Jonah – a story about the consequences of obedience
In the book of Jonah, we learn that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to proclaim the hard truth in obedience to God’s command.
God told Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah hated Nineveh because Assyria was a cruel enemy of Israel. He knew God was merciful and feared that if the city repented, God would spare them instead of destroying them. Instead of going east to Nineveh in obedience to God, Jonah fled in the opposite direction, boarding a ship heading west toward Tarshish from the port of Joppa.
We learn that God sent a massive storm that put the ship in danger. The terrified sailors figured out Jonah was the cause and threw him overboard at his own request. Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish and spent three days praying inside the fish’s belly before it vomited him safely onto dry land.
Giving him a second chance, God repeated the same call for Jonah to go to Nineveh.
When Jonah obeyed, he entered the massive city and preached a short, eight-word message: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:4
As a result, the entire city—from ordinary citizens to the king and even cattle—believed God, put on sackcloth, fasted, and turned from their evil ways. Seeing their repentance, God relented and did not destroy Nineveh.
Lessons from Jonah
The story of Jonah is a sobering reminder of the consequences of succumbing to fear in the face of a clear mandate from God to do His will. It is difficult. But if God calls us to do His work, He is able and faithful to support us.
Obedience is difficult. It is difficult in the face of resistance from others and our own resistance to God’s will.
Obedience leads to a good outcome. The outcome that God wants is for His Kingdom to come on earth. We are channels of God’s will.
We are actors and partakers in the quest for justice, peace and redemption.
Jonah’s surrender in faith and obedience to God’s will led to a nation repenting and turning to God.
How to fake it until you make it.
I remind myself each day that I don’t have to act the way I feel – fear included. I can obey God by relying on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide me to be obedient to His will and to bear the fruits of the Spirit. This is the best way to “fake it until I make it.”
Praying daily for alignment of body, soul and spirit – actions, emotions and knowing God’s will – truly helps me to go through difficult situations and face temptation, with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
May this be your prayer too.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. That’s why glory matters.
