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| #RatTerriers meet a big fish |
The Presence of the Lord
Jonah chapter three.Déjà Vu
By the time verse one rolls around, Jonah is already laid out on a beach, having been barfed out of a fish by the mercy of God. Now we see God's calling again, just like it was at first, sending Jonah to the Great City to preach. God is still there with Jonah, never leaving his side.You would think that God would have given up by this time. Wouldn't it be easier to go shopping for a new tool? Throw this disobedient one away! But God is gracious, & sees value in both the destination & in the journey. That is everyone's saving grace.
With the Enemy
So Jonah finally makes it to Nineveh, & sure enough the Ninevites make a whole production of repentance. Even the king gets in on the action & the last we hear, the entire city places their hopes on God's mercy. Sounds like a good place to put yourself, no?Guess what, according to verse 10, God was close enough to those foreign people--pagans!--to see their deeds. This was revolutionary literature to the Hebrew ear. God drew near to the Gentiles! God was there & saw their repentance! How great is our God! He is mighty, & willing to save all.
Want to know what God's will is? It is to seek & save the lost, wherever they are.
More Reading
- Fleeing from God's Will (Jonah 1)
- The Lord, His God (Jonah 2)