Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
HiStory
From the beginning of time, it's been His story. We walk into it. He doesn't adjust His story for our entrance. We've been a part of it from the beginning.
Some of you know that I've been participating in a Bible study called "The Bible in 90 Days." Obviously, the idea being that you read through the Bible in 90 days, which breaks down to 12 pages a day. It's a bit of challenge, but has proven to be well worth my time, and, well . . . amazing!
In regards to this study, I hear many comments about "this God" of the Old Testament. I hear comments like, "I'm having a hard time reconciling this God of the Old Testament with the God I know," and, "How can a loving God annihilate entire nations?" or, "The Israelites were supposed to kill the women and children, too?" All good questions. Questions worth asking. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case in many portions of scripture, there just aren't enough good answers. But, there are some.
Here's some things I've come up with (for whatever it's worth). God is a mighty big God. There is so much about Him to learn. It's taken millenniums to know what little we do know about Him. But, just as the New Testament gives a larger picture of God's grace, I think the Old Testament gives us a larger picture of God's holiness. Sin is sin and there is certainly nothing new under the sun. However, reading the Old Testament the way that I have (in very large chunks) has given me a clearer snapshot of the blatant sin of idol worship going on at the time. The world was still rather new, relatively speaking. Nations were still new. God was introducing Himself to those He put on the earth, and it was Israel's job to help the other nations know who the one true living God was. It's not that God cared nothing for the other nations. On the contrary, He made His works known to the other nations through the miracles He performed on behalf of the Israelites. Through the Israelites, He wanted the other nations to see that He was not like the other "so-called gods." He was not a golden calf or any other handmade sculpture that had eyes but could not see, a nose but could not smell, ears but could not hear, a mouth but could speak. Through the miracles and the devastations He was making it known loud and clear, "I AM the God of Universe and you will have no other gods before Me!" Commandment #1! It's His story.
"And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23, NIV)
"Joshua said to the people: 'You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgie your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.' " (Joshua 24:19-20, NIV)
It was a harsh time. And, it's hard to take it all in. For those of us who have entered His story during this present time of grace find it very difficult to adjust to this holy God. Well, be assured! God has not changed! He is the same holy God today that He was then. The difference is that Jesus came and stepped into the middle of the story. God's gift to human beings! Grace! God is still angered by our idolatry, but instead of me being annihilated Jesus paid the price for it. So when God looks at me, He sees Jesus (the picture of holiness and righteousness!) because Jesus lives in me!
It's always been about grace. The God of grace of the New Testament is the same holy God of the Old Testament. But what is also true is that this same God of grace ia alive and well in the Old Testament. In Isaiah we read how God sent prophet after prophet to the other nations in order to give them opportunity to repent and turn to Him. We read the same in Jonah with the city of Nineveh. God is a God of grace. Except for a few instances like Rahab, we're not told of countless souls who repented and chose to trust God and were saved from the annihilation. Anytime it's written how someone did in fact turn towards the Living God we see that God was compassionate and merciful and gracious to that person and saved them from destruction. Just like today! When reading the Old Testament, and you come across things that seem harsh on God's part and difficult to understand or reconcile, it's always safe to weigh it against the rest of His character. Don't stop at His holiness --begin with it and end with His grace!
This is His story! We are invited in. More than that, we were planned for! You and me! Since the beginning of time, God planned for our entrance at this particular time and place in His story. "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would see Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27, NIV) What's more, His story is His responsibility. He bears the weight of history! He is a big God! Full of grace! Full of mercy! Full of compassion! Very Holy! Justice is His name!
"God's Message:
'Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don't let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don't let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I'm God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what's right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.'
God's decree."
(Jeremiah 9:23-24, The Message)
It's HiStory! You have been invited in! Trust in His full character at all times!
Some of you know that I've been participating in a Bible study called "The Bible in 90 Days." Obviously, the idea being that you read through the Bible in 90 days, which breaks down to 12 pages a day. It's a bit of challenge, but has proven to be well worth my time, and, well . . . amazing!
In regards to this study, I hear many comments about "this God" of the Old Testament. I hear comments like, "I'm having a hard time reconciling this God of the Old Testament with the God I know," and, "How can a loving God annihilate entire nations?" or, "The Israelites were supposed to kill the women and children, too?" All good questions. Questions worth asking. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case in many portions of scripture, there just aren't enough good answers. But, there are some.
Here's some things I've come up with (for whatever it's worth). God is a mighty big God. There is so much about Him to learn. It's taken millenniums to know what little we do know about Him. But, just as the New Testament gives a larger picture of God's grace, I think the Old Testament gives us a larger picture of God's holiness. Sin is sin and there is certainly nothing new under the sun. However, reading the Old Testament the way that I have (in very large chunks) has given me a clearer snapshot of the blatant sin of idol worship going on at the time. The world was still rather new, relatively speaking. Nations were still new. God was introducing Himself to those He put on the earth, and it was Israel's job to help the other nations know who the one true living God was. It's not that God cared nothing for the other nations. On the contrary, He made His works known to the other nations through the miracles He performed on behalf of the Israelites. Through the Israelites, He wanted the other nations to see that He was not like the other "so-called gods." He was not a golden calf or any other handmade sculpture that had eyes but could not see, a nose but could not smell, ears but could not hear, a mouth but could speak. Through the miracles and the devastations He was making it known loud and clear, "I AM the God of Universe and you will have no other gods before Me!" Commandment #1! It's His story.
"And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23, NIV)
"Joshua said to the people: 'You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgie your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.' " (Joshua 24:19-20, NIV)
It was a harsh time. And, it's hard to take it all in. For those of us who have entered His story during this present time of grace find it very difficult to adjust to this holy God. Well, be assured! God has not changed! He is the same holy God today that He was then. The difference is that Jesus came and stepped into the middle of the story. God's gift to human beings! Grace! God is still angered by our idolatry, but instead of me being annihilated Jesus paid the price for it. So when God looks at me, He sees Jesus (the picture of holiness and righteousness!) because Jesus lives in me!
It's always been about grace. The God of grace of the New Testament is the same holy God of the Old Testament. But what is also true is that this same God of grace ia alive and well in the Old Testament. In Isaiah we read how God sent prophet after prophet to the other nations in order to give them opportunity to repent and turn to Him. We read the same in Jonah with the city of Nineveh. God is a God of grace. Except for a few instances like Rahab, we're not told of countless souls who repented and chose to trust God and were saved from the annihilation. Anytime it's written how someone did in fact turn towards the Living God we see that God was compassionate and merciful and gracious to that person and saved them from destruction. Just like today! When reading the Old Testament, and you come across things that seem harsh on God's part and difficult to understand or reconcile, it's always safe to weigh it against the rest of His character. Don't stop at His holiness --begin with it and end with His grace!
This is His story! We are invited in. More than that, we were planned for! You and me! Since the beginning of time, God planned for our entrance at this particular time and place in His story. "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would see Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27, NIV) What's more, His story is His responsibility. He bears the weight of history! He is a big God! Full of grace! Full of mercy! Full of compassion! Very Holy! Justice is His name!
"God's Message:
'Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don't let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don't let the rich brag of their riches.
If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I'm God, and I act in loyal love.
I do what's right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
These are my trademarks.'
God's decree."
(Jeremiah 9:23-24, The Message)
It's HiStory! You have been invited in! Trust in His full character at all times!
Monday, June 15, 2009
WHOLLY, HOLY, HOLEY
I got to thinking about 3 little words the other morning during Sunday school: wholly, holy and holey. Here's what they mean:
Wholly - entirely; totally; completely; altogether; to the exclusion of all others.
Holy - consecrated; dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion; a sacred place; sanctuary.
Holey - several or many openings through something; gaps; full of holes.
Our church started a study on June 1st called "The Bible in 90 Days." The idea is to get as many people as possible reading the Bible altogether at the same time. The creators of this study recommend that while going through this process you do not try to understand it all or figure it all out, but that you do read attentively every word of the Bible in 90 days. What's been so amazing to me is the enthusiasm within our church walls that this study has generated! People have been genuinely excited about it and eager to accomplish it. Those of you who know me well know that I have a passion for God's word! I love what lies between those leather covers. It's full of mystery and mess. It contains life and blessing! It has the power to convict and change lives! Few things bring me more pleasure than motivating another to read the Bible for themselves. I've read through the Bible cover to cover one other time in my life, but it took me closer to a year to accomplish it. This has been more difficult. It's 12 pages a day and it's really easy to get behind. So, it's making me be disciplined, diligent and determined in my Bible reading. It's all good!
Genesis was interesting, as always, and so was Exodus. The creation story, Abraham and his descendants, Joseph in Egypt, the miracles that God performed on behalf of the Israelites, Moses life and times, the ten commandments -- you can't write fiction this good. Leviticus and Numbers though were like hitting a brick wall, and Deuteronomy wasn't much better. So many rules and laws! It was exhausting. And, the details! Holy cow!!! Burn this up, but don't burn that up. Eat this but not that. If someone is guilty of breaking a particular law, that person must be killed -- if he's guilty of this other law, he must live outside the camp. Who on earth could ever keep straight all the rules for sacrifices and what sacrifices are made for what sin. Do I bring a roasted grain offering or should I grind the grain into a fine powder with some oil added to it? Or, do I bring doves or goats or lambs or heifers or bulls? Or should I just bring some shekels? Good heavens! It goes on and on through these books. And, some of the details of what was considered unclean got a little nauseating like the chapters on infectious skin diseases (it's tough to glean profound, life altering truth from that!). Then, when you're not reading about the rules and laws you're reading through list after list of who beget who. I have to admit, it got a little boring and laborious to read. But, I learned a few things.
I learned all over again that we were created by God and for God and His word is life to us. "These are not just idle words for you, they are your life." (Deut. 32:47) He rules the nations and He wants us to be wholly His. I learned, again, that sin will wholly destroy us. And, because sin is so destructive to us, the sacrifices had to be a serious reminder of how sin destroys life. The priests were busy day in and day out with sacrifices. Nobody could be perfect. God knew that all were going to sin. And, because sin destroys life, life was what had to be taken to pay the price of each sin. When an animal was sacrificed you can be sure that blood was everywhere (if you want it in greater detail, you'll have to read it for yourself). Can you imagine the humane society tolerating sweet little lambs being sacrificed today for someone's careless behavior? Children became attached to the lambs and goats that would eventually have to be taken to the temple. If the sacrifices were not made then the people would die from their sin. And, so they watched and learned and saw the destruction of life right before their eyes so that they could live. In some cases, there was no sacrifice that could be made because the sin was too great, like murder with "aforethought." (Numbers 35:16-21) The only thing that could be done was to kill the person who deliberately took the life of another. Sin destroys life.
I learned, again, that our God is a holy God. He does not tolerate sin because 1) He Himself is sinless, and 2) He knows how sin destroys life. I learned, again, that although the laws are many, they are summed up in the two greatest commandments: "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:37-40, NIV) God wants us to fear Him and revere Him. God wants us to know how serious He is about His love and justice. He wants us to understand that if we love Him like we should and love those around us like we should then we will live in peace and safety. I understood like never before God's timeless and holy plan to redeem us -- to pay the price Himself for our careless, sinful behavior. The concept of redemption was intricately woven through the Old Testament. Redemption is a concept that the Israelites understood, and yet when Jesus paid the final and ultimate price for their redemption, they spurned His gift. When God sent His son to die for us, the Jews should have understood it immediately -- they should have understood it like no one else. They above all people understood the practice of sacrifices and one life dying for another. This practice was such a prominent and prevalent part of who they were that this One Sacrifice For All should have rocked them to their core, their world and everything in it. But, they did not believe. Unbelief was another concept intricately woven through their history.
I learned one more time just how flawed and faulty and full of holes human beings are. Never before, however, have I read through these books with such anticipation and foresight of a Savior. With every written law and rule I heard the words that Paul wrote to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!" (Gal. 5:1, NIV) Israel's identity was wrapped up in their history. All of them, clear up through the time of Christ and beyond, knew of their history with the living God. All of them knew of the miracles that God performed on their behalf in Egypt and while wandering in the desert for 40 years. All of them knew of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They quoted King David. All of them, especially by the time Christ had come, knew of the laws that they must uphold or die. From the time they left behind their captivity in Babylon to the time Christ walked on this earth (about a 400 year span) they had become acutely aware of God's holiness -- so much so that the rules and laws imposed on them milliniums before in the desert they had added to and built upon to the point of utter nonsense making the law even more impossible to live up to. What the law really did was point out God's holiness and our holey-ness. The Israelites (i.e. human beings) were never able to live up to all the laws and rules set before them and the first five books of the Bible confirm this over and over. We are so holey that God's laws pour through us like a seive. What could become of such a messy creation? God's plan was brilliant.
Jesus came. God in the flesh. He died once for all. No more sacrifices to be made. No more would we have to die for our careless sins. Jesus died in our place. (There are still sins that go against the laws of our land that require a death sentence whether that sentence looks like a life lived out in prison or an actual death sentence. But, that's always been the case.) No longer would we die for all the careless acts that in the past required the death of another living thing. No longer would the life of innocent animals be taken to pay the price of my sin. No longer would we be bound to a law so lofty that no one could live up to it. Jesus set us free from the heavy burden of the law and now we live under grace. No longer do we have to be shackled by the weight of sin that so easily grips us keeping us outside the camp. Jesus' death on the cross was too monumental for words! God Himself paid the price for our sinfulness and He had it planned all along. What's more, even though He was working out His plan in all of history, He was always with the individual. He was always moving on behalf of one or two or three or twenty or a thousand or ten thousand. Everybody has a part in His plan and His plan is for everybody.
God made the laws and rules so hard to live up to and the sacrifices so numerous and messy that we should have been FULL of joy and rejoicing at His pardon! The Israelites had centuries and centuries of trying to live up to God's standards and every time failing that news of their Savior should have brought the most exuberant shouts of joy for their most AMAZING GOD! But, instead, the news of Jesus' coming slipped through the holes of their spirits and hearts (and ours!). The Israelites did not believe that Jesus was God and we find that true of so many people still today. (There really is nothing new under the sun.)
I struggle to put into words how amazing God's plan was! Is! I encourage you to read the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch as it's called by our Jewish friends). Put yourself in the pages, in the lives, in the thoughts of those who lived during this most incredible time. You will find that there is truly nothing new under the sun. The same sins we struggle with today, they struggled with then. Why? Because we are all human beings born into sin. The good news is that we have a God with a plan. His love lives on. I want to be, to the exclusion of all others, completely and totally, wholly His, the Holy God of our past present and future, as I live this life as one who is very holey.
"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yolke and enabled you to walk with heads held high." (Leviticus 26:13, NIV)
"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life . . ." (Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a, NIV)
Wholly - entirely; totally; completely; altogether; to the exclusion of all others.
Holy - consecrated; dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion; a sacred place; sanctuary.
Holey - several or many openings through something; gaps; full of holes.
Our church started a study on June 1st called "The Bible in 90 Days." The idea is to get as many people as possible reading the Bible altogether at the same time. The creators of this study recommend that while going through this process you do not try to understand it all or figure it all out, but that you do read attentively every word of the Bible in 90 days. What's been so amazing to me is the enthusiasm within our church walls that this study has generated! People have been genuinely excited about it and eager to accomplish it. Those of you who know me well know that I have a passion for God's word! I love what lies between those leather covers. It's full of mystery and mess. It contains life and blessing! It has the power to convict and change lives! Few things bring me more pleasure than motivating another to read the Bible for themselves. I've read through the Bible cover to cover one other time in my life, but it took me closer to a year to accomplish it. This has been more difficult. It's 12 pages a day and it's really easy to get behind. So, it's making me be disciplined, diligent and determined in my Bible reading. It's all good!
Genesis was interesting, as always, and so was Exodus. The creation story, Abraham and his descendants, Joseph in Egypt, the miracles that God performed on behalf of the Israelites, Moses life and times, the ten commandments -- you can't write fiction this good. Leviticus and Numbers though were like hitting a brick wall, and Deuteronomy wasn't much better. So many rules and laws! It was exhausting. And, the details! Holy cow!!! Burn this up, but don't burn that up. Eat this but not that. If someone is guilty of breaking a particular law, that person must be killed -- if he's guilty of this other law, he must live outside the camp. Who on earth could ever keep straight all the rules for sacrifices and what sacrifices are made for what sin. Do I bring a roasted grain offering or should I grind the grain into a fine powder with some oil added to it? Or, do I bring doves or goats or lambs or heifers or bulls? Or should I just bring some shekels? Good heavens! It goes on and on through these books. And, some of the details of what was considered unclean got a little nauseating like the chapters on infectious skin diseases (it's tough to glean profound, life altering truth from that!). Then, when you're not reading about the rules and laws you're reading through list after list of who beget who. I have to admit, it got a little boring and laborious to read. But, I learned a few things.
I learned all over again that we were created by God and for God and His word is life to us. "These are not just idle words for you, they are your life." (Deut. 32:47) He rules the nations and He wants us to be wholly His. I learned, again, that sin will wholly destroy us. And, because sin is so destructive to us, the sacrifices had to be a serious reminder of how sin destroys life. The priests were busy day in and day out with sacrifices. Nobody could be perfect. God knew that all were going to sin. And, because sin destroys life, life was what had to be taken to pay the price of each sin. When an animal was sacrificed you can be sure that blood was everywhere (if you want it in greater detail, you'll have to read it for yourself). Can you imagine the humane society tolerating sweet little lambs being sacrificed today for someone's careless behavior? Children became attached to the lambs and goats that would eventually have to be taken to the temple. If the sacrifices were not made then the people would die from their sin. And, so they watched and learned and saw the destruction of life right before their eyes so that they could live. In some cases, there was no sacrifice that could be made because the sin was too great, like murder with "aforethought." (Numbers 35:16-21) The only thing that could be done was to kill the person who deliberately took the life of another. Sin destroys life.
I learned, again, that our God is a holy God. He does not tolerate sin because 1) He Himself is sinless, and 2) He knows how sin destroys life. I learned, again, that although the laws are many, they are summed up in the two greatest commandments: "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:37-40, NIV) God wants us to fear Him and revere Him. God wants us to know how serious He is about His love and justice. He wants us to understand that if we love Him like we should and love those around us like we should then we will live in peace and safety. I understood like never before God's timeless and holy plan to redeem us -- to pay the price Himself for our careless, sinful behavior. The concept of redemption was intricately woven through the Old Testament. Redemption is a concept that the Israelites understood, and yet when Jesus paid the final and ultimate price for their redemption, they spurned His gift. When God sent His son to die for us, the Jews should have understood it immediately -- they should have understood it like no one else. They above all people understood the practice of sacrifices and one life dying for another. This practice was such a prominent and prevalent part of who they were that this One Sacrifice For All should have rocked them to their core, their world and everything in it. But, they did not believe. Unbelief was another concept intricately woven through their history.
I learned one more time just how flawed and faulty and full of holes human beings are. Never before, however, have I read through these books with such anticipation and foresight of a Savior. With every written law and rule I heard the words that Paul wrote to the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!" (Gal. 5:1, NIV) Israel's identity was wrapped up in their history. All of them, clear up through the time of Christ and beyond, knew of their history with the living God. All of them knew of the miracles that God performed on their behalf in Egypt and while wandering in the desert for 40 years. All of them knew of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They quoted King David. All of them, especially by the time Christ had come, knew of the laws that they must uphold or die. From the time they left behind their captivity in Babylon to the time Christ walked on this earth (about a 400 year span) they had become acutely aware of God's holiness -- so much so that the rules and laws imposed on them milliniums before in the desert they had added to and built upon to the point of utter nonsense making the law even more impossible to live up to. What the law really did was point out God's holiness and our holey-ness. The Israelites (i.e. human beings) were never able to live up to all the laws and rules set before them and the first five books of the Bible confirm this over and over. We are so holey that God's laws pour through us like a seive. What could become of such a messy creation? God's plan was brilliant.
Jesus came. God in the flesh. He died once for all. No more sacrifices to be made. No more would we have to die for our careless sins. Jesus died in our place. (There are still sins that go against the laws of our land that require a death sentence whether that sentence looks like a life lived out in prison or an actual death sentence. But, that's always been the case.) No longer would we die for all the careless acts that in the past required the death of another living thing. No longer would the life of innocent animals be taken to pay the price of my sin. No longer would we be bound to a law so lofty that no one could live up to it. Jesus set us free from the heavy burden of the law and now we live under grace. No longer do we have to be shackled by the weight of sin that so easily grips us keeping us outside the camp. Jesus' death on the cross was too monumental for words! God Himself paid the price for our sinfulness and He had it planned all along. What's more, even though He was working out His plan in all of history, He was always with the individual. He was always moving on behalf of one or two or three or twenty or a thousand or ten thousand. Everybody has a part in His plan and His plan is for everybody.
God made the laws and rules so hard to live up to and the sacrifices so numerous and messy that we should have been FULL of joy and rejoicing at His pardon! The Israelites had centuries and centuries of trying to live up to God's standards and every time failing that news of their Savior should have brought the most exuberant shouts of joy for their most AMAZING GOD! But, instead, the news of Jesus' coming slipped through the holes of their spirits and hearts (and ours!). The Israelites did not believe that Jesus was God and we find that true of so many people still today. (There really is nothing new under the sun.)
I struggle to put into words how amazing God's plan was! Is! I encourage you to read the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch as it's called by our Jewish friends). Put yourself in the pages, in the lives, in the thoughts of those who lived during this most incredible time. You will find that there is truly nothing new under the sun. The same sins we struggle with today, they struggled with then. Why? Because we are all human beings born into sin. The good news is that we have a God with a plan. His love lives on. I want to be, to the exclusion of all others, completely and totally, wholly His, the Holy God of our past present and future, as I live this life as one who is very holey.
"I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yolke and enabled you to walk with heads held high." (Leviticus 26:13, NIV)
"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life . . ." (Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a, NIV)
Monday, June 1, 2009
DAVID: A MAN WITH A HUMAN HEART
" . . . the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people. . ." (1 Samuel 13:14, NIV)
Whenever I read the Bible, my tendency is to look for the broken qualities of those about whom I'm reading. I guess it helps me to feel hopeful that I'm not a lost cause. It's easy to read about some of our heroes of the faith and then romanticize them into more than they were. But the characters in the Bible are people just like you and me. They did not hold some secret key to the mysteries and mind of God. They had to come to Him the same way we do, humbly and by grace. Right now I'm especially intrigued by King David, a man after God's own heart.
Read Psalm 32 and Psalm 40:1-3
Questions for reflection:
What are some ways that God relates to you like He did with King David?
"A man after God's own heart." That statement makes him sound like he had some sort of elusive quality that made him extra special. Something more than human -- superhuman. Whenever we think that about any Bible character (or anyone else for that matter) we have just made a huge mistake in interpreting God's word. It's true that David loved God and sought Him wholeheartedly (for the most part). It's true that David prayed for God to bless him and to give him the throne that was promised to him so that he could finally rule as the King of Israel. It's true we see God answering David's prayers and speaking to him about his life as a man and as a king. But what about any of that is different from you and me? I, too, love God and seek Him wholeheartedly (for the most part). I, too, pray for God to bless me and to give me the things that come as the promise of a righteous life. God also answers my prayers and He speaks to me about my life as a woman, a wife, a mom and a Christian.
It's very easy to make King David larger than life, but he struggled just like you and me; and, just like you and me, he sinned. He had to fall upon God's grace and mercy more than once in his life. God picked him up from the miry pit of mud and clay and set his feet on solid ground more than once in his life. Just like you and me. One of my favorite stories about King David is found in 1 Samuel and it involves two other very interesting characters: Nabal and Abigail. This story paints a picture of the famous and the average, the mean and kind, the evil and the good and the brokenness of us all. It also points out, as always, the gracious and merciful hand of God in the lives of the broken ones. King David, Abigail, Nabal, you and me.
Read all of 1 Samuel 25.
In this chapter of 1 Samuel we find David still living out in the fields and caves hiding from King Saul having attracted an army consisting of rejects and malcontents. Nabal, a wealthy man from Carmel, has sent his men out to shear the sheep that were pasturing out where David and his men happened to be camping. David, having been anointed King of Israel but unable to rule, already had the heart and attitude of a king. You can tell by the way he had his men surround Nabal's sheep shearers and his sheep as a way of protecting them from harm. This is what a king does. He keeps his people safe and brings no harm to them. I love this about David. Before he is actually sitting on the throne, he is living into his calling from God. He knows he is the rightful King of Israel and lives into it, with or without the throne. When the sheep shearing is finished and Nabal's servants return to their master, David sends out his own messengers to Nabal with a message of peace. He expects to receive food and other necessities for his men in return for his protection. Let's not make the mistake in thinking that David only gave protection to Nabal, his men and his property in order to get something in return. David protected Nabal and his property because it was the right thing for David to do. Nabal returning that consideration to David and his army by means of food and other supplies was the right thing for Nable to do. Nabal, however, was a mean brute of a man.
Abagail was kind, wise and beautiful, and, unfortunately, Nabal's wife. When she finds out how her husband has treated Isreal's future king, she rushes out to meet David, sending lots and lots of good food ahead of her (everything that Nabal should have sent) hoping to talk David out of murdering her husband (deserving as he was). It made sense to her that David would come after her husband because what Nabal did went against all common considerations among the Israelites -- especially considerations toward the King. So off she goes to convince David otherwise.
David is a king yet he hides in the wilderness like a common criminal. Nabal as much as acts like a criminal yet lives like a king. Nabal's heart is dark and cold and Abigail's heart is kind and full of love and life. David is a master who serves the people. Abigail has a servant's heart that becomes the master of a king's heart. There are so many dichotomies in this story. I'm certain you can come up with a few of your own.
Read Matthew 5:43-48; 13:24-30; Acts 17:26-27 and Psalm 31:15.
Dichotomies can often times seem like injustices yet God always has a plan and He holds our days in His hand. What are some situations in your life that seem like dichotomies? Some weeds among your wheat? Some evil clouding your sunshine?
How is knowing that God holds your times and has directed where you are right now comforting to you?
Abigail bows at David's feet and begs him not to commit murder -- an unnecessary and heavy burden, she explains, that the king will have to carry on his conscience for the rest of his days. Killing another person is never an easy thing to bear no matter how much the other party seems to deserve it. She begs him not to avenge himself on her husband. She reminds David of his role as the King and not to let his anger and humiliation brought on by Nabal discolor his honor, his dynasty and his rule. This is beauty. This is humility. This is grace! Abagail, the wife of a brute, a servant of David, a daughter of The King rules the day and David's heart. I love how she pronounces on David the true law of grace and mercy: "Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God." (1 Samuel 25:29a, NIV) David heeds Abigail's words as God's hand on his life and turns from doing what he has set out to do. The law of grace and mercy always results in life and honor.
Now, here's what's real to me about David: even though God characterizes David as a man after His own heart, David's heart is still very human. When Nabal refuses David and his men nourishment and hurls insults at them, accusing David and his men of being nothing more than runaway slaves, David gets angry and humiliated and sets out to act upon that anger and humiliation. David acts the way any of us would act, or, at least would want to act. He goes about taking matters into his own hands. In an effort to make the world a better a place in which to live and because Nabal breaks all the laws of decency by refusing the King (an act worthy of severe punishment, if not death) and the King's men of needed food, he deems it necessary to rid the earth of wicked Nabal. David is very human. Very real. David, the man after God's own heart, feels the need for revenge, acts out of anger, retaliates after being humiliated. I doubt anyone would have even tried to stop him. No one from Nabal's camp or his own. Nabal, after all, was mean and wicked and selfish and, therefore, more than likely hated by his servants, so his servants certainly wouldn't have stopped the future King of Israel. David was already recognized as the King of Israel by most people of the day so who would dare try to stop him. He was already renowned for his fighting ability, his leadership ability and his merciful ways with King Saul. He already held the loyalty of the people, so who would question him after Nabal acted so ungraciously towards him. I think it would have been so interesting to be a part of this time period. News about the comings and goings and ins and outs of Saul's and David's reign and relationship spread daily. If they'd had FOX news back then, it would have been a top story every day. "King David said to be spotted in the wilderness of Maon." "When will King Saul give up the throne?" "David spares King Saul's life yet again." "Obscure shepherd spots David and his army in the wilderness." The headlines would go on and on. You can be assured that news got around for there wasn't anyone in the land who did not know of David's exploits. There was no one in all of Israel who did not know that David was to be King. Abigail knew it (which is why she spoke to him the way she did). Nabal's servants knew it (which is why they feared what was going to come of them if Abigail did not do something). And, you can be sure that Nabal knew it (which makes his insults all the more arrogant and brutal).
Abigail returns home to her husband who is now drunk from too much celebrating. In the morning, after he is sober, she explains to him her actions on his behalf. Nabal immediately has a heart attack and goes into something that looks like a coma and dies 10 days later. By God's hand, not David's. God held Nabal's times in His hand. The shock of his wife being so bold and presumptuous as to wander away without his permission with goods that belonged to him to take to David, someone for which he clearly had no respect, was just more than he could take in. I kind of think that Abigail was secretly happy that her brute of a husband was no longer able to terrorize her or the servants or the hired hands. His death, however, left her with the dilemma of having no one to provide for her. A serious matter. Abigail, too, was a broken human being. After all, she was married to someone who showed her no respect and undoubtedly mistreated her at every turn. She had asked King David to remember her. She said, "When the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant." (25:31b, NIV) And, remember her he does. He sends her word to come and be his wife.
It should bring hope to you and me that one of the most loved characters in the Bible, one of the great heroes of our faith, is actually someone who acted impetuously from time to time. Even though we see that sometimes David could act rash and allow his feelings to dictate his next move God was still able to see deep in David's heart. God saw the love David had for his King. I love how God used Abigail, an average Israelite woman, to keep David, the famous King of Israel, from sinning. I love how God extends His hand of grace and gets involved with us, working to guide and direct us in the right path. I love how God extends His arm of mercy and provides a way out of our own impetuous, rash decisions before they become a sin to great to bear.
As with every passage of scripture, the life lessons and profound truths are numerous. This story holds truths I've yet to pick out. I can only write about the way it hits me and the about the truths that God points out to me at the time. My hope and prayer is that God sees deep into my own heart and finds the love I have for my King in spite of my rash and impetuous ways!
Whenever I read the Bible, my tendency is to look for the broken qualities of those about whom I'm reading. I guess it helps me to feel hopeful that I'm not a lost cause. It's easy to read about some of our heroes of the faith and then romanticize them into more than they were. But the characters in the Bible are people just like you and me. They did not hold some secret key to the mysteries and mind of God. They had to come to Him the same way we do, humbly and by grace. Right now I'm especially intrigued by King David, a man after God's own heart.
Read Psalm 32 and Psalm 40:1-3
Questions for reflection:
What are some ways that God relates to you like He did with King David?
"A man after God's own heart." That statement makes him sound like he had some sort of elusive quality that made him extra special. Something more than human -- superhuman. Whenever we think that about any Bible character (or anyone else for that matter) we have just made a huge mistake in interpreting God's word. It's true that David loved God and sought Him wholeheartedly (for the most part). It's true that David prayed for God to bless him and to give him the throne that was promised to him so that he could finally rule as the King of Israel. It's true we see God answering David's prayers and speaking to him about his life as a man and as a king. But what about any of that is different from you and me? I, too, love God and seek Him wholeheartedly (for the most part). I, too, pray for God to bless me and to give me the things that come as the promise of a righteous life. God also answers my prayers and He speaks to me about my life as a woman, a wife, a mom and a Christian.
It's very easy to make King David larger than life, but he struggled just like you and me; and, just like you and me, he sinned. He had to fall upon God's grace and mercy more than once in his life. God picked him up from the miry pit of mud and clay and set his feet on solid ground more than once in his life. Just like you and me. One of my favorite stories about King David is found in 1 Samuel and it involves two other very interesting characters: Nabal and Abigail. This story paints a picture of the famous and the average, the mean and kind, the evil and the good and the brokenness of us all. It also points out, as always, the gracious and merciful hand of God in the lives of the broken ones. King David, Abigail, Nabal, you and me.
Read all of 1 Samuel 25.
In this chapter of 1 Samuel we find David still living out in the fields and caves hiding from King Saul having attracted an army consisting of rejects and malcontents. Nabal, a wealthy man from Carmel, has sent his men out to shear the sheep that were pasturing out where David and his men happened to be camping. David, having been anointed King of Israel but unable to rule, already had the heart and attitude of a king. You can tell by the way he had his men surround Nabal's sheep shearers and his sheep as a way of protecting them from harm. This is what a king does. He keeps his people safe and brings no harm to them. I love this about David. Before he is actually sitting on the throne, he is living into his calling from God. He knows he is the rightful King of Israel and lives into it, with or without the throne. When the sheep shearing is finished and Nabal's servants return to their master, David sends out his own messengers to Nabal with a message of peace. He expects to receive food and other necessities for his men in return for his protection. Let's not make the mistake in thinking that David only gave protection to Nabal, his men and his property in order to get something in return. David protected Nabal and his property because it was the right thing for David to do. Nabal returning that consideration to David and his army by means of food and other supplies was the right thing for Nable to do. Nabal, however, was a mean brute of a man.
Abagail was kind, wise and beautiful, and, unfortunately, Nabal's wife. When she finds out how her husband has treated Isreal's future king, she rushes out to meet David, sending lots and lots of good food ahead of her (everything that Nabal should have sent) hoping to talk David out of murdering her husband (deserving as he was). It made sense to her that David would come after her husband because what Nabal did went against all common considerations among the Israelites -- especially considerations toward the King. So off she goes to convince David otherwise.
David is a king yet he hides in the wilderness like a common criminal. Nabal as much as acts like a criminal yet lives like a king. Nabal's heart is dark and cold and Abigail's heart is kind and full of love and life. David is a master who serves the people. Abigail has a servant's heart that becomes the master of a king's heart. There are so many dichotomies in this story. I'm certain you can come up with a few of your own.
Read Matthew 5:43-48; 13:24-30; Acts 17:26-27 and Psalm 31:15.
Dichotomies can often times seem like injustices yet God always has a plan and He holds our days in His hand. What are some situations in your life that seem like dichotomies? Some weeds among your wheat? Some evil clouding your sunshine?
How is knowing that God holds your times and has directed where you are right now comforting to you?
Abigail bows at David's feet and begs him not to commit murder -- an unnecessary and heavy burden, she explains, that the king will have to carry on his conscience for the rest of his days. Killing another person is never an easy thing to bear no matter how much the other party seems to deserve it. She begs him not to avenge himself on her husband. She reminds David of his role as the King and not to let his anger and humiliation brought on by Nabal discolor his honor, his dynasty and his rule. This is beauty. This is humility. This is grace! Abagail, the wife of a brute, a servant of David, a daughter of The King rules the day and David's heart. I love how she pronounces on David the true law of grace and mercy: "Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God." (1 Samuel 25:29a, NIV) David heeds Abigail's words as God's hand on his life and turns from doing what he has set out to do. The law of grace and mercy always results in life and honor.
Now, here's what's real to me about David: even though God characterizes David as a man after His own heart, David's heart is still very human. When Nabal refuses David and his men nourishment and hurls insults at them, accusing David and his men of being nothing more than runaway slaves, David gets angry and humiliated and sets out to act upon that anger and humiliation. David acts the way any of us would act, or, at least would want to act. He goes about taking matters into his own hands. In an effort to make the world a better a place in which to live and because Nabal breaks all the laws of decency by refusing the King (an act worthy of severe punishment, if not death) and the King's men of needed food, he deems it necessary to rid the earth of wicked Nabal. David is very human. Very real. David, the man after God's own heart, feels the need for revenge, acts out of anger, retaliates after being humiliated. I doubt anyone would have even tried to stop him. No one from Nabal's camp or his own. Nabal, after all, was mean and wicked and selfish and, therefore, more than likely hated by his servants, so his servants certainly wouldn't have stopped the future King of Israel. David was already recognized as the King of Israel by most people of the day so who would dare try to stop him. He was already renowned for his fighting ability, his leadership ability and his merciful ways with King Saul. He already held the loyalty of the people, so who would question him after Nabal acted so ungraciously towards him. I think it would have been so interesting to be a part of this time period. News about the comings and goings and ins and outs of Saul's and David's reign and relationship spread daily. If they'd had FOX news back then, it would have been a top story every day. "King David said to be spotted in the wilderness of Maon." "When will King Saul give up the throne?" "David spares King Saul's life yet again." "Obscure shepherd spots David and his army in the wilderness." The headlines would go on and on. You can be assured that news got around for there wasn't anyone in the land who did not know of David's exploits. There was no one in all of Israel who did not know that David was to be King. Abigail knew it (which is why she spoke to him the way she did). Nabal's servants knew it (which is why they feared what was going to come of them if Abigail did not do something). And, you can be sure that Nabal knew it (which makes his insults all the more arrogant and brutal).
Abigail returns home to her husband who is now drunk from too much celebrating. In the morning, after he is sober, she explains to him her actions on his behalf. Nabal immediately has a heart attack and goes into something that looks like a coma and dies 10 days later. By God's hand, not David's. God held Nabal's times in His hand. The shock of his wife being so bold and presumptuous as to wander away without his permission with goods that belonged to him to take to David, someone for which he clearly had no respect, was just more than he could take in. I kind of think that Abigail was secretly happy that her brute of a husband was no longer able to terrorize her or the servants or the hired hands. His death, however, left her with the dilemma of having no one to provide for her. A serious matter. Abigail, too, was a broken human being. After all, she was married to someone who showed her no respect and undoubtedly mistreated her at every turn. She had asked King David to remember her. She said, "When the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant." (25:31b, NIV) And, remember her he does. He sends her word to come and be his wife.
It should bring hope to you and me that one of the most loved characters in the Bible, one of the great heroes of our faith, is actually someone who acted impetuously from time to time. Even though we see that sometimes David could act rash and allow his feelings to dictate his next move God was still able to see deep in David's heart. God saw the love David had for his King. I love how God used Abigail, an average Israelite woman, to keep David, the famous King of Israel, from sinning. I love how God extends His hand of grace and gets involved with us, working to guide and direct us in the right path. I love how God extends His arm of mercy and provides a way out of our own impetuous, rash decisions before they become a sin to great to bear.
As with every passage of scripture, the life lessons and profound truths are numerous. This story holds truths I've yet to pick out. I can only write about the way it hits me and the about the truths that God points out to me at the time. My hope and prayer is that God sees deep into my own heart and finds the love I have for my King in spite of my rash and impetuous ways!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A NEW DAY -- A NEW MERCY
"I knew You were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!" (Jonah 4:2b, The Message)
My husband and I went through something several years ago that caused us to wish for some retribution on an offending party. Unlike Jonah with the Ninevites, we didn't really want God to strike them dead, but we did desire for God to bring some wrath upon them in our defense. (I don't know what sort of wrath I was hoping for -- I would never be able to pick. Maybe just something that looks like a spanking.) We even sat back and watched and waited for things to fall apart a little for this group of people. Thus far, we haven't seen any significant punishment come down. We've seen only mercy. Jonah is a lesson for me in God's rich and unfathomable mercy. He is merciful to the Ninevites and He is merciful to Jonah. I understand Jonah better than I like to admit.
Let's begin by reading Jonah 4.
Earlier in the story we saw how merciful God was with Jonah by saving his life and how Jonah repented and agreed to do God's will. But again, Jonah becomes angry with God -- so angry that he would rather die than live, again. Some lessons are very difficult to learn. Wouldn't you agree? The real reason for Jonah fleeing to Tarshish is revealed. He prays, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? THAT is why I was so quick to flee 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." (Emphasis mine.) Imagine yourself doing something you knew God wanted you to do knowing that you weren't going to like doing it. Then, after doing it, you say to yourself, "This was just as awful as I expected it to be!" You might take some comfort in knowing that you were obedient, but no comfort in the task itself. Can you imagine a situation like that? Have you been in a situation like that? That's how I felt regarding the situation I mentioned above. We were obedient in following through with what God had asked of us and it turned out to be just as difficult and uncomfortable as we expected it would be. I wonder if days or weeks later Jonah thought about what he said to God. Recognizing the irony in his words.
Questions for reflection:
Why would Jonah rather die than see God's mercy come to the Ninevites?
God had defended Israel against her enemies so many times. God had just delivered Israel from the rule of Damascus, and Israel was a little cocky. The Israelites always expected God to give them victory over their enemies (without any thought towards their own sinful state it would seem). Israel was quickly approaching a time when God would tolerate their promiscuity and unmerciful ways no longer and was beginning to prophecy to them through Amos and Hosea about their pending exile. The Israelites had become very narrow in their worldview and in their view of God's love. They weren't considering that God might just love and desire the best for all of His creation, enemy of Israel or not. So, for Jonah to accept God's love and mercy toward the Ninevites was counter-thinking -- Jonah's brain would need to make a complete 180 degree turn to consider God's love toward Nineveh. Tough spot for Jonah -- tough spot for Israel.
Questions for reflection:
What is the most difficult thing that God has ever askef of you?
Why did Jonah construct a shelter and sit down to watch what would happen to the city?
Think of a time when God constructed a shelter for you.
Has there ever been a time when you were disappointed in God's answer to you personally for a difficult situation?
Is it ever right to be angry with God?
Here's what's so real about Jonah for me: after giving Nineveh God's message he goes out and plants himself outside the city still holding out that God is going to bring some judgment upon this undeserving nation. He plops himself down in a pouting stupor to watch and wait. At this point he doesn't really know for sure that God is going to be merciful with them. Only time proved this out. He's fairly convinced that the Ninevites' reformed actions are not heartfelt and that their appeasement of his God by fasting and wearing sackcloth was just that, appeasement. He's thinking that their reformed ways cannot last and God will see and bring the retribution that will finally relieve Israel of this military threat once and for all. Keep in mind that God only recently saved Jonah's life, undeserving as he was. So he waits. He constructs a makeshift shelter to protect him from the wind and heat, and what does God do? He mercifully builds Jonah a better one by growing a large vine up to give him adequate shade. Now, God also brings a treacherous east wind and a worm that destroys the vine, but lest you think that God's mercy only went so far with Jonah, think again.
If God's mercy came to an end with any of us, we would die. It is because of His mercy that we live and breathe. "And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. . . For in Him we live and move andhave our being . . ." (Acts 17:25 & 28a, NIV) It is because of His mercy that He takes the time to teach us invaluable lessons like the one He teaches Jonah. Verse 6 tells us that Jonah was "very happy about the vine." Who wouldn't be. This is the only time through this whole story that we see this emotion. He might be thinking that because God relieved his suffering from the heat that He was was also going to comfort him and ease all his pain at this moment. He might be thinking that because God is merciful to him yet again (just like He's always been to Israel) that He will indeed see God overturn Nineveh. He's more than a little wrapped up in his own feelings and views. Maybe Jonah's view of God is that He is like one of those parents who can't stand to see their children be unhappy even for a moment about anything. You know the kind I'm talking about. The one's that ease their child's pain in every discomfort and get them out of every difficult circumstance. God is not that kind of a parent. And, we should be thankful. God always has a plan for our maturation. He's always working at helping us to see a bigger picture, a bigger love -- His perspective. Indeed, it is because of His mercy that He takes the time to teach us about His heart.
A new day dawned for Jonah. God's mercy was going to show up in Jonah's life all over again. We know that Jonah spent the night outside the city because verse 7 says that at dawn the next day God provided a worm which ate the vine. After the vine withered and died, God brought a scorching east wind causing Jonah to nearly faint from the heat. What does Jonah say? "It would be better for me to die than to live." (Shocking!) The east wind reveals the condition of Jonahs' heart attitude. He would rather die than live. He would rather die than live with God's mercy and compassion on his enemies. He would rather die than live with the fact that God loves the people of Nineveh. He loves God's mercy and compassion for himself. But then don't we all! The worm reveals Jonah's misplaced compassion for a plant over people. Jonah recognizes compassion, one of the theme's of this story, as something God possesses -- but he does not share this trait with Him. Instead, Jonah says (and at this point I can almost hear him myself), "I KNEW You would do this! I KNEW You would be merciful to these people! THAT is why I didn't want to go!" He basically wishes that God wasn't so good. Try as we might to be different, we all have our moments when we wish God to be exceedingly good to us but not so good to the undeserving people in our lives. Jonah did God's will but not with the right attitude. God asks him, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" Jonah says with assuredness, "I do. I am angry enough to die." The Ninevites cared nothing for Israel and Israel cared nothing for Nineveh. The evil that marked the Ninevites, now marks Jonah. Now Jonah himself needs to face God's punishment. Maybe, just maybe, Jonah deserved punishment more than the Ninevites because of God's ever-present grace and mercy in the lives and history of the Israelites. Instead, God shows Jonah the same compassion He'd shown Jonah's enemies.
I love the end of this story. After God reveals the condition of Jonah's heart, He reveals His own heart. His heart is for people and all of His creation. "But the Lord said, 'You have been concerned about his vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" End of story.
God loves all of His creation and so should we. There is no race of people better than the next -- no individual less sinful than another. We all share the same propensity toward sin. Israel was not blessed by God because they were a supreme race. They were blessed because of Abraham's obedience. Abraham was not a man without sin, either. He was just a man -- like Jonah. But, God made a promise to him and He was faithful to hold true to what He said, "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." (Genesis 18:18, NIV. Emphasis mine.) Israel was called "God's chosen people" because He chose them as a nation to do a specific job. One of Israel's jobs was to show other nations the grace and mercy of the one true living God!
I asked you earlier if it was ever right to be angry with God. What do you think about that? I know that God is always right and that He always has my best interest at heart, so . . . therefore, when I am angry with God it is safe to assume that I am in the wrong, not Him. But, I'm human and sinful, just like Jonah. My perspective is not always God's perspective. Many times my own worldview is very narrow. I get wrapped up in my own feelings. Sometimes I try to appease Him by just going through the motions of my faith -- trying to earn His love and mercy, just like the Ninevites. Yes, I do get angry with God sometimes. I don't always like His answer for me. But, you know what? God has really BIG shoulders. He can take my anger without feeling threatened or hurt. He is unmoveable in His purpose and love for me!
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23, NIV)
Cake everyone!
My husband and I went through something several years ago that caused us to wish for some retribution on an offending party. Unlike Jonah with the Ninevites, we didn't really want God to strike them dead, but we did desire for God to bring some wrath upon them in our defense. (I don't know what sort of wrath I was hoping for -- I would never be able to pick. Maybe just something that looks like a spanking.) We even sat back and watched and waited for things to fall apart a little for this group of people. Thus far, we haven't seen any significant punishment come down. We've seen only mercy. Jonah is a lesson for me in God's rich and unfathomable mercy. He is merciful to the Ninevites and He is merciful to Jonah. I understand Jonah better than I like to admit.
Let's begin by reading Jonah 4.
Earlier in the story we saw how merciful God was with Jonah by saving his life and how Jonah repented and agreed to do God's will. But again, Jonah becomes angry with God -- so angry that he would rather die than live, again. Some lessons are very difficult to learn. Wouldn't you agree? The real reason for Jonah fleeing to Tarshish is revealed. He prays, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? THAT is why I was so quick to flee 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." (Emphasis mine.) Imagine yourself doing something you knew God wanted you to do knowing that you weren't going to like doing it. Then, after doing it, you say to yourself, "This was just as awful as I expected it to be!" You might take some comfort in knowing that you were obedient, but no comfort in the task itself. Can you imagine a situation like that? Have you been in a situation like that? That's how I felt regarding the situation I mentioned above. We were obedient in following through with what God had asked of us and it turned out to be just as difficult and uncomfortable as we expected it would be. I wonder if days or weeks later Jonah thought about what he said to God. Recognizing the irony in his words.
Questions for reflection:
Why would Jonah rather die than see God's mercy come to the Ninevites?
God had defended Israel against her enemies so many times. God had just delivered Israel from the rule of Damascus, and Israel was a little cocky. The Israelites always expected God to give them victory over their enemies (without any thought towards their own sinful state it would seem). Israel was quickly approaching a time when God would tolerate their promiscuity and unmerciful ways no longer and was beginning to prophecy to them through Amos and Hosea about their pending exile. The Israelites had become very narrow in their worldview and in their view of God's love. They weren't considering that God might just love and desire the best for all of His creation, enemy of Israel or not. So, for Jonah to accept God's love and mercy toward the Ninevites was counter-thinking -- Jonah's brain would need to make a complete 180 degree turn to consider God's love toward Nineveh. Tough spot for Jonah -- tough spot for Israel.
Questions for reflection:
What is the most difficult thing that God has ever askef of you?
Why did Jonah construct a shelter and sit down to watch what would happen to the city?
Think of a time when God constructed a shelter for you.
Has there ever been a time when you were disappointed in God's answer to you personally for a difficult situation?
Is it ever right to be angry with God?
Here's what's so real about Jonah for me: after giving Nineveh God's message he goes out and plants himself outside the city still holding out that God is going to bring some judgment upon this undeserving nation. He plops himself down in a pouting stupor to watch and wait. At this point he doesn't really know for sure that God is going to be merciful with them. Only time proved this out. He's fairly convinced that the Ninevites' reformed actions are not heartfelt and that their appeasement of his God by fasting and wearing sackcloth was just that, appeasement. He's thinking that their reformed ways cannot last and God will see and bring the retribution that will finally relieve Israel of this military threat once and for all. Keep in mind that God only recently saved Jonah's life, undeserving as he was. So he waits. He constructs a makeshift shelter to protect him from the wind and heat, and what does God do? He mercifully builds Jonah a better one by growing a large vine up to give him adequate shade. Now, God also brings a treacherous east wind and a worm that destroys the vine, but lest you think that God's mercy only went so far with Jonah, think again.
If God's mercy came to an end with any of us, we would die. It is because of His mercy that we live and breathe. "And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. . . For in Him we live and move andhave our being . . ." (Acts 17:25 & 28a, NIV) It is because of His mercy that He takes the time to teach us invaluable lessons like the one He teaches Jonah. Verse 6 tells us that Jonah was "very happy about the vine." Who wouldn't be. This is the only time through this whole story that we see this emotion. He might be thinking that because God relieved his suffering from the heat that He was was also going to comfort him and ease all his pain at this moment. He might be thinking that because God is merciful to him yet again (just like He's always been to Israel) that He will indeed see God overturn Nineveh. He's more than a little wrapped up in his own feelings and views. Maybe Jonah's view of God is that He is like one of those parents who can't stand to see their children be unhappy even for a moment about anything. You know the kind I'm talking about. The one's that ease their child's pain in every discomfort and get them out of every difficult circumstance. God is not that kind of a parent. And, we should be thankful. God always has a plan for our maturation. He's always working at helping us to see a bigger picture, a bigger love -- His perspective. Indeed, it is because of His mercy that He takes the time to teach us about His heart.
A new day dawned for Jonah. God's mercy was going to show up in Jonah's life all over again. We know that Jonah spent the night outside the city because verse 7 says that at dawn the next day God provided a worm which ate the vine. After the vine withered and died, God brought a scorching east wind causing Jonah to nearly faint from the heat. What does Jonah say? "It would be better for me to die than to live." (Shocking!) The east wind reveals the condition of Jonahs' heart attitude. He would rather die than live. He would rather die than live with God's mercy and compassion on his enemies. He would rather die than live with the fact that God loves the people of Nineveh. He loves God's mercy and compassion for himself. But then don't we all! The worm reveals Jonah's misplaced compassion for a plant over people. Jonah recognizes compassion, one of the theme's of this story, as something God possesses -- but he does not share this trait with Him. Instead, Jonah says (and at this point I can almost hear him myself), "I KNEW You would do this! I KNEW You would be merciful to these people! THAT is why I didn't want to go!" He basically wishes that God wasn't so good. Try as we might to be different, we all have our moments when we wish God to be exceedingly good to us but not so good to the undeserving people in our lives. Jonah did God's will but not with the right attitude. God asks him, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" Jonah says with assuredness, "I do. I am angry enough to die." The Ninevites cared nothing for Israel and Israel cared nothing for Nineveh. The evil that marked the Ninevites, now marks Jonah. Now Jonah himself needs to face God's punishment. Maybe, just maybe, Jonah deserved punishment more than the Ninevites because of God's ever-present grace and mercy in the lives and history of the Israelites. Instead, God shows Jonah the same compassion He'd shown Jonah's enemies.
I love the end of this story. After God reveals the condition of Jonah's heart, He reveals His own heart. His heart is for people and all of His creation. "But the Lord said, 'You have been concerned about his vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" End of story.
God loves all of His creation and so should we. There is no race of people better than the next -- no individual less sinful than another. We all share the same propensity toward sin. Israel was not blessed by God because they were a supreme race. They were blessed because of Abraham's obedience. Abraham was not a man without sin, either. He was just a man -- like Jonah. But, God made a promise to him and He was faithful to hold true to what He said, "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." (Genesis 18:18, NIV. Emphasis mine.) Israel was called "God's chosen people" because He chose them as a nation to do a specific job. One of Israel's jobs was to show other nations the grace and mercy of the one true living God!
I asked you earlier if it was ever right to be angry with God. What do you think about that? I know that God is always right and that He always has my best interest at heart, so . . . therefore, when I am angry with God it is safe to assume that I am in the wrong, not Him. But, I'm human and sinful, just like Jonah. My perspective is not always God's perspective. Many times my own worldview is very narrow. I get wrapped up in my own feelings. Sometimes I try to appease Him by just going through the motions of my faith -- trying to earn His love and mercy, just like the Ninevites. Yes, I do get angry with God sometimes. I don't always like His answer for me. But, you know what? God has really BIG shoulders. He can take my anger without feeling threatened or hurt. He is unmoveable in His purpose and love for me!
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23, NIV)
Cake everyone!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Mercy Speaks Louder Than Words
"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion . . ." (Jonah 3:10a)
Read Jonah 3:5-10.
"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." Jonah spoke 8 graceless words to the people of Nineveh. What would you think if some foreigner came into your city and spoke those words in the city's downtown area? If you're anything like me, I would be hard pressed to think the person speaking to be anything but a nut. But, before you develop an answer to that question you need to put yourself in the shoes of a Ninevite. Because when they heard Jonah's less than compassionate, completely unremarkable message, "The Ninevites believed God." (vs. 5) Let's bring the Bible to life by looking at this place and time for a moment.
Regarding the place, Nineveh was a fierce city. It might be like you or me going to Iran or Burma and telling them that the God of universe was going to overthrow them. I can't imagine it setting well with the powers that be. Nineveh was notorious for their torture techniques. You might say they had it down to a fine art. This was a place that was feared by everyone. Regarding the time, prophets were common and accepted in the ancient world, and Ninevah would have had its own prophets running around. Because there were so many prophets, believing the right prophet was tricky business. Also commonplace was the use of omens. Omens were observations made in the natural world that were believed to be related to what the gods were doing in the spiritual world. One of the most common ways to observe omens was by examining the entrails of animals that had been sacrificed. (Gross! I know!) They had other ways of observing omens, this was just one of them. To a modern day Christian that sounds a little scary, something that's associated with the dark underworld. But, again, remove yourself from this present time. Back then using omens to predict the future was similar to the sailors aboard the ship casting lots to make a decision. Neither one represents time spent praying to God for an answer; nonetheless, we find that God used both to accomplish His will. All of that to say, that if the omens were unfavorable (meaning something bad was on the horizon) for a few days or weeks prior to Jonah's message then the people would have readily accepted the truth of his message. The omens would have supported what Jonah was telling them. If sacrifices were offered and the entrails verified an impending doom then Jonah's word would be taken very seriously. This was how Jonah, an Israelite, could bring a message to Ninevah, one of Israel's most feared enemies, without facing Nineveh's wrath and torture. Nineveh was more afraid of Jonah's message and his God than Jonah was of them. God had them ready.
Questions for reflection:
Think about a time when God used natural things to work in supernatural ways in your life. (Take a few moments to write it out because that helps you remember it as an important moment of grace in your walk with God.)
Prophets are not typically known for their own acts of mercy. Although not always as cold as Jonah was when delivering his message, they do tend to be rather harsh and unyielding about how others live their lives. Would it have been easy for you to add a measure of mercy and grace into that message? Would you have tried to soften the blow somehow?
Jonah's message could be accepted in spite of the fact that he was a foreigner. In a polytheistic society such as Nineveh, there could literally be hundred of gods, any of whom could impact their lives. If the Ninevites' omens supported Jonah's message, then they would have no reason to disbelieve it. In fact, that he was a foreigner only gave weight to the message. Why would someone have traveled such a great distance if not impelled by a god? Besides, it's not like Jonah's message threatened their beliefs. Hearing from prophets was common and accepted and sacrificial systems were practiced allowing for easy access to entrails and other body parts. It was a different time, a different place. The one constant in our history is the nature of mankind. In that sense we can always find commonality with the characters of the Bible.
Apparently, when this message reached the King's ears, even he believed. He rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. He officially declared a fast and commanded his people to call upon God, to give up their evil ways and their violence. Since the Ninevites did not know Jonah's God personally, they reacted to the message as best they could in an effort to appease this most powerful God. They acted the way an Israelite would act (after all it was Israel's God). They wore sackcloth and fasted. Even the animals wore sackcloth and fasted. (That must have been a funny sight!) The Ninevites undoubtedly heard many of the stories of the miracles that God had performed on Israel's behalf. Still, in their minds, because of how they were brought up and taught, and, although Israel's God was to be feared, Yahweh was still just one of many gods to be feared. There is no indication that the Ninevites turned from their false gods to worship the One true living God. In fact, the introduction of another "god" did not preclude the worship of the gods with which they were already familiar. By inquiring about the God of the Israelites, they could easily learn that He was a God of justice and so they acted accordingly. They cleaned up their act and, for a time, responded with some reforms. It's no different for you and me. When someone is introduced to Jesus Christ, it's unlikely that he or she would give up all of their current vices and bad habits (other "gods") because of it. It usually takes time for changes like these to occur. I struggle to live up to my own convictions every day. I am always missing the mark. The Ninevites recognized God's power and responded and God extended His mercy to them -- the very thing He wanted to do. You can be assured that the other gods they worshiped were not merciful -- not like the God of Israel! "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." (Psalm 89:14, NIV) Maybe this was the only message necessary for now. Maybe this was enough. We don't know how many Ninevites gave serious attention to God's mercy that day -- whose lives were not just changed for that day, but forever.
Questions for reflection:
Have you ever responded to God in a purely outward way (like the Ninevites putting on sackcloth and fasting because they thought this was what God required)? Did it remain purely outward, or did a change of heart eventually follow?
What do you think the ramifications were for Jonah upon returning to Israel and announcing that God did not bring judgment upon their enemies, but mercy?
The final chapter brings me to the following conclusion about Jonah: Jonah is a big baby. At least that's how he acts. Seriously, what a pouter! We'll discuss Jonah's behavior in my final installment on the Book of Jonah.
Read Jonah 3:5-10.
"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." Jonah spoke 8 graceless words to the people of Nineveh. What would you think if some foreigner came into your city and spoke those words in the city's downtown area? If you're anything like me, I would be hard pressed to think the person speaking to be anything but a nut. But, before you develop an answer to that question you need to put yourself in the shoes of a Ninevite. Because when they heard Jonah's less than compassionate, completely unremarkable message, "The Ninevites believed God." (vs. 5) Let's bring the Bible to life by looking at this place and time for a moment.
Regarding the place, Nineveh was a fierce city. It might be like you or me going to Iran or Burma and telling them that the God of universe was going to overthrow them. I can't imagine it setting well with the powers that be. Nineveh was notorious for their torture techniques. You might say they had it down to a fine art. This was a place that was feared by everyone. Regarding the time, prophets were common and accepted in the ancient world, and Ninevah would have had its own prophets running around. Because there were so many prophets, believing the right prophet was tricky business. Also commonplace was the use of omens. Omens were observations made in the natural world that were believed to be related to what the gods were doing in the spiritual world. One of the most common ways to observe omens was by examining the entrails of animals that had been sacrificed. (Gross! I know!) They had other ways of observing omens, this was just one of them. To a modern day Christian that sounds a little scary, something that's associated with the dark underworld. But, again, remove yourself from this present time. Back then using omens to predict the future was similar to the sailors aboard the ship casting lots to make a decision. Neither one represents time spent praying to God for an answer; nonetheless, we find that God used both to accomplish His will. All of that to say, that if the omens were unfavorable (meaning something bad was on the horizon) for a few days or weeks prior to Jonah's message then the people would have readily accepted the truth of his message. The omens would have supported what Jonah was telling them. If sacrifices were offered and the entrails verified an impending doom then Jonah's word would be taken very seriously. This was how Jonah, an Israelite, could bring a message to Ninevah, one of Israel's most feared enemies, without facing Nineveh's wrath and torture. Nineveh was more afraid of Jonah's message and his God than Jonah was of them. God had them ready.
Questions for reflection:
Think about a time when God used natural things to work in supernatural ways in your life. (Take a few moments to write it out because that helps you remember it as an important moment of grace in your walk with God.)
Prophets are not typically known for their own acts of mercy. Although not always as cold as Jonah was when delivering his message, they do tend to be rather harsh and unyielding about how others live their lives. Would it have been easy for you to add a measure of mercy and grace into that message? Would you have tried to soften the blow somehow?
Jonah's message could be accepted in spite of the fact that he was a foreigner. In a polytheistic society such as Nineveh, there could literally be hundred of gods, any of whom could impact their lives. If the Ninevites' omens supported Jonah's message, then they would have no reason to disbelieve it. In fact, that he was a foreigner only gave weight to the message. Why would someone have traveled such a great distance if not impelled by a god? Besides, it's not like Jonah's message threatened their beliefs. Hearing from prophets was common and accepted and sacrificial systems were practiced allowing for easy access to entrails and other body parts. It was a different time, a different place. The one constant in our history is the nature of mankind. In that sense we can always find commonality with the characters of the Bible.
Apparently, when this message reached the King's ears, even he believed. He rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. He officially declared a fast and commanded his people to call upon God, to give up their evil ways and their violence. Since the Ninevites did not know Jonah's God personally, they reacted to the message as best they could in an effort to appease this most powerful God. They acted the way an Israelite would act (after all it was Israel's God). They wore sackcloth and fasted. Even the animals wore sackcloth and fasted. (That must have been a funny sight!) The Ninevites undoubtedly heard many of the stories of the miracles that God had performed on Israel's behalf. Still, in their minds, because of how they were brought up and taught, and, although Israel's God was to be feared, Yahweh was still just one of many gods to be feared. There is no indication that the Ninevites turned from their false gods to worship the One true living God. In fact, the introduction of another "god" did not preclude the worship of the gods with which they were already familiar. By inquiring about the God of the Israelites, they could easily learn that He was a God of justice and so they acted accordingly. They cleaned up their act and, for a time, responded with some reforms. It's no different for you and me. When someone is introduced to Jesus Christ, it's unlikely that he or she would give up all of their current vices and bad habits (other "gods") because of it. It usually takes time for changes like these to occur. I struggle to live up to my own convictions every day. I am always missing the mark. The Ninevites recognized God's power and responded and God extended His mercy to them -- the very thing He wanted to do. You can be assured that the other gods they worshiped were not merciful -- not like the God of Israel! "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." (Psalm 89:14, NIV) Maybe this was the only message necessary for now. Maybe this was enough. We don't know how many Ninevites gave serious attention to God's mercy that day -- whose lives were not just changed for that day, but forever.
Questions for reflection:
Have you ever responded to God in a purely outward way (like the Ninevites putting on sackcloth and fasting because they thought this was what God required)? Did it remain purely outward, or did a change of heart eventually follow?
What do you think the ramifications were for Jonah upon returning to Israel and announcing that God did not bring judgment upon their enemies, but mercy?
The final chapter brings me to the following conclusion about Jonah: Jonah is a big baby. At least that's how he acts. Seriously, what a pouter! We'll discuss Jonah's behavior in my final installment on the Book of Jonah.
Monday, April 6, 2009
An Attitude Adjustment for Jonah
"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God." Jonah 2:1
Have you ever had to have an attitude adjustment? It's not a pleasant experience. It usually means that God is going to take me through a difficult situation to help me see things with a little different (hopefully better) perspective. It's usually happens when I think I'm impervious to a certain sin or behavior or attitude. Like the time I thought I could just open my mouth and spout God's word like some sort of fix-all for someone else's painful situation. The problem wasn't with God's word or the application of it in their particular situation. The problem was with my arrogance and my lack of love and sensitivity to the other person's heart and problem. I was told so by the other party and it shot me down. But, I learned to be more of a listener and my attitude was adjusted accordingly.
Start today by reading all of Jonah 2 and also Jonah 3:1-4.
Jonah's time spent in the belly of a fish became the start of a major attitude adjustment. Jonah recognizes his time inside the fish as God's merciful deliverance from death and repents. When you read the 2 chapter of Jonah you hear in his voice the cries of someone who just can't feel any lower and realizes the depths (literally) from whence he came. "From the depths of the grave I called . . . You hurled me into the deep . . . the deep surrounded me . . . To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever." Jonah knows that the sea could have and should have swallowed up his life and I'm sure that he expected to die. But now, Jonah sits in the belly of this big fish and contemplates what just happened. I'm not certain that Jonah even thinks that there is hope beyond the belly of the fish, though I think he suspects that there might be life beyond his present situation because he plans to make good on the vow he's made to the Lord (whatever that may be). Jonah knows one thing at this point: he is alive. He offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord and makes a vow to Him. The Lord, in His mercy, commands the big fish to vomit Jonah out (nice image) and, conveniently, Jonah lands on dry ground.
Questions for reflection:
Have you ever been so thankful to God for His rescue from a difficult or frightening situation that you made promises or vows to Him in response? Think about what those promises or vows were? Did you follow through with them?
You can imagine that Jonah might lay there on the beach for a bit before getting up and moving on with life. If it was me, I might have laid there and re-capped what just happened, how I got in the situation I was just in. I might be trying to wrap my head around the fact that I just spent 3 days of my life inside of a fish. I would most certainly be considering my impending task ahead (the whole reason for my current situation). There was a lot that just happened in his life. Think about it. We've all heard this story so much that we easily take it for granted. But let's you and I recap. Jonah was just given a monumental task to do for the Lord. (A task he wasn't happy about and that made him angry.) He made the monumental decision to run away from God. (Never a good idea.) He was thrown overboard and given monumental mercy from God by being rescued from death. (There's that exquisite Grace again!) He was swallowed by a monumental fish! (Big, big Grace!) He sat inside the fish for 3 days of which I am sure was monumental torture. (I don't know if you've really thought about what that was like, but please do.) All of the events leading up to this moment lying on the beach are monumental.
Jonah must go to Nineveh. I suspect that that was the vow that Jonah made to God -- to follow through with what God had asked him to do. Although, let's not make the mistake of thinking that Jonah is any happier about doing it. He did indeed get an attitude adjustment -- enough of an adjustment to decide to be obedient. Not enough of one to be happy about what his obedience required. But, that's ok. We're not always happy with what God asks us to do. Some things are difficult. To say that we do all things with exquisite joy is not realistic. Jonah must go to Nineveh.
When he reaches the great city, he delivers God's message of impending judgment. Now, Jonah wasn't a missionary. He was a prophet. It's a different gift. (It was a different skill set -- just as important :).) A missionary would bring a message of salvation to everyone who would listen convincing them of God's love and grace. A prophet brings a specific message to a particular audience. You can tell by Jonah's message that he was not happy about being there. He says (half-heartedly, I'm sure), "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." (3:4, NIV) Count them -- 8 words. He did the bare minimum. He used the fewest amount of words possible. No call to repentance. No instruction about what God might want from them. No conviction of their sins. No convincing the Ninevites of the love of God. His message was short and terse. I'm thinking he knew the message would bring fear, but he also suspected that God was going to be merciful with them. God just doesn't play by our rules, does He? Jonah is conflicted and troubled and he probably just wants to get out of there.
Questions for reflection:
If you were to deliver that message to Nineveh, would it have been easy or difficult for you to add a measure of mercy and grace into that message? Do you think you would have tried to soften the blow by directing them towards repentance?
Next time:
How did the Ninevites come to believe Jonah's message?
If the Ninevites were so cruel to Israel, how did Jonah get away with giving his message without facing their cruelty?
We'll talk about these questions in my next and last installment of my thoughts and teachings on the Book of Jonah. Let me know what you think!
Cake,
Kerry
Have you ever had to have an attitude adjustment? It's not a pleasant experience. It usually means that God is going to take me through a difficult situation to help me see things with a little different (hopefully better) perspective. It's usually happens when I think I'm impervious to a certain sin or behavior or attitude. Like the time I thought I could just open my mouth and spout God's word like some sort of fix-all for someone else's painful situation. The problem wasn't with God's word or the application of it in their particular situation. The problem was with my arrogance and my lack of love and sensitivity to the other person's heart and problem. I was told so by the other party and it shot me down. But, I learned to be more of a listener and my attitude was adjusted accordingly.
Start today by reading all of Jonah 2 and also Jonah 3:1-4.
Jonah's time spent in the belly of a fish became the start of a major attitude adjustment. Jonah recognizes his time inside the fish as God's merciful deliverance from death and repents. When you read the 2 chapter of Jonah you hear in his voice the cries of someone who just can't feel any lower and realizes the depths (literally) from whence he came. "From the depths of the grave I called . . . You hurled me into the deep . . . the deep surrounded me . . . To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever." Jonah knows that the sea could have and should have swallowed up his life and I'm sure that he expected to die. But now, Jonah sits in the belly of this big fish and contemplates what just happened. I'm not certain that Jonah even thinks that there is hope beyond the belly of the fish, though I think he suspects that there might be life beyond his present situation because he plans to make good on the vow he's made to the Lord (whatever that may be). Jonah knows one thing at this point: he is alive. He offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord and makes a vow to Him. The Lord, in His mercy, commands the big fish to vomit Jonah out (nice image) and, conveniently, Jonah lands on dry ground.
Questions for reflection:
Have you ever been so thankful to God for His rescue from a difficult or frightening situation that you made promises or vows to Him in response? Think about what those promises or vows were? Did you follow through with them?
You can imagine that Jonah might lay there on the beach for a bit before getting up and moving on with life. If it was me, I might have laid there and re-capped what just happened, how I got in the situation I was just in. I might be trying to wrap my head around the fact that I just spent 3 days of my life inside of a fish. I would most certainly be considering my impending task ahead (the whole reason for my current situation). There was a lot that just happened in his life. Think about it. We've all heard this story so much that we easily take it for granted. But let's you and I recap. Jonah was just given a monumental task to do for the Lord. (A task he wasn't happy about and that made him angry.) He made the monumental decision to run away from God. (Never a good idea.) He was thrown overboard and given monumental mercy from God by being rescued from death. (There's that exquisite Grace again!) He was swallowed by a monumental fish! (Big, big Grace!) He sat inside the fish for 3 days of which I am sure was monumental torture. (I don't know if you've really thought about what that was like, but please do.) All of the events leading up to this moment lying on the beach are monumental.
Jonah must go to Nineveh. I suspect that that was the vow that Jonah made to God -- to follow through with what God had asked him to do. Although, let's not make the mistake of thinking that Jonah is any happier about doing it. He did indeed get an attitude adjustment -- enough of an adjustment to decide to be obedient. Not enough of one to be happy about what his obedience required. But, that's ok. We're not always happy with what God asks us to do. Some things are difficult. To say that we do all things with exquisite joy is not realistic. Jonah must go to Nineveh.
When he reaches the great city, he delivers God's message of impending judgment. Now, Jonah wasn't a missionary. He was a prophet. It's a different gift. (It was a different skill set -- just as important :).) A missionary would bring a message of salvation to everyone who would listen convincing them of God's love and grace. A prophet brings a specific message to a particular audience. You can tell by Jonah's message that he was not happy about being there. He says (half-heartedly, I'm sure), "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." (3:4, NIV) Count them -- 8 words. He did the bare minimum. He used the fewest amount of words possible. No call to repentance. No instruction about what God might want from them. No conviction of their sins. No convincing the Ninevites of the love of God. His message was short and terse. I'm thinking he knew the message would bring fear, but he also suspected that God was going to be merciful with them. God just doesn't play by our rules, does He? Jonah is conflicted and troubled and he probably just wants to get out of there.
Questions for reflection:
If you were to deliver that message to Nineveh, would it have been easy or difficult for you to add a measure of mercy and grace into that message? Do you think you would have tried to soften the blow by directing them towards repentance?
Next time:
How did the Ninevites come to believe Jonah's message?
If the Ninevites were so cruel to Israel, how did Jonah get away with giving his message without facing their cruelty?
We'll talk about these questions in my next and last installment of my thoughts and teachings on the Book of Jonah. Let me know what you think!
Cake,
Kerry
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