Who were the Rechabites? Who was their family patriarch and what prohibitions did he put in place for his descendants? How would you describe these people?
Answer: The patriarch of the Rechabites was Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, who is first mentioned in II Kings 10:15-16. We read about his descendants in the 35th chapter of Jeremiah. Verses 6-7 list all of the prohibitions Jehonadab had put in place for his family: they were not to drink wine, build a house, sow seed, or plant a vineyard. Verse 8-10 show that every Rechabite descendant had been obedient to their patriarch and never strayed from what they were commanded. God told Jeremiah to use the Rechabites as an example to the people of Judah of what a faithful, obedient people looked like. The Lord praised these Rechabites in verses 18-19 for their obedience and faithfulness and said that they would always have a man to stand before the Lord.