Week 33 Jonah
Yesterday I was thinking about Amos’ Three-Step Process:
1) Israel sins
2) the Lord sends prophets to warn people
3) then disaster will (or won’t) strike.
I guess that technically-speaking another item should be added to the list (even though Amos didn’t explicitly say it):
1) Israel sins
2) the Lord sends prophets
3) the people then get to choose one way or the other
4) the Lord acts (one way or the other).
Anyway today I read Jonah and it looks like Jonah was very familiar with Amos’ process. In his specific case:
1) Nineveh had sinned
2) he had to go & warn them
3) Nineveh would then get to choose one way or the other
4) the Lord would act (one way or the other).
Jonah’s preferred outcome (what he wanted to have happen) was this:
1) I know Nineveh has sinned
2) I’ll go & warn them
3) Nineveh won’t pay any attention to me
4) the Lord will bring disaster on them.
But Jonah was worried and he was thinking “hold on a second. Something else might happen (something I don’t want)”:
1) Nineveh has sinned
2) I’ll go & warn them
3) But…Nineveh might listen & be sorry
4) so then the Lord won’t bring disaster on them!
That was a terrible outcome for Jonah. So he modified the plan:
1) Nineveh has sinned
2) but I won’t go & warn them
3) Nineveh won’t get warned. Won’t get to choose. Won’t repent.
4) then the Lord will bring disaster.
I don’t really think Jonah was written to illustrate Amos 3:7. But today that’s just what it did for me.