But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your ancestor Jonadab and have kept all his commands and have done everything he commanded you, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before me always.’” (35:18-19)
This year I have been pursuing a few concepts in my regular bible reading, and one of those is the concept of faithfulness. Typically, when I see the word “faithful” (or some derivative) I will highlight that text. However, the entirety of Jeremiah 35 is an example of faithfulness. In this chapter, we are introduced to an entire clan of faithful Israelites called the “Rechabites.” They were descendants of Rechab, through the line of their patriarch Jonadab. Jonadab is famous from 2 Kings because he joined with Jehu to wipe out the worship of Baal and all those who opposed the one true God. After his exploits, he commanded all of his descendants to “not drink wine, sow seed or plant vineyards.” They were also told to not build houses but to stay in tents and live as resident aliens wherever they were.
What is extraordinary about this clan is not the vow that they took, but their faithfulness to their vows. In Jeremiah 35 the entire nation is under siege to Babylon and many in Israel (including the Rechabites) have run into the walled city of Jerusalem for protection from the invading army. Since the Babylonian army arrived, Jeremiah has been proclaiming that this is judgment from God and the people need to repent. Finally, he calls the Rechabite leaders to stand before the other Jewish leaders and he uses them as an object lesson in faithfulness. “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says… The words of Jonadab, son of Rechab, have been carried out. He commanded his descendants not to drink wine, and they have not drunk to this day because they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I have spoken to you time and time again, and you have not obeyed me!” (14)
Amid a nation that had pursued wickedness at every turn, there was a remnant who stayed true to their commitments, true to their family and to true to their God. Faithfulness is significant at any time, but it is exceptional when you are going against the flow of everyone else around you. That is what truly defines faithfulness and sets you apart from the world. It is easy to be faithful when everyone is patting you on the back and cheering you on as they walk with you. It is another thing to be faithful when no one but God is looking or when it actually costs you something in the eyes of others. Yet, there is a blessing that comes with faithfulness. God rewarded the Rechabites above all the other clans of Israel and promises them in those last verses that they will always have a man to stand before Him. Even after the Babylonian captivity, they were there to help rebuild the walls (see Neh. 3:14). Your faithfulness to God will not win you any praise from the world, but God sees and He never forgets.
