Reflections on Jonah (Pt. 1)

A few days ago, I read through Jonah as part of my designated Bible reading time.As I read it, some thoughts and convictions ran through my mind and heart and I wanted to share them with you all briefly. I don’t know who wrote the book of Jonah, but I sincerely hope that it was Jonah. If he was the writer, then (in my mind) it would seem to indicate that he eventually was humbled by God and recognized his sinfulness in the entire matter of the “preaching repentance to the Ninevites” and repented. The thought of Jonah being so stubborn and hard-hearted and yet eventually repenting gives me great hope. Here are some of my personal reflections from my reading…. (This will be a 2 post series… starting today and finishing up tomorrow.)

1. Jonah was a prideful man. He was willing to preach the words of God to the Hebrews whom he thought worthy of God’s grace, but not to the Ninevites.

• Do I think anyone is too sinful to save or just not worthy of God’s grace?
• Do I show preference to people whom I think are more “holy” than others, especially in living out God’s grace and His gospel to them?

2. Jonah disobeyed God’s direct commandment. God told him to go to the people of Nineveh and warn them of the wrath that God would pour out upon them in 40 days and Jonah refused.

• Do I disobey God’s commandments to me? For example: Do I submit to my husband as unto Christ? Do I respect my parent’s? Do I show love and compassion to those around me? Do I care diligently for my children and my home? Do I show hospitality? Do I love God more than all else? (Do I even spend time thinking about loving God or trying to love God, or has life become an empty routine?)
• Do I even know God’s commandments? Do I diligently and earnestly seek to know God’s revealed will for every aspect of my life through the study of scripture, or am I content to live by “grace” and take advantage of my supposed “Christian liberty” aka. Ignorance and apathy.

3. Jonah ran away from what God planned for him. He didn’t just disobey God’s command to go to Nineveh; he went in the opposite direction (I can see him with his fingers in his ears and mumbling “I can’t hear you… blah… blah… blah…”!).

• Do I go in the exact opposite direction of what God calls me to do? For example: Instead of showing hospitality, do I hide away like a recluse and shut myself off from the body of Christ or unbelievers? Or instead of submitting to my husband in everything, do I wrest control from him and seek to lead the household for my own purposes and desires?
  * The biggest difference in my mind between point two and point three is whether I am a lazy Christian living and undisciplined life of passive response to my Savior or if I’m in abject rebellion to my Savior. Both are dangerous places and the first certainly can lead to the second, but I see slight differences in the two as well as the danger for the first to rationalize that “at least I’m not as bad as Suzy Q. down the pew from me!” I also see the potential for me to be in abject rebellion in some areas of obedience to God, lazy and complacent in others, and diligent in still others. * (This is my opinion, not any great source of theology)
• Do I deceive myself into believing that God has not commanded ME to do … (you name the difficult commandment) when in reality He has.
• Do I listen to other Christians when they instruct me in God’s word or am I only willing to receive God’s word if I feel like it….(or if the moon is full on the second Wednesday and it’s my birthday month!)

I’ll finish up tomorrow with my other 4 “reflections”…