Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Because you have obeyed the commandment"
Text: Jeremiah 35:18
THE DISOBEDIENCE OF JUDAH
Jerusalem and Judah had deliberately chosen to disobey the LORD. They had rejected the messages of the LORD delivered by the prophets. They did not believe that God would do anything against Judah and Jerusalem. They were so wrong!
“Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
all the doom that I have pronounced against them;
because I have spoken to them but they have not heard,
and I have called to them but they have not answered.’
And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites,
‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father,
and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,
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 forever.”'”
Jeremiah 35:17-19
1. “Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
all the doom that I have pronounced against them;
because I have spoken to them but they have not heard,
and I have called to them but they have not answered'”
a) This word came from the LORD God of host
i) He was the God of Israel.
ii) He had every right to make this judgment.
b) Doom was pronounced against:
i) The nation of Judah.
ii) The inhabitants of Jerusalem.
c) Reason:
i) The LORD spoke to them but they did not listen.
ii) God called them but they had refused to answer.
2. “And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you””
a) A word was given to the Rechabites.
b) They had obeyed Jonadab their father.
c) They had kept his precepts.
d) They had done all that was expected of them.
3. “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 forever'”
a) A special blessing was pronounced.
b) The descendants of the Rechabites would be blessed.
i) They would have children.
ii) These would be accepted as God’s servants.
iii) They would stand before the LORD forever.