The prophet then proceeded to remind them of the warnings which had been given them, and the means which had been used with them, and to denounce the judgments of God against them—­“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, 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 have called unto them, but they have not answered.”

If we consider the state of that people, and the advantages which they had neglected and abused, we shall be convinced that their guilt was attended with many aggravations—­no other people had so many advantages and means of information; and few beside were equally depraved.

The family of Rechab might rise up against them and condemn them.  That family had been long obedient to a man like themselves—­the Jews had been disobedient to the God who is above.  Jonadab was dead —­if his descendants disregarded his injunctions, he might have no power to punish their disobedience; but the God of Israel lived—­was acquainted with all their crimes, and able to punish their sin upon them.  Neither doth it appear that the Rechabites had ever been reminded of the orders of their progenitor, or their obligation to obey him; but the Jews had been often reminded of their duty; in the stated, and ordinary means of grace they were daily reminded of their obligation to obey God; and he had also sent all his servants the prophets, to call them to repentance; neither had God required such self denials of his people, as Jonadab of his posterity—­yet Jonadab had been obeyed, and God had been disobeyed!  His people “would not receive instruction.”  Therefore were his judgments executed upon them, agreeably to his threatening; and they are left on record for our instruction.  “Now these things happened unto them for ensamples [sic]; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

REFLECTIONS.

In the part acted by the father of the Rechabites, we witness the concern of a good man, that his children should mind the things of religion.  That good man did not scruple to lay heavy burdens on his descendants, and cut them off from many temporal enjoyments, if it might serve to keep them humble, and cause them to stand before the Lord.  He chose rather to have his family poor, than to have them proud and vicious.—­Hardships which might serve to keep them mindful of their situation here, he judged advantageous:  Therefore the charge he left with them.

Pious parents do not generally leave such things in charge to their children.  They do not, however, neglect the concerns of religion, or leave their families ignorant of them, or their obligation to regard them.  They teach them to fear the Lord, and live in all good conscience before him.

II.  In the historical sketch here given of the Rechabites, we see how good people of old, were influenced by parental authority—­how they considered themselves bound to remember and obey the injunctions of religious ancestors, as they wished the blessing of God.  Where such injunctions are disregarded it is an evidence of great depravity.