Broken Beyond Repair - Pt 2

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2 ESV).

We do not know exactly how God spoke to Jonah and how he became conscious that the Lord was speaking to him, but the fact is made quite clear that God gave several precise directions to him. It is important for us to recognize three principles as we being our journey through this short biographical book. First, we should not how definite they were. Look at verse two again in our reading. God always gives His instructions clearly. He did to Moses (cf. Exodus 3:10-12), to Joshua (cf. Joshua 1:1-9), Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 6:8-9), to Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 1:4-10), and to Paul and Barnabas (cf. Acts 13:2). It is the same today. This is true regardless of the specifics about the call of God. There is no difference between the call of God to clergy or laity. That is an age-old heresy. God’s call is unmistakable in the gifts and path God gives to each of us. Each one is specific and vital to the kingdom. Second, notice how disturbing they were. Jonah was clearly out of touch with the Lord when these instructions came to him, otherwise he would have been ready to obey Him straightaway. When God calls to a special task it inevitably means an upheaval. This was certainly a drastic change for Jonah. God called him to leave his home where he had security, friends, and family in order to preach to his hated, mortal enemies. It was no different for Jesus when he left his kingdom to come to earth. The Apostle Paul knew this sacrifice and explains it well for us: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God ra thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV). Third, notice how difficult the instructions were. To go to Nineveh and denounce the sins of the people was no easy task. Nineveh was the greatest city in the most powerful monarchy in the world. It was about 60 miles in circumference and containing streets and avenues 20 miles long. Its walls were 100 feet high, and so wide that three chariots could travel abreast on top. The population at this time was about 600,000, and it was a very wicked city. It would be difficult, but not impossible. This is true from the promise that God gives to all of us, “With the Lord all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). What is God calling you to do this year?