The example of the Recabite family condemned the people of Israel and the nation of Judah.

The people of the family of Recab had been commanded many years before by their forefather Jehonadab to follow a certain set of guidelines for life. One of these commands was to avoid the drinking of wine.

According to the biblical account in 2 Kings 10:15-17 this same Jehonadab son of Recab met Jehu when Jehu was traveling from Jezreel to Samaria to slaughter the house of Ahab. Jehu invited Jehonadab to ride with him in his chariot that day in 814 BC. (Jehu meets Johadab son of Recab
in 814 BC, see map HERE)

Now, 210 years later in 604 BC, Jeremiah invites the descendants of Jehonadab into one of the side rooms on the Temple Mount. Jeremiah sets a bowl of wine in front of them and invites them to drink.
But, these Recabites refuse to partake of the wine for one simple reason:

“We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.’ ”
- Jeremiah 35:6

The Lord then rebukes his people for not obeying the Lord’s commands (Jeremiah 35:12-17). The Recabites have more respect for their ancestor after 200 years than Judah does for their God!

The Recabites would have temporarily moved into the city of Jerusalem in 604 BC to avoid the
raiders that were ravaging the land because of the famine as mentioned in Jeremiah 14 and
Second Kings 24:2-3.

The Lord promises to bless the Recabites because of their faithfulness to their forefather.
The Lord says:

“You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab…therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.’ ” – Jeremiah 35:19

When the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt in 445 BC by Nehemiah the Recabites are still there with men in positions of rulership and helping rebuild the city according the Nehemiah 3:14:

“Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.”
– Nehemiah 3:14

The church is made up of believers in Jesus Christ, but in Scripture the concept of the "church" extends
to three levels:

1. The local church body that a believer is active in – e.g., the church that met in Aquila and Priscilla’s house (one in Rome [Romans 16:5] and one in Ephesus
[1 Corinthians 16:19]), the church that met in the house of Nympha (Colossians
4:15), or the church that met in the house of Archippus (Philemon 2)

2. The regional church in a city or a province – e.g., the church of Galatia, the church in Corinth, the church of Thessalonica, etc.

3. The universal Church which includes everyone, living and dead, on earth and in heaven, who has accepted Jesus Christ during the church age (1 Corinthians
12:13; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 12:23)