Repentance vs. Piety (Jonah 2:1-10)
Jonah has been running away from the command of the Lord, and seeking escape from His presence—even seemingly seeking his own death. (It is interesting that he was running to Tarshish, see Isaiah 66:19) But, at the point that he is in the sea and sinking down towards Sheol—he panics and calls out to the Lord for help. And God sends the fish and saves him.
Take note, though, this is not a prayer of repentance. Even in his prayer we see further evidence of Jonah’s pride and presumption. He is proud of his God and the fact that he knows the truth. He scoffs at the pagans who do not know God, but who worship idols who are nothing and unable to intervene; the idolatrous pagans like the Assyrians to whom he has been ordered to deliver God’s words.
Jonah emphasizes piety over repentance. His is the religion of those who are smug in their knowledge of the real God. They think their knowledge of God is what makes them better than other people. They fail to see that they are drowning in the same sin as every other person. In fact, in his prayer, Jonah is exposing his own idolatry.
1 Samuel 15 :22-23 calls Jonah’s type of faith idolatry. “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”
The story of Jonah is not a warning against the evil and idolatry like that of the Assyrians; it is a warning to those of us who believe in God. We need to heed that we are not evil and idolatrous as the prophet Jonah was.
Take note, though, this is not a prayer of repentance. Even in his prayer we see further evidence of Jonah’s pride and presumption. He is proud of his God and the fact that he knows the truth. He scoffs at the pagans who do not know God, but who worship idols who are nothing and unable to intervene; the idolatrous pagans like the Assyrians to whom he has been ordered to deliver God’s words.
Jonah emphasizes piety over repentance. His is the religion of those who are smug in their knowledge of the real God. They think their knowledge of God is what makes them better than other people. They fail to see that they are drowning in the same sin as every other person. In fact, in his prayer, Jonah is exposing his own idolatry.
1 Samuel 15 :22-23 calls Jonah’s type of faith idolatry. “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”
The story of Jonah is not a warning against the evil and idolatry like that of the Assyrians; it is a warning to those of us who believe in God. We need to heed that we are not evil and idolatrous as the prophet Jonah was.
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