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Judah’s Unfaithfulness Contrasted with the Rechabites’ Faithfulness

Jeremiah 35:1-19


Judah’s Unfaithfulness Contrasted with the Rechabites’ Faithfulness

Text: Jeremiah 35:1-19, 1. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. 2. “Go to the Rechabite community. Invite them to come into one of the side rooms of the Lord’s temple and offer them some wine to drink.” 3. So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah the grandson of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, and all the rest of the Rechabite community. 4. I took them to the Lord’s temple. I took them into the room where the disciples of the prophet Hanan son of Igdaliah stayed. That room was next to the one where the temple officers stayed and above the room where Maaseiah son of Shallum, one of the doorkeepers of the temple, stayed. 5. Then I set cups and pitchers full of wine in front of the members of the Rechabite community and said to them, “Have some wine.” 6. But they answered, “We do not drink wine because our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us not to. He told us, ‘You and your children must never drink wine. 7. Do not build houses. Do not plant crops. Do not plant a vineyard or own one. Live in tents all your lives. If you do these things you will live a long time in the land that you wander about on.’


8. We and our wives and our sons and daughters have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. We have never drunk wine. 9. We have not built any houses to live in. We do not own any vineyards, fields, or crops. 10. We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us. 11. But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land we said, ‘Let’s get up and go to Jerusalem to get away from the Babylonian and Aramean armies.’ That is why we are staying here in Jerusalem.” 12. Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 13. The Lord God of Israel who rules over all told him, “Go and speak to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. Tell them, ‘I, the Lord, say: “You must learn a lesson from this about obeying what I say! 14. Jonadab son of Rechab ordered his descendants not to drink wine. His orders have been carried out. To this day his descendants have drunk no wine because they have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them. But I have spoken to you over and over again, but you have not obeyed me! 15. I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay any attention or listen to me. 16. Yes, the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the orders that their ancestor gave them. But you people have not obeyed me!


17. So I, the Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, say: “I will soon bring on Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem all the disaster that I threatened to bring on them. I will do this because I spoke to them but they did not listen. I called out to them but they did not answer.”’” 18. Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.’ 19. So the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a male descendant to serve me.’” (NET) Introduction: I. Chapter 35 predates the previous chapter by some ten years and can probably be assigned to 599 or 598 B.C. (Smith)

A. Willis concurs saying, “This story and the one that follows (Jeremiah 36) take place during the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.), some ten to fifteen years (Coffman: twelve (12) to seventeen years) prior to the events recorded in the surrounding chapters.

1. The Babylonian armies first invaded that region in 605 B.C. These events, therefore, took place no earlier than 605 B.C. (Willis)

a. 2 Kings 24:1-2, During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim was his subject for three years, but then he rebelled against him. The Lord


sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, as he had warned he would do through his servants the prophets. (NET)

2. Chronologically, according to Payne Smith via Coffman, the date of Jeremiah 35 lies between that of the Battle of Carchemish and the appearance of Nebuchadnezzar at Jerusalem.

3. The Pulpit Commentary states the things related in this chapter can perhaps be dated to the summer of 606 B.C.

4. Wiseman via Coffman noted that chronologically the chapter follows chapter 25.

Commentary: Jeremiah 35:1, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. (NET) I. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah.

A. Character identification: . . .

1. Jeremiah is the name of nine (9) men in the Old Testament, this Jeremiah being the major prophet. The Book of Jeremiah we are presently studying is the work of this prophet. This Jeremiah was born in Anathoth just north of Jerusalem in the territory of


Benjamin. He was the son of Hilkiah and was a priest. (Nelson’s New Illustrated bible Dictionary)

2. Jehoiakim was an evil king of Judah, son of the good king Josiah. He reigned eleven (11) years from 609-598 B.C. He rebelled against the Babylonians, was bound and carried away to Babylon as a captive. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

3. Josiah was the sixteenth (16th) king of Judah who reigned for three decades. He was a good, godly king whose rule was characterized by peace, prosperity and religious reform. (Nelson’s New Illustrated bible Dictionary)

4. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob from whom the tribe in and around Jerusalem descended.

B. The events addressed here occurred during the reign of Jehoiakim and probably can be dated to 598 BCE. (See Hamilton.)

1. Clarke advised that this discourse was probably delivered in the fourth (4th) or fifth (5th) year of Jehoiakim’s reign.

Jeremiah 35:2, “Go to the Rechabite community. Invite them to come into one of the side rooms of the Lord’s temple and offer them some wine to drink.” (NET) I. “Go to the Rechabite community.



1. Rechab was the father of Jehonadab. Jehonadab was the ancestor of the Rechabites. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

2. The Rechabites were a clan, an ascetic group (Smith), which was begun by Jehonadab some two-hundred fifty (250) years previously (Coffman), a supporter of the revolt by Jehu against the house of Ahab. He may have subsequently become disillusioned and resorted to a nomadic lifestyle. (See Hamilton.)

a. 2 Kings 10:1-36, Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab’s dynasty. This is what the letters said, “You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives, pick the best and most capable of your master’s sons, place him on his father’s throne, and defend your master’s dynasty.” They were absolutely terrified and said, “Look, two kings could not stop him! How can we?” So the palace supervisor, the city commissioner, the leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, “We are your subjects! Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper.” He wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me, then


take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” Now the king had seventy sons, and the prominent men of the city were raising them. When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel. The messenger came and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.” Jehu said, “Stack them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.” In the morning he went out and stood there. Then he said to all the people, “You are innocent. I conspired against my master and killed him. But who struck down all of these men? Therefore take note that not one of the judgments the Lord announced against Ahab’s dynasty has failed to materialize. The Lord had done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” Then Jehu killed all who were left of Ahab’s family in Jezreel, and all his nobles, close friends, and priests. He left no survivors. Jehu then left there and set out for Samaria. While he was traveling through Beth Eked of the Shepherds, Jehu encountered the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are Ahaziah’s relatives. We have come down to see how the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons are doing.” He said, “Capture them alive!” So they captured them alive and then executed all forty-two


of them in the cistern at Beth Eked. He left no survivors. When he left there, he met Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who had been looking for him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Are you as committed to me as I am to you?” Jehonadab answered, “I am!” Jehu replied, “If so, give me your hand.” So he offered his hand and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot. Jehu said, “Come with me and see how zealous I am for the Lord’s cause.” So he took him along in his chariot. He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria, just as the Lord had announced to Elijah. Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab worshiped Baal a little; Jehu will worship him with great devotion. So now, bring to me all the prophets of Baal, as well as all his servants and priests. None of them must be absent, for I am offering a great sacrifice to Baal. Any of them who fail to appear will lose their lives.” But Jehu was tricking them so he could destroy the servants of Baal. Then Jehu ordered, “Make arrangements for a celebration for Baal.” So they announced it. Jehu sent invitations throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one was absent. They arrived at the temple of Baal and filled it up from end to end. Jehu ordered the one who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes


for them. Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went to the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Make sure there are no servants of the Lord here with you; there must be only servants of Baal.” They went inside to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside. He had told them, “If any of the men inside get away, you will pay with your lives!” When he finished offering the burnt sacrifice, Jehu ordered the royal guard and officers, “Come in and strike them down! Don’t let any escape!” So the royal guard and officers struck them down with the sword and left their bodies lying there. Then they entered the inner sanctuary of the temple of Baal. They hauled out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. They demolished the sacred pillar of Baal and the temple of Baal; it is used as a latrine to this very day. So Jehu eradicated Baal worship from Israel. However, Jehu did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam son of Nebat had encouraged Israel to commit; the golden calves remained in Bethel and Dan. The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well. You have accomplished my will and carried out my wishes with regard to Ahab’s dynasty. Therefore four generations of your descendants will rule over Israel.” But Jehu did not carefully and wholeheartedly obey the law of the Lord God of Israel. He did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam had


encouraged Israel to commit. In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel’s territory. Hazael attacked their eastern border. He conquered all the land of Gilead, including the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, extending all the way from the Aroer in the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan. The rest of the events of Jehu’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. Jehu passed away and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz replaced him as king. Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria. (NET)

b. 1 Chronicles 2:55, and the clans of the scribes who lived in Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who descended from Hammath, the father of Beth-Rechab. (NET)

3. The Rechabites were, according to Coffman, a branch of the Kenites. The Kenites were relatives of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. The Kenites followed the Israelites into Canaan and continued living among them as devoted followers of Jehovah.

a. Consequently, the Rechabites were not descendants of Jacob.

C. Related references: . . .


1. Numbers 10:29-32, Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things for Israel.” But Hobab said to him, “I will not go, but I will go instead to my own land and to my kindred.” Moses said, “Do not leave us, because you know places for us to camp in the wilderness, and you could be our guide. And if you come with us, it is certain that whatever good things the Lord will favor us with, we will share with you as well.” (NET)

2. Judges 1:16, Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, located in the Negev. They went and lived with the people of Judah. (NET)

3. Judges 4:11, 18-21, Now Heber the Kenite had moved away from the Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law. He lived near the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. Jael came out to welcome Sisera. She said to him, “Stop and rest, my lord. Stop and rest with me. Don’t be afraid.” So Sisera stopped to rest in her tent, and she put a blanket over him. He said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, because I’m thirsty.” She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again. He said to her, “Stand


watch at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes along and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ say ‘No.’” Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg in one hand and a hammer in the other. She crept up on him, drove the tent peg through his temple into the ground while he was asleep from exhaustion, and he died. (NET)

4. 1 Samuel 27:10, When Achish would ask, “Where did you raid today?” David would say, “The Negev of Judah” or “The Negev of Jeharmeel” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” (NET)

5. 1 Samuel 30:29, and Racal; for those in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and Kenites; (NET)

II. Invite them to come into one of the side rooms of the Lord’s temple and offer them some wine to drink.”

A. The “side rooms” of the temple were located adjacent to the sanctuary proper and served as store rooms, meeting rooms and temporary living quarters for the priests while on duty. (See Hamilton.)

1. These side rooms or chambers were numerous and of varying sizes. (The Pulpit Commentary)

2. Related references:

a. 1 Chronicles 28:12, He gave him the blueprints of all he envisioned for the courts of the Lord’s temple, all the surrounding


rooms, the storehouses of God’s temple, and the storehouses for the holy items. (NET)

b. Ezekiel 40:17, Then he brought me to the outer court. I saw chambers there, and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. (NET)

c. Jeremiah 36:10, At that time Baruch went into the temple of the Lord. He stood in the entrance of the room of Gemariah the son of Shaphan who had been the royal secretary. That room was in the upper court near the entrance of the New Gate. There, where all the people could hear him, he read from the scroll what Jeremiah had said. (NET)

B. Smith observed that Jeremiah was not tempting the Rechabites, but rather, being assured of their response, was trying to show the people of Jerusalem how they also should be faithful.

1. The Rechabites had been faithful to their principles for two hundred (200) years. There was no expectation that they would forsake their heritage for a glass of wine.

a. Esau may have sold his soul for a mess of pottage, but not these Rechabites.

b. How about you?


Jeremiah 35:3, So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah the grandson of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, and all the rest of the Rechabite community. (NET) I. So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah the grandson of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, and all the rest of the Rechabite community.

A. Character Identification: . . .

1. Jaazaniah was a chief Rechabite, the son of Jeremiah (see #2 below) and grandson of Habaaziniah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

2. This Jeremiah, the name of nine (9) men in the Old Testament, was the son of Habazziniah and father of Jaazaniah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

3. Habazziniah was the grandfather of Jaazaniah, leader of the Rechabites. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

B. The Rechabite community (house, family) is in view here, the chiefs of which are named here. (See Clarke.)

Jeremiah 35:4, I took them to the Lord’s temple. I took them into the room where the disciples of the prophet Hanan son of Igdaliah stayed. That room was next to the one where the temple officers stayed and above the room where Maaseiah son of Shallum, one of the doorkeepers of the temple, stayed. (NET)


I. I took them to the Lord’s temple. I took them into the room where the disciples of the prophet Hanan son of Igdaliah stayed.


1. This Hanan, the name of eight (8) or nine (9) Old Testament men, was a son of Igdaliah and a prophet whose sons, disciples had a room in the temple. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

a. Hanan was a prophet, a man of God.

b. Hamilton added that the name Igdaliah appears only here in the Bible and noted that the Septuagint has Gedaliah.

B. These must have been only the leaders of the Rechabites as they could all gather in one room of the temple. (See Coffman.)

II. That room was next to the one where the temple officers stayed and above the room where Maaseiah son of Shallum, one of the doorkeepers* of the temple, stayed.

A. *According to Jeremiah 52:24; 2 Kings 25:18 there were three officers who carried out this doorkeeper duty.

1. Jeremiah 52:24, The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. (NET)


2. 2 Kings 25:18, The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. (NET)

B. Character identification: . . .

1. This Maaseiah, the name of several Old Testament men, was a temple gatekeeper and the son of Shallum. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Hamilton wrote that Maaseiah may have been the father of Zephaniah, the priest.

a. Jeremiah 21:1, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. Zedekiah sent them to Jeremiah to ask, (NET)

b. Jeremiah 29:25, that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all has a message for him. Tell him, ‘On your own initiative you sent a letter to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem. In your letter you said to Zephaniah, (NET)

c. Jeremiah 37:3, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. He told them to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” (NET)


2. This Shallum, the name of thirteen (13) or fourteen (14) Old Testament men, was the father of Maaseiah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

C. “Doorkeepers,” Hamilton wrote, had important duties including preventing ritually, ceremonially unclean persons from entering the temple and handling funds for needed temple repairs.

1. 2 Kings 12:9-10, Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up. (NET)

2. Psalm 84:10, Certainly spending just one day in your temple courts is better than spending a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the entrance to the temple of my God than live in the tents of the wicked. (NET)

3. The doorkeepers “were officers of high rank, having precedence next to the High Priest and his deputy.” (Coffman) (Also see The Pulpit Commentary.)

Jeremiah 35:5, Then I set cups and pitchers full of wine in front of the members of the Rechabite community and said to them, “Have some wine.” (NET)


I. Then I set cups and pitchers full of wine in front of the members of the Rechabite community and said to them, “Have some wine.”

A. As directed, Jeremiah invited the Rechabites to have some wine knowing they would refuse to make the point that, even among all the sinners in Jerusalem, there remained a remnant, albeit a small one, which remained faithful to their principles.

1. Jeremiah did not command the Rechabites to drink wine. He politely offered it to them.

2. They refused to drink wine even when asked to drink by a prophet-priest in the person of Jeremiah.

3. Always do right no matter what! You will be glad you did!

4. “Pitchers” are also called “pots,” which were large round bowls, out of which the drinking-cups were filled. (The Pulpit Commentary)

Jeremiah 35:6, But they answered, “We do not drink wine because our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us not to. He told us, ‘You and your children must never drink wine. (NET) I. But they answered, “We do not drink wine because our ancestor Jonadab* son of Rechab commanded us not to.


A. *NET footnote: Generally identified with the Jonadab who helped Jehu remove Baal worship after the reign of Ahab (2 Kings 10:15, 23-24).

1. 2 Kings 10:15, 23-24, When he left there, he met Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who had been looking for him. Jehu greeted him and asked, “Are you as committed to me as I am to you?” Jehonadab answered, “I am!” Jehu replied, “If so, give me your hand.” So he offered his hand and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot. Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went to the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Make sure there are no servants of the Lord here with you; there must be only servants of Baal.” They went inside to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside. He had told them, “If any of the men inside get away, you will pay with your lives!” (NET)

2. Jeremiah 35:14, 16, Jonadab son of Rechab ordered his descendants not to drink wine. His orders have been carried out. To this day his descendants have drunk no wine because they have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them. But I have spoken to you over and over again, but you have not obeyed me! Yes, the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the orders that their ancestor gave them. But you people have not obeyed me! (NET)


B. Abstinence speaks to a life of temperance and sobriety in which they would do nothing injurious to themselves or others or dishonorable to God. (See Clarke.)

II. He told us, ‘You and your children must never drink wine.

A. Millions through history who have been addicted to wine or have otherwise suffered at the hands of others who were under the influence of addictive substances can attest to the truth and wisdom of this advice!

Jeremiah 35:7, Do not build houses. Do not plant crops. Do not plant a vineyard or own one. Live in tents all your lives. If you do these things you will live a long time in the land that you wander about on.’ (NET) I. Do not build houses. Do not plant corps. Do not plant a vineyard or own one. Live in tents all your lives.

A. A nomadic life followed by the Rechabites was inconsistent with building houses, owning land and planting vineyards and crops.

1. These things were not wrong, but simply inconsistent with a nomadic lifestyle. (See Willis.)

a. Deuteronomy 6:10-12, Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you—a land with large, fine cities you did not build, houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and


vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—and you eat your fill, be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery. (NET)

b. 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teach-ings, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (NET)

2. They lived very frugal lives. (Clarke)

3. If drinking wine had been considered sinful, God would not have told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into the temple and offer them wine to drink there. (See Willis.)

B. Coffman observed that the Rechabites dwelled in black tents. All of these tents in Jerusalem must have been a memorable sight. (See Coffman.)

1. This was certainly an excellent example of the Rechabites obedience and loyalty, a must needed lesson by the people of Jerusalem. (Coffman)

C. The Rechabites were taught to live a nomadic life, strive for no earthly possessions and live free from ambition and


envy, contention and strife. Emphasis was to be placed on high moral, ethical and eternal values rather than what was temporal and corruptive. (See Clarke.)

1. The Pulpit Commentary suggested the nomadic life may have been a means for the Rechabites to preserve their independence.

II. If you do these things you will live a long time in the land that you wandered about on.’*

A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew – the land where you are sojourning.

B. Living long in the promised land was a blessing attached to obeying God’s commandments.

1. Deuteronomy 4:40, Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession. (NET)

2. Deuteronomy 5:33, Walk just as he has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land you are going to possess. (NET)

3. Deuteronomy 11:9, 21, and that you may enjoy long life in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. so that your


days and those of your descendants may be extended in the land which the Lord promised to give to your ancestors, like the days of heaven itself. (NET)

4. Deuteronomy 8:1-5, You must keep carefully all these commandments I am giving you today so that you may live, increase in number, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, the Lord your God disciplines you. (NET)

C. Willis cites several possible reasons for this assertion that following Jonadab’s instructions, nomadic lifestyle, would contribute to their living a long time in the Promised Land.

1. Perhaps the nomadic lifestyle was regarded as healthier than a sedentary lifestyle.

2. A nomadic lifestyle in which the Rechabites would associate largely with one another would enable them


to be free of the religious and moral corruptions, dangers and contagious diseases of populated areas.

a. Jerusalem was filled with idol worshipers while the Rechabites were evidently totally free of this horrible sin.

b. Sword, famine and disease filled Jerusalem while the nomadic Rechabites were relatively free of these plagues.

c. The Rechabites lived a very simple life. No one had reason to envy them. They were very peaceful people. Living without such conflicts would certainly contribute to longevity. (See Clarke.)

3. God blessed the righteous Rechabites with long life in the Promised Land.

Jeremiah 35:8, We and our wives and our sons and daughters have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. We have never drunk wine. (NET) I. We and our wives and our sons and daughters have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.

A. “This obedience of the Rechabites to their principles was indeed astounding. No greater contrast to the disobedience of Israel could possibly have been imagined.” (Coffman)


1. Coffman further wrote, “What is praised here is not Jonadab’s injunctions, but the faithful obedience of his sons.”

2. This total obedience to these instructions over a long period of time is truly remarkable. (See Clarke.)

II. We have never drunk wine.

A. The Law of Moses did not forbid the drinking of wine. It did forbid drunkenness, the excessive use of wine.

1. Vineyards were plentiful in Palestine during both Testamental periods.

B. If it were sinful, God’s great prophet would not have served wine on this occasion.

Jeremiah 35:9, We have not built any houses to live in. We do not own any vineyards, fields, or crops. (NET) I. We have not built any houses to live in. We do not own any vineyards, fields, or crops.

A. The Rechabites were people of integrity who consistently lived in keeping with their moral and ethical values.

Jeremiah 35:10, We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us. (NET) I. We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us.


A. The Rechabites had faithfully listened to their respected ancestral leader while the people of Jerusalem had not even paid any attention, listened to God!

B. “ . . . the Rechabies represent a model of obedience for all to emulate,” Willis wrote.

Jeremiah 35:11, But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land we said, ‘Let’s get up and go to Jerusalem to get away from the Babylonian and Aramean armies.’ That is why we are staying here in Jerusalem.” (NET) I. But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land we said, . . .

A. Related reference: . . .

1. 2 Kings 24:2, The Lord sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, as he had warned he would do through his servants the prophets. (NET)

B. The Rechabites were in Jerusalem only temporarily having taken refuge there to avoid the Babylonian and Aramean incursions. (See Hamilton.)

1. By this temporary stay in Jerusalem, they had not forsaken their core values, but prudently did what was required to save their lives. (See Willis.)


2. This residence in Jerusalem was temporary in a time of emergency and was designed to save their lives.

C. After the rebellion of Jehoiakim, bands of Syrians made incursions into Judah. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

1. 2 Kings 24:2, The Lord sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, as he had warned he would do through his servants the prophets. (NET)

II. ‘Let’s get up and go to Jerusalem to get away from the Babylonians and Aramean armies.’


1. Arameans were an ancient desert people who flourished along with the Israelites during much of their history, sometimes as enemies and sometimes as friends. The region of the Arameans, the land of Aram, extended from the Lebanon Mountains on the west eastward to the Euphrates River and from the Taurus Mountains on the north southward to Damascus. They were an ancient people who settled the Near East as early as 2,250 B.C. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

III. That is why we are staying here in Jerusalem.”

A. Place identification: . . .


1. Jerusalem, city of peace, was the sacred city and well-known capital of Palestine during Bible times. The earliest known name for Jerusalem was Urushalem. Salem, of which Metchizedek was king, was a natural abbreviation for Jerusalem. Thus, Jerusalem appears in the Bible as early as Abraham, although the city had probably been inhabited for centuries before that time. During the conquest of Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. The city was occupied by the Jebusites and was called Jebus. David made it the Israelite capital. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Jeremiah 35:12, Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. (NET) I. Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.

A. Willis observed that the verb obey (“hear”) is used by the Lord five (5) times in verses 12-17.

1. The obedience, willingness to listen of the Rechabites is in stark contrast to the disobedience, refusal to listen of the people of Jerusalem.

2. As a result, the Rechabites lived blessed lives while the people of Jerusalem were left devastated.

B. The Pulpit commentary suggests that Jeremiah may have delivered this message to his sinful countrymen in one of the outer courts of the temple after Jeremiah had left the Rechabites.

Jeremiah 35:13, The Lord God of Israel who rules over all told him, “Go and speak to the people of Judah and the


citizens of Jerusalem. Tell them, ‘I, the Lord, say: “You must learn a lesson from this about obeying what I say! (NET) I. The Lord God of Israel who rules over all told him, . . .

A. The Lord God of Israel spoke to Jeremiah who listened carefully to all God said.

1. Jeremiah also faithfully obeyed all that God commanded him.

II. “Go and speak to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.

A. Jeremiah forthwith did what God commanded him to do.

1. He went and spoke to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

2. Jeremiah spoke exactly what God told him to speak.

III. Tell them, ‘I, the Lord, say: “You must learn a lesson from this about obeying what I say!

A. “Because Judah had refused to listen to God’s call to repentance, the land would experience all the calamities which his messengers and his Law had threatened,” Smith wrote.

B. Some four times in Jeremiah 35 the phrase “I, the Lord, say: . . .” is repeated in these or similar words. (See Willis.)


1. See verses 13, 17, 18, 19.

C. The faithful obedience of the Rechabites put to shame the infidelity of the Judahites, The Pulpit Commentary states.

Jeremiah 35:14, Jonadab son of Rechab ordered his descendants not to drink wine. His orders have been carried out. To this day his descendants have drunk no wine because they have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them. But I have spoken to you over and over again, but you have not obeyed me! (NET) I. Jonadab son of Rechab ordered his descendants not to drink wine. His orders have been carried out. To this day his descendants have drunk no wine because they have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them.

A. The Rechabites well knew the principles by which they were to live as set forth by their ancestral leader, Jonadab.

B. The point is that the Rechabites faithfully obeyed their ancestor Jonadab while the people of Judah and Jerusalem refused to obey the will of God.

1. The Rechabites had respect for Jonadab and his instructions.

2. The people of Judah and Jerusalem did not represent God nor his instructions.

II. But I have spoken to you over and over again, but you have not obeyed me!


A. A marked contrast is described here between the faithful Rechabites and the sinful people of Jerusalem.

1. Would the Rechabites’ example influence Jerusalem to do better?

2. The Lord asked them to repent, but appeared to hold out little hope that they would listen to him and obey his commands.

Jeremiah 35:15, I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay any attention or listen to me. (NET) I. I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again.

A. The good Lord did not tell the people only one time and then leave them to their own devices.

1. The Lord loved his wayward people and patiently and persistently sent one prophet after another to lead them in the way of righteousness.

2. The sad thing is that they flatly refused time and again to walk in God’s way.

II. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right.


A. The message of the prophets could be reduced to, “Everyone stop doing evil things and do what is right.”

B. Their answer to the word of God through the prophets was, “No.”

1. This was a dumb answer? There may not be any dumb questions, but there certainly are a lot of dumb answers, but this one is the dumbest of all!

III. Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship them.

A. Idolatry was a major sin long practiced by the sinful people of Israel and Judah.

IV. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.”

A. Do right and live long in the land of promise, a land they dearly loved.

B. Why then would they refuse to do right?

V. But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

A. Consequently, Jerusalem was destroyed, the people were killed or taken captive to Babylon.

B. Nobody ever went to hell for doing right and nobody ever went to heaven for doing wrong.


Jeremiah 35:16, Yes, the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the orders that their ancestor gave them. But you people have not obeyed me! (NET) I. Yes, the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the orders that their ancestor gave them.

A. The Rechabites respected and followed the advice of their ancestor, Jonadab.

II. But you people have not obeyed me!

A. The people of Judah and Jerusalem did not respect nor obey the word and will of God.

Jeremiah 35:17, So I, the Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, say: “I will soon bring on Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem all the disaster that I threatened to bring on them. I will do this because I spoke to them but they did not listen. I called out to them but they did not answer.”’” (NET) I. So I, the Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, say: . . .

A. God, having duely weighed the wicked actions of the people of Judah and Jerusalem, was now ready to pronounce their punishments.

II. “I will soon bring on Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem all the disaster that I threatened to bring on them.

A. Related references: . . .


1. Deuteronomy 28:15-68, “But if you ignore the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the field. Your basket and your mixing bowl will be cursed. Your children will be cursed, as well as the produce of your soil, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. “The Lord will send on you a curse, confusing you and opposing you in everything you undertake until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the evil of your deeds, in that you have forsaken me. The Lord will plague you with deadly diseases until he has completely removed you from the land you are about to possess. He will afflict you with weakness, fever, inflammation, infection, sword, blight, and mildew; these will attack you until you perish. The sky above your heads will be bronze and the earth beneath you iron. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; it will come down on you from the sky until you are destroyed. “The Lord will allow you to be struck down before your enemies; you will attack them from one direction but flee from them in seven directions and will become an object of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Your carcasses will be food for every bird of the sky and wild animal of the earth, and there will be no one to chase them off. The Lord will afflict


you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, eczema, and scabies, all of which cannot be healed. The Lord will also subject you to madness, blindness, and confusion of mind. You will feel your way along at noon like the blind person does in darkness and you will not succeed in anything you do; you will be constantly oppressed and continually robbed, with no one to save you. You will be engaged to a woman and another man will rape her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not even begin to use it. Your ox will be slaughtered before your very eyes but you will not eat of it. Your donkey will be stolen from you as you watch and will not be returned to you. Your flock of sheep will be given to your enemies and there will be no one to save you. Your sons and daughters will be given to another people while you look on in vain all day, and you will be powerless to do anything about it. As for the produce of your land and all your labor, a people you do not know will consume it, and you will be nothing but oppressed and crushed for the rest of your lives. You will go insane from seeing all this. The Lord will afflict you in your knees and on your legs with painful, incurable boils—from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. The Lord will force you and your king whom you will appoint over you to go away to a people whom you and your ancestors have not known, and you will serve other gods of wood and stone there. You will become an occasion of horror, a proverb, and an object of ridicule to all


the peoples to whom the Lord will drive you. “You will take much seed to the field but gather little harvest, because locusts will consume it. You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but you will not drink wine or gather in grapes, because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with olive oil, because the olives will drop off the trees while still unripe. You will bear sons and daughters but not keep them, because they will be taken into captivity. Whirring locusts will take over every tree and all the produce of your soil. The foreigners who reside among you will become higher and higher over you and you will become lower and lower. They will lend to you but you will not lend to them; they will become the head and you will become the tail! All these curses will fall on you, pursuing and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping his commandments and statutes that he has given you. These curses will be a perpetual sign and wonder with reference to you and your descendants. “Because you have not served the Lord your God joyfully and wholeheartedly with the abundance of everything you have, instead in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and poverty you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. They will place an iron yoke on your neck until they have destroyed you. The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth as the eagle flies, a


nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of stern appearance that will have no regard for the elderly or pity for the young. They will devour the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your soil until you are destroyed. They will not leave you with any grain, new wine, olive oil, calves of your herds, or lambs of your flocks until they have destroyed you. They will besiege all of your villages until all of your high and fortified walls collapse—those in which you put your confidence throughout the land. They will besiege all your villages throughout the land the Lord your God has given you. You will then eat your own offspring, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you, because of the severity of the siege by which your enemies will constrict you. The man among you who is by nature tender and sensitive will turn against his brother, his beloved wife, and his remaining children. He will withhold from all of them his children’s flesh that he is eating (since there is nothing else left), because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages. Likewise, the most tender and delicate of your women, who would never think of putting even the sole of her foot on the ground because of her daintiness, will turn against her beloved husband, her sons and daughters, and will secretly eat her afterbirth and her newborn children (since she has nothing else), because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages. “If you refuse to obey all the words


of this law, the things written in this scroll, and refuse to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God, then the Lord will increase your punishments and those of your descen-dants—great and long-lasting afflictions and severe, enduring illnesses. He will infect you with all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will persistently afflict you. Moreover, the Lord will bring upon you every kind of sickness and plague not mentioned in this scroll of commandments, until you have perished. There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky, because you will have disobeyed the Lord your God. This is what will happen: Just as the Lord delighted to do good for you and make you numerous, he will take delight in destroying and decimating you. You will be uprooted from the land you are about to possess. The Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of wood and stone. Among those nations you will have no rest nor will there be a place of peaceful rest for the soles of your feet, for there the Lord will give you an anxious heart, failing eyesight, and a spirit of despair. Your life will hang in doubt before you; you will be terrified by night and day and will have no certainty of surviving from one day to the next. In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ And in the evening you will say, ‘I wish it were morning!’ because of the things you will


fear and the things you will see. Then the Lord will make you return to Egypt by ship, over a route I said to you that you would never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.” (NET)

2. Jeremiah 7:13, 27, You also have done all these things, says the Lord, and I have spoken to you over and over again. But you have not listened! You have refused to respond when I called you to repent! (NET)

B. All of those disasters befell Jerusalem because the people refused to hear and obey God! . . . because they were an ungrateful and rebellious people. (See Clarke.)

III. I will do this because I spoke to them but they did not listen. I called out to them but they did not answer.”’”

A. The punishments God was to bring upon Judah and Jerusalem were altogether just because God had spoken, but they had not listened, called out to them, but they did not answer.

1. It does not pay to ignore God!

Jeremiah 35:18, Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.’ (NET)


I. Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, . . .

A. Willis wrote, “The Lord’s commendation and blessing of the Rechabites parallels in form the indictment and commendation of the people of Judah.”

II. ‘You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.’

A. What a remarkable contrast between obedience and disobedience!

1. The faithful Rechabites are placed in juxtaposition with the unfaithfulness of the people of Judah.

Jeremiah 35:19, So the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a male descendant to serve me.’” (NET) I. So the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a male descendant to serve me.’”

A. Because of their faithfulness, “while the earth remains” (LXX), there would always be male Rechabites living to serve God.

B. “The Rechabites were models of parental respect and obedience. ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before me always.’ ‘To stand before God’ means to be active in his service.” (Smith)


C. Coffman quoting Plumtre wrote, “ . . . the prophecy here was literally fulfilled when the Rechabites were incorporated into the tribe of Levi, whose office it was ‘to stand before Jehovah.’”

D. Related references: . . .

1. Deuteronomy 10:8, At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings in his name, as they do to this very day. (NET)

2. Deuteronomy 18:5, 7, For the Lord your God has chosen them and their sons from all your tribes to stand and serve in his name permanently. and serves in the name of the Lord his God like his fellow Levites who stand there before the Lord. (NET)

3. Genesis 19:27, Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. (NET)

4. 1 Kings 8:11, The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple. (NET)

5. 2 Chronicles 29:11, My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.” (NET)


6. Nehemiah 7:65, The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim. (NET)

7. 1 Kings 18:15, But Elijah said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all lives (whom I serve), I will make an appearance before him today.” (NET)

8. Psalm 134:1, Attention! Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who serve in the Lord’s temple during the night. (NET)

9. Psalm 135:2, who serve in the Lord’s temple, in the courts of the temple of our God. (NET)

E. God certainly looked with extraordinary favor on the faithful Rechabites.

1. God viewed the Rechabites as being among his most respected servants, the patriarchs, priests and prophets. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

Conclusion: I. The example of the Rechabites who listened to and obeyed the respected advice of their ancestors is placed in sharp contrast with the people of Judah who would not listen to and obey the commandments of God Almighty. (See Willis.)

A. Related references: . . .


1. Jeremiah 34:14, 17, “Every seven years each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you shall set them free.” But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention to me. So I, the Lord, say: “You have not really obeyed me and granted freedom to your neighbor and fellow countryman. Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom to die in war, or by starvation or disease. I, the Lord, affirm it! I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to you. (NET)

2. Jeremiah 36:31, I will punish him and his descendants and the officials who serve him for the wicked things they have done. I will bring on them, the citizens of Jerusalem, and the people of Judah all the disaster that I threatened to do to them. I will punish them because I threatened them but they still paid no heed.”’” (NET)

3. Jeremiah 7:13, 26, You also have done all these things, says the Lord, and I have spoken to you over and over again. But you have not listened! You have refused to respond when I called you to repent! But your ancestors did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’” (NET)

4. Jeremiah 11:10, They have gone back to the evil ways of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid


allegiance to other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors. (NET)

5. Jeremiah 13:10-11, These wicked people refuse to obey what I have said. They follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts and pay allegiance to other gods by worshiping and serving them. So they will become just like these linen shorts which are good for nothing. For,’ I say, ‘just as shorts cling tightly to a person’s body, so I bound the whole nation of Israel and the whole nation of Judah tightly to me.’ I intended for them to be my special people and to bring me fame, honor, and praise. But they would not obey me. (NET)

6. Jeremiah 17:23, Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.’ (NET)

7. Jeremiah 25:4, Over and over again the Lord has sent his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. (NET)

8. Jeremiah 26:4-5, Tell them that the Lord says, ‘You must obey me! You must live according to the way I have instructed you in my laws. You must pay attention to the exhortations of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you


over and over again. But you have not paid any attention to them. (NET)

II. The question for us is, “Will we be like the Rechobites who respected and obeyed wise guidance and prospered or like the people of Jerusalem who refused to hear and heed the word of God and were destroyed?

A. Think of all the blessings the people of Jerusalem missed because of their rebellion against God.

B. Think of all the blessings we will miss if we fail to hear and heed God’s word.


Questions

on

Jeremiah 35:1-19 1. When did the events of Jeremiah 35 occur? Answer with dates and surrounding contemporary and historical events. _________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Evaluate the character and list events of the reign of King Jehoiakim. ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Evaluate the character and list the accomplishments of King Josiah. _______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How much time elapsed between the events recorded in chapters 34 and 35? Which came first? _____________________


_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Who were the Rechabites? Give as much information as possible about their origin, beliefs and lifestyle. ______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. The “____________ ____________” of the ____________ were located adjacent to the ____________ proper and served as ____________ ____________, ____________ ____________ and ____________ ____________ ____________ for the ____________ while they were on ____________. 7. Why did God tell Jeremiah to invite the Rechabites to meet in one of the side rooms of the temple? Why was Jeremiah told to offer them wine to drink when all knew drinking wine was known to be contrary to the principles by which they lived? ___________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Who from the Rechabite community met with Jeremiah? _____ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Who was Hanan? Where did he stay? Why was he permitted to stay there? _________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. What other people are said to stay there? ________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. What duties did the temple doorkeepers perform? _________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. ___________ do ___________ ____________ ____________ ____________! You will be glad you did! 13. Who was Jonadab? Give information about his life, teaching and lasting influence. ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 14. ____________ speaks to a ____________ of ____________ and ____________ in which they would do ____________ __________ to ___________ or ____________ or ____________ to ____________. (Clarke) 15. List five (5) basic tenets of the Rechabites. Do these principles contribute to longevity? If so, how? _______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. Clarke wrote that the ____________ were taught to live a ___________ life, ___________ for ___________ ____________ ____________ and ________________ ____________ from ____________ and ________________, ____________ and ________________. Emphasis was to be placed on high ____________, _________________ and ________________ ____________ rather than what was ______________ and ____________. 17. What were the benefits of a nomadic life? What were disadvantages of a nomadic life? __________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


18. The ____________ ____________ a very ____________ ____________. No one had ____________ to ____________ them. They were ____________ ____________ ____________. ____________ without such ____________ would ____________ ____________ to ____________. 19. ___________ and our ____________ and our ____________ and ____________ have ____________ ____________ our ____________ ____________ ____________ us. 20. This ___________ of the ___________ to their ___________ was ___________ ____________. ____________ ____________ __________ to the __________ of _________ could __________ have been ____________. 21. What is ____________ here is not ____________’s ____________, but the ____________ ____________ of his ____________. (Coffman) 22. Was drinking wine sinful for Israelites living under the Law of Moses? Give reasons for your answer. _____________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. The ____________ were ____________ of ____________ who ____________ ____________ in ____________ with their ____________ and ____________ ____________. Willis wrote,


“ . . . the ____________ ____________ a ____________ of ____________ for ____________ to ____________.” 24. Why did the Rechabites move into Jerusalem? Was this a violation of their principles? Why or why not? _______________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. Who were the Arameans? What if anything did they have to do with the move of the Rechabites to Jerusalem? Consider 2 Kings 24:2 in your answer. _______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 26. Give background historical information about Jerusalem. ____ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. The ____________, ____________ to ____________ of the ____________ is placed in ____________ ____________ to the ___________, ___________ to ___________ of the __________ of ____________. As a result, the ____________ ____________ __________ __________ while the __________ of __________ were ____________ ____________.


28. What did the Lord tell Jeremiah to say to the people of Judah? _______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 29. ____________ ____________ did what ____________ __________ him to do. __________ ____________ ________ what ____________ told him to ____________. 30. The ____________ ____________ of the ____________ put to ____________ the ____________ of the ____________. (the Pulpit Commentary) 31. The ____________ ____________ ____________ their __________ __________ while the __________ of ___________ and __________ __________ to __________ the ____________ of ____________. 32. The ____________ ____________ his ____________ __________ and __________ and ____________ ____________ one ____________ after ____________ to ____________ them in the ____________ of ____________. The ____________ thing is that they flatly ____________ ____________ and __________ to ____________ in ____________’s __________. 33. The ____________ of the ____________ could be reduced to, “__________ ___________ of ____________, ____________ ____________ the ____________ ____________ you have been __________ and __________ ____________ is ____________.”


The answer to the ____________ of ____________ through the ____________ was, “____________.” 34. On what condition(s) did God promise the people of Judah and Jerusalem they could continue to live in the land that he had given them and their ancestors? ___________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. The ____________ ____________ and ____________ the ____________ of their ____________, ____________, but the people of ____________ and ____________ did ____________ __________ nor __________ the __________ and ___________ of ____________. 36. What punishment(s) did god say would befall wicked Judah and Jerusalem? ________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It does not ____________ to ______________ ______________! 37. Why would these punishments befall Judah and Jerusalem? _ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


38. What did Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel, promise the Rechabites? What is the meaning of this promise? How and when was it fulfilled? ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. The ____________ of the ____________ who ____________ to and ____________ the ____________ ____________ of their ____________ is placed in ____________ ____________ with the ____________ of ____________ who would ____________ __________ to and __________ the __________ of __________ ____________. 40. The ____________ for us is, “____________ we be like the __________ who ____________ and ____________ __________ ____________ and ____________ or like the ____________ of __________ who __________ to ____________ and __________ the ____________ of ____________ and were __________?

Documents

Judah’s Unfaithfulness Contrasted with the Rechabites ...biblestudyworkshop.com/download/old/jeremiah/Jeremiah 35.pdfJudah’s Unfaithfulness Contrasted with the Rechabites’ Faithfulness