Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 25)

In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis has Screwtape, an arch demon, instruct his nephew understudy Wormwood on “the painful subject of prayer.”  Samuel Chadwick, a Methodist minister, said, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”

There is, indeed, an eloquence to Jonah’s prayer in chapter 2.  His prayer is honest, passionate, thankful, personal.  His prayer is not mere words, but expresses his determination to do what God wanted him to do: to make good his vows to the Lord.

How is Jonah’s prayer received by the Lord?  God shows He accepts Jonah’s prayer by the act of regurgitation!  The Lord has the specially-prepared sea creature get close enough to land to spit out its human clump onto a dry beach.

But has Jonah’s heart really changed?  Or was his life (like ours) a collection of rebellions and capitulations, sometimes doing God’s will and sometimes running from it?

After a hot bath with lots of soap, Jonah has homework to do.  He must learn just enough Assyrian to speak the message God gave him to speak.  And no more.  (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 24)

God is not above using FORCE to get His point across.  Just as a loving parent might harshly grab a child who is wandering out onto a busy road, God does not hesitate to use nature and unbelievers (!) to stop His stubborn child in his rebellion.

We come now to Jonah’s orthodox statement here in chapter two.  He concludes his prayer with the words “Salvation comes from the Lord.”

It appears from what we read later that Jonah suspected that God would save the Ninevites.  Even though his message was a message against their wickedness and one announcing their judgment, Jonah knew his God and believed that “judgment was His strange work” (Is. 28:21).

Salvation or judgment — That is man’s choice.  But first man must realize that he needs saving.  And that need becomes apparent when God’s holiness and wrath against sin is articulated — hopefully by His willing messengers.

But such a simple message — man is a sinner and God is holy and man needs salvation — is being edited, repackaged, and revised today.  There’s even a group of people who call themselves “Evangelical universalists” who say that all without exception will be saved (whether they want to be or not).

There are many who are on that broad road to destruction (the King James Bible puts Matthew 7:13 so elegantly: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”).  And God sends Jonahs today to say just that.  (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 23)

Let’s recap just a little.  Jonah was commissioned by God to go preach against the wickedness of the Ninevites — and he wordlessly fled in the other direction from God.  God tracks him down, sends a massive storm, and forces the pagan sailors to dump their cargo and their disobedient Jewish missionary.

The sea becomes calm and Jonah is saved from drowning by a large sea creature.  He gets swallowed but not eaten.  In that fish’s belly Jonah finally decides to talk to the Lord.

In his somewhat elegant prayer, Jonah leaves no doubt that he was certain his life was OVER.  But God spared him and rescued him from his idolatry.   What was Jonah’s idolatry?  He wasn’t tempted to join those pagan sailors in worshiping their gods, was he?

It seems to me that Jonah’s idolatry was, in a sense, much more subtle.  He worshiped his own perspective, his own evaluation of the situation.  He placed more value in his running away from God than his willingly submitting to the “God who made the sea and the dry land.”

This kind of idolatry comes much more naturally to us — and there are no large, hand-crafted statues to carry around!  Internal idolatry is the most lethal.  It may be difficult to recognize and even more difficult to abandon.  Especially if we don’t have any terrified sailors threatening to toss us overboard! (to be continued)

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 22)

Analyzing another person’s prayers is always a dangerous thing.  But Jonah 2 was given so that we might learn some valuable lessons.  And his prayer meeting inside the sea creature’s gullet assures us that wherever we are, we can pray!

I pray when my distress meter is starting to max out.  How about you?

I know that I need to see my circumstances in life as actions of God in drawing me to Himself.  True, I’ve not been tossed overboard by newly-converted formerly pagan sailors to calm an angry sea, but I am living in the world God made — and He wants me to serve Him with all the energy I can muster.

Often, however, I resort to IDOLATRY!  Yes!  A veteran, 67-year-old theologian who ought to know better!  I value other things more than the Lord and make decisions based on what I think are my best interests!  You don’t think you lapse (or dive) into idolatry from time to time?  Check out Tim Keller’s book and read it with an open mind.

Clinging to any idols today?  Some of my more dangerous ones are: self-sufficiency, autonomy, respect, pride, etc.  Got any that you dare to list in the Comment section below?  (to be continued)

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 21)

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with prayer.  I guess I see it as a passive, last-chance option.  But prayer is never portrayed that way in the Bible.  I really need to train my mind and heart to see prayer as one of the believer’s greatest weapons — a tool to be used against discouragement, confusion, and uncertainty.

Jonah was pretty certain he was going to drown.  But then God saved him!  Prayer gave Jonah the opportunity to reflect on his distress and his banishment from God.  [I’m not sure Jonah’s heart ever really changes as we’ll see in chapter 4.]

What difference would it make if I looked at my life as one which had been “brought up from the pit” (v. 6)?  Do you feel that your life is “ebbing away”?  Not a one of us is going to escape death (unless the Lord returns).  Aren’t you glad you’re reading this blog this morning?

What is crystal clear to Jonah is that IDOLATRY is foolish!  He says, “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” (v. 8).  IDOLATRY or GOD’S LOVE — your choice.  And mine.

G.K. Chesterton said it best: “He who does not believe in God will believe in anything.”  But we’re not in danger of idolatry, are we? (to be continued)

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 20)

Let’s begin our examination of Jonah’s prayer in chapter two this morning.  He is in an unusual place, to be sure, but his prayer is sincere, heartfelt, and, most likely, smelly!  He is somewhere safe — and he is grateful that God has spared his life from drowning.

Jonah prays “to the Lord his God.”  This was a deeper prayer than the sincere one offered by the pagan sailors in chapter one.  Jonah knew “the Lord his God” and he speaks with the One who rescued him.

Several truths jump out at me as I look at this prayer:

(1)  Jonah prayed when he was distressed (v. 2).  That’s a great time to pray!

(2)  Jonah recognized that GOD was behind the sailors’ action in tossing him overboard:  “You hurled me into the depths”; “all your waves and breakers swept over me” (v. 3).

(3)  Jonah sensed that he was “banished” from the Lord’s sight, but he found hope in looking towards God’s holy temple (v. 4).

(4)  Jonah realized (as he sailed through the air and plunged into the ocean’s depths) that his life was over.  Engulfing waters and straggling seaweed were certain to bring an end to his renegade days (v. 5).  (to be continued)

My prayer:  “Lord of the sea and the ocean depths — Remind me that YOU are the Creator and that creation listens to You and does Your will.  Help me, as a creature made in Your image, to do the same!   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

 

 

 

Jonah: Belief Contradicted by Behavior (Part 19)

As we move on to chapter two, we notice that Jonah has become a man of prayer.  A man of one prayer, at least!  Let’s first discuss the location of his prayer meeting:  “inside the fish”!  Scholars and scientists have long debated the “issue” of Jonah being swallowed by a “whale.”  Several items must be kept in mind:  (1)  The Bible doesn’t say “whale.”

The Hebrew term here is dag and is simply translated “fish.”  (2)  When Jesus compares His burial to Jonah, the term used in Matthew 12:40 is κήτους, meaning a large fish, sea monster, whale (Mounce). It is translated as follows in several English versions: “the whale” (ASV), “sea monster” (AMP & NRSV), “big fish” (WHALE IS NOT A FISH!) (CEV), “great fish” (DARBY), “whale’s belly” (KJV).

(3) As to what kind of fish this was, there is utterly no way of knowing (a whale is not a fish). A commentator says, “Many scholars have needlessly exercised themselves in trying to help God out (!) by finding a record of some great fish that could actually swallow a man; but such “findings” have no value at all. The event here described is clearly beyond nature and above it. The supernatural is written on every word of this narrative.”

One writer says, “All Jonah probably knew was that he was somewhere safe where he could breathe and pray. It would only be later that he discovered that he was in the innards of a large fish. And knowing that he had been saved from certain death he was no doubt confident that God would sort everything out.”

Our challenge for today?  God is able to rescue His servant to get His work done!  And prayer ought to be our first response to the Lord.  Get somewhere safe — and pray!  (to be continued)