(Jonah 2:4) “Then I said, I
am cast out of thy sight; yet I will
look again toward thy holy temple.” This is good definition
of faith… along with (Rom
4:5) “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly,…”
Both of these show us that true
faith looks to Christ in spite of every obstacle in the flesh. Those who perish
always see something in themselves to hang their hat on (works, assurance,
feelings, improvement, sorrow, doctrine, but always something). Yet, the law of
God convinces us who believe that no good thing dwells within our flesh (Rom
7:18, 7-13). Now, without hope in ourselves, we look to God who promises to
justify only one kind of person according to the flesh: ‘ungodly’. We
cannot present Him one reason to look favorably upon us by anything we’ve
thought, felt, or done. So, in true
faith, we look to His promised graciousness for Christ’s sake alone. This faith
is the gift of God, is pleasing to God, is the power for all good works (Heb
11:11), and “... is counted for righteousness (Rom 4:5).”
Jonah deserved to be in the fish’s belly experiencing a type of hell; he refused to obey the known will of our Loving Father. God’s saints are so convicted by sin because we know that we’ve dishonored the One who loves us. We didn’t just break a set of rules… we sinned against love. “… Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord… so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it… (Jonah 1:3).” Yet, in spite of what we’ve done (even as believers), we will look again to His holy temple. The Temple is the body of Christ where the Blood was shed, and where our reconciled God delights Himself in meeting with seeking sinners.
Sometimes we fall under the heavy chastening hand of the Lord, and our consciences are convinced that we are totally unworthy of any of His favor. “…yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.” Other times, we have diligently searched the Scriptures and the preaching of the Gospel, yet we find no comfort while sin clouds His face. Should we despair, close our bibles, and give in to the devil that says, “You’ve forsaken God, and He’s forsaken you. It does you no good to pray. Come… rest with me in the pleasures of the world for a season. Surely, your God will call you to Himself when He’s ready... but don’t waste your time seeking while He’s offended. Don’t trouble yourself.” O no, we mustn’t fall for the lies of the talebearer and think lowly of God’s esteem for Christ. Jesus Christ is Holiness unto the Lord. Jesus Christ answered every claim of God’s anger AND He established us in an unchangeable righteousness forever. No matter what the believer has done, and no matter how painful the chastening, we are accepted in the Beloved.
The Father knows His elect. He knows that although we love Him, we are still sinful, and we need continual washing from our sins. “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust (Ps 103).” “He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever.” In pure grace, He has provided His Son to be the PLACE, the Holy Temple, where He may be Just and the Justifier of everyone who believes. In the old days when our brethren were under the types of shadows of the law, they would bring an innocent offering to the temple and then watch the priest place the animal upon the altar for consumption by fire (Lev 1). On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter alone into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the mercy seat with blood. Afterwards, God would descend upon the mercy seat demonstrating that He was pleased with the offering in His holy temple. Now, we see Christ crucified is the Lamb, the altar, the priest, the temple, and the Father’s pleased with Him. What is found in the Holy Temple? All righteousness, sanctification, redemption, atonement, peace, election, predestination, and the sweet knowledge of everything good is found IN Christ.
Our Father always tells us to look to Christ. The times and the seasons of restored fellowship are in His hands, but looking is the means He uses, and looking receives encouraging glimpses of Light even while the full blaze of the Sun is still hidden. It encourages my soul that God gives grace to the guilty, so I’m never too guilty for the Blood of Christ. Therefore, in spite of a million things, we will LOOK again to Christ and Him crucified for us. Poor doubting sinner, God’s elect are whosoever comes, eats, drinks, receives, looks, believes. “…And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the mercy seat for our sins… (I John :1-2).”
“Then I said, I am cast out
of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.” This is also a statement of DEFEAT. “Yes,
Lord, I am cast out of thy sight in my mind and conscience, but I will look to
Christ again.” Why? “Because I have no other hope.” The Lord God has surrounded me and shut every
avenue of escape, except His Son. By nature, we would turn our backs to God
saying, “Fine… you go your way, and I’ll
go mine.” But there is a hell reserved for men and women who don’t repent of such
an attitude. Jonah says, “They
that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy (Jonah 2:8).”
Our gracious Lord is
still the LORD, and refusing to come to Him is futile. “He is wise in heart, and
mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered
(Job 9:4).” O! Woe unto you who fight against God! Who say, “He’s
afflicting me, so I’ll despise Him.”
You’re still in the snare of pride.
You haven’t realized that Christ didn’t come to give us a better way…
He’s the only Way, Truth, and Life. No
man comes to the Father at any time in eternity, but by Him. Brethren, “… God resisteth the proud,
and giveth grace to the humble. Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (I Pet 5:5-7).” The proper attitude for you who seek mercy
is “Lord, whatever you say.”
This text also encourages God’s saints to look to Him for the salvation of the lost. We’ve tasted of God’s mercy and know som