Jonah, and Other Prophets

For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (James 5:10 NLT)

I have always found it remarkable that during the years of Israel’s spiritual and moral decline before they went to the Babylonian Captivity, there were a host of prophets through whom God spoke in His attempt to turn them around, and return them to His straight path. Even more remarkable is the fact that even though in later years these prophets would be venerated, and memorialized in written scripture, many would, in their own day, be ignored or unrecognized as the people and their leaders went their own way.

Certainly, in like manner, there are many voices today that are telling us to turn back from the path of destruction that we seem to be following. Just like Israel, we are ignoring them. We are failing to recognize that they are giving us a message from our God; calling us to turn around and to refocus on Him and His leadership. We are ignoring the voices through which He is calling for our attention, and going about our own way, in our old familiar comfort zones. After all, we reason, “If we were not favored by God for our righteousness, why would we have so many blessings” (meaning material wealth)! And “if we are just doing what we have always done, why would we not get what we have always got?”

I talked about some of the present day voices in a previous post (Other Voices, published 10/5/13). There are many more besides those that I mentioned in that post. Many are heeding their voices and doing what pleases God in these uncertain days. Sadly, I am seeing more and more people, including believers, who ought to know better, who are ignoring them, and writing them off as kooks, and going about their business. Israel must have done just about that same thing.

There is one prophet in particular that I have been thinking about as of late: Jonah. God sent Jonah to the Ninevites (Gentiles). Jonah ran the other way. After his disobedience turned to disaster, he accepted God’s plan, and went to Nineveh and delivered his appointed message.  As odd as it seemed to Jonah, they repented! According to scripture, they took God’s message to heart:

When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.   Jonah 3: 6-10 NLT

And what was Jonah’s response this?

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” Jonah 4: 1-3 NLT

We always puzzle a little bit at this response from Jonah. Wouldn’t he be pleased if his word was heeded, and the response positive? Reflecting on this, I have realized two reasons that Jonah was upset with this response:

First, there was the matter that, because of their repentance, Jonah’s prophecy did not come true. Remember the line we quoted from Moses a while back?

“But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’  If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22 NLT)

The fact that Jonah’s prophecy did not come about was a matter of pride to him. It made him look like a false prophet, or at least, on this occasion, the bearer of a false prophecy. Moreover, it made him feel like a fool! God’s goal is the moral, and spiritual repentance of our society, and He stands ready to forgive and restore. However, if they do turn around, Jonathan Cahn, David Wilkerson, and many others, including myself are going to look like Chicken Little, who went around decrying that “the sky is falling”

Second, Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites in the first place. He wanted to see them perish and fall into ruin! They were the enemy. He would have felt better about their fall than their salvation. In the view of my “natural man” I find myself thinking this same thing. God, however, in His love and compassion, would rather see nothing else than for our world to turn to Him and be saved, both on the societal level and on the personal level. If we could see the world through His eyes, our hearts would break with compassion just as His does.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.