Taken to Task

Has it been a while since you've read Jonah? It's about something more profound than a prophet and a fish. For one thing, it's about God's guidance.

"God's guidance" is a familiar phrase in Christian circles. We all want to be gently nudged in the direction of our desires, the direction of success. If only God will let slip a little of his plan, his will, we'll gladly follow! Or so we think.

Jonah's case is far different, far more realistic, and far more profound.

It is different because God's direction to Jonah is not a light, breezy thing. It is not in line with Jonah's personal ambitions at all. Instead, he summons Jonah to a difficult task - preaching to a sophisticated, large, and most likely violent crowd in the major world city of Ninevah.

It is more realistic because Jonah balks at God's plan; tries to remove himself both physically and psychologically from dealing with God's plan; and only obeys God after a watershed experience frees him of his fears. It is through Jonah's near-death experience that he is confronted with his mortality, and also God's salvation; afterward, he figures, what's a few thousand angry Ninevites between friends?

Finally, it is more profound because the main character here is not Jonah. It is not the whale. It is God himself, who is determined to give Ninevah a chance to repent. And this is striking because he does this in spite of a very reluctant follower - who hardly deserves to be called a "follower" at all! Ultimately, it is quite reassuring that God is willing to work through us even though he has to go to great lengths to get our attention, while we meanwhile resist his authority in our lives.

What is underscored here is God's desire to rescue us from ourselves. He rescues Jonah from himself in more ways than one, and he rescues a generation of Ninevites from their waywardness and ignorance. As Jonah says in chapter 2, "Salvation belongs to the Lord!"