A prophet is someone assigned by God to deliver His message. Now, we often think of them as foretelling the future, and if that is God's message, they do, but that's not all they do. They also deliver "demands" for repentance and warnings of unavoidable consequences in the absence of repentance, and they declare God Himself to people. Et cetera. There is one prophet in Scripture that was, well, a strange prophet.
You remember Jonah. Called by God directly to go warn Ninevah of their impending doom if they didn't repent, Jonah ... ran. That's right. A guy who was called by God -- knew God -- opted to try to run away from God ... as if that made any sense. Well, you know how that worked out. There was a storm at sea while he was in his "get-away boat," he was tossed overboard, and a giant fish swallowed him, only spitting him out three days later after he repented. The strangeness doesn't end there. Jonah went on to Ninevah, delivered the message he was sent to deliver, and saw overwhelming success as the Ninevites repented in droves. And Jonah ... was mad (Jonah 4:1). The very reason he fled from God's command was he knew God was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Jonah 4:2), and He would withdraw the disaster if they repented. Jonah didn't run because he was scared; he ran because he didn't like God's choices.
How many of us act as Jonahs? How many of us cry out against evil and are disappointed if they repent? How many of us are pleased to see their demise but miffed if they turn and avoid their just rewards? As Christians, sent by God to take the gospel to the world, how many did not rejoice to hear, for instance, that a Jeffrey Daumer repented in prison and likely went to heaven? How many of us would prefer to see God's mighty wrath played out on our enemies than His amazing grace? Jonah was an anomaly in the pages of Scripture regarding prophets, but I suspect there are far more Jonah-type Christians than Jeremiah-types who weep over fallen sinners. To our shame.
5 comments:
I think of Jonah whenever I hear someone say that they're looking for YHWH to tell them what His plans are for them. I firmly believe that most of us, if YHWH gave us His plans for us, would act as if Jonah did and look for another option.
I can so relate to this, as I once behaved in a long-term witnessing situation just as Jonah did (there were no fish stories for me, though, fortunately :). As our pastor preached through the book of Jonah at that very time, God showed me that I was indeed a “Jonah-type Christian.” My Christian witness to these people was compromised because I harbored a belief that I was better than them for having responded to the Gospel of grace while they had not. (Pride and an attitude of superiority are hard to put to death, even as spiritual growth is granted by God in His mercy and graciousness!) Your mention of Jeffrey Dahmer is very fitting; most people will balk and say, “why should someone like him ever be accepted by God?!” Of course the real question is, “why should any of us be accepted by God?” Only through Christ….
As I am sure you hoped for us readers, your mention of Jonah in contrast to Jeremiah got me thinking a bit more about the state of one’s heart when sharing God’s Word with unbelievers--particularly the heart of those who feel that prophesy (or even evangelism) is their spiritual gifting. Jonah had the message the lost needed, but he did not also have the compassion, such as Jeremiah had. It is clear to me that both are needed in full measure--that all-important “grace & truth” paradigm. I am reminded of Paul’s warning that the gift of prophecy and sharing knowledge with others is worthless (and “like a clanging cymbal”) without a motivation of love (1 Cor. 13:1-2). Personally, I was glad to have this prompt today to examine my heart for resemblance to either Jonah or to Jeremiah--and ultimately to Christ.
We far too often forget Jesus' teaching that he that is forgiven much will forgive much. But with how little we appreciate God's grace, it's not surprising that we don't want certain people to be saved. But as Lorna said, we need to remember not to ask why God should save that person, but all why He should save any person.
Amen David
A quote from Spurgeon
"Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus' love, be also overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it. Knowing as we do our secret guiltiness, unfaithfulness, and black heartedness, we are dissolved in grateful admiration of the matchless freeness and sovereignty of GRACE"
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