DCLM Daily Manna 19 July 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — “Perpetual Memorial”
TOPIC: “Perpetual Memorial” (DCLM Daily Manna 19 July 2024)
KEY VERSE: “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” (Jeremiah 35:19).
TEXT: Jeremiah 35:2-10, 13-19 (KJV)
Jeremiah 35:2-10
2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
4 And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:
5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:
7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.
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, our sons, nor our daughters;
9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
Jeremiah 35:13-19
13 Thus saith 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? saith the Lord.
14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.
15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.
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 not hearkened unto me:
17 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.
18 And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:
19 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.
MESSAGE:
People do many things in a bid to leave their footprints on the sand of time. Like Absalom, some erect iconic monuments ‘to keep their names in remembrance’ (2 Samuel 18:18). Others name streets and estates after themselves. While their actions reflect the vanity of life, the word of God says, “the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance” (Psalm 112:6).
Jonadab, the son of Rechab was one of such person God held in remembrance. Our text focuses on the faithful obedience of his children to his commandment not to drink wine or dwell in permanent houses. This contrasted with the disobedience of the children of Israel to the statutes of God, who they publicly acknowledged as their Father. In response, God blessed the posterity of Jonadab and reaffirmed His intention to punish the sinful nation.
The study shows that obedience is still the pathway to an enduring blessing. It also outlines the steps into generational blessings. First is the importance of parental guidance or control. Jonadab must have had effective control over his children for them to turn the practice of obedience into a family tradition. Second, the Rechabites must have used oral traditions to transmit the instruction of Jonadab to future generations. In this digital age, parents and grandparents can use several devices to record, preserve and share the truth of the gospel to members of their families. Lastly, the Rechabites passed the test of obedience administered by Jeremiah.
Consequently, they have become a reference point, a perpetual memorial of the lesson of obedience. This remains a challenge to us. We need to commit ourselves to the wholesome obedience of God’s word at all times and in every situation.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The paths of obedience shine brightly with generational blessings.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 8-11
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
