Have you ever heard of the Recabites? I had not until I had Sunday School curriculum to teach from Jeremiah 35. Now I strive to be a Recabite and encourage my kids and grandkids to be Recabites! I encourage YOU to be a Recabite!
"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, King of Judah "go to the house of the Recabites, speak to them and bring them to one of the chambers of the temple of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine. I set jars filled with wine and some cups before the sons of the house of the Recabites and said to them "Drink wine!" But they replied "we do not drink wine, for Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded, "you and your sons must never drink wine! You must not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Rather, you must live in tents your whole life, so you may live a long time on the soil where you stay as a temporary resident" We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab in all he commands us" Jeremiah 35:1-2, 5-8a.
This lesson is not just about not drinking wine or living in tents. It's about obeying God and standing firm for what He says in His Word. It's about defending what you have been taught and what your family stands for. We are constantly tempted to be "politically correct", to make choices that are not in line with who we are and what we know to be Truth. We too often "go along with the crowd" to avoid strife, ridicule, or conflict. We don't want to seem intolerant or judgmental.
Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A is a Ricabite. He is standing firm on the Word of God. He is not judging, being intolerant, ridiculing or purposefully causing strife and conflict. He is simply stating, as the Recabites did "we do not drink wine, for Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded, "you and your sons must never drink wine!" He is standing firm on God's Word and like the Recabites he will be greatly rewarded by the God he serves.
I encourage you to read all of Jeremiah 35 and be a Ricabite!
I would also encourage you to read the complete transcript from Dan Cathy's interview in the Baptist Press
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38271
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