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| "Hiding in shadows, can you fight your demons, Can you face yourself?" - 'Drowning' by Natewantstobattle |
It was during our youth/student ministry leaders meeting that I came up with this semi-affectionate term for Jonah.
The book of Jonah is only four chapters long, but it's packed fully of evidence that Jonah is a frustrating person.
TWO sentences into Jonah's account (going from NIV 2011 translation), we find Jonah fleeing from the LORD after God calls him to preach against Nineveh. This sets off a warning bell for the reader - most other accounts of prophets, you know, people who are MEANT to deliver messages to people on God's behalf would be willing to comply OR AT LEAST dialogue with the LORD a little before jumping into action.
Jonah just straight up flees in the opposite direction from God and His direction.
What gets really intense is that once Jonah is on a ship with a bunch of gentile sailors, they are the ones who respond faster to the LORD's direction than Jonah does... the self proclaimed Hebrew who worships the LORD (Jonah 1:9), has to spend three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
In chapter two, and if you're a first time reader of Jonah, you might get the impression that Jonah is truly seeing the error of his ways and is making a come back. As the rest of the account unfolds, this impression is anything but that.
Chapter 3 we have the author make note that city of Nineveh is a three day walk from one end to the other - Jonah only makes it in one day's worth and the people respond to the warning from the LORD. Again, we are seeing people who are not followers of the LORD responding faster to God's message and direction faster than Jonah. If that's where the account ended, it would be satisfying and Jonah's character tolerable... but no, there's one more chapter.
Chapter four is where Jonah reveals his true colours and reasoning as to why he fled from the LORD at the beginning of the account. Just read this dialogue Jonah gives to God through prayer:
"Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? This is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:2-3).
At this point I am practically 1000% done with Jonah.
He knew that God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and relents from sending calamity - and THAT'S WHY HE FLED FROM GOD AND HIS INSTRUCTION TO GO TO NINEVEH!?!
This prophet of God is FREAKING SELFISH - and you can even see it in his prayer to God back in chapter 2 (looking at verses 8-9).
He states that "Salvation comes from the LORD" - but only in the case of God saving him from his distress.
It's like Jonah could not see that Nineveh was just as much in need of God's salvation as he did in the belly of the fish.
And just to hit that idea even further home, Jonah goes from being "angry" that God spared the people of Nineveh from His wrath after they repented, to "so angry" in 4:5-9 after a plant that was shading him from the sun and hot winds (that God provided) was then was destroyed by a worm (that God also provided).
sigh.
Very, VERY relatable.
If you look into the history of Nineveh, you'll find that it's known to be an ancient city of Assyria. For you Biblical scholars and readers, that should sound familiar to you. The Assyrians were in CONSTANT battle with Israel thus many people have died in their battles over the years... and Jonah was called by God deliver a message of repentance to these people.
If I was asked by God to give a message of deliverance to a group of people whom my extended family had been in fights that ended in death and bloodshed... I'd be very hesitant as well.
What is most surprising, and most important, out of Jonah's account is the revealing of God's character.
Instead of God letting Jonah run away to Tarshish and choosing a different (and possibly more obedient) prophet to deliver His message to Nineveh, He pursues Jonah. Not only that, but he also does an object lesson with the plant and worm for Jonah to show how much he cares and has compassion for rebellious people and even the animals.
Jonah even proclaims the goodness of God's character in his final prayer in chapter four - and it's made evident not only towards the sailors, the people of Nineveh, the animals, but to Jonah as well. As much as I STRONGLY DISLIKE Jonah, I am so thankful for this account for it shows the incredible patience, mercy, love, and grace of the one true God, Yahweh, our Heavenly Father.
If God is willing to show compassion, patience, and even discipline (lets not forget the storm, fish, and scorching sun and winds) to a dingus like Jonah, how much more is he willing to do so for us as followers of Jesus.
~To God be the glory
P.s. On a side note, this wednesday I will be telling the youth/student ministry group that I'm leaving for the Island at the end of June, as well as giving a final talk out of the Sermon on the Mount series we've been doing. Pray it goes according to God's will. Thank you.
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