the heads of their households and their families, kept this covenant over generations. They abstained from all the products of the vine (8), and planted no vineyard; not only that, they didn’t possess lands and sowed no crops at all (9). They laid no foundations, but as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their only connection with the land, was to drive stakes into the ground, to hold their tents (10). They obeyed their founder in everything, showing that they were not even considering the offer of Jeremiah.

 In verse 11, we receive a clue concerning the timing of this prophecy, for it was after Jehoiakim’s revolt against Nebuchadnezzar (2 K.24:1-2), three full years into his reign. Chaldeans (Babylonians) and Syrians invaded the land in the fourth year. Because of the dangers of living without the protection of a walled city, the Rachabites moved into Jerusalem.

 

 Comparing obedience to a man with disobedience to God

 12.  Then came the word of the LORD 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 obey My words?" says the LORD. 

 14.  "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father's commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me. 

 15.  I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.' But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me. 

 16.  Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me." ' 

 17.  "Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but 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 commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, 

 19.  therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever." ' " 

 The story of the Rachabites is told and now the Lord applies the lesson (12) to Jeremiah, in order for him to relay it to the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. In the light of the story of the Rachabites, will they not obey God’s instructions? (13). Jonadab’s commandments were being strictly performed for generations. Compare the faithfulness of his people to the disobedience of God’s inheritance.

 The term “rising early and speaking”, is spoken again, as in chapters 7:13 and 25; 11:7; 25:3,4; 26:5; 29:19 and 32:33. It is a word that denotes God’s faithfulness, consistency, mercy and love. He is compelled by compassion to implore their obedience again and again (14). Yet they do not comply. Jonadab commanded his people’s loyalty and they responded. Compare also the authority of Jonadab with the sovereignty of God. A mere man, “whose breath is in his nostrils” cannot be worthily compared with the Almighty who “formed man… and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” What appalling injustice this is! What ridiculous lunacy! What amazing patience and 70 times 7 forgiveness from the Father (Mt.18:22)!

 Men’s lives were spent, who had dedicated themselves to a lifetime of service, as God’s prophets to His people. As to the success of their ministry, their lives were almost totally wasted. Jeremiah’s people entirely rejected his message, were brutally assaulted, expelled from their land and taken into captivity. The prophets were not pragmatic and would be considered utter failures in our day. That is, if we do not take into account the only true measure of success, which comes from being faithful to their Lord.

 The prophets called for repentance from evil ways and from disloyalty to Israel’s Jehovah. They promised continuance in the Promised Land, if they would obey, but the people rejected them (15). The entire purpose of the chapter is to portray the loyalty to Jonadab and Rachab, as well as the disobedience to God in the entire nation (16). The consequences must follow; heaven’s Judge pronounces sentence. The curse of doom, already preordained by the Omniscient God, now will surely fall upon Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. They refused to respond to the calls from a merciful Lord (17).

But the Lord has a word of blessing to pronounce on the Rachabites through the prophet. Because they have been totally faithful to the good word of Jonadab, they would find an eternal place in the presence of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. The Lord of armies would fight for them and protect them. They would continue in the covenant of Israel, when the rest of the population would be forsaken and would leave their land to desolation (19).

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 I want to draw three applications for the 21^st Century from this lesson. First, the sad story of the judgment of the Jew in Jeremiah’s time, is only an example of the entire, fallen human race. Put any nation in Israel’s place, or combine nations and races, and you will have the same results that we are witnessing in Judah. Israel was a people in rebellion against their God and a world of people exist today, who are in mutiny against their Creator.

 They follow their own modern idols, not of wood or stone, but selfish longings and goals, that take the place of God. They ignore Him in the affairs and plans of their lives, and only think to please themselves. They fall into routines of work, entertainment, food and clothing, and never open their Bibles to see what the Lord has to say to them. When do they ever pause to pray to seek His blessing or His will throughout their entire lives?

 They not only ignore Him, they deny Him, wistfully adhering to the theories of men and science. “There is no creation, therefore no Creator. Live your life, as you please, there is no Judge to Whom you must give account. You are the master of your destiny.” They hear it and they believe it. Mankind falls into the depths of idolatry and eventually the idolatry takes the cruel inventions of demons. Abortion becomes the remedy for unwanted pregnancies. All kinds of perverse relationships take the place of marriage and family responsibilities. No, my friends, the Jews are not the only culprits; it is the entire human race that stands guilty before God. They will all face judgment and a sentence of infinite doom.   

 Secondly, I want to refer to the wisdom of the Rachabites’ covenant. Of course, we will look beyond planting vineyards, eating grapes or drinking grape juice. At the basis of the covenant is a lack of attachment to this present age… that is the divine, unending principle of their lifestyle. They refused to set down roots into earth’s soil. I wish I had the means to bring the book of Ecclesiastes before the entire human race. The book has irrefutable arguments concerning this present age.

 The author of the book is a disenchanted king, who has experienced all the pleasure, wisdom, and achievements possible in his day. He had found them totally unsatisfying. The scope of the book is life “under the sun”… life on this planet. It is unwise to take the book out of its realm and apply it to life “beyond the sun”, the life offered in the gospel. However, according to physical and tangible things of this material world, the theme of Ecclesiastes is totally true and there is no feasible argument against it. Finally, the message of the book is “all is vanity”, principally because, we bring nothing into the world and we can take nothing out. The death shroud has no pockets!

 I’m asking every believer to read and reread Ecclesiastes. We need a continual reminder of the vanity of life under the sun, lest we forget and drift into the hellish trap of its system. In the end, it only offers a cemetery to which every human body will surely arrive. The percentage of its probability is unfailingly astounding… its 100%. “Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth,” (Col.3:2), is the wise counsel of the word of God. That is why the Rachabite pact is wise and kind.

 Thirdly, God’s word to the Rachabites promises that they will stand blessed before Him, in spite of the fate of the rest of the nation. That principle is taught throughout the word of God and remains true. True biblical Christianity consists of a small minority, who are walking in the way of salvation, among seven billion people,. Jesus said that many would enter the broad road to destruction, and few would be saved, because the way to life is narrow and difficult (Mt.7:13-14).   

 Not only that, if the church community that you attend is shallow and weak and there are few, who are in love with Christ. If it does not demand total commitment and does not expect any move from heaven. If it denies a supernatural moving of the Holy Spirit in our day, that does not make you exempt from a spiritual, supernatural, celestial work of God in your own life. Keep in your mind and close to your heart the destiny of Israel and the Lord’s promise to the Rachabites.