Jonah 1
He could have been a hero, but he chose another path. Born in Connecticut and starting a career in shipping, he quickly become a hero once the war hit. He successfully defended his base and was given operating command, rising all the way up to Major General. But instead of fully realizing his potential, he turned coat and led the British Army directly against the very soldiers he commanded at West Point (Wikipedia). Sometimes the difference between who a person could be and who they end up being has a wide chasm. This holds true with Jonah.
Arnold had a lot of potential, but didn’t live up to it. He couldn’t let go of missed promotions and raises and had debts to pay. Jonah had a lot of potential, but ultimately didn’t live up to it either. Character is way more important than pedigree. Who you are matters!
Character Counts
Jonah could have been an incredible prophet of the Lord for the sake of the Northern Kingdom, but didn’t turn his potential into actuality – instead he chose an easier path – the one of scheming. In 2 Kings 14:23-25 we see Jonah prophesy “favorably” and help Jeroboam 2 (a really evil king of Israel) restore the border of Israel. We know this is evil scheming because Jonah is called out for that in Amos 6:13-14. These few verses here give us clues that Jonah is, in fact, a wicked prophet. He was not a good guy who had a bad day, nor was he a good guy with extreme prejudice towards a bad group of people (consider the hatred the Israelites had for Assyria, which didn’t become a villain until after this story). Either of those options would be preferable but are incorrect. He was a Benedict Arnold; a scheming bad guy with hatred in his heart. Jonah was a sin-riddled and rebellious prophet who hated God’s call and command. Though quick to claim God and his Israelite heritage (v9) he was ultimately a wolf in sheep’s clothing, someone who masked his evil character with his pedigree. An old friend of mine was once the first person to ask for wisdom and advice, but something happened in his life and he turned against God, all the way to claiming atheism. He isn’t realizing the potential God gave him. Jonah claimed God but wanted nothing to do with Him or His commands. This is a stark contrast to the others in this story.
Pedigree is Powerless
We meet a group of pagan sailors because God told Jonah to go east—he went as far as he could in the other direction. Tarshish, according to scholars, most likely was a port west of the strait of Gibraltar, making it a port of the Atlantic Ocean. He knew what he was doing and went literally to the end of the world to run from God’s command. Thus we come to the pagan sailors. While Jonah was all pedigree and no realization, the sailors had no pedigree or connection to God, yet their character was fully realized, even to the point of repentance! Verses 6, 10, 13, and 15 all show that our sailor friends were aware of spiritual things, open to faith, and afraid of the Creator God. Consider the comparison to Jonah:
- Jonah slept; the sailors stayed awake
- Jonah claimed God but rebelled; they didn’t know Him but feared/obeyed Him
- Jonah preferred death; they didn’t want any death
- Jonah sought disobedience; they repented
We follow the sailors from a point of awareness that something is going on all the way to repentance, all while Jonah was running the opposite way. God did use him to lead them to repentance, but not in a way that he’ll get to celebrate or enjoy but quite the opposite. God’s purposes will be accomplished through you, but you choose your level of enjoyment in that. Why we do what we do is important.
Motivations Matter
Jonah didn’t want God’s calling for him, thus the running away, but when push came to shove, he did sacrifice himself for the sailors. Well, not exactly. This may look like a hero moment for Jonah, having the sailors throw him into the sea, but he knew that if they threw him in, he’d get the ultimate escape from the mission! This was actually his most selfish act of all – while it looked like a sacrifice on the outside, the motivation behind it was all about self. Samuel learned this lesson with Saul and David (and his anointing). Be aware of your motivations behind action. We all perform actions and can do things that make us look heroic, but are in truth selfish. They make us look good. Beware that temptation, because it will come back to bite you or like Jonah, swallow you.
Next Steps
Tai Lung wanted more than anything to be the Dragon Warrior, but despite his desires and all his potential, he couldn’t get away from his evil character. Character is more important than pedigree (or potential). Who you are matters! Don’t let your potential go unrealized, but focus on developing your character in Christ.
- Seek intimacy with God through personal prayer and scripture study – don’t be content to use His name just for benefit.
- Recognize that this is God’s story, not yours. We are invited to join in His mission, but that means He is in control of the flow.
- Challenge the motivations for your actions – ask yourself why you did something and make sure the motivation behind the action is pure.
As He told Samuel, God sees our hearts and knows our intentions. Who we are matters! Don’t seek to be important, just seek to be in Him. You will only be your best self if that self is hidden in–and focused on–Christ. Find yourself hidden in Christ.
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