Deep Calls Unto Deep

For the past few days I have been swirling around this word specifically - “deep”. I think it’s usually because I generally am dissatisfied with top level understanding of matters that clearly require a thorough reflection. My spirit won’t rest until I am answered. This is usually in the context of a deep longings pursuant to my prayers to God and for them to be answered or at least a sign to be indicated- and I’m talking prayers that I’ve had for years... so how intrigued I was when I came across this verse: “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.” Psalms 42:7 NKJV

This led me to the story of Jonah and the Whale. Jonah was a man who hated the Ninevites and he wanted to see them destroyed. These people were his enemies. They had been heartlessly cruel in their treatment of the Jews, his people. Repentance meant that they would not get the destruction that he had prophesied. He wanted them destroyed, and he wanted to be known as a prophet whose word always came true, which didn’t happen with their repentance.

When God told him to go to Nineveh to speak a message of repentance and mercy, he decided to go in the complete opposite direction – to Tarshish. Probably because God gave the Ninevites 40 days before Gods wrath would fall on them. So if Jonah doesn't get there on time, then his wish will come true (there is some manipulation going on here). In legalese, we have a term: Time is of the Essence. Jonah purposefully wanted to run down the clock to bring about Gods wrath quicker. Later in on in the story Jonah tells God why he ran. He says that God’s grace is greater than his wrath and Jonah was afraid that if the people repented, God would forgive them (I sense a bit of entrapment here).

Notwithstanding Jonahs manipulative spirit, God still chose him in the midst of the availability of other prophets who could have swiftly carried on with the task at hand. Why? I think its specifically because of his hatred. After Jonah went to Ninevah and the people repented, Jonah pouted. Jonah asked God to kill him for he couldn't live with the idea of God saving the Ninevites. That's how deep his hatred went.

When the call of God came to him, Jonah could not see beyond his own selfish desire for God to punish the Assyrians in Ninevah. How could God want him to take a message of mercy to such people? Before Jonah could relay God’s message, he had to be broken. This hatred was going to fall! He had to learn something about the mercy of the Lord. Through his flight to Tarshish, his shipwreck, and his time in the belly of the whale, Jonah was essentially placed in the Great Deep. A very interesting place because it’s the place where you are completely stripped bare, no avenues available for any further escape, you are simply left there with your frustrations and disappointments. Its like a feeling of problem after problem climbing over and on top of each other like waves and billows competing over the flood that has surrounded you.

It is at this place where your spirit or rather your deep calls unto the deepest of God. It was at this place that the deepest, supreme, omnipotent power of God could enter the most tumultuous, surrendered parts of your soul. We have no opinion in the matter and the funniest part for me is that God will use the most impassioned parts of your resistance to bring this to fruition. Jonah, at this juncture was convinced by hook or by crook that all salvation comes from the Lord (Jonah 2:9). And because of God’s supreme power, only God decides where to pour out His salvation and His mercy (4:11).

What this meant for Jonah: Jonah found himself in the deep of the ocean in the belly of the fish. In his weakest moments that was the moment God becomes strong and His presence apprehended his soul. See here: Jonah 2:1-4, 7 1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

Also, here: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,” God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-11)

This phrase “deep calls unto deep” consists of communication through prayer, from deep within the heart/mind of a man or woman appealing to the deep secret place of the heart/mind of his/her God in a time of dire need and possibly suffering at the hands of enemies or even heart condition that is not in the right place (waves and billows or tempestuous times).

King Solomon in his wisdom wrote this Proverb showing the wisdom of the man who understands when he has received good advice and uses it: Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Most times we do our best to avoid the work entailed in the Deep. We distract ourselves with honestly some of the most useless mind numbing activities, fiddling around with spreadsheets, running never ending kilometers, consistently needing the company of people, anything that will assist you in blocking out the gentle tap of God and what He wants to do in our lives. The reality is that he will find us, he will use the very discrimination's and below the line behaviours we display, our attitudes to bring about the blessings of the deep and ultimately ensure His original plans and purposes prevail.

"O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep."

Ntswa