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The last of the musings on Jonah. I don't know that this will be that enlightening for anyone but I will try. I think of Jonah and how the word of the LORD came to him. I wonder what he was praying about. Did he ask what would you have me to do LORD? Was he praying about his own needs or ministry and GOD spoke to him? I think, and I certainly don't know, but I think about all the times that I have prayed what do you want me to do LORD? But I haven't had much answer on those days. Maybe it's because it was asking GOD about me. I see what GOD told Jonah and I know that I need to research this more but it looks to me as if GOD told JONAH what to do about others. Go to Ninevah. Not what should I do? What do you want me to do with my life? Who is my wife? Will I get a wife? Those are all important questions and of course important for God's will to be the answer. But I am seeing that possibly the answer is to pray towards what ends do you want me to go today for someone else, LORD. What does Ninevah need? Who needs you? Maybe it's all about praying for someone or some place else and then God tells us what's going on. If Jonah were praying "where should I go LORD? And God said Ninevah why didn't he go? I suspect that if he had been praying should I go to Ninevah it would have revealed that Jonah wanted to go to Ninevah. I know, I know I am getting a bit confusing here. But somehow the word of the LORD came to Jonah and that's what I am focusing on. I don't know what Jonah thought when he heard the word. I don't know what he was praying for. But I know that when the word came to him he disobeyed. So that takes me back to the first question of how does the word come to us? I think it comes for praying for something other than ourselves (again not that this is a bad thing). But maybe when it comes to some of the big things in life we pray about others and let the word of the LORD come. I don't know the answers really I just know that I get frustrated wanting to know what GOD wants and wonder why I don't seem to get those clear answers that the prophets of old got. I know I could easily blame myself for not being wise enough, holy enough, loving enough or a thousand other very true statements. And I do think that is the case some of the time. But then there is Jonah who clearly was told what to do and didn't do it. Then when he finally does do it, he gets mad because GOD then gives mercy. Crazy. God gave him mercy yet he is upset for the mercy for others. I wish I could say that I didn't relate. I wish I could say that I have never denied others the very mercy that I need. But I have far too much of Jonah in me to think that way. So it still comes back to that one question of how and when do we hear from GOD. It's the one question I don't see answered from Jonah. But at least we know what the desire of GOD is.....to see people saved and to show mercy. That is the start and thankfully the truth.
posted by Darol at 10:59 AM

 
Let's stick with Jonah a bit. Last week I was looking at the effects of Jonah's life on those around him. The idea was that the sin and disobedience touches more than just the one person. But this time I want to look at just one person for a moment--Jonah. I think my image of this story went something like this: Jonah is aroused from sleep in the midst of the storm and is informed of the storm. Then the group casts lots and discovers this all Jonah's fault. He tells them to throw him into the sea and all will be fine for them. They do and he is swallowed by a great fish. I have tended to think of the last two events as bang-bang. But Chapter 2 of Jonah records his prayer to God and I think that there was a bit of time elapsed. Jonah talks about seaweed wrapping about his head. He speaks of being at the "roots of mountains". In other words, Jonah had time to repent but also he saw his own death. Perhaps he began to drown and fluttered to the surface a time or two before being taken down again. Or maybe at the last moment he was swallowed up when he was already beginning to pass out. Regardless, his prayer reveals that he understands that God is a saving God. And strangely enough, he wasn't upset about the mode of saving God chose. He was grateful for the fish that swallowed him. A lot of times we learn where our gratitude is when we express our displeasure at the way God does things. Of course we have either ignored the fact that it was our doing that brought us to that place or we have chosen to forget that the result is for our betterment. 3 days in a great fish gave Jonah time to understand some things. He understood that it was his fault (repentance before God). He understood just how awesome and wonderful God was. And he understood his situation clearly...Which gave him the insight to be grateful for being swallowed. And in Chapter 3 we hear that after he was spit out on land, God spoke a second time. In other words, it's highly possible that the whole time he was in the fish, God wasn't speaking to him. That would mean that the days were spent praising God while hearing nothing from God. But when he did hear from God the second time, he did not hesitate to preach to Nineveh. Another important lesson for all of us is that once we learn what we have been saved from, it should be easier to tell others what they need to be saved from. Of course that brings up another point about Jonah, once the people do repent.....He is upset by God's grace. You would think that as one who knew what it was like to disobey, Jonah would have been glad that others were given the same grace. But Jonah displays that same thought process that we in the modern world do. "save them Lord but not the ones who are so horrible. Save only those who we don't view as horrible. Save the poor, kindly man who never knew you but surely don't save the murderer. That can't be right. Yet Jonah's disobedience was as horrible as the murderer. His prayer reflected that. It's a problem however that we all possess....Holding on to the very truth that God gives us.
posted by Darol at 12:47 PM

 
I am on a Jonah kick right now and not sure why. I hope I am not identifying too closely with said prophet. Reading in Jonah chapter 1, there is Jonah who flat out refuses to obey God. Kinda of freaks me out at first. After all, if the LORD spoke to me in a clear voice, why would I do the opposite? After all it's the one thing I clamor for all the time. Or so I say. Could I really hear the LORD and the purposely do the opposite? Surely not. Until I consider the fact that I clearly hear HIS word on such things as stealing, cheating, false witness, anger, greed, selfishness, etc and then clearly do the opposite. Is that any different? Why am I so sure that to "hear" a voice rather than read the words would be so different? No answer for that. And a question that is better left to come back to. For now though, consider a slightly different aspect of Jonah. In chapter 1 after Jonah deliberately runs from God and gets on a boat going the opposite way of where he is supposed to go, a huge storm comes upon him. But the storm doesn't come upon just him. It comes upon everyone in the boat. And it's so bad that they people around him, who aren't following the LORD, are fearful. In fact after making their sacrifices, they have to go wake up Jonah who is busy sleeping in the midst of the storm. Now this isn't the peaceful rest of one who has labored for the LORD. This is the dulled like state of one who has become so hardened that life barely breathes within him. He is somewhere between hibernation and a coma. How do we know this? Because his is unaware of the storm. A Christian learns to trust God above the storm, but he knows about the storm. A fool says in his heart there is no GOD. And therefore he will also foolishly deny the signs around him. In this case, the storm as well. Yet, here are these non-believers in the one true GOD and they can see what Jonah refuses. More interesting to me is this: our sin touches others even when it doesn't directly involve them. Jonah was disobedient about witnessing to Nineveh. These men didn't know that. They aren't people who are supposed to be witnessed to. Yet Jonah's disobedience hits them just as hard. In fact, they are all likely to die as a result. Yet Jonah didn't sin against them. Still the sins of each of us are against God and that has results. So to some degree, innocent people are suffering as a result of Jonah. Now the sovereigness's of God could be seen in that even in this God uses it to the benefit of others. They see that their sacrifices are failing and realize it has to do with Jonah. Jonah then testifies that the storm is about him not following GOD. As a final result the men on the ship learn who is the true GOD. Now that is a benefit but doesn't diminish that Jonah nearly cost the lives of many because of his disobedience. Thus it is with all sin. It hurts GOD. It hurts us. (after all, who wants to be swallowed by a big fish?) and finally it hurts people around us.
posted by Darol at 7:28 AM