“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…”(I Corinthians 1:27 NKJV)
God confounds our intellect when He uses debased things to carry out His intelligent operation. An excellent example is God’s sovereign use of Jonah to convert Nineveh.
Jonah hated Nineveh. Their people had oppressed Israel. Now God called Jonah, an Israelite, to witness to his enemies.
From start to end of the book of Jonah, Jonah carried a bitter grudge against the very people God desired to experience his mercy.
In sheer awe of God’s wrath, Nineveh immediately repents:
“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10 NKJV)
God enjoyed to take pity on Nineveh; however, Jonah shared a different response:
“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” (Jonah 4:1 NKJV)
Hatred propelled Jonah to run to Tarshish, and hatred hardened his heart to Nineveh’s revival. He hated the idea of Nineveh receiving salvation. Yet God chose this hateful person to deliver hope.
God doesn’t choose us by our skills or talents; He qualifies anyone whom He wills to accomplish His plan to receive glory for Himself.
Jonah shows us that God’s delight to receive glory exceeds the liberty of man. God doesn’t bend His plans to suit man’s feelings. He uses whomever, whenever and however.
He used a disobedient, unreliable son to be the chosen ancestor of the Messiah to convey God’s road of glory may even include unexpected potholes.*
He used a prostitute to save the spies of Israel to show His grace confounds our reason.**
He used a false prophet to bless His chosen people to say He can even use evil men to please His wants.***
God has called all his own to serve in bringing Him praise:
“…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”(II Timothy 1:9 NKJV)
God saved you not to be a pet in His collection of souls, but a masterpiece of His wide scale operation to fulfill His wants.
Ephesians 2:10 puts it this way, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)
If God has determined an event that involves our participation, He may use us even with our unwilling attitudes. Let us then see that our destiny is designed by God to glorify Him. And on that thought, let us want to complete it with a willing spirit.
*Gen 49:8-10
**Joshua 2
***Numbers 22-24