More on Jonah

All that thinking about Jonah last week has borne some interesting fruit. I did a Google search and read through some sermons about Jonah. One sermon described in detail why Jonah was so unhappy about being sent to Nineveh.

Nineveh was an Assyrian city, and the Assyrians were famous for their extreme cruelty. I haven't done any firsthand research of the Assyrians, I am basing this on various sermons I have read, but apparently the Assyrians commonly tortured their enemies, and ruthlessly slaughtered them. Their tactics included skinning people alive and them impaling them on stakes, to be left to die. They also frequently forced their prisoners to witness their own children being burned to death before they were themselves killed. Sounds like a pretty rough group.

So you can begin to imagine why Jonah was more willing to run in the opposite direction than to go and convince the Ninevites to repent. I'd be pretty terrified too. Being skinned alive and impaled on a stake doesn't sound like an inviting prospect.

As I was driving around the other day I spent some time thinking about those Assyrians. Their reputed cruelty struck home with me. I have written before about how I have a hard time dealing with the reality of hell and eternal damnation. Believe me, I know all of the correct theology about this topic. I know that all men in their natural state deserve eternal damnation, and that God is gracious to forgive and accept any of us. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is none who is righteous, none. All men seek only evil continually in their hearts, from the time of birth.

But even knowing all of that, my human logic screams out that HELL IS NOT FAIR!!!!

My problem is that I don't really think that most people are all that bad. Yes, I know the truth. But I don't always really truly believe it. Or at least, I struggle with believing it. The time and generation that I have been born into is mostly made up of good seeming people. I don't have a whole lot of first hand experience with obviously evil people. Sure, I hear about them on the news, I read about them in the paper. But mostly, the people that I come into personal contact with seem pretty nice.

So sometimes I struggle with believing that all men are evil in their hearts. This is where all that thinking about Jonah and the Ninevites comes in to play. God has proved very faithful and patient with me in my struggle with doubt. He always seems to supply a gentle reminder when I need one. It was the Ninevites this time.

I just couldn't stop thinking about their cruelty. It literally made my stomach upset to think about what they did to their prisoners and enemies. The thought of me being skinned alive is pretty repulsive. But my psyche can handle that. What I can't handle is the thought of watching my children being burned to death. The evil and horror of someone deliberately doing that makes me want to vomit.

And as I was thinking about it and feeling sick, I felt like the Holy Spirit was reminding me...that is the evil that lurks in the hearts of men. And despite all of our civilization, refinement and gentility today, we could become the Assyrians tomorrow. Just ask the Germans. Or better yet, ask the Jews.

Romans 3:10-18

"As it is written:

"There is no one who is righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Father, forgive me for setting up my human understanding as the measure of truth. Thank you for all the times you forgive my accusations against You. Lead me in the way everlasting, and remind me that your ways are above my ways, that you are the only truth, the only righteousness, the only salvation, the only goodness that exists. Keep me in the circle of obedience, and give me the gift of faith. Amen.