Receiving the Word
| The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." (Jonah1:1-2) |
In fact, the last time he heard God's voice, it was a promise that Israel's boundaries would be extended and this prophecy was fulfilled by king Jeroboam.
And so Jonah had been distinguished as a true prophet. His prophecies had come true. His prophetic authority had been validated. It opened the door for God to speak to Jonah again...
It continues to be a wonderful thing that God speaks to and through His people. God guides and leads people in unfolding His plan in the world and we have the amazing privilege of being His co-workers.
But Jonah rebelled against this instruction from God.
One has to wonder why:
Had past success had hardened Jonah's heart with arrogant pride?
Or did Jonah have a problem with Nineveh?
Nineveh was some 500 miles from Jonah's home town. It was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians would later destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721BC and fall to the Babylonians in 612BC. The prophet Nahum prophesies the ultimate destruction of the Assyrians and Nineveh. Nineveh represented power and oppression. It was the home of the enemy.
And now Jonah was to go there. And, judging by his past success, he might be successful again. And if he was successful in his preaching, then Nineveh (a city full of uncircumcised heathens) might repent.
Jonah didn't want that.
- He didn't want to leave the comfort of his home town and go among the "heathens" in Nineveh.
- He didn't want to be associated with the gentiles.
- He didn't want his preaching to succeed and bring them to repentance.
And so he heard, but didn't listen...
God's word still comes to us today - and sometimes it will take us out of our comfort zones... We will have to make decisions...
