The House Of The Rechabites

by Richard St.James

The House Of The Rechabites

THE HOUSE OF THE RECHABITES is based on the text in Jeremiah 35. This message shows that God has never revoked his principles or his promise to sons and daughters for obeying their parents even in the smallest of things.

• The Landmarks Removed
• The Lost Truth
• Disobedience Brought To Light
• The Peculiar Scene
• When Innocent And Pure Things Are Wrong
• The Great Reward For Children

The House Of The Rechabites

The Old Testament of the BIBLE is replete with examples and is written for our admonition.

"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.... Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." I Corinthians 10:6,11

The Landmarks Removed

Our nation is like a house. Forlorn and neglected is our house. Our nation is on a fast toboggan sled going down the slippery road to HELL. We have rejected GOD's word kept and preserved by GOD for the English-speaking people in the Authorized Version of 1611 (the King James Version).

We have seen "the landmarks removed" in our day [Deut. 19:14]. We have, therefore, lost our true reference and our starting point. We have departed from our biblical foundation upon which this nation was built. We have "reaped" for what we have "sown."

Oh, for the grief and sadness that has come across this land and its people; as a dark cloud in the blackness of night blanketing ... and leaving for dead … the multitudes from knowing the wondrous truths of that Old Black BOOK and it's ways of deliverance and the freedom therein contained!

We sigh! And say: "Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted” [Psalms 12]

The Lost Truth

In this message, "The House Of The Rechabites," is a lost truth. It is a lost truth to this generation, which is "a proud people." The principles, herein, are no longer practiced in America except by a small remnant of God-fearing people. It is this narrative found in Jeremiah chapter 35 that I wish to dwell on, and pour out my heart over every father and mother in the land concerning your precious children, even all your sons and daughters. It is this chapter of God's word that I wish to instill into my children.

Years ago, in Littleton, New Hampshire, I had the great privilege of sitting under a "god fearing" man who was my pastor for eight years (1977-1985). He instilled into me "Philadelphia" church age Bible truths. These truths came from the time period (1500-1900), which ushered forth the "Great Reformation”. This is when the Gospel of Jesus Christ went to the four corners of the earth. It was from this man that I learned of this chronicle by GOD as GOD recorded and left for men everywhere to behold.

"Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever" verse [19].

It is God who makes great! "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."

It is this question I ask of you. Why did God, the very God that David ascribed to in I Chronicles 29:11-12 make such note of Jonadab the son of Rechab? What would make God issue this declaration? "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever." Now my mind, and my heart are together in awe and in wonder. God, indeed, does have in his hand "to make great." He certainly has "made great" Jonadab the son of Rechab.

And who is Jonadab? What did he do? The Scripture shows this! Go to I Chronicles 2:55.
"And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab."

This is the first mention of "the house of Rechab" in the Bible. Now, go to II Kings 10:15-27. We see here a Jehonadab the son of Rechab [verse 15] coming to meet Jehu; and in verse 23 going into the house of Baal with Jehu. Now this story of how Jehu with Jehonadab destroyed the Baal worshippers and "the house of Baal" is a notable thing. I mean; the Lord saw fit to give us this "example" amongst many "examples" that the New Testament passage in I Corinthians 10:6,11 makes reference. It is for a warning, "to the intent we should not lust after evil things.” It is written for our admonition.

Disobedience Brought To Light

However, it is not for this exploit performed with Jehu that Jonadab (or Jehonadab as the name is spelled in II Kings 10) is to be primarily remembered for. For the tremendous weight of one whole chapter in God's Bible [Jeremiah 35] is given to commemorate Jonadab the son of Rechab (and all the house of the Rechabites, verse 18). This is amazing! God depicts Israel in TOTAL disobedience by showing their direct disobedience to him by his clear instructions through his prophets. Verses 14b-15.

"... not withstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me."

GOD holds before the face of Israel their total disobedience … in stark contrast with … the COMPLETE obedience of "the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab." Now we come to central point in this message. Christians, that is, those who name the name of Jesus Christ … that have the infallible inerrant Holy Bible, the Authorized Version of 1611, in their hands … need to follow and make the BIBLE’s precepts, commands, instructions, and ordinances … the RULE of their life. This should be to the obedience of the God of David as shown in this declaration of I Chronicles 29.

"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."

Now I have deliberately repeated this passage for the praise to THE LORD GOD!!! Amen! This obedience is the very minimum!!! We would do well to be reminded of the Apostle Paul's admonition, by the Spirit of GOD, in Romans 12:1,2. Note in verse (1), the phrase “which is your reasonable service,” which points to the command “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.”

In Jeremiah’s day, Israel disobeyed the clear, unmistakable commands of the LORD. They left off from doing that which was right. This is GOD that they disobeyed (not a man or some parent). This is GOD we are disobeying in the New Testament churches today. My friend, look around you; we live in the last days! Read II Timothy 3:1-5; "This know also...” [Take special note of verse [2], where it says "proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful”....] Now it will become apparent to you what the Spirit of God has done by comparing the response of Israel to his word in Jeremiah 35:14,15 with the response of the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab.

The Peculiar Scene

The peculiar scene will come next! The sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, are shown in "the house of the Lord," verse [2], with "pots full of wine, and cups," being commanded to drink wine.

Now you might think, that they are being asked to do a wicked thing by drinking this "hooch," but this is not the case. These descendants of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, are sitting at a table being commanded to drink of "the fruit of the vine," not the fermented stuff of Proverbs 23:30-33. This was not the "mixed wine" [verse 30]. It was nothing else but PURE grape juice, a good source of the daily nutritional requirement of vitamin C! Amen!

In the Old Testament, there are two types of wine. The context of Jeremiah demands this. Verses (6-7),"But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers."

When Innocent And Pure Things Are Wrong

You see; what could be more innocent and honest than sowing seed in a field? What could be more harmless than planting a vineyard? Or better yet, building a house? Is building a house wrong? Is it? God forbid! I have "built" or "rebuilt" several houses in the last twenty years in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Alaska. Never did I experience anything through the sweat of my labor but the good feeling that comes with the sense of accomplishment; the reward of seeing through to completion, what began as an idea or design in my heart.

Nowhere in the Scripture, could one find that the Lord condemns any one of these activities. Sowing seed, planting a vineyard and building a house are rather to be acknowledged throughout the Scripture as being pure, honest and true endeavors.

Therefore, "the wine" sitting before these "sons" is the fresh and pure "fruit of the vine." To accentuate further, the Holy Ghost portrays "these sons" being commanded, verse [5], by Jeremiah … the prophet himself! "Drink ye wine."

Now, at this point almost every son (or daughter) would depart from the instruction of his or her father. After all, it is the "man of God" who is commanding these sons! What normal [WISE], son [or daughter] would not fall to the floor in obedience to their Dad’s instruction to pick up what “the man of God” commands. [At this juncture, I feel need to tell you, not to get upset with me, just be patient. Let the Scripture explain itself and blow your fog out to sea!]

Now back to those sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab. What do you think they did? Verse 6-7,

"But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers."

Wow!!! Jump up!!! Get excited! Run around the room! Amen! Amen! Amen! These sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, declared in verse 8-10,

"Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us."

Testimony time! Testimony time! Who gives the greatest testimony in behalf of these descendants of Jonadab, the son of Rechab? Verse 12-14,

"Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me."

The Great Reward For Children

It is God that gives the testimony!

In the verses following, verse (15-17), the Lord God of hosts announces his judgment of his people. For great is his wrath to be revealed. He would use "Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon" to perform the destruction of Jerusalem, verse 11. Looking forward, in the future, in the book of Revelation, we will see "Jacob's trial" or "The Great Tribulation," a time of terrible judgment on this earth for those who worship the beast [Revelation 14:9-10], "the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God."

In our text, Jeremiah 35, in the face of God's impending judgment on Jerusalem we see the tremendous commendation and testimony given to the sons and the daughters, who hearkened unto their father. The SAME holds true till this very day! God has an established principle. It is timeless!

He has never been revoked the promise to sons and daughters for hearkening to the instruction of the parents that are in the Lord, throughout life, [Ephesians 6]. [In fact, sons and daughters that do not have either parent "in the Lord" can still honor those "unsaved" parents in those things that will not result in sin. These will be things that will not place the son or daughter "cross wise" with the word of God.]

Those sons and daughters that cast off the instructions and commands of their god-fearing parents will not know or experience "the testimony of Jonadab, the son of Rechab". Listen to the Scripture! It is Spirit of God showing forth God's revelation to man! Hearken!

Proverbs 1:8-9, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. {15} My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: {2:1} My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; {2} So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

{3:1} My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: {2} For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. {4:1} Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. {2} For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. {3} For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. {4} He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

{5} Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. {6} Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. {7} Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. {8} Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. {9} She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

{10} Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. {11} I have taughtthee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. {5:1} My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. {2} Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. {3} Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.”

It does not take a rocket scientist to see that God's Holy Scripture is replete with the admonition of the importance in God's eyes of the father's commandments to his children and equally the importance in God's eyes the children's response.

It is wonderful to see children hearkening unto their parent’s instruction concerning God's commandments, i.e. The Ten Commandments to Israel in Exodus 20, or any of God's commands throughout the Book, from Genesis to Revelation.

This speaks of a good testimony in the face of the course of this wicked world. Even more remarkable is God's testimony "flowered" unto sons and daughters who obey their fathers in the things that are of themselves "pure" and "innocent" as the sowing of seed, as the planting of a vineyard, as the building of a house or the drinking of wine [the fruit of the vine].

“And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.”

End of The Age Messages

Return To Home

[THE BIBLE] This is God's Holy WORD to you and I!

Do you believe it?

The A.V.1611 (or The King James Bible) is God's word PRESERVED in the English language for you and me.
It came from the English Reformation.

This Bible declares that: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." [2 Timothy 3:16]

God's inspired word is preserved in the A.V.1611.

The word "preserved" means maintained inspiration.

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." [Psalm 12:6-7]

[PRESERVE]

You see what God is saying here? GOD promises that no matter what man does, even with his corrupting influence in all these Madison Avenue money-making productions, which have resulted in over 200 "new" English translations of the Bible in the last 100 plus years, HE WILL (in spite of the scholars) "PRESERVE THEM FROM THIS GENERATION FOR EVER!" Stick with the Book! Amen! Amen! AMEN!

I simply have in child-likeness believed THE BOOK ... no matter how hard things got ... for it has BURNED in my heart for these last thirty-four years.

I have by GRACE not gotten off course either ... for He has held me to Himself.

God is faithful, and I (literally) have taken God at His word concerning 1 Peter 1:5.

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

And while I have seen the Lord hold me to Himself, I have with sadness watched as many people, churches, Bible colleges and even our nation, are slowly slipping ... degree by degree ... away from THE GOD of THE BIBLE.

Why has this happened?

Could it be, that we can, through unholy alliances, lose something that we never intended to give up?

For me, Rick St.James,

I am to approach THE BOOK, as like a child, with a trusting heart through faith.

I want to line out with that BOOK!

I want this said of me, as also was said of the believers at Thessalonica,

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe." [1 Thessalonians 2:13]

What about you?

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart" [Psalm 119:2]

They who keep his testimonies have a whole heart.

Their heart will approach God and His Book with total joy and expecting to commune with the Holy God who is infinite, for this purpose:

"Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word" [Psalm 119:12-16]

Will You Come TO Jesus Christ?

Do you believe this scripture, my friend?

Do you sense from within your heart ... the tugging and pulling of the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit "will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment."

Are you under tremendous conviction of sin, and are you mulling over within your heart the TWO WAYS in life that lie before you?

You must make a decision.

It is a matter of whether or not to go to THE STRAIT GATE, or to stay on THE BROAD WAY!

Where are you, my friend?

What will you do with Jesus Christ?

Will you flee from the wrath of God, and go to THE DOOR, and Knock?

If you go through this DOOR you will be on location at Mount Calvary which place is where the weight of your sin will drop off your back at the sight of the ONE who died for you, and WHO shed His BLOOD for you.

You ... my friend ... will then ... be on THE NARROW WAY TO HEAVEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

The House Of The Rechabites