This is a meditation about Jonah. Another of my favorite Old Testament stories is about the prophet Jonah. Some might find it difficult to swallow, (pun intended). When it comes to genre, this story is pure Farce! From start to finish it is extreme exaggeration. Nineveh is the worst of cities. Jonah is the most zealous of prophets. When the Lord asks Jonah to go to Nineveh to call them to repentance he rushes off on the first boat traveling in the complete other direction!
Then we have the biggest of storms, the sailors correct belief that someone has offended a god, and the subsequent tossing of Jonah overboard, leading to the instant quieting of the storm. Then Jonah is swallowed whole by a whale (the Bible actually mentions a giant fish) and miraculously manages to live and breathe in it’s belly! He knows his fault and begs the Lord for help! Whereupon the “whale” spits him up back on land from whence he left!
After a quick journey in the correct direction Jonah arrives in Nineveh, a city so huge it takes three whole days to cross. Jonah preaches with great fervor and surprise, surprise the city from the King on down do repent!
Jonah goes outside the city to watch for it’s destruction only to be sorely disappointed in it’s salvation! The Lord then teaches Jonah a lesson. He first causes a plant to grow overnight to provide Jonah with shade. Then He kills it the next day! The Lord comes to Jonah who complains saying, “I ran away because I knew you would forgive them! As Jonah pouts about this the Lord makes his point. If you care about a single plant why are you surprised that I care about a city full of thousands of people!
I believe it takes all this farcical exaggeration to make the (difficult to swallow) point that The Lord is a forgiving God!
It seems to me there are several important lessons for us to learn from the truths in this story. First, God does use prophets to call us to repentance! Think of the modern day prophetic voice of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Might we all heed his call to repentance, forgiveness, and love!
Second, there are times when “natural” events, like a fierce storm at sea get our attention to the works of God. Think of how it was in the midst of a storm at sea aboard a slave ship that John Newton came to repentance. He left his life as a slaver to become a pastor and pen the words of Amazing Grace!
Third and perhaps most importantly the Lord seeks our repentance and calls us to be forgiving too!
Questions from the story of Jonah?
What “cities”or “countries” might God be calling to repentance?
Are we perhaps running away from the call the Lord has on our lives?
What “storms” might surround us because we have rejected God’s call on our lives?
Have we truly repented? And whom do we need to forgive?