“And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.”
— Jeremiah 35:18-19
The letter of the law reveals the commandment with promise: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.[1]The Spirit of the letter hearkens forward, marveling, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel[2].
Throughout Israel’s history there were found gentile converts to the true religion, who proved their faith to be more sure than the natural-born Israelites. Matthew Henry’s commentary explains that the nomadic Rechabites were most likely Kenites, a nation that was historically friendly to Israel, but not technically of the seed of Abraham (Gen 15:19). Jonadab appears to have been called Jehonadab in 2nd Kings 10, who accompanied Jehu in his purging of Baal worship from Israel. He instructed his children to drink no wine whatsoever, and to live a nomadic life in tents rather than purchase land and build homes and plant gardens. Generations later, his commandments were still obeyed while Judah has apostatized.
Like their spiritual father Abraham and the patriarchs, the Rechabites were pilgrims and strangers in the lands they dwelled in. Their nomadic lifestyle kept them separated from the world, and by forsaking luxurious living (which wine represents in scripture) and material wealth they appear to have been able to escape the apostasy that had taken root in their surrounding society. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart[3].
Contrast this with God’s assessment of Israel: The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, [Israel] rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings….but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me[4].
If we cannot be faithful to our earthly parents, we cannot expect ourselves to be faithful to our Heavenly Father, whose providence gave them to us.
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear[5]?
With God there is dignity in small things. For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings[6]. No act of faith will go unnoticed, neither will any act of wickedness. Our last two mites and the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart before God are acceptable to Him. But the key is to first trust the Lord, loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then to love neighbor as oneself[7].
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believed not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? — John 3:12
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