Jigsaw puzzles are typically maddening entertainment. The picture emerges as the many pieces come together, fitting in their proper places. Our understanding of life's experiences often means remaining rather clueless for long periods until the pieces (hopefully) come together and the picture emerges with clarity.
For Jonah, it seems like the pieces never quite came together, but his experience shows how God was working in a process that even now takes some effort to discern.
Taking the much of the first chapter of Jonah, we trace his call, and his attempt to avoid this call by fleeing by ship. He's going in the opposite direction of where God called him to go. As the ship heads for a destination named Tarshish, God brings up a ferocious storm and threatens to swamp the ship and drown its crew. The "fun" begins.
In examination of what happens, we see something quite different when we shift our attention to the conduct of the crew. They end up being more faithful to God than Jonah had ever displayed to the story's audience.
Go ahead and check it all out in the (relatively short) sermon video, and with the downloads below the video panel.
For Jonah, it seems like the pieces never quite came together, but his experience shows how God was working in a process that even now takes some effort to discern.
Taking the much of the first chapter of Jonah, we trace his call, and his attempt to avoid this call by fleeing by ship. He's going in the opposite direction of where God called him to go. As the ship heads for a destination named Tarshish, God brings up a ferocious storm and threatens to swamp the ship and drown its crew. The "fun" begins.
In examination of what happens, we see something quite different when we shift our attention to the conduct of the crew. They end up being more faithful to God than Jonah had ever displayed to the story's audience.
Go ahead and check it all out in the (relatively short) sermon video, and with the downloads below the video panel.
| 10-04-15-ff-answers.pdf |
| 10-04-15-journey_to_discovery.pdf |