Jonah was used of God to accomplish a great task, once he listened and decided to respond in a positive manner. But he had an unwilling heart at first. He wasn't willing to do what God had asked. "Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me'" (Jonah 1:1-2). But Jonah would have none of it. The story continues, "But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD" (v. 3a).
He "found a ship going to Tarshish" (v. 3b) and set out on an ill-advised journey. But the Lord would not let go of him. He was seeking a willing heart and set about developing such a heart within him. "The LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up" (v. 4). The men of the ship, in an effort to discover the cause, "cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah" (v. 7). Eventually they were convinced to throw Jonah overboard, which they did, "and the sea ceased from its raging" (v. 15).
God wasn't finished. "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (v. 17). What would it take? Surely by now Jonah was ready to repent of his unfaithfulness and be willing to do the work to which God had called him. I know I would be.
We pick up the story with Jonah in the belly of the "great fish" (v. 17). He had three full days to think and pray. And pray he did! He cried out to the Lord and said, "I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple... I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD" (2:4, 9). Now he had a willing heart, "So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land" (v. 10).
"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.' So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD" (3:1-3a). He preached as God told him to and the people repented of their sin, receiving God's mercy (v. 10).
Jonah wasn't happy and even "became angry" (4:1). After all, these people were sworn enemies of his people. He knew God would have pity on them (v. 2), but he would not. He would rather die (v. 3). God would deal with Jonah in the remaining verses of chapter four. He needed to learn to love his enemies and have compassion on them. But he had at least found a willing heart to do what God asked of him. A little compassion, and he would feel much better about everything.
In all fairness to Jonah, his unwillingness to do as God asked and go to Nineveh was an isolated case. He was willing to serve to an extent; in fact he was already serving in some capacity as a prophet. So his heart was willing, but with limits. He had no interest in taking the message of forgiveness to the sworn enemies of Israel. That is where he drew a line in the sand. And how did that work out for him? Not so good. He refused to cross that line, even knowing that God was in it, and He paid a great price.
Do you ever draw lines in the sand concerning what you will or will not do and where you will or will not go? Do you put limits on God? Is your heart a willing heart but only to an extent? Or are you truly willing to follow God wherever He leads? Are you willing to do whatever He asks of you? Those are important questions that need to be answered. If you try to limit God, He will persuade you, as he did with Jonah. Amen.
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