June 11, 2015

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

It was the eighth century, b. c., and the Assyrian empire held dominance in the Middle East with their capital located in the city of Nineveh. To most of their smaller neighboring countries, the Assyrians and Ninevites were not nice people. They demanded high taxes, took what they wanted, and generally imposed their will on lesser nations. Of course, this applied to the people of Palestine, with the Northern Kingdom called "Israel" ("Judah" was the Southern Kingdom) falling to the Assyrians in 722 b. c. Israel had good reason to despise the Assyrians and their capital city of Nineveh, wishing it no goodwill whatsoever. Perhaps we can understand.

 

So when the Word of the Lord comes to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it for their evil has come before me" (Jonah 1:1-2), the prophet wants nothing to do with it. He knows that God sends him in order to give the Ninevites the opportunity to hear God's message, to turn from their evil, to be forgiven, and to receive God's grace. Granted, the Ninevites might refuse, but then again they might accept. Jonah doesn't want them to accept. In fact, he doesn't even want them to have the opportunity set before them to accept. So, Jonah catches the next boat to Tarshish, which is located about 3,000 miles due West of Nineveh.

 

Well, if we know the story we realize that God sometimes has very interesting methods for getting people to go where He wants them to go. So after three days of coming to terms with the Lord in the belly of the great fish, the fish spits him up on the shoreline, seaweed and all. Jonah then relents and travels to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1), still a most unhappy prophet. That which Jonah fears comes true. The people of Nineveh hear the Word of God and turn from their wicked ways. They respond favorably to God's message of mercy. As the text records, the king of Nineveh issues a proclamation throughout the city, "Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish" (Jonah 3:8-9).

 

As Jonah 4:1-2 goes on to report, "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish: for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.'" It sounds like Jonah was favorable toward God treating Israel with grace and mercy, but he was antagonistic toward that same grace and mercy meeting the Ninevites. He wanted selective and particular grace, not general and universal grace--or call it grace to the right people but not to the wrong people.

 

I personally am placing my vote for general and universal grace that is offered to the wrong people. That's because I'm one of those wrong people. And I'm sorry to say it, but so are you, even if you are pretty nice as things go. In fact, there are no right people, only wrong ones. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We were by nature children destined for wrath like the rest of humankind (Ephesians 2:3).

 

When all is said and done, everyone is at least an honorary Ninevite. So let us respond in the same way as the king of Nineveh and his citizens when we hear God's Word proclaimed by repenting and calling out for grace. And unlike Jonah, let us be willing and eager to announce God's gospel of grace to other Ninevites just like us, rejoicing when the Lord turns the hearts of even the most unworthy in our eyes.

 

Pastor Tim

 

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