Jeremiah 35:1-5: a reflection

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the LORD’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.” 3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 4and I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold. 5I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!”

God gives Jeremiah an unusual instruction: to go to the house of the Rechabites, bring them into the temple, and set wine before them. Jeremiah is not told, at this point, why; he is simply given the instruction, and he obeys it, gathering the Rechabites and setting bowls of wine before them. Only later would the purpose of this become clear, when the Rechabites' faithfulness to their forefather's command would serve as an object lesson to God's people. But at the outset, Jeremiah obeys before he understands, doing what God says without yet knowing the reason. He does not wait to grasp the purpose before obeying; he obeys the instruction, trusting that God's reason will become clear. To obey God's instruction even before we understand its purpose, trusting that the reason will unfold, is what Jeremiah does here. Obedience does not always wait for full understanding.

Notice what Jeremiah does: he obeys before he understands the purpose. God's instruction was unusual, and its reason was not yet explained; Jeremiah could not have known, at the outset, why he was to bring the Rechabites and set wine before them. But he did not wait to understand before obeying; he obeyed the instruction, and the purpose became clear in time. This is a real pattern of faithful obedience: to do what God says even when we do not yet see the reason, trusting that his purpose is good and will unfold. We often want to understand fully before we obey; but Jeremiah obeyed first, and understanding followed. To wait for complete understanding before obeying can be a way of withholding obedience; faithful obedience often means doing what God says while the reason is still hidden, trusting him. The purpose unfolds as we obey, not always before. Obedience sometimes goes first, and understanding follows.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to obey God's instruction even when its purpose is not yet clear, trusting that the reason will unfold. We can want to understand fully why God asks something of us before we obey, withholding obedience until the purpose is clear; but Jeremiah obeyed God's unusual instruction before he understood its reason, and the purpose became clear in time. Faithful obedience often means doing what God says while the reason is still hidden, trusting him. The purpose unfolds as we obey. Do not withhold obedience until you fully understand God's purpose; obey his instruction, trusting the reason will unfold, as Jeremiah did. Obey God's instruction even when its purpose is not yet clear, trusting that the reason will unfold as you obey, as Jeremiah gathered the Rechabites and set wine before them at God's word before he understood why; for faithful obedience does not always wait for full understanding but often means doing what God says while the reason is still hidden, trusting that his purpose is good and will become clear in time, so that obedience sometimes goes first and understanding follows.

Lord, you give Jeremiah an unusual instruction: to go to the house of the Rechabites, bring them into the temple, and set wine before them. Jeremiah is not told, at this point, why; he is simply given the instruction, and he obeys it, gathering the Rechabites and setting bowls of wine before them. Only later would the purpose of this become clear, when the Rechabites' faithfulness to their forefather's command would serve as an object lesson to your people. But at the outset, Jeremiah obeys before he understands, doing what you say without yet knowing the reason. He does not wait to grasp the purpose before obeying; he obeys, trusting that your reason will become clear. Show me what Jeremiah does: he obeys before he understands the purpose. Your instruction was unusual, and its reason was not yet explained; Jeremiah could not have known, at the outset, why he was to do this. But he did not wait to understand before obeying; he obeyed, and the purpose became clear in time. This is a real pattern of faithful obedience: to do what you say even when we do not yet see the reason, trusting that your purpose is good and will unfold. I often want to understand fully before I obey; but Jeremiah obeyed first, and understanding followed. Take that to my heart, for I am called to obey your instruction even when its purpose is not yet clear, trusting that the reason will unfold. I can want to understand fully why you ask something of me before I obey, withholding obedience until the purpose is clear; but Jeremiah obeyed your unusual instruction before he understood it. Keep me from withholding obedience until I fully understand your purpose; help me obey your instruction, Lord, trusting the reason will unfold as I obey, as Jeremiah gathered the Rechabites at your word before he understood why.