Jonah does not fit the typical picture of an Old Testament prophet. Indeed,
he looks like one who needs a prophet himself: to rebuke his selfishness,
hypocrisy, ingratitude and anger.
Yet, like the prophet Hosea and his adulterous wife, if we focus solely
on the outward actions of the prophet, we’re likely going to miss the profundity
that lies beneath.
When we listen in on the conversation between Jonah and the LORD, we’ll
observe a certain intimacy and familiarity that would have been considered
strange for an Old Testament believer: we listen to his brash talk with Jehovah
and wonder how come he didn’t turn into a pile of ash. Like John “the Beloved”
in the New Testament, he was the type who wasn’t afraid to lay his head on the
LORD’s chest to talk.
The dialogue between him and the Lord in chapter 4 was more like a
Father and an obstinate son that of God and a prophet. The people of Israel
were familiar with the “acts” of God, but apparently Jonah, like the great
prophet Moses before him, knew His “ways” (Ps 103:7).
When you know the true nature of God’s love to you, it affords you the
boldness to interact with Him freely and experience levels of communion that
would have been unthinkable to believers in the Old Covenant.
This is the vision God had always had for His people. Repeatedly
throughout the Old Testament, the prophets prophesied of the day when YAHWEH
will be the people’s God, and they will be His people (Jer 31:33; 24:7;
31:1,33; 32:38; Eze 11:20; 36:28; 37:27; Hos 1:10; 2:23; Zec 8:8; 13:9; etc.)
And according to Hebrews 8:10, this desire of God was eventually achieved
in the New Testament through the relationship we have with God because of the
Blood of Jesus.
Today, even much more than Jonah, we can come boldly unto the throne
of grace; because we have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear; but have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.
(Heb 4:16; Rom 8:15).
AMEN.
More Blessings await you today; you’ll not
miss them in Jesus Name.
GREG ELKAN
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