Where is your Nineveh?
There's a story in the Bible about a guy named Jonah. He loved God and served Him faithfully, but one day God told him to go to a city called Nineveh that was filled with people who were very evil and wicked. God told Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh that their entire city would be destroyed in 40 days because of their wickedness. Jonah despised them because they were deceitful, violent and mocked his own people for their faith. But even though his message from God was of judgment, Jonah still ran the opposite way because he didn't want to even get near the city of Nineveh. He abhorred it.
Jonah ran the opposite direction of Nineveh and boarded a ship for another city. While on the ship, God caused a terrible storm to come and the sailors discovered that Jonah's disobedience had caused the storm, so they threw him overboard and he was swallowed by a big fish (or whale). He sat in the belly of the fish for three days praying to God for his life and God made the fish throw him up on a beach. Smelly, hungry and nauseated, Jonah listened to God and walked towards Nineveh. He told the people God's message about their day of judgment and destruction, but instead of laughing at Jonah the people of Nineveh sank to their knees in repentance and asked God to forgive them. And to Jonah's astonishment, God forgave their sins and spared the city.
Jonah was so mad with God. He wanted to see those wicked people destroyed. He had seen them hurt his own Israelite nation over the years and he only wanted to see God's wrath and vengeance upon their heads. Ugh!
By the end of the story, God shows Jonah that every person's fate is ultimately up to God. He has the power to bring life and death, to condemn and to save. It was a difficult lesson for Jonah to learn, but it saved 120,000 people and changed the course of their future.
I don't know about you, but I can definitely relate to Jonah. I'm not proud of it, but there are many people in this life who are evil, wicked or just flat out annoy me, and I would much rather see vengeance poured upon their lives than forgiveness. But, here are 10 things that I have learned from this story:
1. Don't run in the opposite direction (Jonah 1:3-5)
We will buy into many other things or ideas in order to run from the task God has called us to fulfill; much is due to our fears and insecurities.
Even non-believers will see a disconnect in your life when you are out of sync with God's plan for you. They will even notice the great struggle. What makes you so different from them? Why would they believe in God when they see your life and behavior is no different than theirs?
2. Ignoring God can hurt you and others (Jonah 1:6)
The captain and crew of the ship desperately asked Jonah why he ran from God and caused harm to come to them.
Jonah's disobedience brought pain, suffering and fear into the lives of others.
3. We cannot run from God's power and our eternal identity (Jonah 1:9)
Jonah was asked by the sailors who he was and he told them, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
We cannot run away from the power of God and the eternal identity He has given us through salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become part of God's lineage on this earth and part of His eternal family. Ignoring that eternal identity makes a mockery of the sacrifice Christ paid for our sins on the cross and a mockery of God's love for us.
4. God will save others even in your disobedience (Jonah 1:10-14)
The sailors didn't want to throw Jonah overboard or kill him, but they prayed to Jonah's God asking Him to stop the storm and not blame them for his death if they threw him off the ship.
Even in my stubborn disobedience when I have followed my own plans and ignored God's promptings in my heart, He still uses my messes to bring people to know His power and His love.
5. God is always wanting to save lives (Jonah 1:15-16)
The sailors threw Jonah overboard and the sea immediately grew calm; the sailors stood on that ship in awe and speechless. They saw the power of God firsthand and vowed to serve God the rest of their lives.
God's first and primary desire is to always save lives. Yes, He will bring destruction on evil and judges those who do not accept the free gift of salvation through His Son, but God will continually give each person every opportunity possible for them to find hope and salvation in Him. He is good. That's His nature.
6. God knows the past, present and future (Jonah 1:17)
While Jonah was flailing his arms in the sea, God sent a massive fish to swallow him whole. That must have been scary! But even in the midst of Jonah's fears, God was preserving his life.
At the same time, God was giving humanity a foreshadow of what would happen to Jesus when He died on the cross and would come out of the tomb three days later alive and whole. God doesn't just care about the present circumstances of our lives, He cares about the past, present and future. Nothing in your life is wasted, even your disobedience. God will use it for His glory and for the salvation of future generations. We just have to trust Him for each moment.
7. God's hand of discipline is always for our good (Jonah 2)
Jonah weeps in the belly of the fish praying for God to forgive him and save his life. He vows to serve God all of his days.
I think God wanted to get Jonah's attention, so He put him in the belly of a fish where he could not run or ignore God. When we rebel and ignore God's instructions for our lives, then He will allow us to come to a place of pain, loneliness and isolation because He wants to get our attention. It may be an illness, divorce, loss of a loved one or job loss; God will use anything to make sure our hearts are in tune with Him. He wants to take care of our physical needs, but He wants to always first take care of our hearts and spiritual needs.
8. God wants to give us another chance (Jonah 2:1-2)
God gave Jonah another chance to go to Nineveh and tell the message of judgment to the people in the city. This time, Jonah obeyed.
I can't count how many times God has given me second, third, fourth and fifth chances to make better choices and obey Him. If it was up to me, I would have given up on me a long time ago. But, we serve a God who doesn't give up on us and wants to give us more opportunities to do the right thing.
9. Get ready for the unexpected (Jonah 2:3-10)
Jonah went to Nineveh and told the people God's message about destroying their city in 40 days. And to Jonah's great surprise, they believed him and all repented of theirs sins---even the king. Whoa! Crazy!
When we chose to obey God we should be prepared to see bodies healed, hearts changed and even people we loath have a change of heart. God never does a job halfway; He is the God of completion and we should not let our hurt feelings get in the way of His plan for others.
10. God's love is radical (Jonah 4)
Surprisingly, Jonah got mad at God for saving the people of Nineveh. That's how much he hated them. He had no mercy or compassion for them. He was so mad that he walked outside the city limits, sat down in the dirt and asked to die because he hated seeing the city of Nineveh saved. That's strong hatred.
There will come a time in our lives when God rescues someone we dislike or even hate, and we may not want to rejoice in their rescue. But, we are actually no different because God saved each of us in our own sin, rebellion and wickedness. Don't let your anger, prejudice and pain get in the way of God's radical love.
What is your Nineveh? Is there a place you have vowed never to go or a people group you have decided never to touch? Do they look different than you, speak a different language or have a different religion?
Instead of spitting venomous words or thoughts of hatred towards those we dislike, I encourage us all to pray for our enemies and be expectant to see God's radical love work in their lives. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV).
Let us change the tide of our culture. Let us love and save Nineveh.
