Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Can you not learn a lesson and obey my words? says the Lord. The command has been carried out that Jonadab son of Rechab gave to his descendants to drink no wine; and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I myself have spoken to you persistently, and you have not obeyed me.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, July 22, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Yeah! Look at the Rechabites! How come you can’t be more like them! Okay, this does kinda make me giggle. God might just roll their eyes and throw up their hands and decide, “Well, humans are just gonna human. They literally can’t obey my commands.” But then there are these Rechabites who throw a big ol’ wrench in that logic. If some of God’s people can be taught, and can follow a command—even one as hard as not drinking any wine!—then gosh darn it, all the people should be capable of following directions!
And the command the Rechabites followed wasn’t even directly from God! It’ was from Jonadab! And yet God exhorts us over and over and over again to be decent human beings to one another and we somehow cannot seem to manage it. I’ve raised kids. I know how exasperating this is!
Mind you, I never let my kids be conquered by another country and let all their belongings be destroyed in order to teach them a lesson. But maybe that would have gotten them to listen?? Ha! Who am I kidding.
I don’t mean to make light, of course. Our perverse decision to follow some rules—even harder ones—and ignore others has led to all manner of mischief and even evil in our lives and the world. Luckily, no matter how frustrated God gets with us, we are still deeply loved.
When have I refused to follow a simple rule out of defiance? What was the effect on me and those around me?
