Their way of life was not formed out of historical conditions but out of centuries of devotion. The ancient command, not the current headline, gave them their identity. That word shaped and preserved their proud traditions as skilled craftsmen. Neither the hospitality of a kind host nor the customs of the city where they had come for sanctuary could distract them from what was essential: that they were a commanded people, that they were a disciplined people. Jonadab’s 250-year-old command carried far more weight with them than Jeremiah’s immediate friendship. The discipline that made it
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Commanded people
