This event took place during the reign of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah 35:1, a short time after the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians at Carchemish in 606 B.C. The Rekabites were a nomadic people among the Israelites who were probably descendants of the Kenites, 1 Chronicles 2:55 / Judges 1:16. Jonadab is mentioned in 2 Kings 10:15-28.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Rechabites were not descendants of Jacob; they were Kenites, 1 Chronicles 2:55, a people originally settled in that part of Arabia Petraea, called the land of Midian; and most probably the descendants of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, Numbers 10:29-32 / Judges 1:16 / Judges 4:11.’
The influence of their spiritual father had a great impact on the customs of these people. He had made a proclamation concerning their behaviour, which became one of the cultural identification marks of the people.
In order to confirm the stand of the Rekabites for the customs of their fathers, Jeremiah took them to a public place in the temple courtyard to give them wine, Jeremiah 35:2. Jeremiah went to get Jaazaniah, son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, the whole family, Jeremiah 35:3.
He takes them to God’s house, in the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God, Jeremiah 35:4. We are told it was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper, Jeremiah 35:4.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There were three of these keepers in the Temple, answering to the outer and inner courts of the Temple, and to the entrance of the Temple itself. These were officers of high rank, having precedence next to the High Priest and his deputy.’
Jeremiah then sets bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and tells them to drink some wine, Jeremiah 35:4. He did this in order that all would witness their commitment to the beliefs of their fathers.
They refused to drink the wine offered to them by Jeremiah and said they don’t drink wine because their forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave them a command, not to ever drink wine, Jeremiah 35:6.
They were also commanded not to build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards, they must never have any of these things, but they must always live in tents, Jeremiah 35:7. If they don’t do any of those things then they will live a long time in the land where they are nomads, Jeremiah 35:7.
Ancient tradition tells us that they worked in metal. If you had a metal implement that needed to be fixed, a spear that was broken or a wheel that didn’t work, just wait a while.
The Rekabites would come along and fix it for you. We are not certain of that; that is just tradition, but we do know this for sure: they just wandered about, they had no homes to call their own.
They tell Jeremiah that they have been obedient to their forefather Jehonadab and none of their family has ever drunk wine, built houses or had vineyards, fields, or crops, Jeremiah 35:8-9.
They have been fully obedient to Jehonadab’s commands, Jeremiah 35:10. Because Nebuchadnezzar invaded this land, they decided to go to Jerusalem to escape and have lived there ever since, Jeremiah 35:11.
Why is it that Jeremiah could say, as he does throughout the book, ‘This is what the Lord says’? Jeremiah 35:12-13. Because even though he was in a crowd, he was a God-shaped man.
He wasn’t a crowd-shaped man; he was aware of the people around him, but he was a God-shaped man. So, his message would continually be, ‘This is what the Lord says.’ God tells Jeremiah to go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, will they not learn a lesson and obey His words? Jeremiah 35:13.
Jehonadab had ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and this command has been kept; to this day they have not drunk wine, Jeremiah 35:14. God says He has spoken to Judah again and again, yet they have not obeyed Him, Jeremiah 35:14.
Over and over again God sent His prophets to His people warning them to turn from their evil ways and idolatry, so that they can live in the land but they refused to listen to God’s messengers, Jeremiah 35:15.
God compares the obedience of the descendants of Jehonadab with His own people, the Rekabites obeyed Jehonadab but God’s people don’t obey Him, Jeremiah 35:16.
God says He is going to bring on Judah, and on everyone living in Jerusalem, every disaster He has pronounced against them, and the reasons for this are simply because God spoke but they didn’t listen, He called to them, but they didn’t answer, Jeremiah 35:17.
God held up the Rekabites and said, because of the loyalty in their families, Jeremiah 35:18, they shall never fail to have a man to serve them, Jeremiah 35:19. In other words, God is saying, I am just going to bless these people, and they are blessed because they are loyal to their family leader.
This was a strong message that God sent, through Jeremiah, to Jerusalem, to the men of Judah. The message was this: if people who are loyal to a family tradition can be blessed, how much more can you be blessed when you are loyal to me?
We need to see the contrast between Rekabites and the Jews. The Rekabites were related to the Kenites, Judges 1: 16 / 1 Chronicles 2:55. They lived amongst the Amalekites in the days of Saul, 1 Samuel 15:5.
The founder of this group was a man called Jehonadab son of Rekab, Jeremiah 35:6, who was a militant helper of Jehu in getting rid of Ahab’s family of idolatry, 2 Kings 10:15-17.
Jehonadab had commanded his nomadic descendants never to touch wine, Jeremiah 35:6. Some two hundred years after this command was made, the Rekabites were still honouring this.
Jeremiah tries to tempt them into breaking the oath, offering them wine, Jeremiah 35:5, but he failed, Jeremiah 35:6. The rest is obvious. The contrast between the Rekabites obeying their father and the Jews not obeying their father, God, is the purpose of this story.
The Rekabites are to be rewarded in that they will never lack a man to stand before God, Jeremiah 35:19. Even today, there are groups that follow the Recabite rule, and you can join a Rekabite insurance group if you sign to say that you will not take a drink.