The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-22
"BLEsSINGs OF oBEDIENcE.'
(selected.)


chab shall not want man to stand
oeforo me forever."-Jer. xxxv., 10.
These Rechabites, who were they? In.
deed we might ask, Who are they? for
they exist still.
They were not Israeites, but wild
Arabs, who claimed to be descended from
Abraham by his wife Keturah. They
Joined the Israelltes and wandered with
them into the Land OF Canaan.
But they never settled down, as&tle
Israelites did, into farmers and towns
folk. They kept their old. simple Arab
customs, and had neither houses, seed
fields, nor vineyard Wild men they
were, yet living a wholesome, natural
life. till in the days Of Ahah there arose
among them a chief called oJonadab, the
son Of Rechab, or .the son OF tho -lLer. =
It seems from this that they had horses.
as many Arab tribes have to-day We
hear no more Of the tribe for two hun
dred and fifty years, until in the story
from which the text is TAKEN. 1t is
not difficult to guess the reasons Of
Jonadab to command his tribe neither
to settle in town. nor till the ground
nor drink wine. He may have
feared idolatry, or drunkenness, OF,
self-indulgence for them. BE that as 1t
may. he laid his command upon his
tribe and that command was obeycd.
They We're carried away captive to
Babylon with the rest of the Jews, and
~, ~
While in Babylon they had lntermarried
into the tribe of Levi, and thus ''stood be-
fore the Lord In the Temple as Jere-
miah had foretold.
What befell the Rechabites when Jeru-
salem was destroyed we know not. They
seem to have returned to their old life
and wandered away to the far East. But
in the twelfth century a Jewish traveller
met with them 100000 strong, under a
Jewish prince Of the house Of David, still
abstaining from wine and flesh, paying
tithes to the teachers of the law and
weeping for the fall Of Jerusalem.
Even yet they are said to endure and
prosper. for in our own time a traveller
again met the Rechablte in the heart of
Arabia, still living in tents, still calling
themselves the sons of Jonadab. With
One of them Mousa. Il. e., Moses by nan me.
our traveller talked, and Mousa said 10
him: Come. and I will show you who
we are and from an Arabic roll he read
the words: 'Jonadab, the son OF Rechab,
shall not want man to stand before
me forever" See" said he, "the words
Of the prophet have been fulfilled; you
Will find us 10000 in number still.'
What lesson shall we learn from this
story so strange yet so beautiful? The
Blessing which comes from reverence and
obedience to our forefathers, and, above
all, for God, our Father In heaven.
Reverence for our forefathers: In these
days we are too apt to sheer at those
gone before and to think that their opin-
ions are to be set aside by the march of
progress, BE sure that in this frame of
mind lies a sin and a snare If we wish
to keep up true independence and self
respect in ourselves and our children. we
must keep the commandments of our
fathers. We are to obey them, not In
the letter, perhaps, but in the spirit.
And for God: 1t is true that we do not
now openly worship idols. Hut there is
Il watch we all 90 after more and
more. It is called money or gain; or
our interest. not knowing that the only
true interest Of any man is TO fear God
and keep His commandments.
How many there are now who laugh In
their hearts at these worthy Rechab rs
as ignorant. old-fashioned, bigoted people;
keeping thcif rnur wr1.derlng life in
tents. instead of dwelling In cities and
making money and becoming Gas we cali
iD civilized, in luxury and covetousness
Surely, according to the wisdom OF this
world. the Rechabltes were foolish
enough. But in the light Of after eve nts-
can we call them foolish then?
My friends. let us all take warning, each
man for himself. we know Gods com
nands'; they the not grievous. Have we
kept them: Have we faithfully kept an,
one Of them7 S
God grant 1t may never be said to any
OF us, behold, the words of onadah. the
son of Rechab, which ho commanded hIi
children, are performed; but ye have moi
hearkened unto Me-
Ni5 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES