Jeremiah 35 Devotional

Faithful to a Lesser Word

“Yes, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not listened to Me.”Jeremiah 35:16 (BSB)

God sends Jeremiah to bring the Rechabite family into a room of the temple and set wine before them (35:2-5). They refuse. Generations earlier their ancestor Jonadab told them never to drink wine, build houses, or plant fields, and they have kept every word of it, wives and children included (35:6-10).

The point is not that everyone should give up wine or houses. It is the contrast. A human ancestor gave his family a command, and they kept it for generations. The LORD spoke to his people again and again, sending prophet after prophet, and they would not listen (35:14-15). Hebrews makes a similar comparison: if we honored the earthly fathers who disciplined us, we have far greater reason to yield to our heavenly Father and find life (Hebrews 12:9). Yet the chapter ends with mercy. God promises that Jonadab's line will always have someone to serve before him (35:19). God kept speaking to a deaf people, and he is still speaking; his patience is the reason you can still answer.

To think about: Which word from God have you heard many times but still not acted on, and what would answering it look like?