DRINK NO WINE

JEREMIAH 35:1-19

Jer. 35:8 [HCSB]. We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, in all he commanded us. So we haven't drunk wine our whole life--we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters.

      Ironside called this chapter a “a living sermon.” The Lord contrasted the obedience of the family of Rechab to the disobedience of Israel.

  I. Conviction by the family (35:1-11; 2 Kg. 10:15-23)

2 Kg. 10:15-16 [ESV]. And when he departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, "Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." Jehu said, "If it is, give me your hand." So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot.

 16. And he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So he had him ride in his chariot.

      A. Testing (1-5)

      In the time of Ahab, Jonadab, the son of Rechab, demonstrated the zeal of this family for the Lord (2 Kg. 10:16). Three hundred years later in the time of Jehoiakim, the Rechabites came to Jerusalem (only after the siege by Nebuchadnezzar) and once again demonstrated the zeal of one family for the Lord.

          1. Word (1-2; Gen. 22:1)

          2. Wine (3-5; Gen. 9:21, 19:32; Lev. 10:9; Num. 6:3; Jud. 13:4; Prov. 20:1, 31:4; Dan. 1:8; Amos 2:12; Hab. 2:5; Eph. 5:18)

Dan. 1:8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Amos 2:12. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

      Jeremiah brought the Rechabites into the chamber (Neh. 10:37) of Hanan, the man of God (1 Kg. 17:24; 1 Tim. 6:11). He set before them containers of wine and cups and said, “Drink.”

              a. Containers (Dan. 5:23)

Dan. 5:23. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

              b. Cups (Prov. 23:31)

Prov. 23:31. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.

      B. Teaching (6-11)

          1. Ordinance (6-7)

              a. Drink (Ps. 16:5)

Ps. 16:5. The LORD [is] the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

              b. Build

              c. Sow

              d. Plant (Amos 5:11)

              e. Dwell (tent--Gen. 13:18; Ps. 15:1)

Ps. 15:1. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

          2. Obedience (8-11; Jer. 7:23; Gen. 22:18; Jos. 5:6; 1 Sam. 15:24)

Gen. 22:18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

1 Sam. 15:24. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

      In a family, righteousness begets righteousness–disobedience begets disobedience. Jonadab influenced the convictions of his family.

 II. Command of the father (35:12-16; Gen. 50:16; Ex. 20:12)

Ex. 20:12. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

      A. Receive the Word (12-15; Jer. 32:33; Prov. 3:11, 6:23)

Prov. 6:23. For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:

Jer. 32:33. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

          1. God’s speaking (rising early–Jer. 11:7)

Jer. 11:7. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day [that] I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, [even] unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

          2. God’s servants (Jer. 29:19; Amos 3:7)

Jer. 29:19. Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.

              a. Return (2 Chr. 7:14; Ezek. 33:11; Jon. 3:10)

Ezek. 33:11. Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

              b. Repent (Jer. 26:13)

Jer. 26:13. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

              c. Resist (other gods–Jer. 25:6; Jos. 24:16; 2 Chr. 7:22)

Jer. 25:6. And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

              d. Reside (Jer. 25:5; Dt. 30:20)

Dt. 30:20. That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

      B. Rejecting the Word (16; Jer. 22:21; Dt. 28:45; 1 Sam. 28:18; Prov. 13:1)

Jer. 22:21. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; [but] thou saidst, I will not hear. This [hath been] thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

          1. Hearing (ear–Jer. 17:23; Is. 55:3; Amos 8:11)

Jer. 17:23. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

          2. Doing (Dt. 28:9; Is. 40:8)

Dt. 28:9. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

      Jeremiah contrasted the obedience of the Rechabites to the command of their father with the disobedience of Judah to their God. The Rechabites performed three hundred years of unbroken obedience to their father’s command. The circumstances never interrupted obedience.

III. Covenant for the future (35:17-19)

      A. Judah (17)

          1. Punishment (Jer. 11:17)

Jer. 11:17. For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.

          2. Passivity (Jer. 7:13; Prov. 1:24; Is. 65:12)

Prov. 1:24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.

Jer. 7:13. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;

      B. Jonadab (18-19)

          1. Principles

              a. Obeyed (Ex. 15:26; Jud. 3:4)

Ex. 15:26. And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I [am] the LORD that healeth thee.

              b. Kept (Ex. 20:6; Dt. 6:25; Ps. 119:60; Prov. 7:2)

Ps. 119:60. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

              c. Did (Gen. 6:22; Ex. 40:16; Jos. 1:7; 1 Kg. 15:5)

Jos. 1:7. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

          2. Promise (Jer. 33:17-18; 2 Chr. 6:16, 7:18; Ezek. 22:30)

Jer. 33:17. For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

Ezek. 22:30. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

      Ironside said, “Somewhere in this world his descendants still exist. . . .”

•          The Rechabites retained ancient family boundaries.

•          The Rechabites resisted present family backslidings.

•          The Rechabites received future family blessings.

Prov. 22:28 [CEV]. Don't move a boundary marker set up by your ancestors.

Prov. 22:28 [MSG]. Don't stealthily move back the boundary lines staked out long ago by your ancestors.

ALCOHOL

1. More revenue from alcohol will not fix every problem.

Ecc. 5:10 [BBE]. He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.

2. Money is secondary to morality.

Heb. 12:16 [HCSB]. And see that there isn't any immoral or irreverent person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal.

3. Alcohol is America’s acceptable drug–even though it kills.

Prov. 23:32 [ESV]. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

4. Broken homes and addictions from alcohol damage a community.

Prov. 29:2 [MSG]. When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.

5. The longstanding wholesomeness of a community is more valuable than attracting more business.

Jas. 4:13 [CEV]. You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!"

6. Every father leaves a legacy. Some leave a legacy of abstinence–some leave a legacy of alcohol.

Ps. 112:2 [HCSB]. His descendants will be powerful in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

7. Just because something becomes legal does not make it moral.

Jud. 21:25 [GW]. In those days Israel didn't have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right.

8. Those who want to link the King of Kings in the Bible with the king of beers to justify drinking do not understand the Scripture (use the Bible to justify sin).

Prov. 14:9 [KJV]. Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous [there is] favour.

[MSG]. The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.

9. The law of love prevents a Christian from causing another to stumble or bringing a reproach upon the testimony of Christ.

Rom. 14:21 [ESV]. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

1 Cor. 8:13 [HCSB]. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won't cause my brother to fall.

10. How foolish it is to allow a twelve-ounce drink to keep a Christian from fullness of life in Christ or to allow a can of beer to send a soul to hell.

Eph. 5:18 [GNB]. Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Mk. 8:36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

11. The question for the Christian is not whether a person can drink and still go to heaven (justification is by faith through grace alone), but will this make one more like Jesus.

1 Cor. 6:12 [GNB]. Someone will say, "I am allowed to do anything." Yes; but not everything is good for you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave.

1 Cor. 9:27 [HCSB]. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

12. In the cultural war (in the name of tolerance) those who justify wrong intimidate the righteous to keep silent and speak no word of opposition.

Amos 2:12 [GNB]. But you made the nazirites drink wine, and ordered the prophets not to speak my message.

13. Christians ought to participate and seek office in the process of government. When placed in positions of authority by God, Christians should bring Kingdom principles into the public arena.

Est. 4:14 [ESV]. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Prov. 31:4 [HCSB]. It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.

14. Where are those whose heart is fixed, who will not waver from Godly principles, but courageously stand against the swelling tide of compromise?

Ex. 32:26 [MSG]. He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on GOD's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up.

      After a young African was martyred for his faith, this writing was found in his room:

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made–I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ–I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure–I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.