Parade of Prophets: Jonah

God’s Menagerie

God sent a man

to warn a city

great in its eyes.

But the man did not obey.

God sent a wind

to smash the ship

that harbored him.

The man did still not obey.

But the wind, and the sea,

most certainly did.

God sent a fish

to swallow the man

who to death so swam.

The man grudgingly obeyed.

But the fish did with great gusto.

God sent a plant

to shade the man

from the day’s hot sun.

The man was thankful.

And the plant obliged.

Then God sent a worm

to chew the plant

so it would die.

The worm did so obey.

And the man, beat to a faint

by the sun, and again the wind,

finally joined God’s obedient

menagerie.*

In the end,

God always

gets His way.

*the fact that Jonah, the author, could pen such a lesson learned at the very end of the book, shows that he, the man in the book did ultimately come to obey God, not only in deed, but also in heart

Jonah 1-3

Heavenness

What a storm!

It is upon our heads!

The greatest of winds is roaring!

The highest of seas is crashing!

And into the bowels of the ship

The captain cries out;

Sleepers, arise!

Don’t you see?

Can’t you hear?

We’re going to die!

Call out to God!

There is no time like now

to start believing.

Maybe it’s not too late.

Perhaps He may still save us.

It is no small thing for so long

To have to have offended

the King of the Sea,

even more, no less

His Heavenness.

Jonah 1:6-8

I'm Not the Only One

God is the God of second chances, or

He just wasn’t done with me.

He told me to go to Nineveh.

I went to Tarshish.

He sent me to the bottom of the sea,

And had a big fish swallow

and vomit me.

Part of me then went to Nineveh.

The rest of me to sulk,

While God loved my enemy.

Finally, God sent me shade

from a hot and angry sun,

Then a lowly worm to show

I’m not the only one.

Jonah 3:1-4

Counting Eye

Our days are numbered Before they begin, We just don’t know when They will actually end. Repent! For it is God Who numbers them. Who among you will continue To shake your fist at the sky? Join those of us from Nineveh. He’s too high for your swings To blacken, much less reach… His counting eye. Jonah 3:5-10

Is It Right to Be Angry?

God forgave the unforgivable.

Jonah was angry. God asked Jonah, Is it right to be angry? Jonah pouted in the sun. God gave to the undeserving. Jonah remained angry still. God asked Jonah, Is it right to be angry? Jonah nodded, ‘Even to death.’ God explained the unexplainable. Jonah’s anger silent went. God’s question stands, Is it right to be angry? Even God’s own cry foul. God loves the unlovable. Such anger is a sin. God asks, ‘Do you love Me?” It is not right to be so. Love your fellow man.* *even Ninevites and Samaritans; we will be known by the love by which God loves us,

and how we love our fellow man Jonah 4:1-11 John 13:35

When It’s the End of You

You know it’s bad

When being eaten by a big fish

Is a good thing.

Sinking deeper than deep

Closing in around me,

Sea-weed wrapped

For a long salt-water nap,

Sands at the ocean’s floor

Threaten to tuck me in bed,

Death’s door, looking for more.

Then God sent a great fish

To swallow me whole,

Razor teeth a welcome sight,

Such a tongue, my delight,

Gut sucked without a fight, and

Into the belly for at least a night.

Not much too see or do, but pray

With digestive juices on the way,

Aspiring to be the next vomit load

Instead of from the other end.

It’s amazing what you will do

When it’s about to be

the end of you.

Ok, I’ll go to Nineveh.

Jonah