We read in Jonah 3:1, “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,” (ESV)
God had called Jonah to accomplish a huge task. Jonah chose to disobey, and undertook a voyage which the Lord disrupted by sending a mighty tempest. As the ship was tossed about in the midst of the turbulent sea, the men on board the ship had to cast Jonah into the sea. The Lord had prepared a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and the fish obedient to God’s command vomited Jonah onto the shore. Now for the second time God’s word came to Jonah. As human beings we may question as to why Jonah should be given a second chance, but God is a gracious God, and He was giving to Jonah another opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose in his life.
So also, God has called each one of us to fulfill a specific purpose in our lives. However, ever so often, like Jonah, we too go far away from the will of God. Think about the umpteen chances that God has given to us in spite of our repeated failures. God never gives up, but is constantly speaking to us, and reaching out to us, so will give heed to His voice, and get back in alignment to His will for our lives. If you are at a place where you feel that you have missed all your chances, this message will most certainly encourage you to not be disheartened.
Moses got a second chance
Moses grew up in the palace of Pharaoh in Egypt. Though Moses was an Israelite, from a very young age he grew up in the splendor and comfort of Pharaoh’s palace. Nonetheless, Moses knew who he really was, and was also certain that God had a major plan to be fulfilled through his life. Moses was also keen to accomplish this purpose that God had for his life at the earliest. It was this thought that spurred Moses to do something which is recorded in the verse below.
Moses works in his own strength
We read in Exodus 2:11-12,“And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.”(ERV)
Moses had a call on his life, and a specific purpose why God chose him. However, Moses was hasty and thought that he could accomplish God’s purposes with his own strength. It was this attitude that led Moses to do something that God did not approve of, when he tried to work out justice for a fellow Israelite, who was being ill-treated by his Egyptian task-master.
Moses was set aside for forty years
The consequence of this impulsive action is recorded in Exodus 2:15, “When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.” (ISV)
Moses’ life transitioned from being a prince to becoming a shepherd, who looked after his father in law’s sheep in the wilderness of Midian. From the luxuries and comfort of a palace, Moses was brought down to live the life of a mediocre shepherd who had to spend countless hours in the wilderness with ordinary sheep.
Some may wonder as to why God did not use Moses while he was a prince in Egypt, but had to take him out for many long years, before sending him back again to Pharaoh to bring deliverance to the Israelites. It is true that the call of God, and His purposes were there for Moses, but Moses had to wait for God’s timing, to fulfill those plans God had.
Even today there are many children of God who have rushed into things, and not waited for God’s timing, thereby losing out on many blessings that God had in store for them. For instance, the government has stipulated an age limit for one to procure a driving license. Oftentimes, many young people are not willing to wait for this, and when they drive vehicles without a valid license they end up having accidents. This causes much trouble for them, their parents, traffic cops, and other people in society as well. The only reason for all these calamities is their unwillingness to wait patiently for the appropriate time. We need to wait for God’s timing, and must do things the way God has determined for us to do.
God gave Moses another chance
It took forty long years for God to restore back to Moses all that he had lost. For that very long time, Moses had to go about the mundane job of tending sheep in the wilderness. God appeared to Moses who was probably feeling lonely, forlorn, rejected and thought he was a failure.
We read in Exodus 3:6, “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”(ERV)
God revealed Himself to Moses, and called him again the second time. The first time Moses understood the purposes of God, but acted impulsively, and failed. However, the second time God was re-affirming His call to Moses, and calling him back to fulfill the initial purpose for which God chose and called him.
God introduced himself to Moses as the God of Abraham. Abraham too was not perfect. We see that at one point Abraham was so scared that he lied that his wife Sarai was his sister. God forgave Abraham for his faults and weaknesses. However, when Moses was eighty years old, the Lord used Moses to perform mighty wonders and deliver the people of Israel from their cruel slavery and bondage. Ultimately, God did accomplish His divine purposes through the life of Moses.
Jesus understands all of our weaknesses for we read in Hebrews 4:15, “He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn't sin.”(GW) God knows and understands all of our faults and weaknesses. He does not cast us aside because we fall or fail. God knows all of our weaknesses and faltering, He is therefore willing to grant us His strength to help us overcome them. If we for some reason feel that we did not allow God to fulfill His purposes in the past, let us not lose heart. If we surrender to Him, the Lord will certainly accomplish those purposes in the future. When we surrender our lives to God’s timing, He leads us in the path of peace, victory and blessings.
We looked at three people, Jonah who was not willing to obey God. Moses who was hasty and wanted to fulfill God’s plans in His own way. We also saw that Abraham who was filled with fear and lied. In spite of all of their faults, the Lord did not set them aside, but used all of them to bring to completion His divine purposes in their lives.
Rahab chose to believe
Let me share about another person from the bible, who will really astound us. On the walls of Jericho, lived a woman named Rahab. We do not know if it was circumstances or the wrong choices she made, but Rahab was not a woman of good reputation. I am certain that there must have been some sort of dissatisfaction in Rahab’s life, as she compared herself with others in her community.
Rahab might have wondered if there was someone who could help her out of her arduous situation. It was at this time that Rahab heard about the Israelites and their God. Rahab had heard about the wonderful way God parted the Red Sea for the people of Israel, and made a way for them to pass on to the other side. With the Egyptian army in pursuit of them, and the Red Sea ahead of them, it was an impossible situation that the Israelites faced. Nonetheless, the Lord not only brought the Israelites to safety, He also destroyed their enemies who pursed them with the same waters of the Red Sea. I am sure that Rabab must have been sorrowful at her way of life, and felt remorse for the way she lived. It was these wonderful works of God that filled Rahab’s heart with faith to believe that this God could deliver her too from her life of sin and complication, both from the past and the present. There were hundreds of people who lived in the city of Jericho, but it was this one woman Rahab, who chose to believe that God would do good for her, based on all that she had heard.
There are those who have like Rahab find themselves in complicated situations, either because of their circumstances or wrong choices, and are anxious to know if there is any way out of it. If there are those who feel that you have put yourselves in a fine mess, that there seems to be no way out, let me remind you that our God can change every complicated situation that you might be entangled in. I have heard many who are addicted to alcohol, who have told me that there is absolutely no way out for them, and that they have to live this way till the end of their lives. No one is born an addict, but somewhere along the way that they got trapped into this addictive habit. However, if such call out to God, He will come to set them free, and give them a bright future.
When Rahab chose to believe God, in a most miraculous way God saved Rahab and her entire family. God also gave her a hope and a future.
There are those who feel they have lost their chances, and that nothing good will ever happen to them again. This is not so, when God intervenes to change out situations, the future will be far more glorious than our past.
Jonah missed his first chance, and had to spend three days and nights in the belly of the huge fish. Nonetheless, God gave Jonah a second chance, and used him to preach to the people of Nineveh who repented at his preaching. Moses too had lost all hope for forty long years as he tended sheep, but God appeared to him, removed all his fears and sent him back to Pharaoh. God did astounding miracles through the hands of Moses, and wrought a mighty deliverance for the people of Israel.
The honor Rahab received
God was with Rahab, simply because in the midst of all the calamities of her life, she still chose to believe in the God of Israel.
We read about Rahab in Matthew 1:5, Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.(NLT)
For those who are not familiar with this passage, this is part of the genealogy of Jesus as mentioned in Matthew chapter 1. As the ancestors of Jesus are named, we find that Rahab also has a place in that ancestry. The Lord does not just fix broken pieces of our lives together, but one who can remake a broken vessel into a brand new one. He is a God who not only molds broken vessels, but also exalts such vessels.
Who was this Rahab? She was a prostitute by profession, but God chose such a woman and transformed her life. Not only did God save her life when the walls of Jericho fell, He also esteemed her worthy to be part of the genealogy of Jesus, the Son of God.
There are those who are living with regret because they let slip many good opportunities, and are now standing empty handed. I can assure such, that if you trust in God and His word, God will mold you and fashion you to be a useful vessel in His hands. None of us are here on earth by mistake, for God has a specific plan and purpose for every single person whom He has created. If we believe, God will certainly fulfill that purpose in and through our lives.
Jonah disobeyed, but God gave him another chance. Moses was impulsive, but God did not forget His call for Moses, and called him back. Abraham was fearful, but God protected Abraham and his wife from kings and made his name great. Rahab, had an immoral life, but God transformed her to become a blessing, and a part of the ancestry of Jesus.
This is the amazing love that God has for each one of us. God’s love never diminishes. He is a God who gives us many chances in life. He is one who can transform our lives, and will never reject us or abandon us. When we put our faith in the Lord Jesus and turn to Him, He will not hold our sins against us or keep accusing us. He is the God who forgives us of all our sins, show us a new way, and lead us in ways we cannot comprehend.
There is an incident that happened when Jesus was here on earth. Jesus was invited to a feast to a home of a Pharisee, and there was a woman who came to anoint Jesus feet with oil. Everyone in the room were murmuring and wondering as to how Jesus did not perceive that she was one of bad reputation. However, Jesus accepted her just as she was, did not condemn her, and when she rose to leave from the feet of Jesus, she left as one who was forgiven, healed and transformed. Her encounter with Jesus transformed her, sending her away with a new life and a great new hope.
Remember that Jesus knows our weaknesses, and He sincerely sympathizes with us. If we come to Him by faith, He is willing to replace our weakness with His strength. God can give us a new start no matter how disorderly or disarrayed our lives may be.
Let me share this verse from Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”(ESV)
Every one of us can come boldly to the throne of grace, and we will receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. We have the Lord Jesus who is our High Priest who was in every way tempted like us, yet without sin. For anyone who feels you have lost precious opportunities, the Lord will open new doors. Every plan of God which he has purposed for your life will certainly be fulfilled, just as the Lord did for Jonah, Moses, Abraham and Rahab. Let us put our faith in God, and receive the victories that He has in store for us.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
