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Jonah, 911 and Me
By Donald A. McElvaney
I have been thinking a lot about Jonah lately. In this short book the Lord has delivered to us a very timely message. God Almighty has compassion for all who are lost regardless of where they live or how they happen to treat the people of God. His will is for all of those living in spiritual darkness to hear His message of coming judgment so that they can understand the message of Grace and forgiveness.
Nineveh was a great city in Assyria to the north of Israel. Israel was weak and the Assyrians were powerful. The Jews didn’t have any love for their neighbors who were intimidating them economically and with their standing army. But the Lord was moved with compassion at the sinful state of the Ninevites and wanted someone to go to the Ninevites and tell them about Him. These lost souls needed to hear about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from one of His sons. So the Lord chose to send Jonah to Nineveh.
As you know, Jonah refused to obey the Lord and go. So the Lord persuaded Jonah to repent and, in reluctant obedience, Jonah entered that great city. His message was quite simple and clear, “Forty more days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” It was a message of judgment. God told the Ninevites that He was going to judge the city and the people because of their sin. Despite the hardness of Jonah’s heart, the Lord used him to deliver the message of imminent doom. That Word from on High bore fruit in that it drove the Ninevites to repentance. They were driven by fear and panic to cry out to God for Mercy. The Lord heard their cry and poured out His mercy and repented of His commitment to destroy them at that time.
Jonah left the city and went to a hillside where he vented his frustration and anger. The Assyrians didn’t deserve to hear the Good News. They didn’t deserve to be reconciled to the Father by Faith. They were just wicked people, certainly not “chosen people” and therefore deserved nothing but the grave. It was unfair for the Lord to want to forgive them. So Jonah pouted. He wallowed in his bitterness as the Spirit moved over the Ninevites and they all came to repentance and faith.
As we approach the first anniversary of the events of 911, we may be tempted to think as Jonah did – there are people around the world that don’t deserve to hear the Gospel. They don’t deserve to be forgiven for what they did to us. But the Lord doesn’t want to give them what they deserve. He wants them to hear His Word and be saved.
Judgment is coming. It will not just come to a few select people that we don’t like, but it will come on all who are lost. His will is that none should perish, but that all come to repentance. The only way that can happen is if we are moved with compassion and go into the world to share the Gospel. We need to do what we can to reach into the turmoil with the message, “Whosoever will may come…” – yes, even them.
By Donald A. McElvaney
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