£ The laſt Words of the Verſe probably give us a reaſon of the former, they were no Native Fews, but ſtrangers amongſt themy who commonly are invied, when they are obſerved to thrive too much, or to live ſplendidly ; and that envy of the Natives of the place where they ſojourn, expoſeth them to their Hatred and M1- lice, ſo as their Lives are made uneaſie to them, Jonadab therefore cautions his Sons toavord theſe inconveniences by a thrifty, ſober laborious life,to which they 6ad been bred, in. keeping Flocks, and to avoid any thing might expoſe them to envy or Hatred or Malice of the People amongſt whom they were come to ſojourn.
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, nor our ſons, nor our daughters. | |
9 Norto build houſes forus to dwell in: neither have
we vineyard, nor field, nor ſeed.
10 But we have dwelt in tents b, and have obeyed, and doneaccording to all that Jonadab our ficher com- manded us.
h Moveable Habitations, which they could with little 1abour re- move from Place to Place, as they had convenience to feed their. Flocks, this was their ordinary way of living untill neceſſity com- pelled them to come and live in Jeruſalem,
17 But it cameto paſs when Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon, came up into the Land z, 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 Sy- rians ; ſo we dwell at Jeruſalem. |
i When the Chaldean Army came into the Land, they ſaw there would be no quiet abode for them any where but in ſome fortified place. The Syrians joyned with the Chaldeans in this War, as we read 2 Kings 24, 2: This they tell the Prophet was the reaſon why they who never uſed to dwell in Cities, nor fixed Houſes, came ts dwell at Jeruſalem, to prevent being deſtroyed by the Foragers for
theie Armies. , 12 © Then came the word of the LORD unto Jere- miah, ſaving, | | | 13 Thus faith 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 ? faith the LORD, | | 14 The words of Jonadab the ſon of Recheb, that
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he commanded his ſons not to drink wine, are perfor- med ; for unto this day they. drink none, --but- obey their farhers commandment : notwithſtanding I have
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| hearkened not unto me.
I5 I have ſent alſo unto you all my ſervants the pro- phets, riſing up early and ſending them, ſaying, * Re- curn ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to ſerve them, and ye ſhall dwellin the land, which I bave given to you, and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your
'ear, nor hearkened to me &.
k God in this Revelation of his mind to the Prophet expoundeth to him, why he had ſet him to bring the Rechabires into the Tem- ple, and commanded him to ſet Wine before them,and invite them
rodrink of it, wir.. that by their refuſual of doing according to the invitation, in obedience to their Father Jonedab ; he might convince the Jews of their Diſobedience to his Commands, though God's Commands were more advantaged, than the Commands of Jenadab in that, 1. Jonadab was but an earthly Parent, and fo had no abſo-
_ Jute univer/al Soveraginity over his Children, bur God was rhe Lord
of hofts the God of Iſrael. 2. Jonadal's Command was not for the per- formance ef a moral Duty, bur the doing of a thing which they might do, or leave undone. God required of them what was but their moral Duty, and for which was the higheſt reaſon, 3. Jora- dab's Command had no promiſe annexed, God's Precept had a pre- miſe annexed, yet they had not yielded him that obedience which the Sons of Jonadab had yielded him : He was their Father, bur where was his Honour?
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 nor hearkened unto me.
17 Therefore thus ſaith the Lord GOD of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, Behold, I will bring upon Judah, and u- pon all the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, all the evil that I have pronounced againſt them: becauſe I have ſpoken unto them, and they have not heard, I have called un- to them, - and they have not anſwered /.
] This is but the ſ:me threatning confirmed, which we have of- ten met-with before, concerning the ruine of this People, only the meritorious cauſe of it is further amplified, their not paying that
Homage to God which theſe Rechavites paid fo an Earthly Parent, and had been ſteaJy in the Payment of, now for three hundred
| years together.
18 And Jeremiah ſaid to the houſe of the Rechabites, Thus faith the LORD of hoſts, .the God of Iſrael, be- cauſe you have-obeyed the command of Jonadab your facher, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he hath commanded you.
-- I9 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 m.