The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jonah 1:1-4, “The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,
2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.’
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4 The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.”

Were you ever ordered by a superior to do something you didn’t want to do? I won’t dare to illustrate the question, because we both already know the answer: you simply didn’t do what you were told to do. This was Jonah’s problem. He thought he had good reason. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, and was indeed a “great city.” Nineveh was “about sixty miles in circumference, covering 216 square miles, with a population of 600,000” (Lee, The Outlined Bible). It may seem an impossible task, still that was not Jonah’s thought.

The Assyrians had long been a formidable and ferocious enemy of Israel. The torturous activities that were inflicted upon the Jews are unspeakable! Jonah knew that were he to declare the LORD’s warning to the Ninevites, they would repent. He simply did not want them to repent! He did not want them to be shown any of the LORD’s mercy.

Did you ever feel that way about someone? “He doesn’t deserve mercy!” you have said. Well, turn the question on yourself: Do you deserve God’s mercy? Do I deserve it? Absolutely, not! If we deserved it, it would not be mercy!

It’s noteworthy, too, that from Jonah’s learning of the LORD’s desire to forgive Nineveh, he consistently went downward! He went “down to Joppa,” went “down into the ship,” and ultimately, “down into the sea.” Such is the warning to us when we question God’s purpose with our lives.

In the end, the LORD’s will was accomplished. Jonah would have done better to have obeyed the LORD’s will from the beginning. As a matter of fact, so would we! Do you know the LORD’s will for your life? Are you seeking to follow it? Think twice before you turn away from His will. His will will be accomplished, and you will then miss His blessing!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom