Jonah storms in
He storms in, tossing into a bag what ever his hand hits ~ a tunic, extra sandles, his mantle...his mantle. He stops--teeth clenched, jaw tight, eyes closed, a death grip on his mantle. For a moment he considers leaving it behind, like a signiture on a short note to God : "NO! Your prophet -- make that former prophet, Jonah!!" He lets out a slow breath and stuffs the mantle to the bottom of the bag and races out to catch the ship before it sails.
The trip was sort-of spur of the moment; he had noticed the ship in Joppa's port that morning. When he asked where they were headed and heard it was Tarshish, he laughed ~ laughed out loud! He had been wandering aimlessly around the docks raging, thundering to himself about what God had told him to do the night before.
" 'Go to Nineveh.' Nineveh??!!! Capital of the Assyrian nation! 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.' (Jonah 1:2) So -- what? God, You just now noticed? And when I ask if you are going to destroy them, rain fire and brimstone down on them like You did on Sodom, You, you -- ahhhhhh! I can't do it! I CAN NOT tell them to repent. If I do, and if they DO...You'll forgive them. How can I be more outraged at sin than You are? Find someone else! I have served You. I obeyed when you told me to go give your word to Jeroboam. The words were like dung in my mouth when You told me to tell Jeroboam to extend Israel's territory...but I spit them out. I did! and . . . You blessed him, that wicked son of .... a . . . , You blessed him and extended the territory. Now this?! I can not! What AM I going to do??"
That was when he noticed the ship. Lost in thought, he stopped and stared up at the sails billowing in the wind...but he had stopped right in the path of one of the deckhands unloading cargo onto the dock. The sailor -- arms full of bulky packages -- stopped inches from him. Catching one of the packages that tumbled from the man's hold as he abruptly halted, Jonah apologized.
"A thousand pardons! Your ship, she captured my eyes. Oh! This is heavy! Here can I help you with those?"
"No, no I must deliver them with my own hands...it is the wedding jewelry for the daughter of my captain's friend. You understand. Redeeming the package, he turned his eyes caressing the ship, "but I do understand you...she is lovely -- in truth, she owns my heart. My name is Muttoi."
"My name is Jonah, Muttoi? Where do you sail?"
"Tarshish, in the far west ~ the last port before the great sea."
Jonah laughed out loud.
"This is funny, Jonah?"
"Oh...oh no! Not funny that you are from Tarshish...it is a surprise that will solve a problem I have--Yes, solve it perfectly. 'the farthest port west' Yes, it will be a perfect solution! Will your captain take a passenger?
"For a price..."
"Whatever the price, I will pay!"
So it was that Jonah bought his ticket, raced home, and raced back to a ship that would take him as far from Nineveh as he could go."
The trip was sort-of spur of the moment; he had noticed the ship in Joppa's port that morning. When he asked where they were headed and heard it was Tarshish, he laughed ~ laughed out loud! He had been wandering aimlessly around the docks raging, thundering to himself about what God had told him to do the night before.
" 'Go to Nineveh.' Nineveh??!!! Capital of the Assyrian nation! 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.' (Jonah 1:2) So -- what? God, You just now noticed? And when I ask if you are going to destroy them, rain fire and brimstone down on them like You did on Sodom, You, you -- ahhhhhh! I can't do it! I CAN NOT tell them to repent. If I do, and if they DO...You'll forgive them. How can I be more outraged at sin than You are? Find someone else! I have served You. I obeyed when you told me to go give your word to Jeroboam. The words were like dung in my mouth when You told me to tell Jeroboam to extend Israel's territory...but I spit them out. I did! and . . . You blessed him, that wicked son of .... a . . . , You blessed him and extended the territory. Now this?! I can not! What AM I going to do??"
That was when he noticed the ship. Lost in thought, he stopped and stared up at the sails billowing in the wind...but he had stopped right in the path of one of the deckhands unloading cargo onto the dock. The sailor -- arms full of bulky packages -- stopped inches from him. Catching one of the packages that tumbled from the man's hold as he abruptly halted, Jonah apologized.
"A thousand pardons! Your ship, she captured my eyes. Oh! This is heavy! Here can I help you with those?"
"No, no I must deliver them with my own hands...it is the wedding jewelry for the daughter of my captain's friend. You understand. Redeeming the package, he turned his eyes caressing the ship, "but I do understand you...she is lovely -- in truth, she owns my heart. My name is Muttoi."
"My name is Jonah, Muttoi? Where do you sail?"
"Tarshish, in the far west ~ the last port before the great sea."
Jonah laughed out loud.
"This is funny, Jonah?"
"Oh...oh no! Not funny that you are from Tarshish...it is a surprise that will solve a problem I have--Yes, solve it perfectly. 'the farthest port west' Yes, it will be a perfect solution! Will your captain take a passenger?
"For a price..."
"Whatever the price, I will pay!"
So it was that Jonah bought his ticket, raced home, and raced back to a ship that would take him as far from Nineveh as he could go."
Eagerly awaiting part two... :)
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