One Year Bible Devotions

October 20, 2018

THE JEHONADAB PROMISE
Jehonadab the Recabite was descended from the Kenites, the family of Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (See 1 Chron. 2:55). The Kenites moved with the “children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people” (Judges 1:16). Jehonadab commanded his children and their descendants, “You and your descendants must never drink wine. And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land” (Jer. 35:6-7). Centuries later, the prophet Jeremiah learned that the Recabites were still keeping Jehonadab’s command. But what of his promise and what of the promise of God upon his house?

Jehonadab’s promise was that if his children obeyed him, they would live long and good lives in the land. This is simply a restatement of the fifth commandment, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Ex. 20:12). So, Jehonadab’s promise was built on the principle of God’s commandment.

But what of God’s additional promise to Jehonadab’s children, that they “will always have descendants who serve me”? The 4th century historian, Eusebius, wrote that when the Jews were stoning James the Just, brother of Jesus, one of the sons of Rehab cried out, saying, “Stop! What are you doing?” Clarke, in his commentary, wrote, “Some suppose that the Essenes, in our Lord’s time, were literally Rechabite’ descendants and that these were they who followed our Lord particularly, and became the first converts to the Gospel.” While both of these reports are unsubstantiated, I believe that there must be a descendent of Jehonadab living and serving the Lord today, because He promised it.

When each of my children left home to go to college, I wrote them a letter, asking them to abstain from alcohol. I quoted this command and promise from Jehonadab in the letter. They agreed to obey their father’s command. I pray that the promise of Jehonadab and the promise of God, would be on my children and my children’s children. Not because they are teetotalers, but because they honor their father and mother, and more than that, they honor God.

October 19, 2018

ARE THERE STILL UNFULFILLED PROMISES FOR ISRAEL?
Some believe that the promises given to Israel now belong to the Church, that God is finished with Israel. However, this prophetic promise given through Jeremiah seems to say otherwise. It was easier to believe that God was finished with Israel from the time of 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, until May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, establishing the first Jewish state in 2,000 years. But this miraculous event makes it look as if there are still unfulfilled promises belonging to Israel.

Although the NLT translates it in the positive, Jeremiah’s prophecy was actually worded as a rhetorical negative, tying it to God’s covenant ruling the heavens and the earth, the day and the night. In other words, “If God doesn’t have laws governing planets and stars, then He will not have a promise concerning Israel.” But since we know that God’s laws concerning the earth and the heavens are still in effect, we must conclude that His promises concerning Israel are still in effect as well. Yet, all these promises are ultimately connected to, and fulfilled by, Jesus the Messiah.

October 13, 2018

THE AMAZING ACCURACY OF SCRIPTURE
The Lord gave Jeremiah this prophecy concerning Jehoiachin, grandson of King Josiah, that he would be childless. The prophecy further explained that his childlessness would not be due to not having any sons, but that none of them would sit on David’s throne. Indeed, Jehoiachin was taken into Babylonian captivity, where he had children, among them was his grandson, Zerubabbel, who later returned to Jerusalem, not as a king, but as a leader who lead in the rebuilding of the Temple. So, Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. No one from Jehoiachin’s line has ever sat on David’s throne.

Yet, if this is so, how would God fulfill His promise to David that the Messiah would come from his line, so that he always had a son to sit on his throne? In addition, what of Matthew’s genealogy that seems to state that Jesus was indeed born into Jehoiachin’s line (Jehoiachin was also called Jeconiah as in Matt. 1:12)? Doesn’t this show that Jeremiah’s prophecy was inaccurate?

The answer to the questions concerning Matthew’s genealogy is that it gives the line of Joseph, so that Jesus has legal claim to David’s throne through His stepfather.

And the answer to how Jesus can claim human descent from David is found in Luke 3:31, where the line of Jesus is traced through Mary’s line to David’s son, Nathan, the older brother of Solomon.