A Pitiful Prophet

Jonah was a pretty sorry excuse for a prophet, y’all. That man failed in so many ways.

I mean, let’s take a look at that story in the Old Testament book that bears his name. From what we read there in the first few verses, I think it’s a safe assumption that Jonah was someone with a significant relationship with God – significant enough that God used him to speak to others because it is stated rather matter-of-factly that God told Jonah to go deliver a message to the Ninevites, as if this was not an unusual exchange between them. Apparently, the man was familiar enough with God’s voice to recognize it when he heard it.

But he didn’t go. And it’s not like he just sat at home and ignored that familiar voice; he ran away. He purposefully moved in the opposition direction because, as he tells the Lord later, he didn’t want to give his enemies a chance to receive mercy from God. Thus the infamous fish story that you can read in chapters 1 and 2.

Do you notice, by the way, that when Jonah was on that ship fleeing, he knew that his rebellion was the reason for that storm . . . and yet he still wasn’t willing to turn around and obey? He told the men on the boat to just throw him overboard. He would rather DIE than do God’s will.

But God didn’t let him off the hook with death. He made him sit inside a fish for three days – like, “Nope, you’re not getting out of this that easily. You’re grounded, buddy. Right here in this smelly gut until you are ready to submit.”

And even when he finally relented and went to Ninevah as asked, he didn’t do the job well. Intentionally so, I suspect. There’s no record of him even mentioning the Lord’s name to them at all. “Forty more days and Ninevah will be overthrown.” That was the sum of his message. He didn’t call them to repent; he just announced judgment. The fact that the whole city – from the king down – actively sought the face of a Lord they didn't know and that he didn’t even mention is pretty darn miraculous, actually. It all seems to have happened despite Jonah rather than because of him.

And in the end, that pissed him off. Somewhere deep down, he knew God was going to end up having mercy on these people, and he wanted no part of that. In fact, he vehemently proclaimed several times that he would rather be dead than watch this travesty of justice.

So, even though Jonah completely sucked as a prophet, God used him anyway and got done what he intended to get done in Ninevah. The people repented and turned to him. He rescued the ones he loved. It was a happily-ever-after ending for everyone.

Except Jonah. HE was the only one who missed out on the blessing here.

Here’s what I find fascinating about this. We have to assume that God was well aware of Jonah’s heart from the start. He knew exactly what was going to happen here. He knew that Jonah was going to run away . . . he knew that Jonah was going to slack off on the job . . . he knew that Jonah was going to be angry with the results. And yet he still picked Jonah to do the work.

WHY, for Pete’s sake??

You know what I suspect might be the point of the story here? That God does not give up on his stubborn, rebellious children. And I’m not talking about the Ninevites, the obvious rebels. I’m talking about the Jonahs – the church-going folk who openly claim him as Lord and yet give him a bad name. Who are happy to accept God’s grace for themselves but refuse to share it with a “less-deserving” other.

Sometimes, the Lord calls us to do what we don’t want to do – work that accomplishes his purposes that we may not want accomplished. Because he wants to teach us what his purposes really are so we know him better . . . and maybe know ourselves better, too.

Friends, I’m reading Jonah this week and checking my spirit to see if that’s me. If I’m fighting God about something and not even aware. I would much rather be spared the trial in the fish guts and get included in the blessing.