Jonah's defining moment.

So, It’s been a long time.

I decided to blog again. For months now, it’s been on my mind. Why haven’t I done it, you ask? I’ve been lazy. Every time I sit in front of the computer, that stupid solitaire game calls me. Lame, right? I think so.

Anyway, a lot has happened since my last post. A. Lot. Loss of a job. A marriage. A grandchild. A move out of state. I could blame my laziness on any of those. But the fact remains, I’ve been lazy.

Therefore, I shall try again. Maybe this time someone will actually read it. If not, well then, at least I vented.

So, here we are. Stuck at home in quarantine because of this COVID-19 virus. But make no mistake, it wasn’t COVID-19 that prompted me to write. There are already too many people with a lot to say. Nevertheless, the timing was right. There are just as many people listening to what others have to say, so, there. I’m putting in my own two cents.

My church is finishing up a series on Jonah. Yes, him, the guy in the whale—although nowhere have I read that it was indeed a whale, rather a very big fish. It just makes sense that if it was big enough to swallow good old Jonah like it swallowed good old Geppetto…well, never mind.

As we came to chapter 2, verse 7-9, I read: “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” (Emphasis added).

I have read this passage many times. There is Jonah, thinking he is about to die. His life is literally inching away from him. In the beginning of the chapter he has listed one by one the many ways he could die: the waters, the waves, the seaweeds, the roots of the mountains (in the water? Seriously Jonah?). Suddenly, he breaks into praise. “But I, with a song of thanksgiving…”, then in verse 10: “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

The point here has always been, that praise comes before the rescue. True. I agree wholeheartedly. Even though, sometimes we are not really rescued. But we still teach it and say that even though so, praise should always be on our lips. I agree wholeheartedly with that, too. Regardless of our circumstances, praise should always be on our lips, and like Daniel’s friends, our attitude should be one of: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Do I detect a little bit of sarcasm in those “O king”? Hmmm.)

This time, two things jumped out to me. First, “I…will sacrifice to you”. Sometimes praise is a sacrifice. It is hard. Feelings get in the way, circumstances get in the way, fatigue gets in the way, other people’s comments get in the way…you get it. But still, if it is to be a sign of faith, it must come before the rescue, and even if there is no rescue. Paul was not broken out of prison always. Our sacrifice is one of praise, not deeds. Praise after the rescue is not a sign of faith, it is only a sign of good manners.

Secondly, and this is what really caught my eye, Jonah adds, “What I have vowed, I will make good.” Wait, what? Didn’t he just rant about how he was going to die? How can he make good on any promise after he’s dead? It seems to me that this was Jonah’s defining moment. I think that it was then when Jonah realized that he was not going to die, and that is why he follows that statement with, “Salvation comes from the Lord.” He knew the Lord was coming for him. He realized he could not ignore the grace that could now be his, and decided not to cling to his own idol of cultural arrogance and self-righteousness any more than the Ninevites could cling to their idols of worship. They both needed to heed the grace offered by the almighty God, who was giving them a second chance.

God is a God of second chances…and thirds…and fourths…..and…

We all have a defining moment like Jonah’s, where we need God’s grace, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in abundance and in need. What if we read it this way: “Those of us who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be ours.”