Monday, November 19, 2012
God is Sovereign Over Big AND Small
"There are no stray molecules in the universe."
R.C. Sproul
**********
God is sovereign over everything, no matter how big or small.
The story of Jonah expresses this truth as well as any story in the Bible.
It also shows God's grace, mercy, and love, and His justice, wrath, and for-
giveness.
**************
Here's a recap of Jonah, and how God used him to display His sovereignty.
God told Jonah to go and call the people of Nineveh to account
for their evil ways, but Jonah resisted because Nineveh was the
enemy of Israel. So, he fled from God on a ship going to Tarshish.
(It's never a good idea to run from God, is it?).
God sent a strong wind that threatened to destroy the ship Jonah
was on, along with many others. Even though the sailors were
accustomed to storms, this one was big enough to frighten them
so much that they called out to their gods for help.
Being superstitious, they decided to cast lots to find out who on
board had done something to cause the gods to be angry. The lot
fell on Jonah, and they asked Jonah, "what is this that you have done!"
for they knew that he was fleeing from God, because he had told them
(Jonah 1:10).
As the seas grew more tempestuous, Jonah told the men to throw him
overboard, and maybe that would satisfy God's anger and allow the
others on board to survive. So, they threw him overboard, and im-
mediately the storm ceased, causing the men to fear God and offer
sacrifices to Him.
"And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
Jonah 1:17
Soon, Jonah was sorry for what he had done and repented and promised
to do what God wanted him to do.
"And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out
upon the dry land."
Jonah 2:10
For the second time, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell them that
Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days. He did, and the people
repented and turned to God, and
"when God saw what they did, how they turned
from their evil ways, He had compassion and did
not bring upon them the destruction He had
threatened."
Jonah 3:10
However, Jonah was angry at God for forgiving the people of Nineveh,
because he wanted God to be good only to the Israelites and not to the
Gentiles also. He pleaded with God to take his life, for he did not
want to live if the people of Israel no longer had favored status with
God.
But, God was not through with Jonah yet, and as Jonah waited to see what
would happen to Nineveh, he made a booth for himself there. God appointed
a plant to grow over Jonah to provide shade for him from the hot sun, and
to save him from his discomfort. Jonah was glad for the shade from the plant,
but at dawn God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
Then God appointed a scorching east wind and the sun to beat down on the
head of Jonah so that he almost fainted. Again, he asked God to take his life,
but God asked him if it was right to be angry that the plant had died. Jonah
said it WAS right, and he was angry enough to die.
"And the LORD said, 'You pity the plant, for which you
did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into
being in a night and perished in a night. And should not
I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than
120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from
their left, and also much cattle?' "
Jonah 4:10-11
"God's love for the people of Nineveh, whom He had created, is far
different from Jonah's indifference to their damnation and greater
than Jonah's warped concern for a wild plant for which he had done
nothing. God was ready to spare Sodom for 10 righteous; how much
more a city that includes 120,000 small children, identified as those
who cannot discern the right hand from the left. With that many three
or four year old children, it is reasonable to expect a total population
in excess of 600,000."
John MacArthur
**********
As you can see, God showed His sovereignty throughout this episode
in Jonah's life.
* God hurled a great wind on the sea to cause a huge storm.
* God guided the casting of lots so that it fell on Jonah.
("The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD").
Proverbs 16:33
* As soon as the men threw Jonah overboard, God caused the storm to
cease.
* God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and He kept him alive
for three days and nights inside the fish.
* After he repented and turned back to God, the LORD caused the fish to
vomit Jonah out on the dry land so he wouldn't drown.
* God appointed a plant to grow over Jonah and give him shade.
* God appointed a worm to attack the plant and destroy it the next day.
* God appointed a scorching east wind and caused the sun to beat down
on Jonah so that he was faint.
* God showed compassion and forgave the people of Nineveh for their
evil ways.
**********
"God is sovereign over what appears the most random acts in the world.
In modern language we would say, 'The dice are rolled on the table and
every play is decided by God (Proverbs 16:33).'
"There are no events so small that He does not rule for His purposes.
'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?' Jesus said, 'And not one of
them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs
of your head are all numbered' (Matthew 10:29-30).
"Every role of the dice in Las Vegas, every tiny bird that falls dead in the
thousand forests -- all of this is God's command."
John Piper
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