12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?” declares the Lord. 14 “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have spoken to you [b]again and again; yet you have not listened to Me. 15 Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them [c]again and again, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. 16 Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’ 17 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you; 19 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me [d]always.”’”
It’s an interesting contrast that God gives to the people of Judah with the Rechabites. After all, nothing that they were doing was something God commanded. They weren’t especially abstaining from evil, though they probably did alright in that department too. Rather, their ancestor Jonadab had commanded them not to drink wine (and a few other things). In our culture, we might think that’s a big deal, but drinking wine back then was common.
It was used for weddings, for everyday use, and even in temple rituals, per God’s command. Thus it may not have made a lot of sense to them, but the Rechabites were faithful anyway. One other aspect of their family was that they didn’t own vineyards or fields, so what did they live off? Most likely it was livestock, especially sheep, as the life of a shepherd would have been well suited to their way of life.
And that reminds me of something way back with Cain and Abel, when they brought God a sacrifice (Genesis 4). Abel brought a lamb, but Cain refused to get a lamb from his brother and offered grain instead. There was nothing inherently wrong with grain, but God didn’t ask for a grain offering. The point (then and now) was never lamb vs. grain, but obedience. It’s the same lesson Saul failed at when he offered sacrifices after the defeat of the Amalekites, and it is something we all still struggle with.
God has asked us to follow His ways, and sometimes those things don’t make sense, or they seem small and trivial. But the big question, the non-trivial thing, is whether we will “incline our ear” to Him and listen to His voice. Sin isn’t drinking wine or building houses, it is disobedience, period. Too many are like the people of Judah, stubbornly ignoring God’s ways, to their own detriment. Will we be like the Rechabites instead, and faithfully follow the commands of our Father? Will you? Will I?