Forrest Gump’s Mom Was Right
Jonah 2:8-9
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
When the storm first hits in chapter 1, each pagan sailor cries out to his respective god:
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.
But, after their interaction with Jonah, they turn to the true God in worship:
14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. (1:14-16)
Note the key words sacrifice and vows.
Later, as Jonah concludes his prayer from the belly of the fish, he remarks that the lost pagans have no hope of God’s mercy:
Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love. (2:8)
He seems totally unaware of both God’s desire to show mercy to the nations, and the possibility that some of those pagan outsiders might actually turn to the living God. Exhibit A: the sailors.
In contrast, Jonah boldly states that he is going to worship the Lord through right way:
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord! (2:9)
Note the repetition of the words from chapter 1—Jonah says that he will sacrifice and vow, which is the very thing that the sailors were described as doing.
The difference, however, is subtle but important.
The sailors “offered a sacrifice and made vows.” Past tense. Jonah, on the other hand, says he “will sacrifice” and make good on his vows.
The difference is that Jonah says he will do it, whereas the sailors actually do it.
Will Jonah follow through?
We’ll have to read on to find out.
What I know for sure is that Forrest Gump’s mom was right:
“Faithful is as faithful does.”
