A Father's Commandment - Jeremiah 35

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."

Here we have a comparison between an earthly father and our Heavenly Father. In dealing with Israel to turn from their wicked ways, the Lord sent prophet after prophet, 'rising early' to entreat Israel to turn from idols and obey the Lord's commands. They would not. But here is a man who commanded his children to not, nor never, drink wine and they obeyed.

v5 "And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine."

They all knew Jeremiah. Upon the Lord's command he had brought the wine into a chamber of His house to offer it to the children of Rechab. Even at that, they refused saying that their father(Jonadab) told them not to. Furthermore, they said, he told us not to build houses and live in tents and until we fled into the city, we lived in tents. We did not build houses as our father commanded.

v8 "Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; v9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: v10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us."

The illustration here is that if a family can obey the command of their earthly father, surely it is not too hard for Israel to obey the commands of God who led them out of bondage into the promised land.

There was a reward for Jonadab the son of Rechab. v19 "Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever." His blood line would continue always.

Jonadab : whom Jehovah impels. Also, given as Jehonadab (whom God incites) Son of Shimeah, the brother of David. II Samuel 13:3,5,32,35 II Kings 10:15