He uses faithfulness!
Jeremiah is told by the Lord to bring the Rechabites into a chamber in the house of the Lord. He puts wine before them, but they refuse to drink it because Jonadab, the son of Rechab (their ancestor) had commanded his descendants not to drink wine, build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards. Instead, they were to live in tents. Basically, he instructed them to live a nomadic lifestyle.
When we look back at 2 Kings 10, we see Jonadab living during the beginning of Jehu's reign, around 840 BC. The events of Jeremiah 35 take place roughly around 600 BC. We don't know exactly when Jonadab first gave this command to his descendants, but these approximate dates show us something remarkable: his family had continued honoring his command for generations, possibly around 240 years.
Then the Lord uses their obedience to make a powerful point to Judah:
"Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me." '" Jeremiah 35:16
Their faithfulness was not only seen by the Lord, but He used it to speak to an entire nation.
Think about how difficult that obedience may have been through the generations. They watched other people build houses, plant vineyards, and settle into more comfortable ways of life, yet they continued honoring the command that had been handed down to them. And the Lord essentially says, They have remained faithful to the command of their earthly ancestor, yet My people will not obey Me.
Do you recognize that the Lord can use our faithfulness to Him?
Maybe He won't use it in such a dramatic way as He did with the Rechabites, but He sees our obedience. He can use our faithfulness for His glory, and He can even use it to encourage, challenge, and teach others.
We may never fully know who is watching our obedience or how the Lord will use it. Our responsibility is simply to remain faithful to Him.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.