Knowledge and Reflection of God

This morning I read the short book of Jonah. It’s only four chapters long, but it paints a beautiful picture of the grace, compassion, love, and mercy of God. It also challenges the believer to put knowledge into action.

God had called Jonah to preach against the city of Nineveh because of its wickedness. In disobedience, Jonah ran from God and from His call to preach repentance. He tried to get as far away from God as possible. In fact, he fled to the west border of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea where he boarded a ship headed for Spain. He wasn’t just jumping on his camel and going to the next city or even country, he was going as far away as he possibly could.

Why did he run from God? Why did he choose such drastic disobedience? Some suggest that because he was a Jew, he was appalled at the idea of God offering forgiveness to a “heathen” people. Nineveh was located in Assyria along the east bank of the Tigris River in modern day Iraq. The city was known for the cultic worship of the goddess Ishtar. How could God show grace, compassion, love, and mercy upon an idolatrous nation - a nation that was not chosen by God to carry His blessing? We get a hint of Job’s feelings after God showed compassion to the people of Nineveh. Jonah 4:1-2 says, “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the LORD, ‘O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’” These verses don’t reveal the root of Jonah’s disobedience but they do show us that Jonah wanted God to unleash His wrath upon the Ninevites.

Maybe Jonah was prejudice against the Assyrians. Maybe he believed all idolatrous nations should be destroyed. Maybe he was prideful of His status as a Jew and position as one of God’s chosen people. There could be any number of root issues that could be considered and possibly should be explored. Yet, to me, there is a greater tragedy to be found in this account.

As indicated in the verses above, it is clear that Jonah knew God. He knew His character - gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, and merciful. He knew how God would respond to a repenting people - forgiveness. Yet, Jonah displayed godless character and action in his own life. He had a knowledge of God without a reflection of God. Let me sidetrack for a minute and focus on God’s character.

God demonstrated His grace, compassion, love, and mercy to everyone mentioned in this story. First of all, He demonstrated His character to the sailors. When they agreed to throw Jonah overboard during the storm, they knew that would be committing murder. In fact, they cried out to God asking Him not to hold them accountable for taking an innocent man’s life. God was gracious to them. When the sea calmed, the men bowed in worship before God. Secondly, He demonstrated His character to the Ninevites. When they repented from their evil ways, the Scripture says that “He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened” (Jonah 3:10). Lastly, He demonstrated His character to Jonah. He provided a great fish to swallow him rather than allow him to drown in the raging sea. When Jonah cried out to the Lord from inside the fish, God heard Him and had the fish spit him out on dry ground. God even pursued Jonah when he was angry. He came to Jonah when he was angry at God’s forgiveness poured out to the Ninevites. He came to Jonah again when he was angry about the withered vine. What an incredible God we serve. He shows grace, compassion, love, and mercy in our desperateness (sailors), in our wickedness (Ninevites), and in our carnality (Jonah).

Now let me get back to my main subject - knowledge without reflection. Jonah knew God’s character and even saw it demonstrated, yet he wouldn’t reflect or demonstrate God’s character in his own life. This is where the rubber meets the road; this is where faith is lived out. I may have incredible knowledge of God, I may attend every Bible study offered at church, I may read the Bible daily, I may have large portions of the Word memorized, I may even lead a Bible study. Yet, if the character and nature of God are not reflected and demonstrated in my life, I’m like smoke blowing in the wind. God reveals His character and nature in His Word and demonstrates them in our everyday lives. He calls us to reveal and demonstrate His character and nature in our daily lives.

Father, thank You for revealing and demonstrating Your compassion, grace, love, and mercy to me in my desperateness, my wickedness, and my carnality. Thank You for continually pursuing me even when I run from You in disobedience. Oh, forgive me for not immediately responding to Your voice. May my knowledge of You always be reflected and demonstrated in my life. May Your Holy Spirit empower me to receive and incarnate Your Word.