Growing in Faith
When God commanded Jonah to go and preach judgment and destruction on the people of Nineveh (the capital of the Assyrian Empire), it was understandably a major challenge for Jonah. The journey from Israel to Nineveh was about 550 miles as the crow flies. Remember, there were no bus lines, trains, or airplanes. It was arduous walking or riding some sort of animal at best. Such a long trip would be fraught with peril as one ventured through dangerous areas, but the biggest challenge was within Jonah himself. He hated the people of Nineveh. The Assyrian Empire had earned a horrible reputation. While conquering other countries will never make you popular, Assyria took it to a whole new level. To strike fear into the hearts of other countries and peoples, the Assyrians were vicious. When they conquered a country, they often targeted a town or village within the country and brutalized the citizens. Some of the people were skinned alive and then set on fire. Others were impaled on stakes, covered with tar, and then set ablaze. The Assyrians were the inventors of crucifixion, perhaps the most ruthless form of execution. As a result of these continued atrocities, the Assyrians were hated by everyone. Jonah’s hatred was obviously fed by these stories.
Jonah also had other issues that nurtured his resistance to God’s command. He, like many Jews, felt superior to the pagan Gentiles. There is an old Jewish prayer that reflects this smugness: “O God, I thank you that I am not a Gentile or a dog.” As a result of many issues, biases, and prejudices, Jonah had no plans to obey God. Jonah’s faith was too small and self-focused to understand the need for obedience and faithfulness. It is here that God steps into the story. As we strive to understand the basics of faith, we need to remember that obedience and repentance are essential to a healthy Biblical faith. After Jonah disobeyed God’s call to preach to Nineveh, he bought a boat ticket to head west. Jonah wrongly assumed that God could be ignored.
The Book of Jonah begins with the call of God to Jonah, Jonah’s disobedience, and his attempted flight from God. In response to Jonah’s disobedience, God sent a violent storm. The storm was so serious that the sailors feared their ship would sink. This part of the Jonah story deserves a bit of an explanation. There are many people, in the past and today, who have the belief that when bad things happen, it is always because God is punishing that person or that situation. As the sailors endeavored to save their ship and battled the raging storm, they feared that the "gods" were after them. Jonah 1:7-8 gives us their thoughts: “Then the sailors said to each other, 'Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.' They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So, they asked him, 'Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?'”(NIV) In response to the sailors’ questions, Jonah explained that he was a prophet of God and a Hebrew. When he further explained that he was disobeying God and using their ship to run away from God, the sailors were terrified. They could not fathom such actions by someone who was a prophet of God. As the story continues, these men, who Jonah dismissed as unworthy pagans, proved to have more integrity than Jonah. The sailors did everything they could to save their ship despite the worsening of the storm. When the sailors saw they had no hope of saving their situation, they asked Jonah what they should do. Jonah replied that they should throw him overboard. After that, the storm would stop. The sailors initially resisted this action but finally relented. They threw Jonah overboard and then prayed to the God of Jonah for forgiveness. They even offered sacrifices to Jonah’s God.
After Jonah was thrown into the raging sea, the storm abated. Even though the storm let up, Jonah’s problems grew worse. It appears that Jonah could not swim. Jonah chapter two reveals that Jonah did not drown because he was swallowed alive by a giant fish. At this point, it seems Jonah realized that his dilemma had not gotten any better. However, Jonah does see the hand of God. It is in the belly of this gargantuan fish that Jonah begins talking to God. God had finally gotten Jonah’s attention. Now, God could begin to grow, develop, and cultivate Jonah’s faith.
What about you and me?? Does God have our attention? It is easy to think we have an amazing faith when we do not. God wants us to seek Him, and He wants our faith to grow. Next week, we will see how God continues to work on Jonah’s faith. Keep looking up!