Jonah - Pt 2

 

When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. (Jonah 2:7-10 ESV).

I love the picture of Jonah as he was “vomited out upon dry land” that is attached today. It is found in a children’s book about the story. Notice a couple of things that are somewhat comical. The fish is almost smiling, while Jonah shows a dazed and surprised look. I supposed that may be closer to the truth than any of us would care to admit. After all, the fish was doing exactly what it was created to do; and, Jonah was astonished he didn’t die. After he was swallowed by the fish, I can imagine he might have thought, “This didn’t really turn out the way I planned.” Rarely do we ever anticipate how our refusal to do God’s command will turn out.

 

That brings me to a “lesson” for today. The notion of sacrifice in the Old Testament can be uncomfortable for us.  It conjures images of blood and death.  We are more comfortable with contemporary Christianity and the lack of a sacrificial system.  The problem is that modern Christianity retains a very clear expectation of sacrifice.  Instead of sacrificing a dove on an altar, God expects us to offer Him our plans.  His desire is for us to turn over anything that draws our attention away from His plan.

 

We may think of innocuous habits as insignificant aspects of our lives.  We may perceive that our habit is only a momentary indulgence in an otherwise good life. Unfortunately, this notion is a very wrong. It is not consistent with Scripture. Jonah’s great miscalculation was that he thought he actually had a choice of whether he would go to Ninevah. The only choice he had about going to Ninevah was how he would get there. He could have taken the route by camel, perhaps stopping at a nice oasis along the way for cool spring water and roasted dates. Instead he chose to go the wrong way.

 

In order to turn toward something, even for a moment, we are forced to turn away from something else.  A true understanding of this is a great benefit to us. Modern sacrifice is giving up time spent with our stubborn refusals to go where we are told.  God wants better for us than the fleeting escape offered when we turn to anything other than Him. Have you said “no” to God? If so, cry out to Him for mercy. He will give it in abundance, even if it means spending a night or two in the belly of a fish. That, too, is a part of His good!