Jonah (continued)
A post or two ago, we started to study the book of Jonah. Let’s dig in some more shall we?
Jonah 1
2)”Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
It’s interesting that the sin of Nineveh was never revealed. As a matter of fact, the focus is not really on Nineveh as much as it is about Jonah. When we teach this scripture we should be aware that God was doing more than just saying to Jonah to go to Nineveh and cry out against the city, God was trying to reveal His character to a people (Israel) who knew the Law but didn’t understand the heart of the God whose Laws they were following.
It is no wonder that Jonah ran. Here is God telling Jonah, and Israelite, to go to the country of an enemy and call these people to repent of their wickedness. I can hear Jonah saying this to himself ”Why in the world would I do that? I am doing my nation a favor by not going!”. This is because Jonah didn’t understand the character of God. He was blind to see the God who shows mercy. He knew only the Law of Moses. He knew only judgement, so rather than “take the plunge” he ran, but God was not finished with him.
When Jesus came on the scene, the Pharisees with all their knowledge, didn’t know who Jesus was, just like Jonah. He came showing mercy and compassion. The Pharisees expected a great and mighty conquerer to come and bring judgement and destruction to Israel’s enemies. Jesus taught to love your enemies and do good to those who do evil unto you. Even though they had the very fulfillment of the scriptures they studied, standing in front of them, they were too blind to see who Jesus was. Just like Jonah.
On a practical note, God wants to reveal Himself to you in ways you have never seen Him. We have seen Him through a glass dimly. We have seen Him through the glasses of false religion and self righteousness. We have seen Him as a means to an end when we need something. We have seen Him as the “the big man upstairs”. We have seen Him in so many ways that are just not Jesus, but God is strongly desiring to reveal Himself to you and in you! He wants to shatter the mindsets of religion and self righteousness you have walked in for so long. He wants you to know that your sins are forgiven and you are free from its curse. He wants you to know that He loves you and wants to have relationship with you, not because you are good, but because HE is good!
Reveal Yourself to us oh God! Remove the scales from our eyes that we may see You as You truly are! Open our eyes so we can see, our ears that we may hear You, and soften our hearts that we may respond to You!
More to come….
Kevin
