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In Junior High School I got an “F” for my book report on Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
I don’t know if I got more than ten pages into it before I quit reading it, so I made up the book report. I said that the whale lived happily ever after. According to my English teacher, that was proof that I hadn’t read the book. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve decided to try reading it again, and after the first eleven chapters I can say that I’m enjoying it very much.
In chapter 9, I got a pleasant surprise. It was a Sunday morning, and Ishmael walked to church. Inside, he heard a sermon by Father Mapple. Herman Melville, as part of the story, wrote the entire sermon as delivered by the fictitious preacher. And… it is one fine sermon!
I found five key points in the sermon. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all five points will be there if you read chapter 9. These are the five things that struck me when I read it. So, here is my summary of the sermon’s key points, as I interpret them.
(1) The command to Jonah.
God’s business is often urgent, and of such importance that He is more prone to order than to persuade. Don’t mistake God’s command for a recommendation.
(2) Jonah paid the fare.
This one surprised me. I had never noticed this idea before. Jonah paid the fare to disobey God. He was unsuspecting and unprepared for how much his disobedience would cost. I looked to see if the Bible actually says that…