Lessons from Jonah

My church is currently in the middle of a series on the minor prophets of the Old Testament. The theme is "Return to Me," and each message highlights aspects of God's character in the midst of his judgement. I was a little uneasy about this new series and pridefully unexpectant, given the "unexciting" nature of some of the books. Yet, these past few messages have been some of the most powerful, encouraging, and applicable messages that I have heard.

Last Sunday, Keith Breault preached on the book of Jonah. Pretty much everybody is familiar with the children's Bible story of Jonah and the Whale and the cartoony pictures of Jonah kneeling in the belly of a whale, praying to God by candle light in nice clean robes. Keith blew my elementary conceptions of this book out of the water. We so often get preoccupied with the great fish and push God off to the side. God is in fact the key character and the whale is like the grips in movie credits, as Keith likened it. :) The book is all about God and how he interacts with his people behind the scenes.

One theme that emerges is God's greatness. There are many phrases in the book of Jonah that point to this..."But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea," "...and the lot fell on Jonah," "The sea ceased from its raging," "And the Lord appointed a great fish," "And the Lord spoke to the fish," "God appointed a plant," and "God appointed a worm." Nothing that has been made is out of His jurisdiction. Every living thing is governed by Him.

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God's steadfast nearness is also so clearly illustrated. Something is only steadfast when it has been tested. Like, parents can't have steadfast patience when their kids always obey. What does the Lord do when we test his nearness, when we shake our fist at him and forget him? He ordains specific circumstances to bring us back! When Jonah flees, God's steadfastness is tested. Yet, He continues to go after Jonah and redemptively disciplines him to bring him back.

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When Jonah reluctantly did go to Nineveh, he spoke six words of prophesy...six! (in the original language) "Yet, forty days, and Nineveh shall be over-thrown!" Not very gripping to a thriving, wealthy city. Yet, Nineveh repented! It was about God and his power, not Jonah! God could have easily brought about that kind repentance through another prophet, but God was after Jonah's heart. This has two huge implications. First, the Holy Spirit alone has the power to change hearts, not the persuasion of speech. Even as he spoke, Jonah resisted the message he preached, and the Lord still moved on the hearts of the Ninevites through his words. So often I feel inadequate and not smart enough to persuade people of the Gospel. But my words can save no one! It is the Holy Spirit's working alone! I am only called to obey the Lord's command and prompting. Secondly, it wasn't ultimately about saving Nineveh; it was about Jonah's heart. Likewise, God ordains specific circumstances to get to our hearts. He wants me. He wants my heart and communion. God has prepared good works for me to bring about his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, but I have to daily present myself to the Lord! Instead of seeing quiet times as a duty, I have to see it as the time where I need to interact with the living God and hear from him.

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Likewise, do I see the way God sees? God established Nineveh as huge and prosperous. Who established Virginia Beach and Chesapeake? It is full of people, people he is sustaining. All the prosperity and wealth I see in my city is all God's. He wants them to worship him, but they don't because "they don't know their right hand from their left" (4:11). As soon as Jonah prophesied, he left and set up a little camp on the side of a mountain to watch the Lord destroy Nineveh. But, the Lord still pursued Jonah's heart (Chapter 4). Just as we wander from the work he has called us to, he draws us back. Am I like Jonah? Do I have no compassion for those who are lost? So often I shrug it off, thinking, "If God wants to save them, He can. It doesn't matter what I say." or, "Those people are such sinners! There is no way they are going to give up their drinking, partying lifestyle!" But what does Christ say on the cross? "Father forgive them! They know not what they are doing!" I have to see them as Christ sees them. And the great God of the universe wants to walk me through this, to use me to bring about his kingdom.