A fair amount of disagreement exists about the subject of alcohol. Therefore let me go ahead and approach the disagreement head on and discuss it in a very black and white manner. There are a number of secondary issues in the Christian faith. I understand that well. And to be honest there have been many seasons of my life that the secondary issues were more primary to me. In fact maybe they even still are.... But regardless of the "level" we place on these issues these are still issues that we as believers must wrestle through. Scripture is clear about the issue of drunkenness and we can all agree that is a sin. But can we consume it? Yes. There is no where in the bible that forbids the consumption of alcohol. It is a freedom we have in Christ there is no doubt about that. And some enjoy that as a freedom. I however am probably becoming one of the rare few who do not enjoy that freedom. My wife Cassie does not enjoy that freedom either.
We both over the past few years since we began full time ministry service have realized the rarity of our conviction on this point. And to be honest over the past several months my heart and soul has searched within itself about whether this conviction is a legalistic one that I need to repent of in the hopes of being able to live more freely within the gospel. Because I believe the gospel provides freedom in Christ. Thus I do not want to be bound by legalistic standards that I believe are not from God.
And so over the last few months I have had countless number of conversations regarding the issue of alcohol with those in our church, my family and others. As I have done so I have come across most of the arguments on both sides of the issue. Here they are just to name a few...
- There are those who point to the NT and Jesus turning the water into wine and will say if Jesus turned the water into wine it must be okay to consume. And I can't argue with that.
- Another argument is that Paul instructs Timothy to consume wine for the sake of his own health.
- On the other side there are two common arguments. John McArthur makes lexical arguments regarding the words used for wine in the biblical times. He has word studies that he believes shows the Greek words used for wine in the bible reflect that the alcoholic content of what wine was in that time is far different than the wine we have today.
- Others don't even make the lexical arguments against alcohol but rather use the idea that it's a stumbling block from Paul's terminology. Saying that it can cause others to stumble if they consume it.
Jeremiah 35 is a passage I don't remember in all my conversations about the subject of alcohol that has ever really been talked about and or used. I am sure someone somewhere has but I haven't heard it before. So when I read it I was pretty blown away. For those unfamiliar with the historical context of Jeremiah it pretty much goes like this. God has raised up a prophet named Jeremiah to preach to his people Israel a message of repentance. But because their hearts are so hard and their rebellion so strong they reject his preaching every time. The hope of the book is found in Jeremiah 30 - 31 that despite their rebellion God will still save, bless and use them. Which is such a beautiful illustration of the gospel hope we have.
In the midst of the rebellion Israel is displaying God sends Jeremiah to go to a particular house. Jeremiah 35:2 "Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord." Now as you read the chapter there are several interesting things that happen. First when Jeremiah comes to their house God tells Jeremiah to offer those in the house wine to drink. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal right? A wine tasting gig put on by God? Who wouldn't go that? And as the chapter goes on Jeremiah being the faithful prophet he is does exactly what God had commanded him to do. He gathers them all together and puts wine before them. What happen next is truly beautiful to me. Because what happens next is how I believe God provided the answer I have been searching for and wrestling to find for a really long time....(God why don't I have the freedom to drink like others I know do?)
Jeremiah 35:6 "But they answered, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our Father commanded us, 'You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your son's forever." The passage goes on to tell further instructions the Rechabites were to follow as well. And then in verse 8 it says they obeyed the voice of their father to drink no wine all of their days. Now let me stop right here and interject that this passage here in Jeremiah 35 is really most all we know about this nomadic tribe the Rechabites from what scholars tell us. I think this is fairly significant observation that all we know about them is how they are obeying the instruction their Dad gave to them. The passage goes on in Jeremiah 35:12-17 to say .."Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD. 14 The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. 15 I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. 17 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered." Now from just a causal reading of these verses its apparent that God is speaking through Jeremiah and telling the nation of Israel that the Rechabites are an example of what Godly obedience is. The Rechabites were an example of obedience in the midst of a people who were not following God.
Now a couple of parallels that I want to point out right of the gate that I am not making. I am not using this passage to say that every Christian who finds the liberty and freedom to consume alcohol is like Israel and is being wayward in their obedience. But what I do believe this passage can be used to say is that there are certain people/families that are set apart to be salt and light to the world around them in their unique obedience to stay absent from alcohol. And those who are set apart in this way should not be labeled as "weaker" brothers because they don't drink.
A few final thoughts I want to leave everyone reading this with. I believe God has set me and my family apart as Modern day Rechabites. Within the bible there is one concept and one command that I think are critical and play into Jeremiah 35 in a profound way for my own life personally and for my beautiful bride Cassie. The command is one most know well its the fifth command "Honor your father and mother". The important concept playing into this passage is one we know less about and its headship. The role that God has given to men, and fathers. Headship implies more than just being an example to those God places in our care. It's living as God has designed a man to live and to be all God has called a man to be. My purpose in bringing those two items up is because while Cassie's Dad and my Dad are different. And I am talking night and day different..... They both raised us before we even knew God would bring us together to be married with the conviction that alcohol was not a substance that would be consumed under their household. And so we both grew up as Modern day Rechabites. Why? Because we honored the headship of our dad's and listened to what they commanded us. Now that I am married and we have our own house and family how does this reality still affect us? Well I don't believe that my dad's headship over me has ended. That's a lifelong role he plays in my life. He will always be my dad. And I am still called to honor him. So as with Cassie to her dad. Just because we are married doesn't mean we get to throw out the convictions our dad's raised us with. I wonder if there are not a lot younger 20 something Christians who think that because they are married with their own family that they get to just make their own rules? I don't think the bible teaches that. To sum it all up let me say this. I am a modern day Rechabite as odd as that may be because I still want to honor my dad's headship over me and in doing so hopefully I am also honoring God. Not everyone has the same story Cassie and I do and that's why we are a "rare" breed. But through this passage God has given me the resolve that the path of abstinence to alcohol is what He has called our family too.
I hope this encourages others whose path is similar to Cassie and I's. Maybe this is the biblical text that God wanted to bring to your mind to keep fighting the fight and sticking with an "unpopular" conviction.
Be blessed.
