What Makes You So Special

Everyone knows the story of Jonah.  However I think there is a much bigger picture, beyond the fish and Nineveh.  In Jonah 1:1-2 it says, "The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.'" (NASB)  In the first two verses God is very clear about WHO he is sending.  He specifically called upon Jonah.  The thing about this is that Jonah was neither the only prophet at the time, nor in Theory, was he the only one who could do the job.  If we believe God to be all powerful, then he could have sent anyone to let Nineveh know of the impending judgment.  In fact, Jonah was believed to possibly be one of a group of traveling prophets of the time. (see 2 Kings 2:3).  So why Jonah specifically?  What made him special? 

In Jeremiah 29:11-13 he writes, "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"  We believe this verse is for all of us, so if it is for all of us now, it too was for all mankind in history.  However, when we read this verse we limit it's meaning.  We think when it talks about the plans for us that it is our future and ministry.  It goes much further than that.  His plan for us also include lessons for us to learn, trials we will face to make us grow in him.  In this story, God had a specific plan to change and affect Jonah.

If you look at Jonah 1:17 it says, "And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights."  Your saying, "...yeah, so the fish ate him."  If you look deeper it says that the Lord APPOINTED or PREPARED (NLT) a great fish to swallow him.  This means that the fish was set apart for this purpose.  In fact, Jews had a word for Whale, and that word was NOT used in describing this great beast if you look at the original Hebrew.  So it was a fish unlike any other, brought to Jonah for God's purpose. 

God is awesome that when he works, he isn't limited to teaching just one person, or one group of people.  He can grow and nurture his own people while his will is being done.  This story is as much about Jonah's growth as it is the saving of Nineveh.  My wife is now working so I can follow where God is leading.  Yesterday she said something profound.  She said, "You know, God put it on my heart that maybe it is you who is staying home so that I can be a witness at my job, instead of the other way around."  She went on to talk about how she feels it was to be specifically her there.  Yes someone else could have been sent to her job to witness, but God wanted her there.  Why?  I told her that maybe it is because you are growing as a Christian there while you bringing those there to know him. 

Probably the biggest evidence that this was about growing the prophet Jonah as much as it was about the saving of Nineveh, is what Jonah says after God spares the city.  He says in Jonah 4:1-3, "This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.'"  (NLT)  You can hear the resentment and anger in Jonah.  He had many reasons to be this way towards Nineveh which was the capital of the Assyrian empire.  If you look at Nahum 1:9 through chapter 3:4 the Assyrians were guilty of evil plots against God, exploitation of the helpless, cruelty in war, idolatry, prostitution, and witchcraft.  He didn't run because he was fearful of what might happen to him there, but because he knew they would turn.  He knew God would have mercy.  He didn't want God to show them mercy for all they had done.  This man was a prophet and had certainly seen a lot of God's love and mercy shown in his travels.  This was about vengeance for Jonah and his own personal judgment on these people. God knew this and even responded by saying, "Is it right for you to be angry about this?" (Jonah 4:4)  He went on to say in verse 11, "'But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?'"

The book doesn't say that Jonah realized the poison in his heart and the hate he felt for these people.  However, the Lord has a wonderful way of taking anything and making good out of it.  We can believe that since this book is in the Bible, that Jonah later woke up to his foolishness.  Better yet, we can believe that God knew YOU would read this story, and had a plan for personal growth in YOU.  So the next time God puts it on your hear to do something, he may have plans to do some moving in your Christian walk, and that you may be there for more than what you think you are.

May God bless this message...Amen