Everyone knows John 3:16~ for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Most know that Jesus' death on a cross is the highest revelation of God's love for mankind. We know that God loves us so dearly that he gave over his perfect son to an unspeakably grim death for imperfect us. There is no greater action in the history of time that shows the love of the Father for his children. But what if I were to ask you where I could read the second best demonstration of God's love in the Bible (specifically outside the life of Christ)? I would like to submit to you that it is a story found in the pages between the Psalms and the gospels. That least explored area of the Bible called prophecy where God's stories are removed from the confines of time, and reality is illustrated with curious imagery~ it's no wonder why prophecy is a challenge for any Bible reader. But if you overlook these stories, you may have overlooked the second greatest story of God's love of all time.
He was a man of God. She was raised secular. They were wed and became parents to a little boy. God named the boy "scattered". She came to expect another baby, perhaps by someone other than her husband. This time it was a girl God named "not loved". A third pregnancy shrouded in unknown paternity led to the birth of a second boy. God called him "not mine". The marriage was put to the test, but the man of God loved his wife and the children she bore.
One day the man of God came home to find the children unattended. Their mother had left with no indication of where she was going or when she'd return. The man of God had an idea where she'd be-- off seeking satisfaction outside of their marriage. She had left before but this time she wasn't coming back. The reality of her departure solidified her rejection of her husband and children. She exchanged it for fancy dinners and gifts from the company of untold numbers of men. The man of God still loved his wife; what aching pain he must have felt trying to explain to his children that their family was "scattered, not loved, or not mine" to their mother. What shame he must have felt as his friends began to realize how fitting his children's names were. His grief must have weighed heavily on him.
Across town, the unfaithful wife was beginning to lose her charm. Lovers lost interest and dismissed her. She searched desperately for anyone who would just share a scrap of food in exchange for a place in their bed. Her moral poverty became true poverty.
One day, the man of God heard how his wife was struggling. He risked being rebuffed by her current paramour to take her some food, water, and clothes. Confused by the husband's presence, this lousy lover gladly took the provisions only to pass them off as his own gifts to the wife. And how she praised her lover wrongfully for this kindness as her husband listened in. The true love of the husband had not reached the wife, and he returned home leaving her to her deluded and destructive ways.
The wife soon became so unlucky in love that she could find no man to take her in. As she attempted to just forestall starvation, her debts began to mount. This prodigal wife reflected on how much better off she was in her husband's home saying she will return to him. But for some reason, she doesn't go. Maybe she feels too much guilt. Maybe she can't imagine how she's supposed to go back to being a full-time mother after living only for herself for so long. Maybe she considers that they are better off without her. She stayed put, and her indebtedness reached its nadir.
Her lenders had had enough; something must be done. It was determined that she would be sold as a slave to try to recoup some of their losses. She was taken to the center of the capital, lined up at the auction block with actual slaves, stripped naked, and offered to the highest bidder. Except there was no highest bidder. No old flames came to rescue their damsel in distress. Her utter worthlessness was on full display-- until from out of the crowd she heard a familiar voice. Her husband had come offering fifteen coins and a sack of animal feed for his bride. She was valued at half the price of a common slave. Legally her husband's purchase made him her master and her his property.
How foolish the man of God must have appeared. More degrading that being cheated on and used as a meal ticket by his wife's lovers, he publicly paid for what was already rightfully his. His friends must have thought it a terrible waste of money; after all, she had not indicated that she desired to turn from her wild ways. Yet there he was, ready to love her and rescue her.
The man of God began to restore his wife. At her purchase he clothed her as his wife-- not in the rags a slave would wear. He told her that he was hers and she was his. She must not seek any man besides him anymore. Without condemning her, he required her to turn from her old life and live with him. This is the story of a woman named "complete" who lived in complete depravity before she was made complete in love by her husband. This is also the story of God's man, "the Lord saves", who lived up to the foolishly persistent and pursuing love of God in order to save the one he loved most.
Engraving of Hosea and Gomer by Matthäus Merian [source]
I read a letter recently about a minister trying to share the gospel with a young woman. She confessed that she wanted to believe in Jesus but hadn't witnessed Christians really "living for him". It's been said that Christians read the Bible, but non-Christians read believers. This subject has weighed on my heart for a few weeks now. There are two sides to it I want to see clearly. One is the certainty that Christians do fail. The other is that reluctance a non-believer has in starting a relationship with Christ. When these two components are combined it's like magnets forcing each other apart.
It is certain that I have failed to exemplify Christ in my life. Only recently has God made it apparent to me how susceptible I am to traps of wrong thinking. For instance, I once had a roommate who drove me crazy with how messy and carefree she was. The more aggravated I became at my living situation, the more I began to attribute terrible motives to my unsuspecting friend. This debacle poisoned my heart; I felt so victimized that my focus was entirely on me. How could I possible reflect the Savior's love to others as I harbored and even nurtured feelings of disdain, arrogance, and dissension in my heart? I am ashamed to admit that this distorted view stayed with me for the better part of two years while I was actively involved in ministry. How much did I hinder my spiritual growth and the expansion of God's kingdom in that time?
{Big Saps 2006-2007}
{CCF Interns 2007-2008}
{CCF Interns 2007-2008}
{Branch Barks 2007-2008}
In the book of Romans, Paul deals with this same problem. At the time he was talking about the Jews, but this concept applies to Christians today: "God's name is blasphemed among the [unbelievers] because of you." {Romans 2:24}. God is mischaracterized by his followers who muddle the message through unguarded words, wrong behavior, and spiritual dormancy. It's like a bad game of "telephone" where God starts the conversation stating "I love YOU!" and by the time I get my turn to tell you what God has said, it's something vulgar and imperfect and perhaps impossible to be taken seriously. This is my fault, not God's. Paul's response to this problem is quite cogent:
What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. {Romans 3:3-4}
Oh, that my bad example wouldn't nullify in anyone's mind how good God is. Is there a way for Christians to explain this well? I feel the pinch of two things at work in me. First, that I am very unqualified to represent Christ to anyone. Second, that as His follower, I am called and even compelled to tell people about him. I feel like I have the credibility of Pauly Shore trying to give away a Ferrari: a stupid messenger proclaiming an unimaginable reward.
Alas, my incompetence ought not lead me to throw in the towel. The Bible tells us that Abraham traded his wife TWICE with other men to try and save his own skin. Yet he is called righteous and a friend of God. David was a polygamist murderer who was said to have a heart after God. Unworthy people are justified in God's sight because they surrender their misguided plans for their lives to God. George Morrison says that, " the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings." These new beginnings are marked by a surrender to God. It's when I offer myself~ my mind, my time, my money, my feelings, etc to God for him to shape and use for His holy purposes. Paul says its like being a "living sacrifice" in Romans 12, but the odd thing about this surrender is that it yields renewal of my spirit (or soul, as you might say).
What could motivate me to live as a sacrifice? I remember God's mercy. His sacrifice for me was great. He chose for me to live while his only Son died. Given the choice between you, dear reader, and my only son, I choose my baby every time. This is how I know God's love for me has no limits. And to quote Paul immoderately, " I believed; therefore I have spoken" {2 Corinthians 4:13}. If I believe it's true (which I do), I must talk (or in this case, write) about it.
Me choosing B
Now for an unbeliever~ I'm not sure what holds you back. When I didn't believe in Jesus, it was a choice. I wasn't opposed to Christianity as some are. I was rather open to its teachings. I just didn't like the thought of all that would have to change. Deep down I thought God didn't make me in a way that I could be moral or even like living in a moral way. Where was the fun in living like a prude? At some point, I decided living the "fun" way was pretty painful. There were a lot of consequences to my kind of fun~ most of which left me very unhappy. I thought I'd get my act together and then perhaps present myself to God to see if the Christian life was worth my while. In spite of some pretty good effort, I still couldn't keep myself out of trouble. I had failed. At this time, I basically said, "God, if you are really interested in me, you are going to have to make me better than I am all on your own. You are going to have to show me how to live your way with megaphones and billboards because it's the least natural thing for me in the world to be like you." You could say that that was a sorry introduction I made to the Creator of the universe; there was no incentive for him to take me into his family. That prayer I made was pitiful, but as crazy as it is, that is all God needed. God drew me to Him and taught me about real love and real life. My terrible proposal was the beginning of a beautiful relationship~ as close as one could be to the most beloved family member.
If you have reservations about God, try telling him. Sure, it'll feel ridiculous, but God sincerely desires to hear from you. Don't be like I was and say to God, "Why did you make me like this?" {Romans 9:20} Instead ask for God to make Himself known to you. This is what Jesus prayed:
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” {John 17:25-26}
Please don't let anything or anyone come between you and the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer for you.
Have you ever read a book and really related to a character? Years ago when I read Sense and Sensibility, Marianne was the first character in a book with whom I truly identified. The Dashwoods were very much like my family; a household full of women who had fallen from a comfortable lifestyle at the loss of their father (we didn't lose our father to death~ divorce and remarriage took his influence out of our lives). Elinor, the eldest, was endlessly good and strong. I almost couldn't help but substitute my big sister Katie's name for her's while I read. With as much grace and modesty as Elinor, Katie could have been Jane Austen's inspiration for the character. The youngest sister, Margaret, was a daydreamer extraordinaire fancying herself an adventurer to the first degree even whilst bound to life in a meager cottage. My younger sister Anna wouldn't have been caught playing with an atlas, but she almost couldn't get caught without drawing in a sketchbook or fashioning herself attire fit for a pirate, a Shakespearean ghoul, or an exotic princess warrior.
And I was Marianne. The hopeless romantic ever broken over too many Willoughbys. Like the book's songbird, I moodily played Chopin pieces which began in major keys then digressed to the minor believing that this perfectly symbolized the inevitable unraveling of every love story. And though I never wandered my county aimlessly in despair, I think I would have found strolling away my cares very refreshing. For years I thought I was doomed to marry Alan Rickman (who portrayed Colonel Brandon in the movie); oh grief upon grief to be destined to wed Professor Snape!
Okay, this is all very silly. But perhaps you, too, have become wrapped up in a story because you identified with one character. I take it as a very reassuring sign when this happens as I read the Bible. My faith is encouraged when I know someone else has faced a similar experience and were healed, redeemed, rescued, or saved in some other fashion by God. Plus I get a deeper understanding of who Jesus is; while living on earth, he experienced many of the same things I experience.
Ah, but what to do when the convicting power of the Holy Spirit comes on you and says, "Leah, you are like LOT!" In Spanish I would say "que verguenza!" (or "what shame!"). You see, Lot had once lived in his uncle Abraham's household; many of us know his uncle as father Abraham. While living in Canaan, a food shortage threatened their lives. They sought security and well-being in Egypt even though that is not was the Lord desired. God instructed that they move back to Canaan and reassured them that He would be their provider in need. But while in Egypt, Abraham and Lot acquired great wealth including lots of livestock and servants. It got to the point that their excessive belongings cramped their living situation, and the two men decided to part ways. Abraham stayed where God appointed him to stay. Lot moved the the suburbs of a nearby town, Sodom (have you heard of it before?).
A time came when Sodom was seized by a union of powerful kingdoms from the east. The king of Sodom was forced to pay tribute to his occupiers every year. For 12 years this goes on until one day, the king of Sodom banded together with a few other local rulers to rebel. They didn't pay their dues which provoked the kings from the east to subdue the insurgents by force. The strength of this military easily overcame Sodom and the neighboring towns. And Lot (who we discover had taken up residency in Sodom during the intervening years) was deported to the east along with his family and all his worldly possession.
Abraham got word of what has happened to his nephew. He gathered a small army of his own to pursue and free his family from captivity. Despite a journey of hundreds of miles on foot and facing a powerful army, Abraham and his men defeated the kings of the east in what can only be described as a miracle. Lot was rescued and saw the restoration of all he previously had.
Perhaps here is where you'd expect the moral of the story. Lot considers he ought never to have left his uncle Abraham's household, sells everything he owns, and renounces the life of literal and spiritual bondage he experienced in Sodom. Goodness, if only it were so...
Years and years go by before we discover what has become of Lot. Now if you've heard of Sodom and Gomorrah, you probably know what's coming. Abraham received 3 messengers from God who imparted that the cruelty and evil of Sodom had provoked an outcry so great to God that he must respond. Even though Abraham hadn't been told that the cities would be destroyed, he began to plead that all would be saved for the sake of a minority of good men. He argued that if God is good and just, he wouldn't send good men to the same judgment as the wicked. This is undoubtedly true about God; yet there was only one man in the whole of Sodom that God had deemed worthy of saving.
Two angels were dispatched to Sodom where they met Lot at the city gate. Lot had now become an official, a leader in the city. He was deeply enmeshed with this city. Such a scene broke out at the angels' arrival (which you can read about here) that it became urgent to evacuate Lot and his family from Sodom before any harm befell them. At morning's first light, the angels urged Lot to take his family and run to the mountains or else they, too, could be swept away in the disaster. Perhaps hoping against hope that God would change His mind, Lot hesitated. He was so attached to his belongings and his way of life that he was reluctant to leave it behind. At this, the angels took hold of Lot and his family and led them outside the city. I imagine they were wistfully being pulled away. I forgot to mention that Lot's two daughters had fiances who chose to stay behind; those brides-to-be were certainly dragged from Sodom.
As if words like "flee" and "hurry" didn't mean anything, Lot began to bargain with the angels about where they should go. This modern man and creature of comfort insisted it'd be better for them to seek refuge in a small town nearby rather than a craggy mountain. By grace, God granted Lot this request.
Phew, by midday this family arrived in the small town of Zoar. At that same time burning sulfur from heaven was devouring everything and everyone in and around Sodom and Gomorrah. Just when you think Lot's family have escaped danger and despair a second time, his wife made a fatal error. She looked back to her home and grieved over her losses in her heart. Rather than being grateful that she, her husband, and two daughters had been delivered from judgment and spared by God's mercy, she could only feel sorry for herself. At this instant she was transformed into a pillar of salt. From this moment on, it was nothing but sadness and a downward spiral for Lot and his daughters.
Merciful heavens, you say? Would it have been easier to read it straight out of the Bible than read my book report version? Perhaps, but I want to illustrate a valuable lesson I gleaned from Lot's example.
Shifting gears a bit~you could say that (perhaps like many girls) that I enjoy shopping. My thrifty husband may characterize me at times as a spendthrift. During the holidays in particular I spent hours thinking and planning what I would buy for loved ones' gifts. Then after the holidays I wanted to capitalize on the post-Christmas sales with my gift cards and shopping money. Literal months went by where I was either shopping the internet for gifts to buy or scouring my favorite stores for must-have items. Shopping became my habit and with it, the consolation and excitement of having something new.
I confess to you that I am not proud of this habit and the painful strain it put on my relationship with my sweet husband. Though I am far from having broken our bank, I have betrayed a trust about how we spend and save money. Internally and personally, it is nearly unbearable the shame that I feel when I put so much stock in the value of things that are essentially valueless. Sure they cost money, but it cost me time where I wish I had been developing deeper spiritual qualities that truly will last. I literally could have spent those hours studying the Bible, singing spiritual songs and reading books to my son, writing encouraging love notes to my husband, praying thanks to God that we want for nothing, spending time with family and friends, or simply not cramming stuff in my heart-shaped need-hole.
Like Lot, I didn't trust God for my security. I have clung to worldly wealth and comforts that aren't in and of themselves wrong, but what I felt in my heart (greed, desire, pride, impulsiveness) was definitely wrong. His decisions didn't just affect him. His wife was so influenced by his example that she couldn't even see the second miraculous salvation she received from God. Is my greed or lust for shopping contagious to my husband or perhaps my son? Do I demonstrate what it means to be a good steward when my neighbors see packages from clothes stores waiting on my doorstep? How is my influence diminished or tarnished by allowing this sin to persist?
And Lot's desire to live in affluence led him to be undiscerning about the sinful culture surrounding him. He couldn't see how the sexually perverse society had corrupted the minds and standards of his daughters. He tolerated some very grievous practices and allowed his children to believe it was acceptable behavior. When I hold on to this sin, what else do I have to accept or condone? Am I more attached to collecting things than building character? I can only hope that my repentance and desire to change will entice my Savior to exchange my weakness for his righteousness. I hope to nip this sin in the bud before it costs me anything close to what it cost Lot. Please Lord never let me choose the temporary and uncertain comforts of the world over the eternal comfort of friendship with You.
Thanks for reading and letting me share. Sometimes when I bear my thoughts in words I think it must be hard for others to relate to it. Whether you think I'm too Bible-focused or that my struggles are seemingly so basic (Materialism? Seriously?), I hope I haven't alienated you with my reflections as I sort out this business of the heart. It is humbling to know that even though I am growing in my faith, I'm susceptible to sin which I naively believed I was above. Thank you God for repentance, grace, and renewal!
Moody broody Chopin (Prelude Op. 28, No. 15) ~ one of my favorites to play back in my Marianne days
I'm a in Bible study class where we read a book of the Bible a week. We're half way through a study on the minor prophets and focused on Jonah this past class. Jonah by far is the most recognizable among the minor prophets~ whether you grew up in church or not, you're likely familiar with the tale of the man who survived three days in the belly of a great fish. His story is one of the shortest books in the Bible. In my childhood, my choir performed a whole play about Jonah. Every now and again when I'm wishing I could remember something pressing like if I locked the front door when I left the house or the PIN number for my library card, I wonder why words of the songs of my youth stick with me so easily...
My enthusiasm for old Jonah has grown since I was a kid. When you've heard a story so many times sometimes you think you've learned everything you're ever going to learn. Fortunately for me, Jonah was redeemed from my poor Sunday school education that would have him permanently reduced to fish bait. In my limited understanding of the Bible, Moses' greatest life event was hearing a burning bush talk; Jesus was a serene man who hugged children and lambs; and Solomon rescued a baby from a kidnapper posing as its mom. Goodness, I'm glad there is more to God and his word than that.
I like to consider the book of Jonah to be part three of the Old Testament missionary trilogy. What is this triple threat? I'm glad you asked...
Part I~ Amos, a country farmer from Tekoa, Judah, goes north to the big city of Bethel in Israel to preach the coming judgment from God for their waywardness. He's best known for his 5 visions illustrating the judgment: a locust swarm, fire, a plumb line, overripe summer fruit, and God standing beside the altar.
Part II~ Obadiah... very little is known about him including when he wrote. He's from Judah and is most likely the first writing prophet. He warned the neighboring nation of Edom that their pride would lead to conflict and ultimately their destruction. Fun fact~ Obadiah was a descendent of Jacob making him an Israelite. His message was to Edom, the descendents of Esau who was Jacob's twin brother.
Part III~ Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and call the people to repent because their wicked ways would bring calamity. Jonah attempted to flea to Tarshish because the Assyrians were renowned for their cruelty and violence (speaking of fish, they used to pierce their conquered foes in their faces with large hooks to drag them into exile... bleh).
Because these books are in order in the Old Testament, it helps me keep them straight in my memory (now about that libary PIN....). Alright, you may be like me and believe everything in the Bible actually happened. There are many Jonah skeptics even among Christians who think this account is a fable or some sort of fiction. Though it may require a bit of faith to believe it is bona fide history, I have a couple of pieces of evidence that support it being true. We know the Ninevites had a major change of heart after Jonah ministered to them. They had been terribly violent conquerors. A generation after Jonah's visit, the Assyrians conquered Israel. History reveals that at this time they were a gentler imperial force most likely as a result of their submission to God.
James Bartley is our modern day Jonah. In 1891 he survived 15 hours inside the body of a sperm whale. It's a fraction of the time Jonah was inside his fish, but it proves it's possible. Bartley's skin was bleached out by the whale's belly fluids. Some have hypothesized that this is why Jonah's ministry was so effective. The truth is, he only preached 3 days, and one singular verse encompasses his entire message (Jonah 3:4). It obviously wasn't his dedication to the people or a flair for oration that captured the Ninevites' attention. This foreigner's odd appearance supported by the testimony of his death defying tale on the high seas likely made him the center of attention as he made his way through the Assyrian capital.
If these don't sufficiently authenticate Jonah for you, I have one final thought to share. For me it is the most compelling of them all. Jesus himself spoke of Jonah as a real man. Matthew 12:38-41 says:
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here..."
If Jesus was convinced Jonah was real than I don't need any other proof. Jesus' support for the authenticity of the book of Jonah made me reflect on a larger subject. Jonah is one of many stories in the Old Testament that gets the tall
tale treatment. David slayed an enormous Philistine with a rock.
Moses and Joshua parted large bodies of water through which the
Israelites passed unharmed. Noah and his family were the only human
survivors of a worldwide extinction event. Jonah was no Paul Bunyan and neither were David, Moses, Joshua or Noah. All of these people were real and all of these stories are true.
As I am writing this, I am struck by something rather funny. We modern folks hold the entirety of God's word with every sign and
wonder included so that we may believe, and yet it all seems so
fantastic (literal fantastic means imaginative or fanciful; remote from reality). Particularly in regards to the Old Testament, I hear people say: It's too far out there; it must all be an allegory or myth or parable. This or that was meant to be symbolic. In contrast we have this passage I just quoted from Matthew; the Pharisees demanded some supernatural sign from Jesus to prove he was the son of God. What a funny thing that no one is ever satisfied with what God has revealed to them.
What conclusions can I draw when thinking about truth in the Old Testament? The Old Testament isn't intended to just make our Bibles heavier when we're toting them to and fro. It also isn't meant to be distilled into children's stories or shelved because the New Testament seems more relevant to our lives. Rereading Jonah reminds me to take God's word seriously and believe that what his messengers~ whether king, prophet, judge, disciple, or the incarnate God~ say is true.
