Jonah in the Lion's Den
Of course, Jonah was never in the lion’s den. Still, it is interesting to contrast the
reactions of two very different master preachers and prophets, reactions to extreme
stress. Both were under the threat of imminent
and impending death: one confronted with the violence of drowning at sea; the
other faced with being eaten alive. It
is hard to imagine either one being in great comfort about the situations at
hand. Yet, Daniel is calm and confident;
assured at the presence of God. Jonah,
on the other hand, seems to be quite sure that God has left him; or, if that is
not the case, Jonah is determined to leave God: if necessary by a suicidal
death.
It is not God Who commands that Jonah be cast into the see:
the kindness of good, but superstitious men seek to avoid the tragedy. It is not Daniel who seeks the lion’s den: but,
evil men, who conspire against the wishes of the king. In both instances, a greater King superintends
over the affairs of men: so, both Jonah and Daniel are preserved alive.
So, what, after all, is the point of the mystery of Jonah?
“Shall I not spare Nineveh?”[1]
The obvious answer, to us, screaming at us, is yes, of
course, God must spare Nineveh. But, we
are Gentiles; we have experienced the wideness of God’s mercy; we who are wild fruitless
olive branches; not nice, naturally-cultivated Jewish olive branches; have been
grafted into the natural olive tree; now, we are the true Jews, circumcised in
the heart, as the seed bearing the faith and faithfulness of Abraham. So, it is all too easy for us to read our
Gentile perspectives back into Jonah, and commit a blunder of monstrous
anachronism.
We are neither Daniel, nor Jonah; so, it is only through
painstaking rigor that we are able to unfold the emotions, situation, and
thoughts of their suffering: understanding, at last, what it might possibly
mean. So, inch-by-laborious-inch,
crawling on our hands and knees, we strive to get inside another person’s head:
to live, to think, to walk as Jonah lived, thought, and walked.
Why did God say, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?”
More importantly, why did Jonah write, “Shall I not spare
Nineveh?” Why does Jonah, so self-concerned,
so bent on death, so tortured, think that this phrase is important to remember;
that this phrase is worthy of being the conclusion, the climax, the punch-line
of his brief book. How does this master
of minimalism, king of the one-line-sermon, attach himself to such a seemingly
insignificant phrase as, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?” Therein, in answering this question, is the
sword that slices through the Gordian Knot with a single stroke. This is the linchpin that unlocks the secret
of the enigma of Jonah.
Jonah could not have written such a statement, “Shall I not
spare Nineveh?”, at verse one: such thinking would have been impossible for
him. We are reminded that only by submission
to the will of God, do we become empowered by God, to use our mental faculties
correctly; only obedience to the Spirit begins in us that healing process,
resulting in right thinking… sanity.
Only as we grow in grace, do we become truly rational: our encounter
with Christ makes all the difference.[2] Jonah is a broken man; whether, we see him as
bi-polar, emotionally collapsed, insane, having a nervous breakdown, schizophrenic,
or described by some other psychobabble term; Jonah’s problem is his relationship
with God: God has not failed Jonah; but, Jonah is blaming God anyway. How many of us, facing seemingly insurmountable
problems; in our hour of bitterness, have turned away from God: it’s God’s
fault that all of this has happened to me.
The pity party, the indignant and puny human wrath, the childlike temper
tantrum quickly follow. Although, we are
adults, so we suppress our pain internally; we hide our true feelings; we smile
a fake, pasted-on smile; inside we’re seething with rage. It’s God’s fault.
It would be false to conclude that Jonah is without
cause. He has given his life to
preaching to the Israelites; as far as we know, he has never seen a single
convert. His only harvest is a mountain
of deaf ears and cold shoulders. He is,
in his own estimation, a failure before God.
Now God wants him to turn away from the Chosen People, Abraham’s
descendants, the circumcised; to deliver an insignificant message, to an
insignificant and uncircumcised, unwashed, heathen, and Gentile people…
merciless killers and warmongers… over Jonah’s dead body. It’s an intolerable humiliating demotion….
Now, the picture snaps into focus. The phrase, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?”,
shows us that Jonah has recovered right reason because he, once again submits
to God’s will; conforming his own will to the will of God, Jonah regains rationality,
sanity.
Now, we see that the phrase, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?”, proves
that Jonah made his way back to Jerusalem, to the Temple of Solomon, to the
most Holy Place, the Oracle of the Living God, and there offered up his thanks
for the infinite mercies of God. The
time, is evidently one of the three great Judean festivals; Pesach, Shabbat, or
Sukkot; Jonah makes his bloody animal sacrifices, as they are required. A new book of the Bible will be added to the
Oracle Archive commanded by Moses. It is
a significant public event. Jonah is a
notable person; famous for his exploits.
Over in a quiet corner, a small team of men worship, they enter into
the sacrifices and festivities, as they have for some time now. We know this man, Jonah, they exclaim; in joy
they reintroduce themselves to Jonah; they are so relieved to know that Jonah
is alive; their wounded consciences are salved as never before: they are the
sailors who cast Jonah into the sea.
Before, Jonah submits his book to the Oracle Archive, he amends it to
include the sailor’s story.
Yes, the book of Jonah is all about the phrase, “Shall I not
spare Nineveh?”; yet, this answer is only true and certified to us, based on
the equally impressive fact that God also spared Jonah: for as we have
struggled through all the agonizing twists and turns of Jonah’s life, we
realize that God never gave up on him.
The phrase, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?”, shows us that Jonah is
healed. The book of Jonah shows us how
God healed Jonah… and the Ninevites… and the sailors… and us.
In the phrase, “Shall I not spare Nineveh?”, is hidden the
marvelous secret, that all the infinite detail of healing Jonah; the wondrous
miracle of the Great Physician’s mercy, in all of its unlimited power, was
fully expended in healing Jonah… and every single individual Ninevite… and
sailor… and us.
Who’s in the lion’s den now?
Who’s your real Buddy now?
“Shall I not spare Nineveh?”
More focally: Shall He not spare you and me? Of course, He will! He is the Great Physician. That’s the way He is. That’s how He rolls. That’s what He does.
Please, read Chapters 5 and 6 first.
[1]
Jonah 4:11
[2]
Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
[3]
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