The Obedience that Condemns
Introduction: The Courtroom of Covenant History
We live in an age that despises authority and mocks obedience. The modern man considers himself a sovereign, a king on a throne of one, who answers to no one but his own appetites and inclinations. He wants a god who is a celestial butler, a government that is an ATM, and a church that is an affirmation society. The idea of binding commands, of covenantal obligations that carry the weight of life and death, is considered archaic, oppressive, and frankly, a bit rude.
But the God of Scripture is not a butler, and reality is not a democracy. God is a Father and a King, and He has established a world that runs on the principle of covenant. Covenants have stipulations, promises for obedience, and curses for disobedience. And when God's people begin to treat His covenantal words as mere suggestions, as friendly advice to be taken or left, He does not simply shrug. He brings them to court.
In this passage from Jeremiah, God is the prosecuting attorney, Jeremiah is the bailiff, and the nation of Judah is in the dock. But this is no ordinary trial. God brings a surprise witness to the stand, a whole clan of people called the Rechabites. And He uses their simple, dogged, centuries-long obedience to a human father to expose and condemn the flagrant, high-handed disobedience of His own covenant children. God sets up a contrast so sharp, so undeniable, that every mouth in Judah must be stopped. This is not just a historical account of a disobedient nation; it is a diagnostic tool for the church in every age. It forces us to ask a deeply uncomfortable question: who is our father, and whose words do we actually obey?
The Text
Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive discipline by listening to My words?" declares Yahweh. "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are established. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have listened to their father's command. But I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; yet you have not listened to Me. Also I have sent to you all My slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, saying: 'Turn now every man from his evil way and make good your deeds, and do not walk after other gods to serve them. Then you will inhabit the land which I have given to you and to your fathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have established the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.' " ' Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the harmful evil that I have spoken against them because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.' "
(Jeremiah 35:12-17 LSB)
The Indictment Delivered (vv. 12-13)
The proceedings begin with God's direct charge to His people.
"Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive discipline by listening to My words?" declares Yahweh.'" (Jeremiah 35:13 LSB)
Notice the titles God uses: "Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel." This is a reminder of both His power and His covenant relationship. He is the commander of heaven's armies, and He is the God who chose Israel for Himself. The question He poses is the heart of the matter. "Will you not receive discipline?" The word for discipline here is not just about punishment; it is about instruction, correction, and training. It is the education of a son by a father. God is asking, "Will you not be taught? Will you not learn?"
Their fundamental sin is not simply that they broke a rule. Their sin is that they have become unteachable. They have a hardened heart and a stiff neck. They refuse to be corrected. And how is this discipline received? "By listening to My words." True submission to God begins in the ear. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Disobedience, therefore, is a crisis of hearing. Judah has become spiritually deaf. They hear the words of the prophets, but they do not listen. The sound enters their ears, but it does not penetrate their hearts. This is the core indictment: you are my sons, but you refuse to listen to your Father's instruction.
Exhibit A: The Faithful Rechabites (v. 14)
God now presents His evidence. He doesn't point to a pagan nation that is more righteous. He points to a clan living right among them.
"The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are established. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have listened to their father's command. But I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; yet you have not listened to Me." (Jeremiah 35:14 LSB)
The contrast is devastating. Jonadab was a man, a fallible human ancestor who lived centuries before this moment. He gave his descendants a series of commands: don't drink wine, don't build houses, don't plant vineyards, live as nomads. And for hundreds of years, his sons have "established" his command. They obeyed. They took their father's word seriously, and it shaped their entire way of life.
Then God turns the mirror on Judah. "But I have spoken to you." Who is speaking? Not a mere man, but Yahweh of hosts. And how has He spoken? "Rising up early and speaking." This is a beautiful Hebrew idiom that conveys diligence, earnestness, and fatherly care. It is the picture of a father getting up before dawn to make sure his children have what they need for the day. God has not been a distant, silent landlord. He has been a persistent, pleading Father. Yet, after all this divine, earnest, constant communication, the verdict is simple: "yet you have not listened to Me." A dead man gets more respect from his sons than the living God gets from His.
A History of Spurned Grace (v. 15)
God then elaborates on the history of His speaking. He removes any possible excuse that His message was unclear or infrequent.
"Also I have sent to you all My slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, saying: 'Turn now every man from his evil way and make good your deeds, and do not walk after other gods to serve them. Then you will inhabit the land which I have given to you and to your fathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.'" (Jeremiah 35:15 LSB)
God's fatherly pleading was not just a whisper. He sent messengers, the prophets. He sent them with the same diligence: "rising up early and sending." The message was not complicated. It was a three-fold call. First, repent: "Turn now every man from his evil way." Second, obey: "make good your deeds." Third, worship rightly: "do not walk after other gods to serve them." This is the basic shape of covenant faithfulness.
And the promise attached was glorious. It was the promise of the covenant itself: "Then you will inhabit the land." Security, peace, prosperity, and fellowship with God in the place He had given them. This was not a raw deal. It was a gracious invitation to life. But the response was the same. "You have not inclined your ear or listened to Me." They literally would not even bend their head to listen. It is a posture of proud, defiant rebellion.
The Contrast Driven Home (v. 16)
In case anyone missed the point, God summarizes the prosecution's argument in one devastating verse.
"Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have established the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me." (Jeremiah 35:16 LSB)
Here it is, laid bare. One group obeyed their human father. The other group disobeyed their divine Father. The faithfulness of the Rechabites does not earn them salvation, but it serves as a powerful testimony that condemns Judah. It proves that long-term, multi-generational obedience to a father's command is possible. It strips Judah of every excuse. They cannot say the standard is too high or the task is too hard. The Rechabites are a living, breathing refutation of their rebellion. Their fidelity to a man highlights Judah's infidelity to God.
The Inevitable Sentence (v. 17)
Because the evidence is overwhelming and the verdict is clear, the sentence must be pronounced.
"Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the harmful evil that I have spoken against them because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.' " (Jeremiah 35:17 LSB)
The "therefore" is crucial. God's judgment is not arbitrary or capricious. It is the logical, just, and previously announced consequence of their actions. He is bringing the very curses He promised in the covenant. The "harmful evil" is not some new invention; it is the fulfillment of His own warnings. Why? The reason is repeated one last time, like the tolling of a funeral bell: "because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer."
God speaks, and they do not listen. God calls, and they do not answer. This is the definition of a broken relationship. It is the picture of a rebellious son ignoring his father's call to the dinner table. And a father who is the King of the universe will not let such insolence stand. The judgment is coming, and it is righteous altogether.
The One True Son
This passage holds up a mirror to us. How often do we establish the commands of men, the traditions of our culture, the expectations of our political tribe, or the whispers of our own hearts, while God's clear Word lies neglected? We are all Judah. We are all covenant-breakers who have refused to listen.
The story of the Rechabites condemns us. It shows us that obedience is possible, and therefore our disobedience is without excuse. But their story cannot save us. Their obedience was to a man, and it was external. It could not cleanse their hearts.
But God, in His mercy, has provided a greater contrast. He has provided a true and better Son. Jesus Christ is the Son who perfectly listened to His Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the ultimate "harmful evil" of the cross, He said, "Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). He inclined His ear. He listened. He answered the call.
His perfect obedience is the only obedience that matters for our salvation. When we are united to Him by faith, His record of perfect listening is credited to our account. The Father looks at us and sees the faithfulness of His beloved Son. This is the heart of the gospel.
But this grace does not then free us to be like Judah. It frees us, and empowers us, to be like Christ. God sends His Spirit to unplug our ears and give us a heart that wants to listen. The discipline of the Word is no longer a burden to be avoided, but a grace to be received. We are brought into the family, not as slaves who must obey out of fear, but as sons who get to obey out of love. We listen to our Father's words because we love our Father, and because we want to be like our elder Brother, the one who listened His way to the cross, and through the cross, to a throne.