(06/10/2018) Why Jonah Willfully Disobeyed

Today, reply speaks to the account of Jonah and the great fish where multiple streams of sacred truth come together.  For there to be accord and agreement between the Creator and the created, the living must be joined to the oneness without sameness that exists within the GODhead.  To many, the primary focus of the account of Jonah is repentance by the city/kingdom of Nineveh, and by a servant of GOD.  (Jonah is a figure of all those who refused to heed the preaching of Noah, and is a figure of the High Priest of the tabernacle and the temple who must make atonement for the sins of the people, and for his own sins.)  To others, the major themes are resurrection and salvation.  Even so, it is written:  Hosea 6:  5-6, King James Version (KJV):  5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth:  and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.  6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.  One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” Religion and Spirituality forum using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shown) posted the following:

Why did Jonah willfully disobey God?

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about:  all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul:  the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever:  yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD:  and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.  And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.  (Jonah 2:  1-11, King James Version, KJV)

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  When Prophecy Opposes Desire (05/31/2018); Divine Law Is Demanding (04/10/2018); Why Does GOD “Repent”? (04/06/2018); “I Am The Resurrection”  (03/25/2018); Mercy to the Merciless? (07/30/2017); Accepting the Divine Will? (12/06/2016); Justice Comes by Love (10/01/2012); A Daily Revelation? (10/02/2012)

“Anonymous”, a man may be dead to the world, yet, alive within the heart and mind of GOD.  Conversely, he may be alive to the world, yet, dead in spirit, defiant, and in rebellion to GOD.  Christian believers are cautioned to understand that, where they do not receive fresh endowments of spirit substance from the makeup of divinity, the operations of sin may dominate awareness and self-will within created beings and living creatures.  The separation that permit’s the living to exist having integrity and soundness of their own personhood must be reinforced by deposits of sacred life essence (we say, breath; spirit; word) from the makeup of the Creator.  Inseparable aspects of GOD are imparted to indwell those on the earth including faith, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, meekness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.  The human condition displayed by Jonah included ethnic arrogance (Jonah, a Jew was sent to preach to the very Gentiles (the Assyrians) who would later carry the Northern Kingdom (Israel; Somalia) into exile); exaggerated pride; indignation; and self-righteousness (a holier-than-thou attitude).  The belly of a great fish was prepared to serve as a burial site and grave for Jonah.  Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:

(1.)  Proverbs 16:  25, King James Version (KJV):  16 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

(2.)  Romans 10:  2-4, KJV:  2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

(3.)  Romans 6:  2-7, KJV:  2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:  6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

There is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.)  Galatians 5:  16-25, KJV:  16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:  and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC