A little blog from an upstart theologian that will do its best to exemplify Christ while sharing a thing or two along the way.
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| Preachin's Blog A little blog from an upstart theologian that will do its best to exemplify Christ while sharing a thing or two along the way. |
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Monday, October 11, 2004 On JonahWe all know the story of Jonah, its one of the more memorable biblical stories. Guy runs from God, gets swallowed by a whale, gets puked up by a whale, God is merciful, guy isn't happy with God. Yeah, that one!  Well I've been working through the book recently, doing a simply exegetical survey of that, and some other, minor prophets. I must say that I find it simply compelling.
For starters the concept of Old Testament narrative is one that embraces my attention and I believe is wholly accessible in this hypermodern culture we have these days. (This is because the participants in our hypermodern culture are driven by stories more than points.) Secondly, I am amazed that in the text we are faced with an excellent example of what happens when a man, commissioned of God, is sent to a people with a message and is used, in spite of himself, to deliver that people. Jonah is a scoundrel, pure and simple. His running from God is based on his own racial prejudices against the Ninevites and his own selfishness. He is a rather self-centered brute and I can see much of myself in him. (There, that's me being transparent.) Yet in his rebellion as he goes the exact opposite direction of where God wants him to be, an excellent study on how far sin will take you from God's path. So God must bring His judgment against Jonah, and resultantly those whom Jonah is with. One of the finer points to note is the elegance of rhetoric within the Hebrew text that the writer of Jonah uses to illustrate his points. Jonah continually goes down and down and down in the first chapter, and part of the second chapter, until he is rescued by the whale. Oh yeah, the whale is, in my opinion, the vehicle of (physical) salvation for Jonah as he is sinking in the waters. Finally once Jonah is in the whale he laments for his place, yet never repents. Now that is a significant point. For Jonah never repents of his sins during the course of this book and is left under a withered tree really irritated with God. Jonah was seriously angry with God for having delivered the Ninevites, the people he didn't care much for, and he sort of sulks in the back. The point is a fine one: God will continue to use the sinful people He sends to a work in spite of themselves to accomplish His will and bring about the salvation of many. Gives me hope for I am far too often a craven, fallen fool in whom is found no jot or tittle of meritorious work. Might I be so blessed to be allowed to participate in the victorious work of the Gospel? posted by Preachin Jesus | 11:59 AM | |
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