Friday, September 5, 2008

Jonah - More Irony

Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.


Oh my goodness! This is so ironic to me. Jonah is complaining because the city is in repentance and God forgives them. Jonah then prays to God and tells God that he KNEW He would forgive them even though they've been SO bad and that justified why he didn't want to go to Ninevah in the first place. Jonah is actually trying to JUSTIFY why it was okay for him to try and run away - even after all has been said and done and God had just forgiven him! God had just forgiven him and now Jonah is lecturing God about forgiving Ninevah. AAAAAAHHH!

And get this irony. . . IF Jonah had gone to Ninevah the first time he was told - he would have not been all scary looking from the whale vomit - he would've probably been cleanly dressed - an average person on an average day walking around the city = Ninevah probably wouldn't have given Jonah a second thought and would not have repented.

Jonah, in his disobedience, gave the Ninevites exactly what He was not wanting them to have - a 2nd chance. God is always right - in all His ways - He uses even our disobedience for His miracles - how great is our God. . .

2 comments:

Kay Martin said...

You're right God gives us space to err. But in those sins and mistakes He redeems all for the Kingdom. Jonah keeps all of us aware obedience is the better choice all these centuries later.

mariel said...

great point! How often we try to manipulate things to go how WE want...when really, if we obeyed God, it would work as it should...the first time! Not that the Ninevites shouldn't recieve a second chance...God was sure willing to give it to a sinner like Jonah...or like myself!!