Nim did not know how to build a vessel. But that didn't stop him from trying. He put his best effort into following the instructions given by the angel. He gathered wood and bone from around the area. He worked on it diligently every day. Sometimes his friend, Mara, would come with him. She thought it was exciting to gather material to do the commands of God. Their hard work reflected in quality and progress.
Nim completed everything the angel had told him to do in about three months. When he was done he had a framework that looked a lot like a bird cage. Only this was a huge bird cage that was large enough to easily fit both him and Mara.
"You did it! You're done." Mara exclaimed but Nim just shook his head with confusion visible on his face.
"I did everything the angel told me to do, but he also told me to make it airtight. This is anything but that!" He shoved his arm through the gap between two ribs.
The two friends sat down within the frame of the vessel as if in a jail.
"I don't know where to go from here."
"Maybe you could try talking to God again."
"Good idea." Nim hadn't considered that the angel hadn't given him the whole answer. He hadn't considered that God would instruct little attainable bit by little attainable bit. The two knelt as he asked God:
"Oh God, I have done all you have asked. I followed your instructions the best I could. But I don't know where to go from here. Please help me know how to make it airtight."
They waited for an angel to arrive but no one came. They ended up falling asleep. When they awoke the next morning, there was a very large fish that was laying beside the frame of the vessel. Dead.
At first they were frightened. He thought someone had been there and left the fish to rot. He jumped up and walked around it to see if someone was hiding on the other side. But upon closer examination he found no evidence of anyone else having been there. The fish also seemed to have just leapt out of the sea and got stuck on land. He felt almost sad for it, then he saw that it was very close in size to the structure he had assembled. He looked at it for a long time, watching as a plan unfolded before his eyes. It showed him in his mind how he was meant to use it in order to secure the vessel and keep it airtight.
"Nim, Nim!" Mara shook him by the shoulder.
He slowly turned his head to look at her, as if coming out of a trance. He smiled, "I know what to do next!"
It was a disgusting challenge that he did not enjoy, but he knew it would work, so he persevered and got the work done. He meticulously sewed the the skin to the frame and pierced the bones though the skin around the ribs of the frame. He and Mara worked all that day on this slimy task and did not finish until the end of the week.
When they were done he prayed and he asked God to approve his vessel. This time the angel appeared and gave a little more direction.
"Nim, because you have kept the commandments of God you may go 100 yards into those trees and find nourishment. Then you will get back to work. Cut a hole in the vessel between the third and fourth rib in the design I will show you."
Nim and Mara ventured 100 yards into the trees and found a fig tree with the moonlight illuminating it from above. It was full of ripe, juicy fruit ready to eat. Once they were filled they returned to finish the direction from God. Nim carefully cut two slits in the skin from third and fourth rib. One at the top and one at the bottom. He then sliced along the fourth rib from the top slit to the bottom slit to create a flap. He then reinforced the flap with bones from the fish to make it rigid. Finally he secured it to the fourth rib so it would stay closed and air tight.
Then he knelt and prayed to God again. Again the angel appeared. This time he approved his hard work and told him to do something far harder than constructing such a vessel. He told him to throw it into the sea. Then he was gone.
Nim's eye twitched.
He wants me to throw it into the sea?! I've worked months on this. I painstakingly following the directions of God to create this and now He wants me to just throw it away? How can I throw away all of my hard work?
Nim was angry. Instead of throwing his creation into the sea to be destroyed he went home to sleep. But of course he could not sleep. He laid on his mat with a furrowed brow. Mentally criticizing God for being cruel enough to tell him to make something and then just destroy it. As he let his thoughts move through the stages of grief, he arrived at reason.
God told me to make this weird vessel thing and now he just wants me to throw it into the sea. I don't even know why this was what he wanted me to do when I asked him to save me and my people. Maybe God knows more than me. Maybe this is what He wanted from the very beginning. I have no use for this vessel but maybe God does.
Nim arose from his mat and trudged back to his spot by the seaside. He stood looking at the mysterious vessel that he had created with his own hands. And then he pushed it into the sea.
At that moment the sea erupted as if angry. Tossing and turning the vessel dragging it deep into the water - far away from him. He watched it for as long as he could and knew that he would never see it again.
Jonah Chapter 1
6...What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
No comments:
Post a Comment