Are you careful what fish you swim with? Most are rather friendly. However if you see a fish with plenty of gleaming sharp teeth, porcupine poisonous type quills on its body sporting an antennae on its forehead with a chemical light to attract prey you may safely assume that it’s a meat eater. Apart from the South American piranha and the great white shark, human sushi is quite rare. But let’s face facts; food is food, whether it’s in or out of the water--salt or fresh. Another fact; we’re more likely to eat something that comes out of the water instead of something there waiting to eating us.
In summary, if you’re in unfamiliar territory, you’re more likely to be the ‘special of the day’ instead of the one ordering the special. Think it’ll never happen to you? Always under control, measured, steady, master of your domain? In the Bible one man thought he had things under control until he was plucked out of his comfort zone and served with a sprig of parsley!
You’re familiar with the story of Jonah the prophet. God asked him to go to the country of Assyria (Nineveh to be exact) and preach to them. The Assyrians led people around with hooks in their mouths and tortured them unmercifully. Not exactly a place where a visiting preacher would want to hold a church revival meeting. Assyria--a great but evil empire--was Israel's most dreaded enemy. They flaunted their power before God and the world through acts of heartless cruelty. When Jonah heard God tell him where to go--Jonah went in the opposite direction. "Ran" is the key word. Jonah got on a boat going in the opposite direction and thought that God would just have to choose someone else to do the dirty work. God thought different. The boat he was on ran smack into the perfect storm (God induced of course) and everyone on board, except one, was wondering why this was happening. The men cast lots to find out who was responsible, and the lot fell on Jonah!
The men wanted answers, they were terrified. Who was this man Jonah, why was this happening, what could they do? Jonah told them everything and they made an effort to help him! They tried to row back to land, back to safety, but the sea grew wilder than ever before. Then something amazing happened. Just minutes before each man were calling on his own god to save them; now they called on Jonah’s God not to hold them responsible. Do you see what happened? They believed in Jonah’s God. They threw Jonah overboard and the storm quieted down. “The men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.” Jonah 1:16
The book of Jonah tells the story of this prophet's flight and how God stopped him and turned him around. But it is much more than a story of a man and a fish--Jonah's story is a profound illustration of God's mercy and grace. No one deserved God's favor less than the people of Nineveh, Assyria's capital. Jonah knew this! God told Jonah that there were 120,000 people there who could not tell their right hand from their left, so, go and preach there. He also knew that God would forgive and bless them if they would turn from their sin and worship him. As you read Jonah, see the picture of God's love and compassion and realize that no one is beyond redemption.
If you think this is just another fish story, read Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 12.
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