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Summer Wine
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Location: Next to a River
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 Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 9:52 am Post subject: A question directed towards Christians |
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Who can relate to Jonah?
Worst Godly prophet ever recorded in the bible. Never did Gods will unless forced too. Only ever mentioned once or twice (?) outside the other books of the bible, in the new testament, sure wasn't held up as an example of obedience.
Took a large fish to get him to the destination. Was angry not only towards the people he was supposed to help, but also towards God for killing a vine that protected him from the sun. I have to laugh at Jonah, he really knew how to get into trouble.
I was thinking this after reading the passage about turning the other cheek and thought to myself that if I could relate to any person in the bible, it would have to be Jonah (maybe doubting thomas, but I think Jonah would win).  |
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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: A question directed towards Christians |
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| Summer Wine wrote: |
Who can relate to Jonah?
Was angry not only towards the people he was supposed to help |
If there be any reason to make Jonah the patron saint of ESL teachers in Korea, surely this is it. Man, my co-teacher was such an a*s on Friday. What a grumpy Gus. Sometimes I wonder if ESL in Korea is part of a larger "suicide distraction program" implemented by western charities. Who the hell signs a contract to teach kids and then shows up everyday hating teaching kids? |
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tweeterdj
Joined: 21 Oct 2005
Location: Gwangju
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not sure if anybody is supposed to relate to him, because he did everything wrong. But the story is more likely to be about God's boundless love and forgiveness. No matter how badly Jonah wanted to quit doing what God told him to, and no matter how much he kept pissing God off, God just smiled and kept pushing him along. It is also somewhat about obedience, but I don't think that was the original message...
I also enjoy Jonah's story, mostly cause it has some humour which is sadly lacking in most of the bible. Did you every watch the Veggietales movie? It is about Jonah, and is rather well done, if geared towards a lower age. Still funny though. The "pirates who don't do anything" crack me up! |
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Dan The Chainsawman
Joined: 05 May 2005
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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I can relate!
I went whale watching once in Santa Barbara California! I saw a whale! |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: A question directed towards Christians |
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| Summer Wine wrote: |
Who can relate to Jonah?
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-James Bartley.
"In the late winter of 1891, the whale-ship 'Star of the East' was in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands when it came within sight of a whale. Two boats were dispatched with harpoons to snare and kill the great beast of the sea, but the lashing of its tail capsized one of the launches spilling the crew into the sea. All were accounted for except for a single sailor, James Bartley.
Ultimately the whale was killed and the carcass drawn aboard the vessel to begin the process of salvaging valuable resources. By the next day good progress had been made in removing the layers of blubber from the beast, so tackle was attached to its stomach to hoist it on deck. Sailors were startled by spasmodic life within the belly of the whale, and upon further inspection the missing sailor was found.
Bartley was quite mad for two weeks, but upon recovering his senses he recounted what little he could recall of being dragged under the water. Struggling for his life he had been drawn into darkness within which he felt a terrible and oppressive heat. He found slimy walls that gave slightly to his touch, but could find no exit. When his situation finally dawned on him Bartley lost his senses completely and lapsed into a state of catatonia.
During his time inside the whale the gastric juices effected his exposed skin. His face, neck and hands were bleached a deathly white with a texture like parchment, a condition from which the skin never recovered. Bartley believed that he would probably have lived inside his house of flesh until he starved, as breathing was not a problem.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/hub/A449345 |
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jinglejangle
Joined: 19 Feb 2005
Location: Far far far away.
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| Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:07 am Post subject: |
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I can relate to Jonah.
Jonah was brought up in a very xenophobic nation worshipping a God who was known for wreaking havoc on anyone who attacked his people (sooner or later.)
Jonah was then called by God to go and preach to his peoples arch enemies.
Who can blame him for not wanting to go?
Then, when he finally did go, the people turned to God and sought forgivness, and God granted it.
I too would probably have a hard time with this, but having not been raised in that kind of environment, I probably can't fully understand it either.
This sort of opposition to the will of God is not uncommon in the Bible.
The prophet Ezekial was so angry about what God told him to do that he went and sulked for 7 days until God came and let him know it wasn't fully optional. (Ezekial chapters 2 and 3.) Given some of the extreme things God had him do, this response is not too suprising to me.
The prophets tended to have long and difficult careers, and consequently their books tend to have bits about their struggles with their lives, and their complaints to God. The book of Jeremiah is one example. In Chapter 15 verses 10 thru 21 you can read a somewhat poetic account of what seems to be an arguement between Jeremiah and God. (God wins.)
^^
Elijah, cosidered possibly the greatest prophet of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, gave up and fled; and pleaded with God to end his life rather than sending him back to the struggle. (1 Kings Chapter 19)
All of this is understandable. Prophets were brutally treated, hunted, tortured and killed through much of Israel's history. Here is an excerpt from Hebrews Chapter 11 by way of illistration:
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| 32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. |
Throughout the Bible, two things which can be seen very consistantly are: 1. Men often struggle with the commands of God, and even those who follow him closely usually come to points when they simply can't understand or accept what God is doing. In every case I can think of, God has to speak to them and bring them through the difficulty. (or give 'em a good swift kick in the pants, like with Jonah, Ezekial, and Jeremiah.)
2. God doesn't use perfect people to do his will. There are none to find, and he doesn't make us perfect before he starts using us to bless others.
You think Jonah was bad? Throughout the Bible God takes some very bad folks and turns them around 180 degrees, and uses others who retain signifigant charachter flaws. Look at David, he sent one of his best friends on a suicide mission in order to cover up stealing his wife! Did he repent? Yes. Did he pay for it? Yes. But yet God holds him up many times as one of his greatest servants, not withstanding the fact that he did some very bad things occassionally.
God does not demand perfection from his servants. He will take it upon himself to make you perfect in his own good time. (Such as in his lecture to Jonah at the end of the book) It does not make a difference in accomplishing the mission either, since prophets only did the things that made them remembered only through God's power anyway. "God's strength is made perfect in our weakness." as it says.
Speaking of weakness, I am worn to the bone, and it is way way way past time I need to be in bed.
Hope you enjoyed this Summer.
Peace to you mate. |
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