Evening star., 1929-06-08

Childrens day is usually observed
upon the second Sunday in June. NO
| more appropriate subject could be as
signed for our consideration upon that
day than the story of the Rechabites.
The loyalty of this tribe to the COM
mandmcnts of theIr ancestors and
their reward for so doing ought to teach
the youth of our day the value OF
obedience to their parents commands
and the Importance Of observing ma
tional laws.
Although this lesson has been assign
ed as a temperance lesson, Jonadao
did not issue his commands primarily
against the perilS of intemperance.
They were based upon fundamental
religious principles. He issued them
after he had seen the corruption and
Generalization of the northern king
dom, when he was supporting Jehu In
suppressing Baal worship. His soul
was stirred and in effort to preserve
the religious ideals of the worship OF
Jehovah he placed prohibition
against the use of wine by the Rechab-
ite tribe. The twelve tribes had not
obeyed God when they took possession
of the promised land and commenced
to cultivate its fields. They depended
upon the Canaanites, whom they had
been ordered to put out Of the country,
for instruction in the arts of agricul-
ture. They were accustomed to use
certain religious rites to prop1tiate
Baalim in connection with the cultiva-
ton of the soil These rites they in
troduced among the Hebrews. Jonadab
recognized the peril that the Rechab-
ties faced and the danger OF their
oN,ki to frSh N
to preserve their independence as a
pastoral tribe and keep their religious
life free from any contamination of
the land, Jonadab commanded the
Rechabites that they should not drink
wine, build houses, sow seed or plant
vineyards
Up until the emergency of war forced
the Rechabites to seek the shelter and
safety of Jerusalem's protection they
in accordance with preceptS and prac-
tices of their fathers. They had pre-
served the friendly alliance formed
with the Hebrews during the exile. The
Rechabite kindness of those days had
resulted in the formation of perpetual
league of friendship between them and
Israel. They had accepted the religion
Of Moses and become worshipers OF
Jehovah. They had declined to share
with the Hebrews in the development
Of the nations civilization and. social
in battle and when the Rechabites
entered the city they were welcomed
as friends Within the city these no
mads of the desert continued to live
in tents, which they erected in the
open spaces of the nations capital
Their dress and habits filled the people
of Jerusalem with curiosity. They
looked down upon them with a feeling
Of superiority.
jeremiah Tests Rechabites.
jeremiah was attracted by the purity
of these puritans of Judaism. He was
moved by the spirit of God to invite
the Rechabites to a feast within the
temple. Living under a Nazarite vow.
they were entitled to the privileges of
this sacred building. reserved for the
priests and levites. The prophet enter
tanned them within the chambers Of
the princess. The prophet had been
attracted by their consistency in OBJ
serving Jonadab's commands, so he
made a test of their tribal loyalty by
offering them wine and urging them
to drink the same. They stood for
their principles. When the wine. was
offered them every Rechabite refused
to partake, saying I'VE will drink no
wine" 1t was a real test of their
fidelity to their principles. Their re-
fusal demonstrated the effect OF at
least 300 years Of tribal and family
teaching about wine drinking They
refused it when offered to them within
the temple by a prophet of God.
jeremiah saw in their refusal an
object lesson. The citizens of Jerusalem
were in the habit of looking with con-
tempt upon these backward people
They were Surprized when the prophet
cited their refusal of social glass Of
wine as an example of loyalty that
they ought to demonstrate toward
Jehovah and His commands. Jeremiah
found in the loyalty of this small
band of men and women, who were
loyal to their promises and faithful
to the commands Of Jonadab, an illus
tration of the kind of loyalty Jehovah
had a right to expect Of them.
Jonadab's position sought to keep the
Rechabites free from the perils, moral
and religious, that usually attend tne
DEVELOPMENT of a nations social life
and the advancement of its civiliza-
ton We are familiar with the moral
and religious perils that exist In our
modern civilization. President hoover
has selected national commission which
is investigating the causes OF the
among US. Our Bible teaches us that
the first city was built by murderer
In the crowded and congested popula-
tions of our rapidly growing cities we
| find the greatest evidence of the exis-
tence of crime today. In the revelation
of the glorious future, free from sin
and everything that would be detri-
mental to spiritual life, John had given
to him picture Of New Jerusalem,
where the streets were paved with gold
and the walls adorned with the jewels
men count precious. This should en-
courage us to look forward to the day
when the cities shall become the great
centers of Righteousness.
Intemperance has in former days
played a prominent part in civic cor
ruption and the Generalization OF hu-
manity. We have not solved it yet
Men who differ about prohibition are
in agreement in their desire to com
pletely free America from all forms OF
alcoholic peril. No one can be founc
who would not favor the thorough
training of the rising generation In the
value of temperance and the perils
found by scientists and physicians 1r
| the use of strong alcoholic liquors as q
beverage. II we are to rear the coming
generations free from the pertls OF In
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