The book of Jeremiah in the Bible isn’t the most uplifting book I’ve ever read. Of course I realise the Bible wasn’t designed for my entertainment, but you hear me. For the most part the book details a prophet called Jeremiah speaking to the people of Judah during the season of the history where they are being exiled to Babylon. The people have had generations of disobedience, and they still aren’t listening to God or the words Jeremiah is telling them. There are wars, sieges, arguments, and accusations throughout the book, and there are few moments of encouragement other than when Jeremiah talks about the future and how God is going to restore them. The Kings, officials, and people just won’t listen or acknowledge the Lord even though the situation is dire. It’s really not a lot of fun to read.

However, this morning I read the most beautiful story of obedience in the middle of all the crazy. It’s in Jeremiah chapter 35. It opens with a strange request.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink.” Jeremiah 35:1-2

It seems bizarre right? But Jeremiah has learned to trust the Lord regardless and so he does what he is told to do.

We find out that when he brings the Rekabite family in and offers them the wine they refuse it. This seems like a strange thing given the difficulty the land is in and the hospitality they have been offered, but we learn quickly why they have refused. They reply “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.” They then go on to say how they also don’t build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards, because of their obedience to the commands of their ancestor. Instead they live in tents like nomads, with no real place to call home. The same goes for their wives, sons and daughters. The only reason they came to Jerusalem at all was because of the war that was ongoing and they needed protection.

It’s a beautiful story in the middle of all the disobedience that was going on at that time. We find out that this obedience is why the Lord told Jeremiah to seek them out. He uses them as an example to the nation. He holds their obedience up and asks the people why they have not kept to the Lord’s commands? He asks them why have they turned to other gods? He once again underlines the consequences of the people’s disobedience with the coming exile. However, at the end of the chapter Jeremiah has something to tell the Rekabites.

Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’” Jeremiah 25:18-19

Just like the people are punished for their disobedience, the Rekabites are rewarded for their obedience.

I don’t have a whole lot more to offer here other than how impressed I was with their obedience. What makes it even more incredible is that it wasn’t even obedience to the Lord directly, but to an ancestor.

There is something so incredible about watching someone live out a life of obedience no matter how costly it is. The dedication, discipline, love, and commitment to honouring another’s instruction and command (provided it is holy) whilst living in the midst of a culture who are saying something different always catches the Lords attention. We see it with others throughout Scripture – obedience catches the attention of heaven.

What does that obedience look like for us today in the middle of our communities? What are the things we need to pull back from? What are the things we need to push into?