One of my Scripture readings recently was the Book of Jonah. Jonah was told by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance. Jonah was having none of it. The people of Nineveh were not Israelites – they were “them”. No way was he going to participate in their redemption and restoration. So Jonah tried to run away. In doing so, Jonah put himself in danger of being shipwrecked along with a whole bunch of other people. When the others finally woke him up in the middle of the storm, they determined that he was actually the cause of the storm. The only way to calm the storm was to get Jonah off the boat. Now Jonah could have just jumped overboard but no, he made others responsible for fixing the situation by telling them to throw him overboard.
The story goes on with God rescuing and restoring Jonah who ends up being covered in whale vomit. Even after God rescues him, Jonah pouted and griped all the way to Nineveh. In spite of what I imagine was not the most persuasive of messages, the people of Nineveh repented. This hacked Jonah off even more!
How like me sometimes. I run away from what I’m supposed to do, cause others to fear for their lives in my oblivion, and require them to do something I am quite capable of doing myself. Then I get sent to time out and covered in vomit. Finally I stomp off to do what I was supposed to do in the first place, and then grinch when God uses EVEN MY DISOBEDIENCE for His glory!
Gracious.
Just Sayin' 