Jeremiah 35
Jeremiah 35 centers on the Rechabites as the main characters, and it is structured to contrast their obedience with the disobedience of the people of Judah. God calls the Rechabites into the temple and asks them to be offered wine, showing them refusing it by obeying the command of their ancestor, Jonadab. Then God rebukes the people of Judah, who for a long time have not listened attentively to God’s word, using the Rechabites’ obedience as an example. This chapter conveys the lesson about obedience and faithfulness in a profound way.
1verseThe word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2verse“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the LORD’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.”
3verseThen I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4verseand I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5verseI set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!”
6verseBut they said, “We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, neither you nor your children, forever.
7verseYou shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’
8verseWe have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;
9verseand not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;
10versebut we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11verseBut when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’”
12verseThen the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
13verse“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says the LORD.
14verse“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.
15verseI have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.
16verseThe sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.”’
17verse“Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”
18verseJeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’
19versetherefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”
The Flow and Structure of the Text
- Verses 1-11: Following God’s word, Jeremiah invites the Rechabites to the temple and urges them to drink wine. In accordance with the command of their ancestor Jonadab, the Rechabites declare that they do not drink wine, do not build houses, do not sow seed, and live by a lifestyle of dwelling in tents.
- Verses 12-16: In contrast to the obedience of the Rechabites, God sternly rebukes the people of Judah for disobeying even though God’s word kept being repeated to them.
- Verses 17-19: While proclaiming judgment on Judah and Jerusalem, God also announces a special promise to the Rechabites, who kept their ancestor’s commands to the end—that they will never cease to stand before God, as a blessing.
The Overall Meaning of Jeremiah 35
This passage emphasizes the importance of obeying God’s word through the daily life of the Rechabites, who follow their ancestors’ commands rather than legal instructions. God shows how the traditions and faithfulness of a community of faith—and obedience in everyday life—can become a spiritual inheritance. It presents to us not just the practice of following simple rules, but an example of faithfulness that keeps communal trust and promises.
Points for Reflection
- We can reflect on how much we obey and live out the small lessons we receive in everyday life.
- Through the Rechabites’ example of keeping their ancestor’s commands, we can consider the value of an attitude that respects the roots and traditions of one’s own faith.
Apply It to My Life
- When God’s will is heard repeatedly in my life, let’s check what attitude I respond with.
- It would be good to take time to think about which good traditions and habits passed down by spiritual predecessors I should especially value and keep.
