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Rechabites! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume7//Issue 4 And Jeremiah said to the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you’ve obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all 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.” (Jer35:18,19) Rechab is the father of Jonadab. Jonadab is in the book of Kings as the one who Jehu meets while he’s cutting off the house of Ahab. When he meets him Jehu asks, “Is your heart right, as my heart is toward your heart?” What he means is, “Are you as zealous for God as I am?” Jonadab answers, “I am.” Then he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he had him ride in his chariot. (2Kng10:15,16) Jonadab is the one who gives the commandment the Rechabites are following in Jeremiah. He’s a man who’s zealous for God. The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” Then I took Jaazaniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, a man of God, (the highest compliment a man can receive.) which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah, the keeper of the door. Then I set before the sons of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine.” But they said, “We’ll drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever. You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’ Thus we’ve obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, nor to build houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed. But we’ve dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.” (Jer35:1-10) God here is setting up a judgment of the Jews. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?” says the LORD. “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment. But although I’ve spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you didn’t obey Me. I’ve also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them; then you’ll dwell in the land which I’ve given you and your fathers.’ But you’ve not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me. Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, but this people hasn’t obeyed Me.” Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I’ll bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom I’ve pronounced against them; because I’ve spoken to them but they’ve not heard, and I’ve called to them but they’ve not answered.” (Jer35:13-17) When God sends judgment He shows His victims have no excuse. Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you must believe I’m the Bread of life and you eat My Bread because I’m life to you. You must eat My bread to have eternal life.” (Jn6:47-58 paraphrase.) Many who don’t really understand John 6 think because the verse says, “If you believe in Me you have eternal life” (vs47) they “believe” in Him so they have it. Yet they don’t hunger for His Word or eat of Him. Jesus didn’t stop talking about eternal life in one verse. He didn’t speak in chapter and verse. These separations were added hundreds of years later. Jesus spoke the entire passage in one discourse. John also wrote it unbroken. And Jesus wasn’t content to just say, “If you believe in Me you’ll have eternal life.” He also explained what it meant to “believe in Me.” “If you believe in Me, you believe I’m the Bread of life and you mustn’t hunger for the bread that perishes but you must labor for the bread that endures to everlasting life. (vs27) I’m that Bread. So you must labor to partake of Me! You must eat of Me means you listen to every word I say. You must dig out the meaning of My words. You must form Me in you by chewing up My words and making them a part of you because My words are of My Spirit. (vs63) When you get a hold of My words rightly they’ll put My life in you.” Yet many foolish people today say, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God so I’m saved.” But if we ask, “How much do you read your bible?” They answer, “Not very much.” Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you’ll believe I’m the Bread you need to eat everyday.” So if you really believe in Him you’ll be eating that Bread and that’s why you’ll have eternal life! When people don’t interpret God’s Word rightly they miss it all together. (2Tim2:15,2Pt3:16) Most of Jesus’ disciples left Him because of His saying about “the bread of life.” It was too hard for them. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. (Jn6:60,66) Most “churches” today have left God’s true way of salvation because it’s too hard for them. They won’t surrender their carnal nature and crucify it. So they’ve become the “church” of the ten evil spies and the “church” of the easy sayings who’ve left Jesus because they won’t obey His Word. These include Baptist-type churches and others like them, who often complain that Christians who obey Jesus and follow after holiness etc., are legal or making salvation too difficult. But God isn’t making salvation too hard. What God’s saying through Jeremiah is, “You people say it’s too hard to obey Me but the Rechabites have obeyed what their father told them to do. And was it easy for them? “You’ll never own a house – you’ll live in a tent all your life, you’ll never farm – you’re to be shepherds – you must stay away from the cities – you must stay away from places where you can see games and sports and listen to fancy music – you must shun the entertainment centers. You’re to live out in the country and stay close to God – you’re to stay outside the camp.” (Heb13:12,13) Jonadab warns his children, “Don’t get mixed up with these city people because evil company corrupts good manners. (1Cor15:33) And don’t drink wine because it will mar your judgment.” And they obeyed him. Was that a hard saying? Is it hard to go to hell? What’s hard is to be in hell. It isn’t hard to go to hell. Take the easy way and you’ll go to hell and then you’ll wish you took the hard way because the hard way is the safe way. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mt7:13,14) God has made salvation as easy as it’s possible to make it and woe unto him who tries to make it easier because it has to be as hard as it is or it won’t save you. It must crucify your flesh to get you out of the broad way. The Rechabites got out of the broad way because they listened to their father Jonadab and obeyed him. The Rechabites ate of their father. They ate his words. He was bread to them. They loved their father. They trusted their father. And when he gave them a right way, even though it was a hard way, they took it and didn’t choke on it and didn’t run away from it. So there’s a reward to the Rechabites. The reward to the Jews – your disobedience will bring doom upon you. (Jer35:17) The reward to the Rechabites – Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Because you’ve 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.” (Jer35:18,19) What a blessing! The Rechabites will never lack a man to stand before God. What does it mean to have a man stand before God on your behalf? In the prophets you hear God lamenting there’s no one to stand in the gap. (Ezek22:30) The Rechabites will always have someone to stand in the gap. But this is a people robbed and plundered; all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; they are for prey, and no one delivers; for plunder, and no one says, “Restore!” (Is42:22) These Jews don’t have a man to stand before God on their behalf. If there was a man standing before God he’d be saying, “Restore them, God! Deliver them, God!” But this passage will never apply to the Rechabites. They’ll always have a man interceding before God, saying, “Restore them, God! Deliver them, God!” God has promised this. In the Old Testament it was the priest who’d intercede for the people. The Rechabites will never lack a priest forever. They’ll always have a priest, which gives us a clue as to how big a blessing God’s given them. The Jews who disobeyed don’t get an intercessor but the Rechabites who obeyed get an intercessor. The difference is obedience. Who among you will give ear to this? Who’ll listen and hear for the time to come? Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we’ve sinned? For they wouldn’t walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law. (Is42:23,24) This applies to most “christians” today just as it applied to the Jews. But it didn’t apply to the Rechabites because they did walk in their father’s ways. If the Jews had only walked in their father Abraham’s ways – if they’d only walked in their father Moses’ ways – Joseph’s ways – Isaac’s ways. They had godly fathers. The Rechabites had a godly father, and they walked in his ways and God said, “You’ll be blessed forever. You’ll never lack a man to intercede for you. I’ll always have a man I can listen to praying on your behalf. I’ll never let you go without an intercessor because you obeyed Me.” But to those who disobey there’s none to stand up for you. When Jesus was facing the devil in the temptation to jump off the tower, satan quoted scripture saying, “If You’re the Son of God, God won’t let anything bad happen to You.” But Jesus said to him, “It’s written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” (Mt4:7) If Jesus had tested the Lord, He’d be in disobedience. And in disobedience God wouldn’t protect Him. Later at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus’ brothers are mocking Him. He’s told them about the miracles God’s been doing but they don’t believe. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works You’re doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” (Jn7:3,4) In other words, “We don’t believe You. If You’re doing miracles why not show everybody?” The word ‘if’ tells you they’re unbelievers. For even His brothers didn’t believe in Him. Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world can’t hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I’m not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” (Jn7:5-8) Jesus’ brothers imagine they know God better than He does and Jesus must be a fraud because if He was real He’d be publicly displaying His power, not just talking about it. What they don’t understand is the Jews are trying to kill Him. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He’d done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father’s been working until now, and I’ve been working.” Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him. (Jn5:16-18) He’s trying to explain why it’s not sin to heal on the Sabbath but the Jews get even madder thinking they now have two reasons to kill Him.” Jesus knows it’s wise to be discreet when facing enemies. Don’t give what’s holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. (Mt7:6) The ungodly are enemies because they have a wicked spirit in them. If people don’t have a wicked spirit in them, you can reason with them. It isn’t always because people don’t know the Truth they’re going to hell. It’s because they’re wicked they’re going to hell. And it’s because they’re wicked they don’t like the Truth. In such cases what has to be cured isn’t that they don’t know the Truth. What has to be cured is their wickedness. And their wickedness always has to do with pride – presumptions – imaginations – self-flatteries – thinking they know something when they don’t – opinions – the wicked are very opinionated. You can’t cure them by showing them a little more Truth when they’re still wicked. You have to show them they’re wicked. When they’re convicted of their sins and see they need to repent that’s when salvation can begin; when they get humbled out of their wickedness. One way many of us have been mistaken is in trying to teach or argue the wicked into righteousness – to reason them in. Most people don’t think of a mistake in their thinking as sin. It doesn’t convict them. When they learn a new way is better than an old way it just puffs them up thinking they’re smarter than they used to be. The main problem with men is they’re proud. Their pride has to be broken. To break their pride their wickedness has to be exposed; their selfishness shown – how many righteous men they’ve slandered – how many foolish things they’ve done – in how many selfish ways they’ve hurt others. Their sin is what you must focus on because salvation comes only when they realize their wickedness and begin to loath themselves and want to be something better than they are. Conviction doesn’t come from intellectual knowledge. It comes from moral knowledge – moral truth. And the biggest hindrance to successful evangelism comes from believing true religion arises out of intellectual instead of moral knowledge. So Jesus remains hidden even though He’s been doing mighty miracles in other places for the Jews here are trying to kill Him. If He showed Himself openly that would be like jumping off the tower. He wouldn’t be doing His part to watch over His own safety, and He’d be tempting God. Any disobedience at all is akin to testing God. To disobey God and expect Him to save you is like jumping off the pinnacle of the temple, (or in this case turning yourself over to murderers.) Jesus wouldn’t do that. He was prudent! When He heard Herod was trying to kill Him He left the country because His time had not yet come. (Lk13:31-33) He knows it’s His job to watch over His own safety as far as He’s able else He’ll be tempting God. If we obey God in watching over our own safety then the things that go beyond what we can do God will take care of. But if we disobey Him and don’t do the part He expects us to do, why should He take care of the rest? Why should He bother when we aren’t taking care of ourselves? So we’re a party to our own salvation and in so far as we obey God in doing the things He asks us to do then we can trust Him to do the things we can’t. Obedience has everything to do with our salvation, as we see in the Rechabites. They’re saved because they obeyed. By using the “saved” and obedient Rechabites, God has set up a judgment of the Jews in their own temple. He’s brought in His witnesses, just as He’ll bring in witnesses in the final judgment. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (Mt12:41) Since the conviction and the power of the things associated with Jesus’ ministries are so much stronger than Jonah’s the people who don’t repent at the words of Jesus must be much more wicked than the people of Nineveh. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. (Mt12:42) This queen will say, “What do you mean you were too busy to listen to Jesus? I traveled hundreds of miles to hear Solomon’s wisdom. Busy? You should see the things I was responsible for. I ruled a country and yet to know wisdom I put it aside and went to hear a man who knew God.” And today if you won’t even read your bible what’s the queen of Sheba to say to you? There’s a hundred times more wisdom than Solomon’s available and you don’t even have to leave your bed to get it! In the Judgment God will be justified. And He won’t be justified out of His own mouth. The queen of Sheba will justify Him! The men of Nineveh will justify Him! The Rechabites will justify Him! You think it’s too hard to obey God? We obeyed! Why can’t you? And there’s a church here right now that’s justifying God! And there are people all around us today who in the judgment will complain, “It was too hard to be an obedient Christian, Jesus.” But we’re going to say, “No it wasn’t. We did it and we loved it. And we did it seven days a week. We homeschooled our kids – had bible studies daily and church every night – and we loved it. You wicked, wicked people. You love your sin. You love your worldliness. You love everything except the Lord. But we love Him and you’re condemned!” Jesus didn’t say God would condemn them. He said the queen of the South would. He said the men of Nineveh would. And the Rechabites are going to condemn them. And we’re going to condemn them! What does it mean to have a man stand before God on your behalf forever? Do you know who that man is? Jesus! The Rechabites had a sure and certain promise of Jesus because of their obedience. He ever liveth to make intercession for them (the believers). (Heb7:25) But which believers? The obedient ones – the Rechabites types. Do you understand why God said it this way? “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” (Jer35:19) The prophets show us if there’s an intercessor, someone to stand in the gap, God will have mercy. Even obedient believers can make mistakes. They’re not like the rebellious disobedient but they can make the mistake of falling into a trap, committing a sin they weren’t aware of. And what God’s saying concerning the obedient believers is, I’ll have an intercessor who’ll keep My grace flowing towards them so they can overcome such things so I can get them out of the troubles they weren’t aware of. I’ll make sure they’re protected. They’ll have an intercessor, Jesus Christ who ever liveth to make intercession for the Rechabites. Concerning this statement They shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever, when God said “Forever” He made this whole passage a Spiritual, prophetic illustration of true Christianity because that brought the forever priesthood of Christ into the passage. And that means the Rechabites are a Spiritual type. They’re the type who obey and those are the ones who’ll never lack an intercessor to stand for them. That intercessor, Christ Jesus, will keep them on the right track – will keep pouring God’s grace upon them because they’ve a heart to obey therefore the devil can’t snare them or trick them and take them away from God. They’ll be safe in the hand of Christ their intercessor. Because of their obedience, God will keep them. So how important is it for us to be a people God can use to expose the lies and falsehoods of those who argue with God and show them their sin and prove that indeed it’s not only possible to obey God but the yoke is easy? When you say His sayings are too hard it’s because of your wickedness and your lack of faith they seem hard to you but to those of us who know Him and love Him we find obeying and serving the Lord a lovely thing. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light! And it’s your own mouth that condemns you when you say it’s too hard. Just as these Jews thought it was too hard to obey God but the Rechabites showed they had no problem with it. Just as the Pharisees rejected Jesus but the Ninevites accepted Jonah. Just as so many people today won’t even read their bibles and yet the queen of the South traveled over a thousand miles on camel just to hear a wise man. There’ll be an extraordinary condemnation of the excuse makers in the judgment. There’ll be multitudes who imagine themselves to be in pretty good shape who’ll sadly discover they can’t compare themselves to the men of Nineveh, the queen of Sheba, or the Rechabites or even the people at “My Father’s House.” And because of that they’ll be very disappointed when they find God doesn’t even have to condemn them, but God’s obedient people will condemn them. The devil often comes pretending to be good. He often comes with a friendly smile on his face. Every con man pretends to be your friend. Every wicked man who tries to seduce a woman pretends he’s in love with her. Demons cunningly come as an angel of light (2Cor11:14) and they act that way because they’re trying to accomplish something they can’t do if they offend you. But do you know what Jesus is trying to accomplish? He’s trying to save your soul. And He’s doing it by offending you if He has to. When they said, “This is a hard saying.” Jesus asked, “Does this offend you?” (Jn6:60-61) And it did. So they left and became Baptist-type christians and “easy believers” who don’t want the true gospel because they’re offended with it. And if the truth offends you, you aren’t going to Heaven. Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Mt11:6) “Blessed are those who receive My words and aren’t ashamed of Me or My words.” Lord, we thank You for helping us to be a people who aren’t offended by Your hard sayings but who delight to obey and understand them. And we pray You’ll use us mightily to bring others into Your Truth because, “You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn6:68) We deeply desire to experience the fullness of Christ in us.” And we pray that You’ll complete the work, that we should lack nothing and come behind in no good gift even the hard things. That everything in our lives may be conformed to Jesus. And we know You’ll do it because You said You would so we thank You for it, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Prophecy: It says in My Word the day and the hour in which the Son of Man comes no one knows. And I’ll come as a thief and I’ll catch many unawares because they haven’t watched and they haven’t prayed. And I tell you, My people, that even now I’m coming upon many unawares through you. I’m coming by your speaking My Words, and those who haven’t been watching, who haven’t known Me, those who’ve been led by men, by their reasonings, and their own wisdom are going to know they’ve been caught unawares, they’ve been caught not knowing Me, not knowing My Word, not fellowshipping with Me. And they’ll be convicted as I come upon them like a thief through you. For I work through My people, the ones who feed on Me, who fellowship with My Spirit, who know My Word. And what I share with them, I reveal that they may speak it to others. And through the obedience of My people I’ll break the hearts of many, I’ll humble the proud and they’ll know in that day they haven’t known Me. In the day of visitation many will see they haven’t known Me as you’ve known Me because I’ll use you to show them. And My power will be made manifest to confirm the words I put in your mouth. It won’t only be in the last day, where I’ll catch men unawares but even now many don’t know I’m already upon them. In the nursing homes, in the prisons, they didn’t know I’d come upon them until one day they awoke and saw My servant demonstrating Jesus, Me through him, and they knew then they didn’t know Me. And that I’ll do on a grand scale through you, saith the Lord. Prophecy: Pride is coming down, it’s coming down quickly. The deceptions are coming down and they’re coming down quickly. For I’m coming quickly and I’ll have a people prepared for My coming. I’ll no longer tolerate those who claim to be Mine but want their ears tickled with all of the delightful things My Word says about My true people. I’ll no longer suffer a disobedient people who come before their preachers and ask the preachers to tell them how much I love them, how much I’ll bless them, what a great future they have in Me, how happy I am that they’re My people. But I tell you this, My people behave like My people. And My true preachers will tell the people, “You behave like the people of God if you want to hear the blessings.” For I’ll no longer bear with the ear ticklers. I’ll no longer endure the false christians. I’ll no longer ignore the ones who want to hear the blessings but refuse to abide by My words. I’ll no longer excuse those who want to live from the gospel, but I’ll raise up a people who live for the gospel. And I’ve found such a people in this place who’ll live for My gospel and who’ll behave as My people. And I’ll use you. Through you I’ll shame those who follow after falsehoods and pride. Through My obedient ones I’ll bring their pride down and bring their falsehoods down, thus saith the Lord. Prophecy: Because you’ve spoken according to My Word, I’ve put My light in you and it manifests through you and even now is shining brightly through you to all the earth. And because you’re a people who delight in My Word, eat My Word, love My Word, and do My Word, My righteousness lives in you. My righteousness is revealed in works through you and because of this I say to you, My power also will manifest in you, My people who keep My Word and speak according to My Word. And through My awesome power in you I’ll bring down those who claim to be My people but don’t speak according to My Word. Their pride and haughty hearts will come down and I’ll show them in that day how awesome and mighty a God I am. In My light they’ll see how small they are and I’ll humble them in their hearts, so they’ll fall on their faces and know in shame their words have no power, for they’ve not known Me, the Living God. They have only words, only intellect. They’re powerless. So don’t fear them. What can man do to you? I tell you My people, stand up! And by the power of My Holy Spirit, speak in all boldness the Words I’ve put in your mouth and I’ll bring to shame and show the false in that day they’re not My people. For they’ve not spoken according to My Word and for that they’ll be ashamed and all will see there’s no light in them, but My light and My power are with My obedient people, thus saith the Lord. Prophecy: I win every argument. No one argues against Me in heaven. And no one in the earth can argue against Me and win because all will stand before My judgment seat. Everyone in the earth dies and their arguments and their imaginations end when they die. And their deceptions and pride end when they die. And when those die who argue with Me, they recognize immediately the reality that they’ve lost their argument. Those who’ve passed through the veil of death arguing with Me, don’t argue with Me anymore. And it doesn’t matter whether they’ve entered into eternal rest or whether they’ve entered into the fires of hell, they’re NOT arguing with Me. Even the rich man who abused Lazarus became an evangelist when he entered the torments of hell. Then he asked to send someone to his brothers. And those who’ve passed through the veil of death arguing with you and arguing with Me, they’re now rooting for you. They’re now saying, “I hope that little church gets to my family.” They’re now hoping for you to do the job they wouldn’t let you do and didn’t want you to do and wouldn’t do themselves when they were alive. Because once they’ve passed out of the reality of this world they can plainly see what they’ve done wrong and they also see what needs to be done right and they don’t argue anymore, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father’s House”)
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