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A Lesson From the Rechabites
By Graemme Marshall

An Old Testament family vow can teach us even deeper lessons today.

srael and Judah were in crisis (only they didn't know it yet). Under Ahab and Jezebel the nation of Israel had made worship of Baal the state religion, and idolatry and witchcraft abounded. The nation of Judah, too, had succumbed.

Jehu killed both kings and potential family heirs and destroyed the idols of worship.
God acted by having Elisha send a servant to anoint a military commander named Jehu to bring about reform (2 Kings 9). Jehu killed both kings and potential family heirs and destroyed the idols of worship. Then he set about eradicating the priests of Baal. He led them to believe he was going to give a sacrifice in Baal's temple, and commanded all to attend. When all were inside, he had his troops surround the building with the instruction, "If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escapes, whoever lets him escape, it shall be his life for the life of the other" (2 Kings 10:24). It was a bloodbath. All were slaughtered, and Jehu's men also broke down the pillars and images of Baal.

Walking alongside Jehu all this time was a zealous patriot, similarly incensed at Israel's pagan lifestyle, named Jonadab, son of Rechab.

But it would seem Jehu's initial enthusiasm to see Israel cleansed of Baal and witchcraft lessened. He didn't follow through completely with what God had intended. At times Jehu went to an extreme in senseless slaughter, as indicated in Hosea 1:4 where God said, "I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu." His bloodbath may have been more motivated by political concern. Getting rid of Baal was one thing; getting rid of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan was another. If he destroyed the calves, the people would go to worship in Jerusalem, which was the concern of another former Israelite king, Jeroboam.

Jehu did much of what God told him, but he did not obey with his heart. For a while he was God's instrument, but he did not fully become God's servant (2 Kings 10:29-31). As a consequence, God began to reduce the size of Israel.

Although Scripture doesn't record the timing or the reasons, Jonadab at some point made a family decree to be forever nomadic and not drink wine. It may have been because of Jehu's incomplete reforms, along with invasions and loss of territory, that Jonadab and his family retreated into this nomadic existence. Remarkably, his descendants obeyed this down to Jeremiah's day.

In the agricultural society of their day without our modern technological distractions, being nomadic perhaps didn't make a lot of lifestyle difference. It did preclude tending a vineyard so they were never to sip any wine.

Jeremiah's lesson

It was the siege of Jerusalem. The city was close to collapse. God intended the Jews be given a lesson on loyalty. With invading armies in the countryside, the Rechabite nomads had sought refuge behind Jerusalem's walls. God instructed Jeremiah to invite Rechabite representatives into the temple for bowls of wine. It doesn't indicate whether Jeremiah expected them to do any less than drink the wine. Despite being in the presence of a priest and prophet and in the temple, they resisted the offer and proceeded to explain their family's unique commitment (Jeremiah 35).

Consider the Rechabite code of conduct as contrasted with Israel's inability to obey:

  • The Rechabites kept their vows to a fallible human leader; Israel broke its covenant with the infallible, divine God.

  • Jonadab told his family once not to drink, and they obeyed; God commanded Israel time and again to turn from sin, and they refused.

  • The Rechabites obeyed laws that dealt with earthly issues; Israel refused to obey God's laws that were of heavenly concern.

  • Rechabite descendants had obeyed for hundreds of years; Israelites disobeyed from the Exodus.

Without argument, society today is happy to observe customs that are just handed-down traditions: Santa Claus, Christmas, Easter and Halloween, for example. Yet God's laws are rejected. Much more should God's Word be obeyed, because it is eternal.

Retreat from life or retreat from sin?

It was the siege of Jerusalem. The city was close to collapse.
The Rechabites obeyed the vow and command of their patriarch, Jonadab. Certainly, God did not command anyone to be nomads and never drink wine. But the Rechabites were used as an example of obedience in contrast to Judah's rebellion (Jeremiah 35:13-14). And they were blessed because of their commitment to and faithfulness in fulfilling Jonadab's command (verse 18).

The heart of the matter is that the Rechabites obeyed the word of a human forefather. In contrast, the people of God disobeyed the divine word of their spiritual Father.

Saints begin their converted walk with God through obedience to His Word, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit.
In New Testament times, the apostle Paul corrected a misunderstanding in the Corinthian church. When he wrote that they should not keep company with sexually immoral people, some thought he meant to withdraw from society. He corrected it by explaining that to avoid sexually immoral people in the world would mean having to leave the world altogether. His inspired teaching was, instead, to avoid the company of people who, while claiming to be brothers, were immoral, covetous, idolaters, drunkards, revilers or extortionists. In fact, he instructed Church members to not even eat with them (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). This was read around God's Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Paul was not advocating withdrawing from society into a reclusive lifestyle to avoid the world. But rather, by God's Spirit he urged the people to have the courage to avoid the evils of the age and live righteously.

Keeping the Father's Word

The Rechabites faithfully obeyed their forefather. Under God's inspiration, Jeremiah called for a change within hearts by a return to obedience (Jeremiah 18:11). The bottom line for us today is: Do we live honorably by keeping our Father's Word?

Saints begin their converted walk with God through obedience to His Word, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. The promise of God's Spirit makes it possible to live a new life. Yet saints are chagrined at times to discover that a baptized brother or sister is guilty of fornication, adultery, stealing from another, lying, swearing or drunkenness. It hurts the heart of an obedient member of God's Church to encounter this. It is a painful reality that some professing Christians can teeter-totter on the edge of worldliness.

Yet the solution can be as simple as just keeping our word. Seemingly small things can help us grow in strength of character.

For example, do we make an arrangement but fail to keep it? We might justify, "Oh, they won't mind if we cancel." Our age is awash with address changes without notice, last-minute cancellations of travel plans or changes in accommodations. We are confronted at times about being honorable to our commitments -- perhaps a Feast booking or an intended offer to serve at the Feast of Tabernacles.

Last-minute changes happen and people go elsewhere, often without any notice to those involved. Is this honorable? Psalm 15 becomes instructive about honor by saying, "He who swears to his own hurt, and does not change" (verse 4).

Learning to live honorably comes by conversion to God's way of life. For more information, please request the free booklet .

Copyright 2009 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.


Related Information:

Other Articles by Graemme Marshall
Origin of article "A Lesson From the Rechabites"
Keywords: honorable vows commitments obedience keeping word 

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