What, Jonah again?

Yes, i know i wrote about Jonah last time, but i thought i'd write a bit about what i learnt writing some stuff on this at the youth conference i just done!

The Book of Jonah tells us a lot about God. He's in control. Of everything. Firstly, the storm. God sends an almighty wind, so big the sailors are scared. Secondly he's in control of the dice. God makes the dice fall on Jonah. Thirdly, God is in control of the fish. He sends it to swallow Jonah and then puke him back up again. Fourthly, God is in control of the weather. He makes it hot so Jonah gets hot. Fifthly, God is in control of the bush. He makes it grow. Sixthly, he is in control of the worm. He sends it to kill the bush. That covers quite alot of things, both big and small.

We also see from the book of Jonah that God loves to save. He saves the sailors from the storm, he saves Jonah from drowning (this might sound odd that we class being in a big old fish saved, but Jonah sees the depth of the see as dead, or Sheol, and the fish isn't) and then God saves the Ninevites because they repent. God ends with a question - why shouldn't God care for a city of 120,000 people that are lost and don't know how to not be? That is the point. We see fully that God cares for everyone, not matter who they are and if they repent then he will have mercy and turn away from his promised judgement, because he hates sin.

That is why he sent Jesus. To take the punishment in our place, so all we have to do is repent, turn our backs on our sinful life, and live for Jesus with him in charge of our lives. Then we are called heirs of God with Christ. Which means that we have a place in heaven with God, which is pretty amazing.

Come listen to my tale, of Jonah and the whale.

So I'm off to a conference in a week or so, it should be a good time. Unfortunately I've gotta prepare some stuff on Jonah 1. So i thought, for my first post, why not tell you some of my findings so far.

What was Jonah thinking? "God has told me to do something so hey I'll just run off to Spain, the totally opposite direction. He'll never find me." Yeah that sounds highly likely doesn't it. But then thinking about it, that isn't so strange is it. Don't we all do that? We ignore God, we do what we want, we think it doesn't matter. I don't know about you, but I often try to do it with many things - books, Cd's, computer games, writing a blog. People will try to run to their job, or to science to try and hide from God. That is what Sin is all about, ignoring God, doing what we want. Jonah gives us a good overview of creation and stuff - he gets chosen by God, but he ignores him and thinks that he knows best instead.

So a storm comes up, but Jonah is having a kip in the boat - impressive, bit like me really. On the way back from my honeymoon we were flying between Guernsey and Jersey and there was like a load of turbulence and my wife was bricking it (she doesn't fly well anyway) and there was me having a bit of a snooze, it was like being rocked to sleep! But anyway, enough about me, back to Jonah. So these hardy sailors were bricking it in the storm, they wake Jonah, they draw straws, and oh what a surprise, Jonah gets the short straw. He tells them that he's running away from God and he tells the sailors to throw him over. The sailors show a bit of guts and humanity here, they don't throw him over and try to sort themselves out their own way (don't we all try to do that too - not the throwing overboard bit, but trying to save ourselves by doing good stuff etc etc). When that still doesn't solve the problem. So they decide to do what Jonah says, but they sorta cry to God not to hold them accountable for killing a guy. So they heave him over the side and the storm stops. How relieved would you be? These guys were so relieved, but also pretty scared, i mean God had just sent a storm and then stopped it just like that. So they offer a sacrifice and make vows. Basically they turn to God because they see he is like all powerful and awesome!

Things haven't gone all that well for our "hero" really have they. He runs away from God, ends up in a storm and then gets thrown overboard. Fortunately, God isn't a vengeful God so sends a great fish to save Jonah. Now to me that doesn't sound overly safe, with all the stomach acid and semi-digested things, but hey. So that is Jonah chapter 1 in a mingle-shaped nutshell. But what on earth is it going on about?

Well like i said earlier Jonah running away from God is like the whole sin thing and us ignoring God. Just like Jonah that route is heading for destruction. Rebellion deserves punishment, just like at school not doing your homework means that you get a detention or lines, or not tidying your bedroom means you get grounded, when we disobey God and do what we want, God ain't so happy with that. This first chapter in Jonah seems to end on a bit of a downer, things don't seem to be going well for the main character of the book. But like every good book, the chapter ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, but also a bit of promise there. God sent a fish to swallow Jonah. There's a promise that maybe it isn't all going to end to messily (well for Jonah i guess i may end in big fish goo, but that's less messy than it could be!)

So what can we learn from this bit of Jonah? Running from God has its consequences, but there is hope on the horizon. What that hope is we will just have to wait and see.


Eegads, that post turned out to be quite a waffle, but hey Jonah is a bit of a muppet!