“But, the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his god and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But, Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship—and he lay and was fast asleep.”
Jonah 1:4-5
How perilous the position of one whose heart is hard, conscience is calloused and eyes are dry.
“And he lay and was fast asleep.”
Jonah was oblivious to the storm that was raging outside the ship. Like a baby asleep in his mother’s arms, the disobedient son of Abraham felt at peace in his decision to “flee from the Presence of the Lord” (v.3a). Instead of being alarmed by the howling winds, cracking lightning bolts, driving rain and angry sea, there he was in the ship’s hold, sound asleep.
Oh, dear Pilgrim, isn’t this an apt picture of a dull conscience—i.e., one that’s somehow convinced itself that all is well when, in reality, it’s anything but? Truly, there are those who are “at ease in Zion, crying ‘Peace, peace’ when there is no peace” (Amos 6:1; Jer. 6:14; 8:11), but are unconcerned about the warning signs that abound.
How can they do this?
Simply because “God has given them up to their sinful ways and turned them over to a reprobate (perverse, perverted) mind, where they not only do that which is evil, but also applaud those who do” (Rom. 1:24-32).
Yet, this doesn’t change the fact that God is and there will be a Day of Reckoning (Mt. 7:21-23; 24:36-44; Lk. 12:20; 16: 22-23; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15). The Scriptures are clear when they call us to repentance, warning “Be sure your sins will find you out” (Num. 32:23; Mk. 4:22). And, woe to any who “rage, imagine vain things by taking counsel together against the Lord or mockingly ask, ‘How does He know?’” (Ps. 2:1; 73:11). There will be a Day when “every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that ‘Jesus is Lord’” (Is. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:11).
So, do not be dismayed, dear Pilgrim, when you see “happy pagans” living with no thought of God or eternity; instead, pray for them and plead with them whenever you have opportunity. They may not listen. They may even laugh at you or make you an object of scorn. However, by “sounding the alarm as a watchman on the wall, you will be able to sleep in the storm because you’ll know their blood is not on your head” (Ez. 33:1ff), not because your conscience is calloused by sin.
Thankfully, when we’re God’s children, He’ll only let us stray as far as He desires. Like Jonah, He has a way of getting our attention and bringing us back into the “strait-and-narrow Way.” It may not be through a “tempest at sea, being swallowed by a whale or having our comfort zone (gourd) destroyed by a burrowing worm or suffering from the oppressive heat of the sun” (1:4, 17; 4:4-8), but it’ll be something—for God ALWAYS disciplines His children for their good and His Glory (Heb. 12:5-11).
January 20, 2012
