Jeremiah 35

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the LORD’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.”

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

and I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.

I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!”

But they said, “We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, neither you nor your children, forever.

You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’

We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;

and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;

but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’”

Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,

“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says the LORD.

“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.

I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.

The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.”’

“Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”

Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’

therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter recounts a divine encounter in which Jeremiah is sent to test the obedience of the Rechabites, a nomadic clan committed to the ancestral directives of Jonadab, and uses their example to highlight Judah’s persistent disobedience to God’s repeated commands, culminating in a pronouncement of judgment and a promise of perpetual blessing for the Rechabites.

Flow.

God instructs Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into the temple and offer them wine, setting the stage for a test of obedience.
The Rechabites refuse wine, citing Jonadab’s enduring command to abstain, live in tents, and avoid agriculture or permanent settlement.
God contrasts their faithful adherence to a human father’s command with Judah’s refusal to heed His divine warnings delivered through prophets.
Judgment is declared on Judah for disobedience, while the Rechabites are promised an unbroken line before the Lord for their loyalty.

Connections. Following chapter 34, where Zedekiah breaks a covenant and the people fail to uphold the law of release (), chapter 35 intensifies the theme of covenant fidelity by introducing a non-Israelite clan who uphold a humanly instituted command with perfect consistency. This stark contrast underscores the depth of Judah’s rebellion. The chapter prepares for chapter 36, where Jeremiah’s words are rejected by Jehoiakim, further illustrating the refusal to “listen” — a refrain echoed f, 15, 17 — that seals the nation’s fate.

What it teaches. The Rechabites’ unwavering obedience to Jonadab’s commands serves as a mirror to Israel’s disobedience toward God’s far greater authority. While they have preserved a tradition handed down from a human ancestor, Judah has disregarded the words of God proclaimed by prophets “rising up early” (WCF 1.4; cf. , 25). God’s covenant demands hearing and doing (), and failure to respond incurs just judgment (WCF 19.5). Yet God also rewards faithfulness, even outside the covenant people, by promising the Rechabites perpetual continuity before Him — a token of His covenant faithfulness (; HC LD 10). This underscores the principle that obedience is the fruit of true hearing, and God honors persistent fidelity (; WCF 11.2).

Apply. Where God has spoken clearly, obedience is both reasonable and necessary.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.