RECHABITE OR REPROBATE?

 

Jerusalem was on the brink.  Idolatry and immorality had rendered them impotent.  From the beginning their strength was not in prowess or power. 

 

Moses knew it.  "The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms, and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee..." Deuteronomy 33:27. 

 

David knew it. "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior..."  2 Samuel 22:2. 

 

The Prophets knew it.  They were forever writing of "The God of our Salvation," the "God who is our strength," and the "God of Jacob who is our help and hope."

 

But as always happens, when people who know God do not glorify Him as God, they become vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts are darkened.  If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, ignoring the Lord is the beginning of ignorance.  When the true God is rejected, the truth of God is obscured.

 

Six hundred years before Christ, God maneuvered Nebuchadnezzar's army into positions around the Holy City.  The Prophets warned the Kings of Jerusalem against forming alliances with Egypt against Babylon.  But the Kings refused to listen.  Now Babylon's best would school the not so holy City in the art of siege and conquest.

 

Inside the city walls of Jerusalem, the situation was increasingly desperate.  The shelves of the bakeries were empty.  Even water was in short supply.

 

In a last ditch effort to convince the backslidden city to repent of their sin, Jeremiah called to the Temple a large number of Rechabites. 

 

Rechabites were the descendants of Rechab the Kenite.  Moses married Zipporah, who's father Jethro was a Kenite.  As Moses led God's people through the Sinai desert, the Kenites who were from Rechab's family allied themselves with Israel. They accompanied God's people into Canaan.

 

The Bible tells us that Jahonadab the Rechabite insisted that his children never drink wine, never live in houses, and never plant vineyards or fields.  They were God- fearing people who zealously opposed idolatry and faithfully honored their father's will.

 

Now threatened by the Babylonian Army these Rechabites took refuge inside the city walls of Jerusalem.

 

When the Rechabites walked into the Temple, Jeremiah set before them large kegs of wine and empty cups.  "Drink up!" the prophet insisted!

 

The Rechabites refused.  “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab^[a] son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. ⁷ And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’ ⁸ So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. ⁹ We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. ¹⁰ We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. (Jeremiah 35:6-10).

 

And how many years had it been since their ancestor Johonadab had bound his family to these commitments?  Were these commitments made months or a few years earlier?  Hardly! 

Here before Jeremiah in the Temple at Jerusalem were men who were 250 years distant from their great great great great great great great grandfather Johonadab!  And still they remained faithful to their vow.

Jeremiah challenged the besieged leaders in Jerusalem, "Why can't you be as steadfast and obedient as these Rechabites?"

I see remarkable parallels to the plight of the American Church today.  We too are surrounded by forces intent on destroying us.  We too are led by leaders who will not stand against "spiritual wickedness in high places."  Too many of us have succumbed to the Spirit of the Age so that our holy distinctives have been lost.

The Rechabites knew who they were and what they stood for.  They had settled the question of identity.

Oh that God would raise up some Christians with the spirit and courage of the Rechabites.

+Christians who are "Bible Thumping" Fundamentalists convinced that God's Word is absolutely true.

+Christians who are Christ followers, not crowd pleasers.

+Christians who are Holy Spirit driven, not slaves to sensuality.

+Christians who are "called out" and "separated" not worldly minded crowd pleasers.

 

+Christians who refuse to be mocked by wine or deceived by strong drink!

 

+Christians who thank God for their God-given identity and present themselves as they are--wearing gender specific and modest apparel. 

Finally the Word of the Lord for the people of Jerusalem comes to Jeremiah, "I have spoken, but they have not heard! I have called, but they have not answered."  Swiftly and certainly God's judgment fell, and the once holy city was reduced to rubble.

But there is a remarkable footnote.  To the Rechabites, Jeremiah prophesies, "You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions, therefore the Lord of Heaven's Armies declares, you will always have descendants who serve me!"

Our choice is clear.  Will we be Rechabites or Reprobates? Saved or Lost?