“And this appeared like a bitter justice to Jonah
a great bitterness grew inside him
it hurt him deeply
And he prayed to the Lord, saying
Oh Lord, wasn’t this the exact word and vision
I had always delivered and known you by
when I was still in my own country?
this is exactly why
I wanted to leave your presence
for Tarshish, before you would call me
a second time
because I knew you as a gracious God
compassionate, long-suffering
and of great kindness
and would repent bitterness.”
a great bitterness grew inside him
it hurt him deeply
And he prayed to the Lord, saying
Oh Lord, wasn’t this the exact word and vision
I had always delivered and known you by
when I was still in my own country?
this is exactly why
I wanted to leave your presence
for Tarshish, before you would call me
a second time
because I knew you as a gracious God
compassionate, long-suffering
and of great kindness
and would repent bitterness.”
— Jonah 4:1-2 (“A Literary Bible: An Original Translation”)
I have always loved this passage for what it says about God’s character. I need a God who is gracious (and grace-bestowing), compassionate, long-suffering and terribly kind.
As before, there are two turns of phrase that I love in this text. And perhaps it helps to be accustomed to the “boring translations” in order to really like turns of phrases like these:
1:
“Before you would call me a second time”:
even though this is a faithful adult follower of God, it sounds like a kid to me. “Oh! I didn’t really hear that. Let me pretend like I didn’t and leave before I get called again…” I suppose I’m relieved that even prophets think as foolishly as I do. And struggle as I do. And need a heavenly parent to patiently explain things, like I do.
2:
“and would repent bitterness”:
a non-sinning God, choosing to change course. Changing responses to a people. Also, I think of bitterness as something that I experience. It happens to me. Yeah, you can talk all you want about choosing to be mad or choosing to be a victim - but don’t you experience it as “not a choice”? Perhaps there must come a point where we have had our fill of an experience and we reach the point of repentance - where we just set it down and choose a new path…
I have always loved this passage for what it says about God’s character. I need a God who is gracious (and grace-bestowing), compassionate, long-suffering and terribly kind.
As before, there are two turns of phrase that I love in this text. And perhaps it helps to be accustomed to the “boring translations” in order to really like turns of phrases like these:
1:
“Before you would call me a second time”:
even though this is a faithful adult follower of God, it sounds like a kid to me. “Oh! I didn’t really hear that. Let me pretend like I didn’t and leave before I get called again…” I suppose I’m relieved that even prophets think as foolishly as I do. And struggle as I do. And need a heavenly parent to patiently explain things, like I do.
2:
“and would repent bitterness”:
a non-sinning God, choosing to change course. Changing responses to a people. Also, I think of bitterness as something that I experience. It happens to me. Yeah, you can talk all you want about choosing to be mad or choosing to be a victim - but don’t you experience it as “not a choice”? Perhaps there must come a point where we have had our fill of an experience and we reach the point of repentance - where we just set it down and choose a new path…
-
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