Jul 20, 2022
JONAH 3-4:
Running from God didn’t work for Jonah. When
saved from the ocean, Jonah grudgingly obeys God.
For most of my life I have been fooled by Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, and I am not alone, because others have called it, “One of the great prayers in the Bible.” For most of the prayer, Jonah simply borrowed verses from the Psalms. And there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you look closer, Jonah prayed a me-centered and self-righteous prayer. The worst thing about it is there is no hint of repentance or asking forgiveness.
PSALM 137:
As a musician, I can imagine what the musician
who wrote this felt. The imprecation at the end should be taken in
view of God’s justice. Compare the thought here with Rev. 6:9 and
following verses (the cry of the saints under the altar), and also
the ending chapters of Revelation that portray the vengeful
judgment against ‘Babylon’— which in that book is used as a
figurative name.
Rereading JOHN 17:
Note
again the importance of the organic bond of union between the
Father, the Son, and we who believe in Jesus. Again note the bond
of love. Note that our Savior actually prays for us. And this is
because we live in a world that is not our home.
NLT Translation notes:
John
17:1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and
said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify [Me— ]your Son[,] so
[that I//he] can give glory back to you.
2 For you have given [Me/him] authority over
everyone. [I give//He gives] eternal life to each one you have
given [to Me//him].
3
[Parenthesis by John:] And this is the way to have
[that] eternal
life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you
sent to earth.
11 Now I
am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I
am coming to you. Holy Father, [you have given me your power. Now
protect them by your power and for the sake of your
reputation.//you have given me your name;b now protect them by the power of your name so
that they will be united just as we
are.]
12 During my time
here, I protected them by the power you gave
me.c I
guarded them so that not one was lost, [0//of the name]except the
one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures
foretold.
21 I pray that
they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are [joined
together with/in] me, Father, and I am [joined with//in] you. And
may they be [joined as one with/in] us so that the world will
believe you sent me.
23 I
am [joined together with//in] them and you are [joined together
with//in] me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world
will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you
love me.
25 “O righteous
Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I [know you//do]; and these
disciples know you sent me.
26 I have revealed you to them, and I will
continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I
will be [joined together as one with//in] them.”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.