RECHABITES ARE NO JOKE
JEREMIAH 35:1-19
#FathersDay2021
DAD JOKES PART 1… https://www.countryliving.com/life/a27452412/best-dad-jokes/
Why do fathers take an extra pair of socks when they go golfing?" "In case they get a hole in one!"
"Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it's a soap opera."
"What do a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common?" "They're both Paris sites."
"What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?" "Sofishticated."
"How do you follow Will Smith in the snow?" "You follow the fresh prints."
"If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?" "Pilgrims."
What do you call a factory that makes okay products?" "A satisfactory."
"What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?" "Supplies!"
"What did the ocean say to the beach?" "Nothing, it just waved."
"Why do seagulls fly over the ocean?" "Because if they flew over the bay, we'd call them bagels."
"I only know 25 letters of the alphabet. I don't know y."
"What did the zero say to the eight?" "That belt looks good on you."
"I asked my dog what's two minus two. He said nothing."
"What did Baby Corn say to Mama Corn?" "Where's Pop Corn?"
"What's the best thing about Switzerland?" "I don't know, but the flag is a big plus."
INTRODUCTION
Today is Father’s Day. It is a Sunday where, since 1972, we highlight fathers. It is not a church holiday by any means… not like Christmas or Easter or Mother’s Day (wink wink)… but it is a day where many times we pause and focus on fatherhood. It is a worthy topic.
For this Father’s Day, I’d like us to spend time in Jeremiah 35 and see one father’s example and how it impacted his children and his family down through the generations. We meet a man named Jonadab the son of Rechab in 2 Kings 10 when he befriends a man named Jehu who became king and was tasked by the Lord to right wrongs and get rid of idol worship in Israel. Jehu mostly did well.
READ 2 Kings 10:27-28 (ESV)
And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. 28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel.
Jehu is king and he falters and the Bible tells us in 2 Kings 10:31 that Jehu was not careful to follow the ways of the Lord and was tripped up by sin, culture, and all of the other temptations that come our way.
I know I am mentioning King Jehu, but don’t forget about Jonadab the son of Rechab who was Jehu’s companion and helped set Israel back on the path to worshipping God properly. Jonadab was there. As far as I can tell, we don’t know much about Jonadab the son of Rechab until 200 years later when his family is mentioned in Jeremiah 35. There are a lot of names in this passage we are going to read, with which sometimes we struggle, so don’t get tripped up by them. Let’s read and discover about Jonadab.
READ JEREMIAH 35:1-11 (ESV)
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. 4 I brought them to the house of the LORD into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. 5 Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. 7 You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ 8 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, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, 10 but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”
Chapter 35 in Jeremiah is a bit of an object lesson as well as a history lesson as well as a family story as well as a theological point all rolled into one. The object lesson, history lesson, family story, and theological point are all the same. There is one point to this passage.
The Prophet Jeremiah, in verse 1, receives a Word from God to go to the house of the Rechabites and invite them to a drinking party. Weird message from God, but okay. Jeremiah probably could have guessed how this was going to go, but he obeyed what God told him to do.
Jeremiah took the descendants of Jonadab to the Temple and set before them lots of wine. He told them to drink up! What an honor! We have an entire family asked to come to the Temple and a party is thrown in their honor and it happens to be a drinking party. The host is a prophet. What could go bad? If you are thinking this is a strange and weird situation, you are not wrong!
Starting in verse 6, the Rechabites explain that they will not drink because Jonadab the son of Rechab told them 200 years before that their family was to never drink wine or plant vineyards. He even told them that they were to live in tents and be nomadic. They explain that the only reason they are in the city or near the city is Nebuchadnezzar descended on the people of God and they fled the battle zone.
They are a family dedicated to the Lord in particular ways. Jonadab spoke to his sons and laid out a plan and all of his descendants followed his example. They obeyed. They worshipped the Lord. They took purity and how they lived seriously. They were nomadic until a powerful invading army forced them to Jerusalem for safety.
DAD JOKES PART 2… https://www.countryliving.com/life/a27452412/best-dad-jokes/
"Where do you learn to make a banana split?" "Sundae school."
"What has more letters than the alphabet?" "The post office!"
"Dad, did you get a haircut?" "No, I got them all cut!"
"What do you call a poor Santa Claus?" "St. Nickel-less."
"I got carded at a liquor store, and my Blockbuster card accidentally fell out. The cashier said never mind."
"Where do boats go when they're sick?" "To the boat doc."
"I don't trust those trees. They seem kind of shady."
"My wife is really mad at the fact that I have no sense of direction. So I packed up my stuff and right!"
"How do you get a squirrel to like you? Act like a nut."
"Why don't eggs tell jokes? They'd crack each other up."
"I don't trust stairs. They're always up to something."
"Did you hear the rumor about butter? Well, I'm not going to spread it!"
"What did one hat say to the other?" "Stay here! I'm going on ahead."
"Why did Billy get fired from the banana factory? He kept throwing away the bent ones."
TRANSITION
So we have the descendants of Jonadab the son of Rechab… called the Rechabites… being used as an object lesson by the Prophet Jeremiah directed by God. What is the point? Why gather these folks together and ask them to drink wine knowing none of them drink at all? Remember, the object lesson, history lesson, family story, and theological point are all the same. Let’s read.
READ JEREMIAH 35:12-16 (ESV)
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD. 14 The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. 15 I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.
God speaks to Jeremiah again and gives him a further message.
The picture we get is that Jonadab spoke to his sons and daughters once and they obeyed by adopting a lifestyle directed towards God that happens to cut out planting vineyards and drinking wine. For two hundred years his descendants have obeyed. Now, faced with this drinking party, they all abstain from wine and obey.
In contrast, God says to Jeremiah… to tell all the other people… God’s servants and prophets have been speaking to them over and over and over again to obey Him and worship Him and yet they do not obey. God has instructed them to adopt a lifestyle away from idols and away from the ways of the world. God says specifically that the people “have not listened” (verse 14) and did not “incline your ear or listen” (verse 15). In general, the people of God have been disobedient.
God is calling them to national repentance to turn from evil ways and to amend how they worship and to follow wholeheartedly after God. The people to whom God is speaking are in a covenant relationship with Him and there are expectations. Yes, there is grace and mercy and forgiveness, but there is also holiness and justice and righteousness.
God expects obedience.
God expects prayer and worship and a personal relationship.
God expects removal of idols.
God expects to be the priority.
That is not happening with the People of God in general. Here is where the descendants of Jonadab come in and show us an example. The contrast with the Rechabites and the rest of God’s people is the point. One group follows the directions of their father and one group does not follow the directions of their Father. One group, as we will see in a moment at the conclusion of the passage, is blessed and the other is not. One group adopts a God-centered lifestyle and one does not.
DAD JOKES PART 3… https://www.countryliving.com/life/a27452412/best-dad-jokes/
Dad, can you put my shoes on?" "No, I don't think they'll fit me."
"Why can't a nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot."
"What does a lemon say when it answers the phone?" "Yellow!"
"This graveyard looks overcrowded. People must be dying to get in."
"What kind of car does an egg drive?" "A yolkswagen."
"Dad, can you put the cat out?" "I didn't know it was on fire."
"How do you make 7 even?" "Take away the s."
"How does a taco say grace?" "Lettuce pray."
"What time did the man go to the dentist? Tooth hurt-y."
"Why didn't the skeleton climb the mountain?" "It didn't have the guts."
"What do you call it when a snowman throws a tantrum?" "A meltdown."
"How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles."
"I have a joke about chemistry, but I don't think it will get a reaction."
"What does a bee use to brush its hair?" "A honeycomb!"
"How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it."
"Why did the math book look so sad? Because of all of its problems!"
"My dad told me a joke about boxing. I guess I missed the punch line."
"What kind of shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers!"
"How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together."
TRANSITION
So we have seen in this narrative from Jeremiah 35 that God uses a family as an object lesson to send a message about faithfulness and responding to God and obedience and having a covenant relationship with God the Father. Let’s read how the final verses play out.
READ JEREMIAH 35:17-19
17 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.” 18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before Me.”
Before we finish up the passage, I want us to notice how God is talked about in these verses. It is a bit off topic, but it is about God so how off topic can it be really?
We see in the verses in this chapter that when it comes to God, He is referred to as Lord… and notice the word ‘Lord’ is all capitalized. You may not realize, but when ‘Lord’ is capitalized like that… LORD… that is telling us that a particular Name for God is being used. It is YHWH. Why is that important? We are being told that God speaking is the same One Who created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:4) and the One Who appeared in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and is the God in the Bible. He is Who is speaking. The I AM is speaking and directing and commanding.
We also see God referred to as the “God of Hosts.” There are other spiritual beings out there for we see some of them mentioned in the Bible… but none of them compare to God. No matter how simple or complex we view the spiritual realm, we see that God is the only eternal uncreated Being ever and there is none like Him. He alone is God over all. He is so far above all that He is the Uncontested Sovereign over All.
The third title mentioned, is that He is the “God of Israel.” God picked Abraham out from all
people and created a people for Himself. He chose a people because He has a plan to redeem all people through them. He has a plan to save. Eventually we understand that it is through Jesus Christ that God plans to save humanity. The Bible is the story how God wove His perfect plan of redemption through all of human history. He did it through families and fathers and mothers and obedient folks and disobedient folks. He can do this because as the God of Israel and the God of Hosts and YHWH He can work His plan through all history to save us. That is worth mentioning!
So, God sends message after message for the people to turn to Him. They don’t. God the Father speaks and the Children of God do not listen. They do not answer. God says that disaster will come to them to discipline them. This is not something that is pleasant, but being in a covenant relationship with the God of the Universe is a big deal. Willful disobedience brings discipline because He loves us dearly.
And yet… the Rechabites are models for respect and obedience. Again, Jonadab teaches his family a holy, good, and proper way and they follow it. God lays out a fantastic promise in verses 18-19. He promises that Jonadab’s family will “never lack a man to stand before Me.” What does that mean? That phrase means that the sons of Jonadab will never fail to have someone active in God’s service. That is quite a promise! We find a promise that the faithfulness of Jonadab will continue to impact his family throughout the generations.
DAD JOKES PART 4 … https://www.countryliving.com/life/a27452412/best-dad-jokes/
If a child refuses to nap, are they guilty of resisting a rest?"
"What country's capital is growing the fastest?" "Ireland. Every day it's Dublin."
"I once had a dream I was floating in an ocean of orange soda. It was more of a fanta sea."
"Did you know corduroy pillows are in style? They're making headlines."
"Did you hear about the kidnapping at school? It's okay, he woke up."
"A cheeseburger walks into a bar. The bartender says, 'Sorry, we don't serve food here.'"
"I once got fired from a canned juice company. Apparently I couldn't concentrate."
"I used to play piano by ear. Now I use my hands."
"Have you ever tried to catch a fog? I tried yesterday but I mist."
"I'm on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it."
"Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field."
"I made a pencil with two erasers. It was pointless."
"How do you make a Kleenex dance? Put a little boogie in it!"
"I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down!"
"Did you hear about the guy who invented the knock-knock joke? He won the 'no-bell' prize."
APPLICATION
We have the descendants of Jonadab the son of Rechab… called the Rechabites… being used as an object lesson by the Prophet Jeremiah directed by God. What is the point? Why gather these folks together and ask them to drink wine knowing none of them drink at all? Remember, the object lesson, history lesson, family story, and theological point are all the same.
Here is the point: It is worth it to lead your family to follow God.
Here is the point: It is worth it to lead your family to follow God.
I cannot help but see how Jonadab the son of Rechab looked around him and saw Jehu serving the Lord, but also saw him fail and veer away from God. Jonadab wanted, like many dads, his sons and daughters to follow after the Lord.
It is most worthy to take time and energy and effort to lead our families in the Lord. That is true for fathers and it is also true for mothers. It is true for grandfathers and it is true for grandmothers. I’m not going to lie… I think COVID pruned… so very many people… out of the Church across all churches in all nations that were only half committed to Jesus and pursued God with wrong motives. Boom. They are gone.
Do not give up pressing God and His Truth to your children.
Do not grow weary of telling grandchildren that God and His Way is most important.
Live by example in the manner you wish your descendants to live.
Speak Truth into the lives of your family that it would be passed down to your legacy.
And that’s no joke. Happy Father’s Day!
INVITATION
I mentioned a few minutes ago about the plan of the Uncontested Uncreated God of the Universe. That plan was Jesus Christ Who died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life. Jesus came that we might believe in Him and when we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and we accept Him as Lord and Savior… we have “life in His Name” (John 20:31). Is that a decision you need to make today?
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
