The Rechabites Honor Their Father
Jeremiah offers wine to the Rechabites, who refuse because their ancestor Jonadab told them not to. Their obedience to a long-dead human father stands against Judah's refusal to hear our Father, who has spoken again and again. Jonadab's line is promised a lasting place.
35 1The word that came to Jeremiah from our Father in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
2"Go to the Rechabites' house, speak with them, bring them into a side room of my house, and give them wine to drink."
3So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4and I brought them to our Father's house, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of our Father, next to the officials' room, above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the gatekeeper. 5Then I set bowls full of wine and cups before the sons of the house of the Rechabites and said, "Drink some wine."
6But they said, "We will not drink wine, for our father Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us: You and your children will never drink wine. 7Do not build a house, sow seed, or plant a vineyard; own none. Live in tents all your days, so you may live many days on the land where you stay.' 8So we have obeyed Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, in all he commanded us: to drink no wine all our days—we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters, 9and not to build houses to live in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, 10but we have lived in tents, obeying and doing all our father Jonadab commanded us. 11But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land, we said, 'Come, let's go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.' So we live in Jerusalem."
12Then the word of our Father came to Jeremiah:
13This is what the Father of heaven's armies, the Father of Israel, says: Tell the people of Judah and Jerusalem's residents: Will you not accept correction and listen to my words? declares our Father. 14Jonadab son of Rechab's command that his children not drink wine has been kept; to this day they drink none, because they obeyed their father's order. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not listened to me.
15Again and again I sent you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Each of you, turn from your evil way and correct your deeds. Do not follow other gods to serve them, and you will live in the land I gave you and your ancestors.' But you have not listened or paid attention to me. 16Jonadab son of Rechab's descendants kept their father's command, but this people has not listened to me.
17So the Father of heaven's armies, the Father of Israel, says: "I am bringing on Judah and all the people of Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen, I called to them and they did not answer."
18Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "This is what the Father of heaven's armies, the Father of Israel, says: Because you obeyed your father Jonadab's command, kept all his instructions, and did everything he commanded you, 19so says the Father of heaven's armies, the Father of Israel: Jonadab son of Rechab will always have a descendant standing before me."
