35:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah.
This prophecy was not Jeremiah’s human opinion. Jehoiakim was an evil king of Israel before the Babylonian Captivity.
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.”
The Rechabites were a branch of the Kenites who descended from the father-in-law of Moses. Jeremiah asked them to attend a bar meeting with him. The Bible never condemns the drinking of wine. It does condemn drunkenness.
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.
Jeremiah gathered the members of the Rechabite family.
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.
Jeremiah took the Rechabite family into the temple compound. He took him into the living quarters of Hanan the prophet. The Word of God contains no written prophecies of Hanan. It seems as there may have been many Jewish prophets in Israel, but their prophecies were not recorded in writing,
Maaseiah was the doorkeeper who took care of the finances for temple repair. There were always three of these doorkeepers.
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.”
Jeremiah offered the Rechabite family wine. The wine was kept in large bowls.
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.
Jonadab was a Gentile who lived among the Jews and worshiped the one true God. While all Israel was choosing Baal worship, he sided with King Jehu against the house of King Ahab and against the worship of Baal. He made an oath to Jehovah that his descendants would abstain from five different things. First, they would never drink wine. This was a big sacrifice, because wine was a major staple of the diet of the Israelites.
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.’
The Rechabites continued to explain their vow to Jeremiah. Second, they would not build houses. Third, they would not plant crops. Fourth, they would not plant vineyards. Fifth, they would not live in tents.
The reason for this vow was that they were “resident aliens” in the land. It was wise for them not to build permanent settlements, but to live a nomadic existence. In this way, they could escape problems or prejudices by simply moving out of the area.
Some theologians will misuse verse 6 to teach against drinking alcohol. However, if this is true, then Christians should also not build houses, plant crops, plant vineyards, and they should live in tents their whole lives. The Bible never teaches against drinking wine. It does teach against drunkenness.
35:8 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.
The Rechabites kept this vow to God for 250 years. The Rechabites were not interested in the corrupted city life of Israel. They chose to remain in their nomadic lifestyle.
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.”
When the Assyrians and/or Babylonians invaded the land, then the Rechabites took up their tents and moved temporarily behind the walls of Jerusalem in order to escape danger.
35:12 Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.
This was not Jeremiah’s human opinion.
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!
Jehovah wanted to teach Israel an object lesson about this Rechabite situation.
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!
The Gentile Rechabites obeyed the vows made by their human founding fathers, while the chosen people of Israel did not obey the vows given to them supernaturally by God.
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.
God sent prophets to warn Israel, but they refused to listen to the prophets.
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!
The Gentiles were obeying their oaths to humans while the Jews did not obey their oaths to God.
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.” ’ ”
Israel was about to receive the negative curses of the Mosaic Covenant.
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.’
Jeremiah commended the Rechabite community for their faithfulness in keeping their ancestral vows.
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.’ ”
The Rechabites would never go extinct as a race. Somewhere in the world today, there are descendants of the Rechabites living on this earth. According to Isaiah 66:18–21, there will be Gentile priests in the Millennial Kingdom. The Rechabites may become Gentile members of the Millennial priesthood.