Once upon a time – There lived a man who worked from his home.  Not everyone’s job, ego, or competitiveness, necessitates working in an office downtown.  This was such a man, and just because he worked from home, does not mean that he was not accountable to someone.  And, because this story begins “Once Upon A Time,” doesn’t mean that this is a fairy tale.  This man actually lived, and what follows is a true story.

One day, he received an assignment that “really chapped his hide.”  (Please overlook this Texas talk, but I am sometimes at a loss to adequately describe some things, and situations, without using plain English.)  His instructions were to make a presentation to some people in a city about 500 miles away.  This would necessitate leaving his country and crossing the boundary into an adjoining country.  This explains the “chapped hide.”  He didn’t like anything about the country of destination.  He didn’t like the people, and he didn’t like their values.  He didn’t even like the capital city where he was being sent!  Simply and honestly put, he hated the people, their city, their nation and also, his assignment.  So there!


In his own mind, the man was a righteous person who had no real prejudices, but simply had strong feelings about certain people, certain things, knew right from wrong, and believed in justice.  In other words, he was a man much like you and me.  Occasionally all of us disagree with the powers that be, and such was the case here.  Based on his wisdom, experience, and personal value system, what he had been instructed to do made no sense at all.  The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. (For a Texas comparison, substitute either burro or donkey for “camel.”)  His emotions and logic won out, and at the risk of his boss’s displeasure, decided to take a once in a lifetime ocean voyage instead.  With the decision made, he headed for the ocean.  He’d show ‘em.

Almost from the beginning, it seemed that poor timing was destined to make his trip an unpleasant one.  Oh, it started out pleasant enough, but once out upon the deep, a storm came up with high winds, creating ferocious waves.  It appeared to those on board the ship that it might break apart, but our man was oblivious to this whole situation until the captain awakened him from his sleeping place, deep below deck.  There was a saying that originated during World War II, stating, “There are no atheists in fox holes.”  The origins of such thought have been applied to men’s thinking throughout recorded history.  Here, aboard this storm tossed vessel, men looked inward, and found themselves to be wanting in the face of such forces of nature.  It was at this juncture that all aboard felt inspired to have a prayer meeting – a big, serious prayer meeting, addressed to as many gods as needed! They felt the urgent need to have 100% participation, and that’s why our traveler was awakened, to join them.  Some called out to their god directly.  Others cried out, “If there is a god, hear my cry.”  Such is man’s conversations with God in times of need.  On this seemingly doomed craft, someone decided that god must be upset with someone on board or this wouldn’t be happening.  They were all readily agreeable to sacrifice that individual, if it might in turn provide safety for them.  Mankind hasn’t changed much through the centuries.  Silently, each man was asking, “Why is this happening to me?  All of us carry a load of guilt, and there are occasions when our consciences weigh heavily on our hearts and souls.  I don’t know of any confessions that were made, but serious self analysis was being practiced by everyone.  In that regard, they were of one accord. 

A tried and true method among superstitious men of the day sought answers by casting lots.  This was the highest known technology of the time.  Lots were cast, and lo, the man whose story we have been following ended up “holding the bag.”  You can’t argue with the results of a well organized “lot casting,” and immediately he was besieged with a myriad of accusatory questions.  As a result of the deluge of questions, and feeling the burden of his own guilt, Jonah (I’m sorry.  I think I failed to introduce him to you earlier.  You know him.  He’s the son of Amittai.) spilled his guts – so to speak.  He told them that he was a Hebrew, and feared the Lord, the God of heaven, which has made the sea and the dry land.  He confided that he was running from the presence of the Lord.  “Why hast thou done this?” they asked.  I seriously doubt that they were as interested in the background of his assignment, etc., as they were in wanting to know why he picked the ship that they were on, and got them involved in the wrath of his God, whom they greatly feared.  “What shall we do with thee, that will make the sea calm again?”  This stranger, Jonah, was one “hot potato,” and the crew and passengers were eager to feed him to any god that would withdraw his anger from the sea.  I perceive that their individual views might be summed up in saying, “Better thee, than me, brother.” 

Jonah, strongly suspected that God, knowing where he was all along, had arranged these circumstances, and knew that his defiance of God’s will had placed innocent people in harm’s way. As a result, he instructed them to throw him overboard.  Really, I don’t think that there was any “suspecting” on Jonah’s account.  He had been caught, fair and square, and he knew it!  It was time to pay for his rebellion.  Human compassion, even under these circumstances was displayed as the crew made one last effort to save him, by rowing against the unforgiving sea, straining to bring the ship safely to shore.  Alas, it was not to be.  The men on board now found themselves totally exhausted, and in a fearful relationship with the God of Jonah.  They’d had enough, but what if this God held them responsible for Jonah’s death?  Here we have men, who moments before, were casting lots, and now they were praying to the unknown Creator of the universe to spare them from being guilty of a man’s certain death.  Then in desperation, and I’m sure with fearful concern, they cast Jonah into the drink.  We don’t know exactly what was going through Jonah’s mind at that moment, but the sea immediately became calm.  A boat load of people had the experience of their lives, and must have done the right thing because God didn’t squash them right then and there. Caught up in the spirit of the moment, they thought sacrifices to this powerful God would be in order, and they did so, and they took vows. 

Even small children know what happened next.  Jonah was swallowed by a whale, and that’s a whale of a story!  History records that God prepared a fish (make and model unknown – quite possibly a one-of-a-kind “custom job”) therein Jonah stayed for three days and three nights.  Let us not gloss over this nautical overnight accommodation.  Can you imagine the interior environment of that fish, and what the solitary confinement of three days and nights in there could do to an individual – especially having absolutely no idea of the duration of being a guest?  It’s impossible to imagine the odor inside that creature.  Sometimes I quicken my pace to get past the seafood section in a grocery store.  Most of the time, the odor does not whet my appetite for seafood.  But, I must hasten to add that I was born a long way from the ocean, seldom desire the taste of fish, and would more likely become a fisherman if they had horns or antlers, and I could go after them with gun powder.  All seafaring creatures that I’ve ever heard about, read about, or seen, do not move, or have the accommodations of a cruise ship.  They move in undefined patterns, diving and breaking the surface, and none that we know about have slip resistant interior floor coverings, serve food and drink or have bunks.  Up and down, this way and that, with no visibility or predictable pattern of movement, Jonah was likely washed to and fro in stinking, slick semi-liquid, and blind as a bat in the total darkness.  How long would it take to die?  Why wasn’t he already dead?  When would this horrible ordeal be over?  In this stinking, smothering darkness, Jonah was beginning to see the light (so to speak).

It was during this time that Jonah thought about God – a lot!  With sea weeds wrapped around his head, and awash in stomach contents, he prayed to God, and he was putting out a good strong signal.  “Can you hear me now?”  Oh, God always hears.  Jonah confessed his bad attitude and praised the Lord, and after three days (and nights) God deemed that he had “rinsed out” Jonah enough.  It was then that God spoke to His special fish, and the fish too, had had quite enough of Jonah, and vomited him out on dry land.  In case you didn’t catch that important detail, the fish did not pull up to shore, open its mouth and allow Jonah to walk out on a ramp.  He was vomited out – forcefully expelled.  Have you ever held a fly in your two cupped hands, shook it up real good, and then released it?  Crazy, man!  Stunt flyer!  Can you see Jonah trying to stand upright on stable dry land after working for three days to develop the best set of sea legs he possibly could?  Crazy!  I imagine the horizon moved around on him for a good half day – maybe longer.  By this time, Jonah had a certain air about him.  It was not an air of holiness, sophistication or aristocracy, but one that any people with whom he might unexpectedly encounter, would decidedly want to place “down wind.”  What an ordeal!

God spoke to Jonah, and in essence told him that He had saved his assignment for him.  (This is like saying to your child, “If you’re through with your little temper tantrum, the trash still needs to be taken out – or you still need to clean up your room.)   God still wanted Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh - a city having a population of 120,000 people.  Jonah’s job was to make presentations there.  Having recently been flushed out with sea water, his hearing and attitude improved, he obediently made the trip, but he was not smiling.  Motivation is of immeasurable value to most of us.  One day’s journey into the city, Jonah began to deliver God’s message – “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”  Upon hearing this warning, the people, the king, and all subjects throughout the city, repented, fasted, put on sackcloth and ashes, and even their animals were forced to fast.  Their reception of this news was miraculous!  Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?  God was so impressed by their repentance, obedience, and sincerity that He withheld his wrath and spared the city.

Jonah was a hero!  Through his obedience, God spared a mighty city and all the occupants.  But, this is not the way Jonah saw it.  The boy still had an attitude problem.  The record shows that Jonah was displeased exceedingly, and he was angry.  (Translation:  He was really chapped!)  He then told God that what had happened was just what he suspected would take place.  He said, “I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”  He was so disgusted with the manner in which God handled this matter that he asked God to take his life.  He said that it is better for me to die than to live.

Then said the Lord, “Doest thou well to be angry?”  (Do you feel that you have a right to be angry with Me?)

In Jonah’s mind, these people did not deserve any of the mercy or forgiveness that God had extended to them.  Remember, Jonah was not prejudice.  He simply was not impressed with the way these people and been living, and the fact that they were getting off without any consequences, due to God being so nice, was giving Jonah a real case of heartburn..  Hoping that God would snap out of it, he removed himself to the east side of the city, and made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, waiting to see what might happen to the city.  The fate of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is remembered even to our time, and Jonah surely must have thought that God would finally come to His senses and blast these sinful people off the map – and he was going to have a ring-side seat to witness big time justice in action.

True to God’s nature, He prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief.  (Where I come from, what Jonah was doing was “pouting.”  You pout, you pay.)  Jonah was exceedingly glad of the gourd.  Then, God prepared a worm when the morning came the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.  After the sun arose, God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, “The Hard Head,” and he fainted, and wished again to die.  He said “It is better for me to die than to live.”  You’ll have to admit, this guy is honest about his feelings.  (I don’t think that Jonah would have been happy if he had been hung with a brand new rope!  Some people you just can’t please.)

God asked Jonah, “Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?”  (Do you have a right to be angry with me about the gourd?)  As rebellious as a spoiled child, Jonah said, “I do well to be angry, even unto death”

God continued His object lesson when he said, “Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou has not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

The curtain of time then came down on Jonah.  He passed into history.  After giving up on being able to see an entire city destroyed, I can visualize him arising in total disgust, and heading for home – head down, kicking rocks, and mumbling to himself.

Are you and I missing God’s abundant blessings because of our attitudes?  Are we missing “really living” because we refuse to follow the path that God has laid out for us?

Do we justify our “righteousness” as Jonah did?  God prepared a great fish… to help Jonah see the way.  I don’t want a customized fish!  I’m not that wild about fish.  There are plenty of things that I don’t understand about my life, and about God, but I absolutely know which side my bread is buttered on.  When it comes down to the end, God is my only true friend!

Incidentally:  If you are through with your temper tantrum, the trash still needs to be taken out AND your room needs to be cleaned up!  (God has saved your assignment.)

     
Harley