Jonah 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

In 1980 “It’s Hard to Be Humble” was a song written and recorded by Mac Davis that became an international hit. Here’s a sample of the lyrics: “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, When you’re perfect in every way, I can’t wait to look in the mirror, Cause I get better lookin’ each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man, Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, But I’m doing the best that I can. I used to have me a girlfriend, But I guess that she couldn’t compete, With all of them love-starved women, Who keep clamoring around at my feet. Well, I could probably could find me another, But I guess they’re all in awe of me (oh, man), Who cares? I’ll never get lonesome, ‘Cause I treasure my own company…”

Humility is like a slippery fish an angler sought to contain once he landed it in his boat. Oswald Chambers once remarked: “The way we continually talk about our own inability is an insult to the Creator. The deploring of our own incompetence is a slander against God for having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining in the sight of God the things that sound humble before men, and you will be amazed at how staggeringly impertinent they are.” 

On the one hand we observe Jonah exemplifying what humility is not. On the other, we observe the Ninevites defining what it was, is, and always will be. William Temple, in his book titled, “Christ in His Church” defined humility by stating: “Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all.” Jonah had no idea Who and what he was symbolizing through his three day imprisonment in the belly of a great fish. Nor was he aware of Who was with him as he emerged resurrected from the abyss. Although Jonah was ignorant of the Resurrected One the people of Nineveh encountered Him in conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment to come. In that moment of encompassing awe the only thought they had of themselves was of a great need to go as absolutely low as they could – physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. Their entire lifestyle had been altered. In effect they were thinking only of God centering all their time around Him. Isn’t this what prayer and fasting is? It’s not going on some kind of freakish diet of self-abasement. It’s a pursuit of His Presence that seeks whole-hearted surrender, and passion for the manifest Presence of God. It’s a centering of all time, and activities around the Godhead: Father, Son and Spirit. It’s listening, watching, and obeying.

Isn’t it strange that the only hint of Jonah’s confession of sin was in his yielded obedience to God’s assignment? He never confessed his sins and in the process failed to recognize his sins focusing on the sins of others – namely Nineveh’s. Similar to the angels in the parable of the wheat and tares we often become consumed with pulling up the tares of sin in others rather than focusing on the Sower of the good seed. He is humility. Rather than seeking to appear humble why don’t we seek the Emptied One Who didn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped? Why not confess missing that MARK – Who is the MARK?