The Rekabites Obey Their Father's Command
Human loyalty to ancestral instruction exposes the deeper failure of God’s people to obey the living voice of the Lord.
Jeremiah 35:1-11 (BSB)
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the house of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.”
3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—
4 and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.
5 Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6 “We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.
7 Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’
8 And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.
9 Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.
10 But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
11 So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land, we said: ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”
What is the big idea of Jeremiah 35:1-11?
Human loyalty to ancestral instruction exposes the deeper failure of God’s people to obey the living voice of the LORD.
How does Jeremiah 35:1-11 point to Christ?
The obedience of the Rechabites highlights Judah’s failure to listen to God’s word. The gospel reveals that true obedience ultimately flows from hearts renewed by Christ, who writes God’s law within His people through the Spirit.
How does Jeremiah 35:1-11 relate to the life and ministry of Jesus?
The contrast between the obedience of the Rechabites and the disobedience of Judah anticipates the ultimate obedience of Christ, who perfectly fulfills the will of the Father where humanity repeatedly fails.
Authorial Intent
To present the obedience of the Rechabites to the command of their ancestor as a living illustration contrasting Judah’s persistent disobedience to the LORD.
Literary Context
Jeremiah 35 introduces a symbolic demonstration narrative within the prophetic book. After the previous passages exposing Judah’s covenant violations, the Lord now uses the obedience of the Rechabites as a living illustration of the obedience Judah has failed to display.
Historical Context
During the reign of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah uses the obedience of the Rechabites to illustrate Judah’s failure to obey God.
Chapter: Jeremiah 35
The Rekabites Obey Their Father, but Judah Refuses the LORD
The Rekabites’ faithful obedience to their ancestor exposes Judah’s shameful refusal to obey the LORD, who repeatedly sent his prophets and called his people to turn from evil.