IWANT to share an interesting thought on how God the Righteous Judge hears the petitions lodged before His high and holy court. Equally interesting is the fact that He gives due process and a chance for offenders, regardless of status and belief, to give an account on what they have done and even repent.

I will be dividing the article into two parts and shall be looking at the life and story of the prophet Jonah. In the Bible, Jonah was given a difficult assignment by God because He was to send God’s message and warning to their enemy, the Assyrian-Nineveh.

“Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness will come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)

Petitions against wickedness go and reach God who is the righteous judge. God then summons the wicked by sending his messenger with a message of warning and call for repentance. Just like in court, God the judge of everyman hears our cries and petitions and sends notices to the offenders to give an account and repent.

God’s intention is redemption, retribution and restoration for all.

Jonah is the messenger or the process server. He ran away with the message and the summons for Nineveh.

God is the God of the people of Israel where Jonah is a part of. However, God summoning the Assyrian-Nineveh shows that He also had jurisdiction over the pagans and the unbelievers. He can call them out and judge them. He can also call them to repentance and be merciful to them. This shows the vast power and jurisdiction of our God, that He holds everything and everyone including His enemies who does not call upon God or recognize Him.

Jonah, the process server, was among the people oppressed by the Assyrians and does not want to give them a chance to repent. He does not want due process to be done but He wants judgment to immediately be rendered against his enemies. But God the righteous judge would not allow that.

One lesson here is that sometimes oppressed people become the oppressors themselves by wanting evil for evil. If not careful, oppressed people can foment evil thoughts and plans against oppressors due to the pain of the past, offenses done on them which can now be used to justify doing evil for evil. As the book of Romans said, “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Jonah runs away with the message. That is why God had to bring him back to deliver it. But in the process of Jonah’s rebellion, God showed him grace, forgiveness, and mercy. He received forgiveness and redemption. Thus, Jonah was not only the messenger, but his life became a living message of redemption for the Assyrians to see and for them to come to repentance.

Jonah’s experience made two things possible. First, it made God’s message real and powerful to him. It qualified him to be the messenger who understands the message because he experienced it himself. Second, it allowed God’s anointing and favor to be seen by the world through Jonah. His miraculous stay inside the belly of a big fish for three days and three nights became a powerful testimony and message for everyone who saw him and listened to him.

God desires for us not only to know and have the message but to transform us and bear in our wounds the message and the power of God for the World to