“Hard and judgmental does not always equate to hate…”
After failing to evade the charge that GOD had given him, Jonah was ordered for the 2nd time to deliver a message to the Ninevites. He was specifically told “…preach the message that I tell you.”(Jonah 3:2) The message stated that after a 40 day period the wicked city of Nineveh would be destroyed. “…Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4)
Was this a message of love or hate?
Many would regard a message such as this as too hard and judgmental, but before doing so consider its source and the motive behind it.
This wasn’t a message that Jonah wanted to preach, but not because he felt as though it was a judgmental message of hate. Jonah fled for Tarshish when he 1st received this charge in(Jonah 1:2-3) because he knew that this was a message of lovethat came from a merciful GOD and he had animosity in his heart for the people of Nineveh.Jonah knew something about the GOD of Israel. After the people of Nineveh responded to the message by repenting (Jonah 3:5-10, Matthew 12:41) Jonah became angry and clearly revealed why he tried to avoid the earlier call he was given.
“He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”(Jonah 4:2)
Jonah knew that if the Ninevites responded to this message of judgement with godly sorrow the LORD would forgive them and he was right.
Was this a hard message? Yes… Was it a judgmental message? Yes…
But whose hard and judgmental message was it and what was its intended purpose?
The message came from GOD and it was for the purpose of bringing the Ninevites to repentance so that they might escape the impending destruction of their city.
“Hard and judgmental does not always equate to hate…”
Throughout GOD’S word we find many hard and judgmental messages directed toward us. These are not messages of hate but rather they are messages of love. Their intended purpose is to bring us to repentance so that we might be delivered from the destruction of our soul. (2nd Corinthians 7:8-10)
Those who deliver the hard and judgmental messages of GOD should not do so with arrogance or self-righteousness but neither should he or she flee for Tarshish we the time comes to call sin, sin. Both actions severely misrepresent the source and motive of the message.
Before receiving a message as too hard and judgmental consider its source and motive. Is it a message from GOD? If so, we can rest assured that it originated with one who is loving, merciful, patient andkind; not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance and we should accept its rebuke and make the changes that are necessary.
Before delivering a message that is hard and judgmental consider its source and motive. Is it from man or GOD? If it’s from man keep it, if it’s from GOD deliver it just as you have received it and always let GOD’S motive be your motive.
“Hard and judgmental does not always equate to hate…”
Jay Dixon
06/09/17