SCRIPTURE:
"Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink. Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, ‘Drink some wine.’ But they replied, ‘We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine … ‘”
Jeremiah 35:2, 5-6, 8
OBSERVATION:
It’s interesting how God would direct Jeremiah to go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to the house of the Lord to drink wine when He knew that His commandment was for them not to do so. It would have been so easy for the Recabites to justify drinking the wine being that the invitation came from Jeremiah, and ultimately God. Yet they held fast to the Lord’s commandment. We later see that this was God’s intent and test. What is honorable is how the Recabites based their lives on the will and service to God rather than the desires and riches of the world.
APPLICATION:
Compromising God’s commandments can be so easy when sin or disobedience subtly creeps in through our human ways of justifying a lack of following in God’s commandments and will. Being blessed with some of the niceties of life, it is a delicate balance to live in the world, have a taste of enjoying provisions of the world, yet not succumbing to being drawn into the world with its temptations and libations. When tempted and tested, do we stand tall, or sometimes fall? Do we justify our sin by considering it “white sin” and telling ourselves it’s a small sin? Sin is sin! I used to dread taking tests. However, when I prepared for the test and put in the study time, I would look forward to taking the test cuz I wanted to see how well I’d do. So too with our lives, when we prepare for life in the world by studying God’s Word; we will be ready for the trials and tribulations of this world.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, guide me to walk the fine balance of living in the world yet not being of the world or being drawn into the world. Like the Recabites, may I hold fast to your commandments and will.
