Jeremiah 35:14

The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. THEY ... OBEY THEIR FATHER'S COMMANDMENT: NOTWITHSTANDING I - (, "A son honoureth his father ... if then I be a father, where is mine honour?") RISING EARLY AND SPEAKING - God Himself speaking late and early, by His various ways of providence and grace. In ; , a distinct mode of address is alluded to-namely, God sending His servants, "rising up early and sending them....

It is then added, _confirmed have been the words of Jonadab _by his children; but my people do not obey me. But as we have said in the last lecture, the Prophet touches particularly on this circumstance, — that the Rechabites obeyed the command of their father in not drinking wine: this was hard; they did _not drink even to that day _But what did God require from his children? only to receive his Law, and not to go astray, as it is here added, after alien gods. There is, then, a contrast between the hard precept of Jonadab and the equity of the Law; for God required nothing from his people _except _to render him pure worship, he says, _They have drunk no wine to this _day — and why? because they _obeyed; _that is, there was no scruple of _conscience _to prevent them, but the authority of a man who was dead so far prevailed witIt them, that they willingly gave up the use of wine. “As then...

12-19 The trial of the Rechabites' constancy was for a sign; it made the disobedience of the Jews to God the more marked. The Rechabites were obedient to one who was but a man like themselves, and Jonadab never did for his seed what God has done for his people. Mercy is promised to the Rechabites. We are not told respecting the performance of this promise; but doubtless it was performed, and travellers say the Rechabites may be found a separate people to this day. Let us follow the counsels of our pious forefathers, and we shall find good in so doing....

Verse Jeremiah 35:14. _THE WORDS OF JONADAB - ARE PERFORMED - BUT YE HEARKENED_ _NOT UNTO ME._] The Lord, knowing the fidelity of this people, chose to try them in this way, that he might, by their conscientious obedience to the precepts of their forefathers, show the Jews, to their confusion, their ingratitude to him, and their neglect of his precepts, which if a man do, he shall live by them....

ARE PERFORMED - Are established, i. e., are maintained in full force. UNTO THIS DAY - i. e., for more than 200 years....

EXPOSITION The third member of this group of short prophecies. In it, Jeremiah points to the faithful obedience of the Rechabites, as putting to shame the infidelity of Judahites. It belongs obviously to the time before the arrival of Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps to the summer of B.C. 606. (See Dr. Plumptre's poem, "The House of the Rechabites," part 2, in 'Lazarus and other Poems.') JEREMIAH 35:2 THE HOUSE OF THE RECHABITES ("house" equivalent to "family"). From a notice in 1 Chronicles 2:55 it appears that the Rechabites were a subdivision of the Kenites, the nomad tribe so closely connected with the Israelites (Judges 1:16;...

THE WORDS OF JONADAB THE SON OF RECHAB, THAT HE COMMANDED HIS SONS, NOT TO DRINK WINE, ARE PERFORMED,.... That article particularly, respecting drinking wine, has been carefully observed; which, though so agreeable to the nature of man, what cheers the heart of God and man, and was not prohibited them by any law of God; yet, being forbidden by their father, they abstained from it: FOR UNTO THIS DAY THEY DRINK NONE, BUT OBEY THEIR FATHER'S COMMANDMENT; though prescribed them three hundred years ago; during all which time they had punctually observed it, even to that very day; which might with great truth and strictness be said; since they had that very day refused to drink any: NOTWITHSTANDING I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOU, RISING EARLY, AND SPEAKING; who am the eternal God; the King of kings; the great Lawgiver, able to save and to destroy; who had spoken to them, and given them laws as soon...

CHAPTER 35 The Faithful Rechabites and the Unfaithful Jews _ 1. The command concerning the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35:1) _ 2. The lesson for the Jews (Jeremiah 35:12) The Rechabites were Kenites and were numbered with the children of Israel 1 Chronicles 2:55. During the reign of Jehoiakim the incident of this chapter happened. The critics may rave against the “unchronological” construction of Jeremiah jumping from one period into another, but there we see the guiding hand of the Spirit in the arrangement of these events. It is perfectly in order that this should come next to the chapter which relates the broken covenant. A careful reading and study of this chapter will bring

JEREMIAH 35. A LESSON IN OBEDIENCE FROM THE RECHABITES. These were the descendants of that Jonadab who, in 842, aided Jehu to overthrow the house of Ahab and the cult of Baal of Tyre (2 Kings 10:15 *); they were connected with the Kenites (1 Chronicles 2:55), from whom the worship of Yahweh may have passed to Israel (_cf._ Judges 1:16). The incident here described is to be dated _c._ 598 (_cf._ Jeremiah 35:11 with 2 Kings 24:2), _i.e._ after the events of Jeremiah 36....

THE WORDS OF JONADAB THE SON OF RECHAB. Jonadab, or Jehonadab, for thus the name is elsewhere written, was. contemporary of the prophet Elijah and. most remarkable character. Though not of Hebrew stock, he belonged to. branch of the Kenites who had followed the fortunes of Israel, and were faithful worshipers of Jehovah. He was the son, or descendant, of Rechab of whom we know nothing, and seems to have retained many of the traits of his Bedouin kinsmen. At the time of the overthrow of the family of Ahab by Jehu, he suddenly appears in the historical narrative (2 Kings 10:15) and joined King Jehu as he rode along in his chariot. His stern hatred of idolatry and austere character must have been known, for Jehu it once recognized him as an ally. The king lifted him into the chariot and gave to him the first intimation that he proposed to destroy the worship of Baal. In the religious re