I’ve just completed studying the book of Jonah and a question that came up for me: Where is Jonah spiritually, at the conclusion of his book? A book that recounts his journey to Nineveh to preach not so much repentance, but… damnation for their “wickedness”. Brother Jonah went in the opposite direction of Nineveh because some speculate he preferred to see them burn - without warning.
Nineveh was an evil wicked place. The people were not of the children of Israel, but pagan and had conquered and enslaved them. Suffice it to say, Jonah did not like them and receiving the Word from God that they would be destroyed was good news to his ears, but the glitch was that God wanted him to tell them of their impeding doom. I’m supposing Jonah saw this Word from God as a bittersweet Word… Kinda like when Jesus says, “Love your enemies… pray for those who persecute you, …And whoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain… Forgive as I forgive you…” … You know those Words. Nice Words in theory but in practice… You get it - bittersweet.
So… the story goes that Jonah left for Tarshish, (opposite direction from Nineveh), but through a series of events, falls into an oddly deep sleep, during a violent storm, (sent by the Lord),… When awakened by the frightened “shipmaster”… seasoned sailors, after they threw their cargo into the sea; suggested that everyone prays to his own god for assistance rather than perish. Jonah, (“the sleeper”), offers the solution of throwing him overboard, (aka a sacrifice of sorts but, also an assisted suicide… Because, it seems that Jonah would rather die before going to Nineveh… (How many of you have said, “I’d rather die than do such and such…” Of course, you probably didn’t mean it, but you said or thought such…). However, Jonah really meant it. Violent storm. Out in the open seas. No life preservers… Sounds like a death wish to me. Jonah, answered their questions concerning who he was, what he’s supposed to be doing and WHO he serves - this was after they casted lots and it fell to Jonah… So game up Jonah! You are running from THE GOD!… The sailors seemed to realize this…and eventually had a come to God moment… and prayed not be held accountable for what they thought was sure death for Jonah… (The sailors “…feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.” Yeah! Conversions!)
But God…
…Sees His child Jonah at his last grasp on reality and has “… prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah”. I’d say reality is not a thing for Jonah at this point - to me this is the stuff of nightmares - for three days and three nights.
Utter darkness!
Separation from God.
Separation from people.
Separation from solid ground and stuff of earth.
Stomach acids.
Decay.
Hell.
And seemingly not ending - so what “feels” like an eternity -
Jonah prays… admittedly not like “They that observe lying vanities, [forsaking] their own mercy.”… But finally being willing to sacrifice with …thanksgiving and do what he vowed and that his salvation is [only] of the Lord… And Jonah [was] vomited upon dry land…
Jonah! Goes! I’d say he ran to, Nineveh…and preached, (text says, “…and he cried”. Again I don’t think it was for the lost of Nineveh - but sure fire and damnation, because he had had a foretaste of hell), that in 40 days they’d be toast… thus saith the Lord… He was a sight for sore eyes… Remember he had been in stomach acid for 3 days and nights and utter darkness… He had an odor as well… I’m sure he did not care to clean himself up nor get new clothes… Nope. He was just as he was after being vomited upon the dry land… Nothing fancy! Just straight Word of God! And they believed GOD! Everyone… Fasting, sackcloth and sitting in ashes… AND of course, “TURNING from [their] evil ways, and from the violence that [was] in their hands…” Pleading with God to have mercy… and He did… (just like He did with Jonah)…
BUT Jonah was “displeased… exceedingly, and he was very angry”. With GOD!
Dear Brother Jonah made himself a shelter on the east side of the city to watch what would become of the evil Ninevites… God seems to reason with Jonah as he sits and complains about God’s mercy for the people he hates and doesn’t hold anything back about how kind, merciful and gracious God is towards these people… You can almost hear Jonah saying, “I knew You’d do this craziness… It’s why I didn’t want to even bother with them, because of how I knew You were…” Then Jonah wants to die again… saying it’s better to die than to live!…
God: “Really Jonah?”
Then God extends mercy to Jonah, to deliver him from his grief, (provides a fast growing BIG gourd - God likes big sometimes… sometimes small too - enter a worm that causes the gourd to wither)… Jonah gets angry again, and wants to die… Then God questions Jonah, I believe, to help him see the err of his thought processes… The sailors come to know of Jonah’s God and make vows, (perhaps to live for God and share their unbelievable story of salvation). The city of Nineveh repents, “… more than six score thousand persons”. That’s some major preaching that Jonah did and God brought the increase into His Kingdom…
But dear poor Brother Jonah… is just angry with God and displeased… A good friend of mine said, it’s an open-ended question to the reader… Which is a good thought.
Where are we when folks we don’t like or care for, change via the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you as a believer, desire folks to go to hell? (I’ve heard believers say some crazy things…). Do you pray for their eyes and hearts to be opened to the things of God? Hell is a real place. Strangely, rarely have I heard sermons on hell, sin, and/or Heaven… You’d think all three topics don’t exist. Truly, a major lie of the devil… causing folks to believe all we gotta do is exist on this rock called earth. Just exist - to get more stuff, do more stuff… Anything but consider that there is eternity in one of two places - hell or Heaven, and so not even bother to tell folks of these choices… Remember choices have consequences… and we will get to answer for what we did or didn’t do… that were opportunities to share - like Jonah…
But where is Jonah at the end of his only story in the Bible? And are we like him - at the core… Are you pissed with God when bad, evil people repent? It sounds crazy, but not for some… I wonder if there are shepherds/pastors out there who see their “lost” flocks as - job security - and so keep them “underfeed” and so lost?
I’m just asking questions…
Soli Deo Gloria
Nina
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