The final chapter of Jonah gives us a unique glimpse into a conversation between God and His prophet. The majority of prophecy depicts the prophets relaying God’s message. Here, we get to see the struggle between the reluctant prophet and a faithful God. I’m almost uncomfortable with Jonah’s level of irreverence, confessing he is angry that God has been merciful. It’s cringe-worthy.

And yet, Jonah was not the first, nor would he be the last, to express discontent with God’s mercy toward a wayward people. In fact, Scripture is full of stories like this. The older brother in the parable of the prodigal son is angry at his father for throwing the rebellious sibling a party (Luke 15:11-32). The Pharisees are angry at Jesus for not following the law like they think he should (John 9:13-16). The disciples are concerned when Jesus addresses a Samaritan woman, someone whose ethnicity and gender signified a person to avoid, not converse with (John 4:1-24).

We like to belong, and we like to decide who doesn’t belong. They deserve God’s mercy. They don’t. They do. They don’t. Maybe this is why I cringe at Jonah’s anger; because I’ve seen that same anger in me. I’ve seen it on a personal level when blessing and favor are poured out on someone’s life whom I don’t feel “deserves” it. I’ve also seen it on a more global level when I generalize an entire people group as “evil” or “lost,” beyond God’s redemption.

This sin tendency was in Jonah, and it is in me too.

How quick I am to forget that I was an outsider once! As Romans says, “For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). I was ungodly—as evil as a Ninevite. It is only because of God’s mercy through His Son Jesus that I am now in the family as an adopted child of God.

I think it’s interesting that God has the last word in the book of Jonah. We don’t know what Jonah’s response was to God’s question, “Should I not care about the great city of Nineveh…?” (Jonah 4:11). But we know what Jonah’s answer should have been. We see it modeled much later in the story, in the book of Acts.

Peter is trying to convince his fellow Jews that Gentiles can indeed follow the way of Christ. He tells the group that he saw the Holy Spirit descend on a group of Gentiles, just as it had descended upon them. When Peter’s audience heard this, Scripture says, “they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, ‘So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!’” (Acts 11:18).

Perhaps they fell silent in awe. Perhaps they fell silent in skepticism. We don’t know. What we do know is ultimately, instead of feeling anger toward God, they glorified Him. They rejoiced that His mercy reached further than they had ever fathomed it could.

Oh, that our response would be the same. That we would never underestimate the breadth and depth of God’s mercy. That we would rejoice every time His mercy blesses someone around us, remembering that it was this same mercy that welcomed us into His family. And that it is only by grace that we remain. (ANDREA LUCADO)

The life and ministry of the apostle Paul was dominated by one supreme objective, and it is to this that he refers in Philippians 3:13-14: “But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal.” Paul is employing an illustration from the realm of athletics. He pictures a Greek runner. As he runs along the prescribed course he banishes all thoughts of past failures, and he strains every nerve in an effort of tremendous concentration on reaching his goal; his one and only concern is to win the race. Likewise, if we are to succeed in the race of life we must very deliberately “forget”, and very deliberately “press on“.

1. THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND WHICH WE SHOULD FORGET
Strangely enough, a good memory is not always a great asset! It is not the things we forget which we should have remembered which cause the most trouble; it is the things we remember which we should have forgotten.

1. We must forget our past sins. That is, if we have truly repented, confessed and forsaken them (Proverbs 28:13), then we must forget them. If we have confessed and renounced our sin, God has forgiven it and forgotten it (1 John 1:9, and compare Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 44:22; Micah 7:19 and Hebrews 10:17). If God has forgotten our sins we must do the same, otherwise the memory of them will hinder us.

2. We must forget our past failures. This is not easy, but if we are constantly dwelling upon our failures and reviving the memory of them, we shall find that our peace is destroyed, our progress is impeded and our usefulness is limited. Some people are always filled with regret over what might have been. “Don’t cry over spilt milk!”

3. We must forget our past successes. To dwell constantly upon our past achievements will certainly not ensure present victory, and it may in fact give rise to pride. Some Christians are living on a past experience and some Christian workers are living on a past reputation.

4. We must forget our past pleasures. The Children of Israel failed just here, and frequently we read of them crying for the abundance of food and water which they had had in Egypt (look up Numbers 11:5-6; 20:5 and 21:5). To be engrossed with the past advantages of Egypt is to fail to realise the value of God’s present miraculous provision.

5. We must forget our past unhappy experiences. Have we lost a fortune? Forget it! Thinking of it cannot bring it back. Has someone let us down? Forget it! To keep reviving the memory of the experience will cause resentment, and this will do far more harm to ourselves than to anyone else.

6. We must forget the sins and the failures of others. This needs to be said, for we so easily remember the shortcomings of other people. If we have been wronged, we must forgive and we must forget. Do not say, “I can’t!” You can!

In order to forget we must reverse the process of remembering. To remember one must revive the image and keep on reviving it. Now reverse the process; refuse to revive the image. Forget!

2. “THINGS AHEAD” WHICH WE MUST STRIVE TO ATTAIN
The apostle speaks of three things for which he reached forth…for which he was constantly “on the stretch”.

1. We must press on to perfection. The first part of Philippians 3:12 tells us this, and the word “perfect” means “spiritually mature”, not sinless or faultless. Here the need for growth is implied (look up Hebrews 6:1). In order to grow we must feed upon the Word of God; we must regularly engage in prayer and have sufficient work to do in the Lord’s vineyard.

2. We must press on to take hold of the purpose for which God has taken hold of us. The second part of Philippians 3:12 tells us this. God’s general purpose for us is indicated in Romans 8:28-30, but He has a particular purpose for every one of us – a life plan. Have you discovered God’s plan for your life, and are you pressing on in it?

3. We must press on with deep concern to win the lost. This surely should be our attitude to those mentioned in Philippians 3:18-19, many who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. As we hurry on to the time of the Lord’scoming, which will mean glory for us and gloom for the lost, we should be burdened to win souls. What an urgent need there is to evangelise!

3. WHY ARE WE TO DO “THIS ONE THING”, WHICH CONSISTS OF “FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND, AND STRAINING TOWARD WHAT IS AHEAD”?

1. Because we are citizens of Heaven. Heaven is our home; our names are written there (Luke 10:20), and many who are members of God’s family are already there (Ephesians 3:15).

2. Because the Lord is coming to take us Home. What an incentive this is to holy living (1 John 1:3) and to patient endurance (Romans 8:25)!

3. Because we shall exchange these old bodies for new ones. This is what Philippians 3:21 says. We shall have a body just like His body (1 Corinthians 15:20 and 23).

4. Because the Prize Day is coming. Philippians 3:14 tells us this, and it reminds us that we shall all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, to be rewarded or to suffer loss (look up Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10).

5. Because Glory is coming. Philippians 3:20-21 says “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” Just celebrate this. (FRANCIS DIXON, WORDS OF LIFE MINISTRIES)