What? Who are these people? Jeremiah 35 makes mention of the group of people called Rechabites, and I could not resist but do a quick study on just who these people were. After all, they are commended here by God through Jeremiah.
The Rechabites (descendants of Rechab), were actually distant relations of and descended from Jethro, whom you may recall was Moses' father-in-law. I cannot say for sure they were God-fearers at the time of Jeremiah, but when they are brought into the temple and offered wine, they refuse, as they had been instructed from generation to generation to abstain, and to stay true to principles taught them. That alone made this group of people stand out to Jeremiah. By this time, the people of Judah were ignoring the legitimate prophets and God's Word, and would have imbibed at will for their own pleasure. Not the Rechabites, and Jeremiah uses their example of living principled lives to further rebuke the people of Judah.
God says in verse 16 of chapter 35, "Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me." It would appear that this group of people, the Rechabites, heeded the advice of their ancestors, who were indeed God-followers, and passed those principles on to their subsequent generations. What a great teaching point for Judah, and for us.
What principles do we live by? What are we teaching our children and future generations, not only on principle, but more importantly, about God, His Word, and His expectations for us? His guidance is ever so trustworthy, and life lived for Him must be maintained and passed along. It's what He demands.
No comments:
Post a Comment