Essays
How's Your Book Coming?
HOW’S YOUR BOOK COMING?
The prophet Jonah wrote a brief book that appears on the surface to end as a cliffhanger. Yet the evidence seems convincing that Jonah’s prophecy was a potent parable designed to help others in their spiritual pilgrimage. Theodore Laetsch writes, “(Jonah) would not have written so frank and self-humiliating a confession of sin if he had not been sincerely repentant and had not hoped
to preserve and save others from similar bigotry and grumbling.” The New Testament leaves every impression that Jonah appears to be IN GOOD STANDING WITH JESUS (Lk.11:29-32 & Mt.12:39-41). I think we are safe to conclude that Jonah “came to his senses”.
While the book of Jonah begins with a “rush”, it ends with a “hush”. Jonah’s ending seems like an echo of Job 40:3: behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth. Jonah’s new-found silence aligns him with the thoughts of another (later) prophet, Habakkuk, who wrote: The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him (Hab.2:20).
All of us are writing a book of sorts - - every year we add a new chapter to our personal biography. My prayer is that Jonah’s book will help us greatly in the writing of our own book. So, how will your book end? Will you run from God? Will you turn to God in times of deep distress? Will you trust God? Will you heed God’s words and continually live by His precepts and teachings? Will you make daily resolutions, reminding yourself that GOD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST? And if it comes to be that along life’s journey you find yourself in a state of relapse and weak in your faith - - bent on doing your will and not God’s - - will you wallow in self pity or will you learn to be silent and trust God? With God being our Helper, let us all determine that our books are going to end well. What a joy it will be to come to the end of our earthly life and hear Our Father say: Well done My good and faithful servant… (Mt.25:23).
Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ
