Tag: God is sovereign
A whale of an indigestion problem!
Scripture reading for September 18th: Jonah 1-4
Have you ever consciously tried to avoid obedience to God? Jonah was a prophet who was given orders by God to preach to the city of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the super-power of Jonah’s time and its inhabitants were known for their cruelty. They routinely killed, tortured and mutilated those they conquered! It is said that they impaled people on stakes and piled up heads in great pillars to spread fear and boast of their power.
Our prayers move the hand of God but so does wickedness and cruelty towards the poor and oppressed! (Jonah 1:2) God’s heart is for righteousness but He has promised retribution for sin. His wrath is ongoing towards sin on earth. (Romans 1:18) It will be revealed eternally in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15) But God does not judge or pour out wrath without first giving warning and an opportunity to escape. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone! (Ezekiel 33:11)
Jonah was sent on a mission of mercy, but instead boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. During the course of the journey, God sent a great wind to buffet the ship. The sailors cast lots to find out the one causing the trouble and the lot fell to Jonah! Jonah told the men he was running from the Lord. He also told them to throw him overboard and the sea would calm down. They obeyed!
As Jonah sank into the sea, God appointed a great fish to swallow him up! For three days and three nights he wrestled with his own heart and finally decided to pray! The result was a beautiful prayer of repentance from the belly of the whale! (Jonah 2:2-9) The Lord spoke to the fish and Jonah was vomited up on the shore of Nineveh! The ironic part of all of this is that the Ninevites worshiped Dagon, the fish god! When Jonah came out of the fish, they thought that their ‘god’ had sent him! As he preached repentance, all of them turned to the Lord in humility!
From Jonah, we learn that God is sovereign and that creation obeys His commands! How much more should we, who are made in His image, obey Him! If you are called by God to follow Him, why not avoid causing indigestion?
The King and the Governor!
Scripture reading for May 30th: John 18:25-19:22
As the illegal trial of Jesus continued before Pontius Pilate the Son of God showed His control of this whole process. No man would take His life, He would willingly lay it down. He even reached out to help Pilate!
Pontius Pilate came out of his house to meet the Jewish leaders and their captive, Jesus Christ. He asked them what charges they were bringing against Jesus. “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. This happened indicating the kind of death He was going to die would be fulfilled.” (John 18:29-32) These men wanted Jesus executed and knew that the only way that could happen is for Pilate to approve of it. But God’s plan was moving along and He was really in control!
Pilate took Jesus into his palace and had Jesus brought before him and asked, “Are You the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about Me?” (John 18:33-34) I believe Jesus was probing Pilate to see if he might be open to ministry and faith.
Jesus then told him, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.” (John 18:36-37) Jesus was offering Pilate understanding of who He was. He was speaking truth to Pilate in a way that he could understand and repent. But Pilate questioned, “What is truth?”
Pilate tried to free Jesus, saying there was no basis for a charge against Him. The people demanded that Jesus be crucified. He questioned Jesus further but Jesus refused to answer. Pilate threatened Jesus, stating he had power to free Him. “You would have no power over Me if it were not granted to you from above.” (John 19:11) In the end, Jesus was turned over to be crucified!