Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
IN this Chapter Ieremiah is bidden to bring the Rechabites into a Chamber of the House of the Lord, and to set Wine before them, and to bid them drink; but they refused, because Ionadab the Son of Rechab their Father had laid a charge upon them not to drink Wine, or to plant Vines, or to sow Fields, or to build Houses, but to dwell in Tents; and hereupon to upbraid the wicked Jews for their disobedience to God, and to shew, how justly they should be punished therefore. Of Ionadab, the Son of Reehab, we read before 2 Kings 10. in the History of Iehu, who lived three hundred years before this, which was anno 4th of Iehojakim, whereby the way we may note again, that things said and done in this Book are not placed in order; but things done and said in the reign of Zedikiab, who was after, are set before things in the time of Iehojakim, intimating, that the Sermons or Prophecies of Ieremiab were not by him written and placed in order; but being collected by others, set down, as he did, and spake them without respect unto due order, as not being so materiall. But to return again to Ionadab the Son of Rechab. Who Rechab was, see 1 Chron. 2. 55. where speaking of Suchathites, that is, dwellers in Tents, he saith, These are the Kenites, that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab. And the Kenites are further set sorth, Iudges 1. 16. to be the children of Moses, his Father in law, the Kenite, who dwelt in the wilderness of Iudah, in the south of Arad amongst the people. Now Moses his Father in law was Iethro, Exod. 18. And of Kenites we read again Iud. 4. where Iael the wife of Heber, the Kenite, is spoken of. And they had this name of Cynei; or Kenites from Cyn the Father of Raguel, or lethro Moses his Father in law; thus for their Pedigree. For their quality, it seemeth, that they were Shepherds anciently, and dwelt in Tents, not being used to works of husbandry, as planting, plowing and sowing, and therefore they drank no wine, but that which came of their flocks, viz. Milk, and eat Butter and Cheese, buying their Corn whereof they made Bread. And by this means having leisure, they gave themselves much to the study of the Law, and were Scribes expert therein; for which they are called, The Families of the Scribes that dwelt at labez, 1 Chron. 2. 55. And of their dwelling in Tents, and drinking Milk, and eating Butter; see Indg. 4. where Sisera coming into Iaels Tent, it is said, that she gave him Milk to drink, and Butter to eate. And as they were learned in the Lawes of God, so one of them, viz. Ionadab, is singularly noted 2 Kin. 10.to have been eminent for piety, when King Iebu would have him come up into his Chariot, and ride with him to see his zeal for the Lord; and of him they say here, Ionadab the Son of Rechab our Father. So that it seemeth, he was the first that injoyned them to live in this abstemious manner, as their Progenitors had accustomed to do in former times and ages without any injunction. And the rather because he saw the wickedness of the Israelites, amongst whom they lived, to be so great, that they could not long continue, and that Wine and delicious fare was a cause of corrupting them by drunkenness, and gluttony and buildings made so sumptuously by pride. He also saw that they were a divided State, and hereby made the more weak, and that the Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites were ready to take advantage hereupon against them. Now that his posterity might be the better prepared to endure a change, when it should come, by being inured to hardship, and to remove, when they could no longer be in one place, to another, after the manner of the old Nomades, he laid this injunction upon them, to go on constantly in such a course of life as wherein their Fore fathers had lived, promising that in so doing, they should live long in the land, wherein they were strangers. Wherefore he did not hereby condemne simply Vers. 7.planting Vines, or drinking Wine, sowing or building houses; but onelyonly prescribed a rule for them to walk by in respect of these outward things, that was most convenient for them; and it was well done of them herein to be obedient. Whereas the Papists, as Calvin saith, do hence infer, that the Children of the Church should likewise obey and keep all her Ordinances, besides the Word of God: The Answer is easie; these were onelyonly civill Ordinances about things externall, the foundation whereof is laid in the Word, which commendeth temperance, humility, and to be sequestred from worldly businesses so much as to be free to divine Contemplations, and to endure hardship, as giving advantage to the spirit against the flesh, which by delicate and full fare will get 1 Cor. 9.the predominancy over the spirit. And therefore they cannot from hence reason to superstitious observances of days, and at sometimes refraining from flesh, the use of other things being permitted, as a matter of Conscience; much less to the worshipping of Images, the adoring of the Host, the invocating of Saints departed, praying for the dead, crossing against evill spirits, holy water, &c. OnelyOnly here is a ground of obedience in civill things to Rulers in a civill respect. And whereas this is made use of by the Jesuite, to prove a Monasticall life lawfull, because the Rechabites obeyed their Father Ionadab, so they obeyed the Fathers of their Order: the Rechabites tilled not the ground, but lived in abstinence, and vacancy from labour bodily, that they might be free to divine Contemplations, so Friars, and Jesuites: When he cometh to the Rechabites having wives, but these having none, he hath nought further to say; yea, and by his leave there is a further vast difference between Rechabites and Friars, who will drink Wine liberally and dwell in sumptuous buildings, to say nothing of their other enormities.
Of these Rechabites, saith Phile, were the Essees, a strict Sect amongst the Philo.Jewes, living in Desarts, and faring hardly, amongst whom John the Baptist was brought up, as I have shewed upon Matthew 3. and what their opinions were. For the Prophets calling together of the Rechabites to the Lords house in a Chamber there to offer them Wine, and that in the Chamber of one, who is said to be a man of God; this was done most probably, that it being done so publickly, might be the more divulged over the City to the moving of all to repentance that should heare it. That whereby the Prophet seeks hereupon to make them ashamed, is, that they obeyed their Father a mortall man, but the Jewes would not obey God. 2. They obeyed him in a thing harsh and unpleasing to the body, the Jews not God, requiring onelyonly things that might easily be done, and in reason should rather be done for a worldly good, as well as for a spirituall. 3. They obeyed a man after his death so many years; when as if they had disobeyed, he could neither reprove, nor punish them for it, or know it; but the Jewes obeyed not God, ever living to reprove and punish them; and being alwayes near unto them, to see their paths, and all their wayes. And all these Psal. 139.should be motives to us to live alwayes in obedience to Gods Commmandements, Note. having a greater care so to do, than a Son to obey his naturall Father, or a Servant his Master; according to that, If I be a Father, where is my fear? if a Master, &c.Mal. 1. 6.
The Jewes that hardened themselves to do contrary, are threatened, and the Rechabites, who were so dutifull to their Father in Licitis, are comforted, ver. Vers. 17.18, 19. And the like shall be done to all that obey their parents likewise, but not in any sinfull way.Ezek. 18.