I wish I could tell you I stumbled on this story while doing some deep research, but that is not the case. I actually read about it in the newspaper on Sunday.

A preacher had written an article about fathers and the respect that should be shown to fathers by their families. I certainly agree with his application of the story, and I think there are some other things we can gain from a study of this incident in the history of Israel.

The story is found in Jeremiah 35. The people of Judah had been warned that they would suffer the same fate as Israel if they did not stop worshiping idols and return to God. Jeremiah, the prophet, had been sent to “cry out” to the people and encourage them to return. God told him the people would not listen but he was to continue to warn them.

This story took place during the time of Jehoiakim, the son Josiah. Both Jehoiakim and Josiah were kings of Judah.

There was a family, the house of the Rechabites, about whom Jeremiah wrote. This family descended from Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, who was a Kenite. This family was a nomad tribe (one that lived in tents).

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah and told him to take the family of  Rechab into the temple and give them wine to drink. Jeremiah did as he was told and took them into a chamber or room of the temple. He took pots of wine and cups and said to them, “Drink ye wine” (Jeremiah 35:5 KJV).  

“But they answered, ‘We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn” (Jeremiah 35:6-7 ESV). 

So this family, the entire family, refused the wine because they had been instructed by the head of their family not to drink wine.

They continued in their explanation by saying that they had obeyed Jonadab in everything he told them to do. The obedience came from them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. It was obedience from the entire family.

I have always heard that each generation becomes a little more liberal than the last. Children typically, when they go out on their own, decide that Mom and Dad’s ways are just too old fashioned for them, and they don’t want to hold to the rules or traditions of their family.

I have no statistics on this, but it seems to be true. As I look at families of my friends and relatives, I find that the children seem to be less likely to carry on the traditions of their families.

One theory as to why this happens is that the older generation failed to teach the younger why they were given certain rules to follow. The idea is that if the younger generation understood the why, they would be more likely to hold to the beliefs of their parents.

I’m not sure I believe that. I know parents that spent a great deal of time instructing their children, encouraging them to do right; and when they struck out on their own, they went against the teaching of their parents.

The family of the Recabites was committed to obeying the instruction of their family leaders. They all obeyed in all that they were commanded to do.

The reason the Lord had Jeremiah test them with the wine is found in verse 14. “The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.” 

This story was an application to the people of Judah. Judah had not obeyed God and kept to their heritage. They had, instead, followed after other gods.

There are also lessons in it for us.

• We would do well not to drink wine. There are many stories and many scriptures that affirm this. At the very least, our Christian influence and that of the church is marred by the use of alcohol.
• We should not plant ourselves too deeply in the physical possessions of this world.
• We should journey through this life with our focus on heaven.
• Obedience to God should be our primary goal. God has provided us with commandments for living a Christian life. We should not be like the Children of Israel and become disobedient in our worship and our service to Him.

We would do well to remember the Lord’s words to Isaiah the prophet. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  

Sandra Oliver