What Appears to Be God’s Judgment May Actually Be a Rescue

I used to read the story of Jonah and the great fish as God’s judgment on Jonah. But as I got a little older and read the story again, I saw it differently. What I used to interpret as God’s punishment on Jonah for his stubborn refusal to go to Nivevah, I began to see as an act of mercy on God’s part.

This is what happens as our understanding of God’s character (our theology) matures and develops over time. It impacts the way we read and understand the Bible.

After all, the alternative to Jonah being swallowed would have been that he drown in the ocean of his own rebellion. Instead, he received mercy, mercy of the slimey, smelly variety.

It’s never easy when we find ourselves in these deep, dark places. They can be repulsive and terrifying. But the upside for Jonah was that he lived through it and got another chance to try again.

Sometimes we just don’t recognize God’s mercy when it comes to us.

Like the couple that got the news that their adult  son was arrested and was in jail. The first reaction was “Wow, that stinks,” but after reflecting a while it dawned on them that maybe this was an answer to their prayers for his safety. Maybe getting busted and having time to regroup and detoxify was a great fish experience. Maybe his being “caught”  on Saturday night was God’s merciful rescue – not His judgment. Though incarcerated, he was still alive on Sunday morning.

Sometimes God’s mercy is easy to recognize because it is gentle and reassuring in our time of need. But other times it may have a completely different texture and feel like a place we don’t want to be any longer than absolutely necessary.

Either way, as a person who needs a lot of it every day, thank God for mercy.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.