Question 1

Who were the Rechabites in this passage and what made them different?

Accepted Answer

The Rechabites were a clan linked to the Kenites, living among Israel but keeping a distinct way of life. Their ancestor Jonadab had given them strict commands: they were not to drink wine, build houses, plant fields, or own vineyards, but to live in tents as wandering people. They kept this pattern for generations. What makes them stand out in this passage is their steady loyalty to these family rules, even when Jeremiah himself set wine before them in the temple and urged them to drink.

Question 2

Why did Jeremiah offer wine to the Rechabites if God praises their abstinence?

Accepted Answer

Jeremiah was not trying to trap them into sin. God told him to bring the Rechabites into the temple and set wine before them to show something in public. When Jeremiah told them to drink, he did not say it was a command from God. Their refusal, based on Jonadab’s command, showed how firmly they obeyed their earthly father. God then used this scene as a lesson to Judah: if this family listens so carefully to a human ancestor, how much more should Judah have listened to God’s own clear words through the prophets.

Question 3

What is the main lesson of the Rechabites’ obedience for Judah and for us?

Accepted Answer

The main lesson is about listening and obeying. The Rechabites carefully kept the command of their ancestor for many generations, even when it was hard or inconvenient. Judah, by contrast, had ignored God’s repeated calls to turn from evil and stop following other gods. God points to the Rechabites to show how inexcusable Judah’s disobedience is. For us, the passage presses us to ask: do we take God’s words at least as seriously as people take family traditions or human rules?

Question 4

Why did the Rechabites move to Jerusalem if they were told to live in tents?

Accepted Answer

Jonadab had told his family to live in tents and avoid settled, city life. They followed this for a long time. But when Nebuchadrezzar’s army and the armies of the Chaldeans and Syrians came into the land, the Rechabites moved into Jerusalem for safety. This shows their rule was not mindless; in a time of war they sought shelter. Still, even in Jerusalem they kept Jonadab’s main commands about wine and property. Their obedience was steady, but not without sensible response to danger.

Question 5

What does this passage teach about God’s view of obedience and disobedience?

Accepted Answer

God takes obedience very seriously. He notices that the Rechabites have faithfully kept their father’s commands, even though those commands came from a man and were quite strict. At the same time, God grieves and is angry that Judah has ignored His own words, though He spoke early and often through many prophets. The passage shows that God is patient and keeps calling people back, but when His word is stubbornly refused, judgment follows. It also shows that God delights to honor those who are faithful.

Question 6

What judgment does God warn about for Judah in this chapter?

Accepted Answer

God says He will bring on Judah and all who live in Jerusalem all the trouble He has already warned them about. They had been told before that disaster would come because of their evil ways and their chasing after other gods. In this chapter, God repeats that this judgment is coming because He has spoken and called to them, but they would not listen or answer. The contrast with the Rechabites makes it clear that Judah has no excuse for ignoring God’s clear and repeated warnings.

Question 7

What promise does God give to Jonadab the son of Rechab and his family?

Accepted Answer

God gives a simple but strong promise: Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before God forever. This means that Jonadab’s line will continue and that there will always be some of his descendants in God’s presence and favor. The promise is not about riches or power but about ongoing standing with God. It is given directly as a response to their obedience to their father’s command and shows that God remembers and rewards long-term faithfulness.

Question 8

How can the example of the Rechabites apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

The Rechabites remind us that steady, quiet obedience matters. They did not shape their lives around comfort or the habits of the surrounding culture but around the commands they had received. For believers today, this raises questions such as: Do I shape my choices around God’s word, even when it sets me apart? Do I pass on faithful ways of living to my family? While our specific rules may differ, the call is the same: to be willing to live simply and obediently in a world that often pulls the other way.

Question 9

What was happening in Judah when God used the Rechabites as an example?

Accepted Answer

This event took place during the reign of Jehoiakim, when the Babylonian threat was rising and armies from Babylon and Syria were in the land. Judah had already heard many warnings from God through His prophets but was proud and unresponsive. In that setting, God brought the Rechabites into the temple as a living picture. Their loyal obedience exposed Judah’s stubborn refusal to listen. It was meant to shake the people, show their guilt, and make clear that coming judgment was deserved.

Jeremiah 35:1

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

The Obedience of the Rechabites

Judah Rebuked

The Obedience of the Rechabites

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Jeremiah 35:1

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

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The Obedience of the Rechabites

Judah Rebuked

The Obedience of the Rechabites

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