The short book of Jonah tells the story of God’s merciful dealings with a disobedient prophet and the horrid city of Nineveh. Nineveh was a city found within Assyria, the nation that would eventually destroy Israel and take them captive. Jonah, a prophet we know very little about, is commanded to go and call out to the city to repent of their wicked ways.
But Jonah, instead, decides to go to Tarshish. I remember the first time I taught on Jonah I was looking for Tarshish in my Bible atlas and I couldn’t find it anywhere and that’s because it was in the exact opposite direction! Jonah was essentially told to go east to preach to the people of Nineveh. He doesn’t go northeast. He doesn’t go southeast. He doesn’t alter the route subtly. Jonah goes west. He goes in the exact opposite direction of where God called him to go! He was altogether entirely disobedient to what God told him to do.
We know the story, when he’s on the ship a mighty tempest comes from the Lord (1:4) and after casting lots the guilty party is found, and the decision is made to cast Jonah overboard (1:15). At this point, all hope should be lost for Jonah. He was disobedient. He deserved punishment for his sins, and the sailors concluded alongside Jonah that to jettison the disobedient prophet was better than getting rid of more cargo.
But the good news is that the Lord had appointed a great fish (1:17). Later we’ll see the same word used to describe God’s appointing of a plant, a worm, and a scorching wind (4:6-8). Many people have issue with the miracles of the bible because of their worldview, but Jonah being swallowed by a giant fish of some persuasion is near the top of the complaints you might hear. To this, we have to remember it was a special fish that was divinely appointed by God. God prepared a single fish for the task of extending His radical mercy upon a disobedient prophet. Truly this fish was an expression of divine grace.
Jonah deserved punishment for his sins. He deserved to be cast aside. He deserved to be forgotten. He deserved nothing good. In response? God gives Jonah what he doesn’t deserve: a second chance. Truly what should amaze us more than a man living in the belly of a giant fish for three days is that God would extend such undeserved mercy and grace to His disobedient servant! Jonah is given a second chance, and Jonah obeys. He calls the people of Nineveh to repentance, and the Ninevites respond in kind. They turn from their wicked ways, donning themselves in sackcloth and ashes (3:5-9). In response, God turned from the evil He intended to do to them (3:10).
Truly what should amaze us more than a man living in the belly of a giant fish for three days is that God would extend such undeserved mercy and grace to His disobedient servant!
It’s only then that we learn of the primary reason for the prophet’s disobedience. He didn’t disobey out of fear. He didn’t disobey because the mission was hard. He disobeyed because he knew God’s nature and he didn’t think these people were deserving of forgiveness! (4:2). Ironically, they were in the same boat as Jonah (pun intended!) Jonah ends up so offended with God that he believes he’s angry enough to die. To this, God gives Jonah one final object lesson, appointing a special plant to give Jonah comfort and then destroying it with a worm and causing a hot scorching wind to come and begin to cook the grumbling prophet. God points out that if Jonah was willing to pity a plant that he didn’t work for at all, surely it makes sense for God to pity 120,000 people in Nineveh and their animals (4:11). Ironically, Jonah’s writing is rare compared to much of Scripture in that it ends on a sour note. We have a grumbling, disappointed prophet, that was hoping to see God torch Nineveh. He didn’t appreciate grace that was extended to others, but surely, he appreciated that it was extended to him.
We do well to remember that God is a gracious and merciful God and that He has promised us forgiveness and cleansing in Christ when we confess our sins to Him (1 Jn. 1:9). Let’s also remember that this promise isn’t just for us. God’s seemingly scandalous mercy is extended to all who will turn to Christ in faith. There might be plenty who don’t look like us, act like us, talk like us, or think like us that God will save. Our job isn’t to try and distribute God’s mercy according to our preferences but to remember that His grace is for all who will believe, no matter who they are or what they look like.
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