When this true account of Jonah is told, most people view him as dim-witted and cold-hearted. Jonah thought he could run and hide from God. How foolish is that belief? He also lacked the compassion and mercy to see an evil nation repent and turn to God, so that their lives might be saved from impeding judgment. However, when I read this story very carefully, I see a different side of Jonah, one most people overlook.
Verse 12 of chapter 1 states Jonah replied to the terrified crew of the ship in the midst of a violent storm by saying:
"Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm.
I know that it is my fault that this great storm
has come upon you."
This man, Jonah, was willing to have his life sacrificed for the survival of a group of men that were complete strangers to him. Who knows? Maybe they were evil men, just as evil as the people of Nineveh, and yet Jonah was willing to die for them. Drowning is not a pleasant death either. I'm certain I wouldn't want to drown. Jonah could have asked for a life preserver, dingy or something to keep him afloat, but he didn't. He could have lied to the men, stayed on the ship and died with them all. After all, isn't it better to die with company than to die alone? However, Jonah's conscience wouldn't allow it. Instead he immediately confessed that the storm was his fault and was willing to pay the price. Now does that sound cowardly or heartless to you?
Why are we so quick to see the faults of others and ignore their strengths? Why do we take one situation where someone acts foolishly and brand them that title for life. When the name "Jonah" is brought to our attention, what is the first thing we think of? "Uhm, 'Jonah', let's see, isn't he the guy that was such a goof-ball?" Alright, maybe I feel sorry for Jonah because he made a mistake and people focus on that blunder. What we don't realize is that he must have had strong positive attributes for God to choose him in the first place as one of His prophets. I guess I see Jonah in a contrasting light. Obviously, God did too because He saved Jonah's life and gave him a second chance.
Then in verse 1:16 it states the outcome of Jonah's sacrifice:
"Then the men feared the Lord greatly and they offered a
sacrifice to the Lord and made vows."
When Jonah was finally thrown overboard, the storm abruptly ceased and the men on the ship knew instantly that Jonah's God was real. Then they offered a sacrifice to God and made vows to Him. We don't know how many men were on that ship, but we do know that they came to the realization that God was real and they wanted to serve Him afterwards. Now, that's pretty awesome! Jonah's selfless act saved the lives of all those men on board that ship, and not just from a physical death, but from a spiritual death as well.
Jonah wasn't foolish or uncaring all the time. He was human who made mistakes occasionally, just like all of us. I know I wouldn't want people to remember me only for my dumb mistakes, (and believe me I have made my share). I want people to see me as a person who was willing to admit her mistakes, learn from them and correct them if possible. And that is exactly what Jonah did! In my eyes, Jonah is a hero! Not only that, but after being given a second chance, Jonah was obedient to God and warned the people of Nineveh of God's coming judgement. The Ninevites listened to Jonah and repented of their evil ways. As a result, God spared the whole city of Nineveh. (I know. Jonah pouted afterwards and God had to give him an object lesson. I didn't say he was perfect.)
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Yesterday I took a picture of the deck and patio that was built last year. The deck that was there before was just a temporary one and very unstable. Tim, Matthew and I knew nothing about building a patio, but we studied how on the internet before proceeding. Tim designed the base of the deck and I designed the railings, lamp posts and chains. It was a lot of fun working together and I love how it turned out!
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