Does God Punish Part Two

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Does God Punish – Part two

Jonah 3:1-10; 4:1-10[i]

As promised in Part One of this series, I will discuss more about the law in this session. Then I will finish off with the story of Jonah and God’s rebuke.

Let’s deal with the issue of the ‘Law.’

Jesus prayed to God, telling God that He “…finished the work you have given me to do.”[ii] And His last words on the cross, “It is finished.”[iii] Words that signify the law had been fulfilled, and his purpose on this Earth accomplished – Amen!

If the work of Jesus had not fulfilled the law, then we would all be living under the Old Testament law. What would be the repercussions of living under the Old Testament law?

Firstly, we would have to keep up the practice of sacrifices and other not-so-easy activities. God would have had to allow us to build temples globally or face a massive rush on services in Jerusalem.

We would be bound to follow not only the Law of Moses but all ceremonial laws as well.

The Holy Spirit would not take up residence within us.[iv]

The list goes on, but you understand how impracticable, no, impossible, this situation would be – agreed?

Many Christians celebrate Jewish feasts and traditions in their homes and church groups. And I have been asked if there is merit in these. My most straightforward answer is this; where God is honored, there is blessing and joy.

Apart from this we must guard against any groups leading us to become exclusive or another religious assembly. Sometimes certain human, traditions, doctrines, communities forge their own doctrines and in-group rules. They often adopt a crossbreed state, mixing Bible teachings with human traditions and interpretations.

Accepting this, we should never judge those who do not think as we do or do not do things our way. Let God and those rulers in the law courts judge, not you and me.[v]

Finally, there is only one law you require in your life; to love God with all your heart, and in doing so, you will also be able to love all your fellow humans. Then you set yourself on the right path. All so simple, do you agree?

Now we can attend to the matter of Jonah. To start, you need to read through the Jonah link below.

We open the story of Jonah at the point that he has broadcasted God’s message to the folk in Nineveh; after this, Jonah pops out of the city gate and looks for a shady spot where he awaits God’s fire and brimstone to fall on Nineveh. Guess what? It doesn’t happen – the people repented. (As a matter of historical interest, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BCE. The book of Jonah was written in 500 – 400 BCE)[vi] Can you imagine Jonah’s embarrassment at his threatening prophecy amounting to nothing? What about his reputation as a prophet? He probably felt like taking his own life and then asked God to do it instead. God has compassion on him and plants a fast-overnight-growing tree to protect Jonah from the blazing sun. At the same time God plants a tree, he uncages a vicious little worm that attacks the tree! When at last, God’s point hits home, he has a parent-to-son chat with Jonah. (don’t look for this translation in the scriptures, it’s my version.)

Now for the serious part. While the story of Jonah would go down well around a campfire on a cold starry night in the desert, the implications for you and I are no yarn.

Jonah represents you and me. When God speaks to us from within, our first response or reaction is to plug our spiritual ears. Next, we put it off until next week (hoping God will forget.) When it becomes apparent that God has not forgotten, we become downright confrontational and deny God is speaking to us. Then we are swallowed by the whale and gagged up onto the beach. Our bleached ego frightens us into submission, and we do what God tells us.

When God speaks, we need to listen, not question, or ignore, but thank God for showing us how to act whatever we say or do. Our walk with God has no place for arrogance, vengeance, pride, or assumption. Nor is there a place for imagining what God will or will not do.

“For who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor? or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?”[vii]

Blessings

Peter-James

[vi] Destruction of Nineveh

[vii] Rom 11:34-35 (Youngs Literal Translation.)

Blessings

Peter-James

[i] John 4:24