I Jonah, The Darkness
Page 3
Chapter 3
The Darkness of the Heart
1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
1a. Little do you realize how much we misunderstand our God. We think because He is full of mercy and forgiveness that means He has had a change of mind. We think that because our circumstances have changed that He has changed. No, that is not so, for He is God and He changes not. As I knelt there on bended knees praising Him for my deliverance. His word again spoke to me. I found what He said hard to believe but He again He told me His desire for my life.
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid you.
2a. Arise, stand up and go to Nineveh that great city and cry out to them the proclamation which I bid thee to cry out. I stood there on that shore in the same city of Joppa looking out to the sea. I saw in the distance a fountain of water spraying into the air. I knew if I did not go this time my end awaited me there in the waves of the sea. As I watched the whale swam a little closer and he looked at me. You ask me did I want to go. The circumstances of my life had changed much but the disposition of my spirit had changed little. I had to choose between two things neither of which I relished. One was to go to my redeemer now, to step into the ocean and be swallowed up in death. The other was to go and preach life to those who were already dead. I chose what could be their life over my death. Selfish, I do not know, but I did know that was what He wanted. Happy, about what I was about to do. No, I cannot say that I was. I wondered if there would ever be any who would say I delight to do they will Father. I turned and took my first step towards Nineveh. This was my cross and I must bear it. What is yours and are you bearing it?
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city of three days' journey around it.
3a. And then I walked and brooded all the way to Nineveh. I thought about what I would say to those people, how much I would tell them. I decided as little as possible. I did know that God had spoken to my spirit and told me to tell them that they only had forty days. I finally came up with this. Jehovah the Existing One has said you have forty days to repent of your sins or your city will be overthrown and destroyed. That was all I decided to tell them but as I was to find out it was not my preaching but Gods Spirit that changed people’s lives. For so many years I had spoken His word to people thinking that it was I who they should listen to only to find out that He truly was the only one that could cause people to repent.
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
4a. To my amazement or dismay I am not sure which, I have come to discover that He does not need me. As I went into the city I began to proclaim His message. You are probably thinking that finally I came to see what an honor it was to be allowed to proclaim the Word of God to such a wicked people. I wish I could say that was true but it is not for my message was weak but His power was strong. My tone rang of insincerity but His spoke of truth. My spirit was stand-offish while His Spirit was inviting.
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
5a. So what can I tell you, only this which you probably have already heard. The people of Nineveh believed God, the one true God. Then they proclaimed a fast. They actually read it out loud so from the poorest to the richest could hear. Then they put on sackcloth and mourned for their sins by setting down in ashes and admitting their worthlessness to a Holy God. While I stood and watched, while I stood there in all my resentment, while I stood there in all of my anger.
6 For word came unto the King of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
6a. Have you ever been astounded by something? Let me tell you the definition of that word and then see if you have ever been astounded. To be filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock. I became astounded for as I approached the palace of the King. He walked out in his entire splendor and then there in front of me took off his royal robes and he too put on sackcloth and ashes. There on his knees He bowed to the God of Heaven. He bowed while I stood stiff-necked and astounded. Have you ever been envious or jealous of someone’s humbleness? Do not be so sure for have you ever watched one pray on their knees while you stood doubting their sincerity. As you stood there full of your spiritual pride you proclaimed to yourself this will never last. They really did not change or mean it.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water:
7a. Then they proved you and your condemning, judging, attitude wrong. For as I stood there the King arose and proclaimed, “Let man and beast cry mightily unto God.” Then he picked up sackcloth and began to cover even the beast of the field with it. When He said his next words I knew he was as sincere as I was insincere. For he then said, “let them turn everyone from his evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands.” When he said this I wept for I knew that the God of mercy would forgive them. He would not destroy them and I wept. Why? Because I knew that He would forgive them. While in my heart I wanted Him to destroy them.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
8a. He did not know but I did know and my anger burned even hotter within me. You say how awful, how could you feel that way? Careful for do you not remember the one who hurt you. The husband or wife who deserted you. The child who turned on you. The one who you used to go to Temple with who now turns their head and refuses to look at you. Careful I say, careful for the God who sees the repentant heart also sees the unrepentant one.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not?
9a. Then the King spoke again, for who can discern if God will turn from His burning anger towards us and turn back so from it so that we will not vanish from the face of the earth. And it was as I knew it would be. God saw their works. He hears our words but He judges our actions because they prove our intentions.
10 And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way; and God relented of the disaster, that he had said that he would bring upon them; and He did it not.
10a. God then moved with pity and compassion for their misery did not do what He said He would do. And I stood there in the midst of their joy and celebration astounded and paralyzed with anger and remorse for bringing them His word. I realized that even in agreeing to come I still did not believe that they would change or could change. I wanted and expected them to perish while He wanted them to live.