Devotion 861

“Because You Have Obeyed”

Reference Jeremiah chapter 35

Because the Rechabites obeyed the word of their father, God rewarded them with a greater covenant.
God only seeks obedience to His Word. If every man will obey His Word to move out of the blood of Adam into the blood of Christ, the world will be a wonderful place, and hell will be empty.

Let's read.

Jeremiah 35:1-6 “The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, [2] Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. [3] Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; [4] And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: [5] And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. [6] 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.”

The Lord knew the heart of the Rechabites, yet He set a pot of wine before them. He tested them to see the sincerity of their heart towards the word that their father commanded them.
The Lord tests us to see the sincerity of our heart towards His Word that He's placed in us.

We continue our reading.

Jeremiah 35:7-17 “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. [8] 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; [9] Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: [10] But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. [11] But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem. [12] Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, [13] 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. [14] 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. [15] 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. [16] Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me: [17] Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.”

God judges all men according to His Word. Not some, but the whole world will be judged according to His Word, Which has a name. The name of His Word is Jesus Christ. This is  the Word of God that became flesh and dwelled among men. This is the Word that will judge the world. The Word of God judged Adam in the Garden of Eden. It judges the children of Israel. It judges us today and will judge tomorrow. The same Word of God, yesterday, today, and forever.

We conclude our reading.

Jeremiah 35:18-19 “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: [19] 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.”

God rewards disobedience with a curse and obedience with a blessing. Jesus Christ was obedient even to a cross.

Philippians 2:7-9 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”

This name is the Word of God.

Walk in obedience to the Word of God. BELIEVE and confess Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as we reveal Him from the first Adam. Obedience is the key, in Christ!