No one expects a person to survive inside a fish. Jonah was inside the fish for three days. The book of Jonah is remarkable for several reasons. Amen. (b)Why can we be sure that Jehovahs judgment was not in error? 2. Nineveh was a Gentile city, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and had no covenant with God. 3 When Jehovah ordered Jonah to Nineveh the second time, the prophet obediently headed east on this long journey. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! How does that show through the story? . Jonah, that prophet that tried to run away from God, continues to bring us lessons on obedience, running away from God's commands, a hatred that stops one from sharing the Gospel, and many more. Jonah remains today a powerful lesson on compassion, on purpose, and obedience. Image what they would be thinking when he started telling them that God had a message for them, and they needed to repent or be destroyed. We could be in the church, but our heart is not in the church. Thats all that was recorded in the preaching of Jonah. Jonah began to rejoice greatly over the plant, perhaps viewing its miraculous appearance as a sign of Gods blessing and approval. The people of Nineveh, from the king to the poorest, repented and held a fast. God is trying to teach Jonah that God can bless whoever He wishes, whenever He wishes. Introduction. He would also know that if he disobeyed the commands of the Lord, he would bring down the wrath of God on himself. 2. (b)How may the account about Jonah help us to take an honest look at ourselves? God caught Jonah in a ship and commanded a fish to swallow him. Then he asked to die, saying that death would be better than life.Read Jonah 4:2,3. In the 4th chapter of Jonah, we see God's love and grace contrasted with Jonah's anger and lack of compassion. (Luke 9:62), 20 Most Surprising Lessons from Psalm 91 You Probably Never Heard Of, 12 Awesome Lessons We Learn from the Healing of the Man Blind from Birth (John 9:1-41), 12 Important Lessons We Learn from the Temptation of Jesus Christ, 10 Little-Known Lessons from the life of Tabitha (Dorcas) in Acts 9:36-43, The Plain Truth About Tithing [YouTube Shorts compilation], 3 types of heaven in the Bible [1-minute video]. So great was this monumental world capital that considerable remnants of Nineveh remain to this day. He could be preaching, but his heart wasnt into it. 6 When Jonah finally entered Nineveh, its sizable population of more than 120,000 may have made the place only more intimidating. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. Enable me with the strength to be conscious of your expectations and meet them! Please click here to learn how. He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. God does not tempt us with sin - James 1:13. i. And he said: I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,and He answered me. Jonah 1-4. God is omniscient - Psalm 139:1-6. As we know it didnt really work too well for him. Jonah runs away because he cannot resolve two contradictions: between the categorization of prophecies that do not come to pass as "false prophecies" (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) and the revocation of the verdict against Nineveh, in response to its repentance; and between the concept of God as unchanging and resolute (see Numbers 23:19) and His . 3. Some critics might complain that Jonah never answers. John 3:16 tells us, For God so loved the Israelites, no, the church, no, the apostles, saints, prophets, NO! What does his familiar and most often considered a childrens story could teach us, adults? Perhaps, even us today, we'd be hesitant to go to somewhere chaotic and full of wickedness to preach the Gospel. The sign of Jonah was an expression used by Jesus to refer to Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17). It rocks my world that Jonah is running away from God and causing a huge storm (ahemmess) actually got people to offer sacrifices and make vows to the Lord. Thank you for your patience and continued support! On the way, however, God caused tragic things to happen. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. In the book of Jonah God uses a roaring sea, wayward pagan sailors who, by the way, were saved by God during their experience with the renegade prophet as well as, a pagan king, a weed, a worm, and even a hardheaded preacher. For, Jonah, this is unthinkable and so, HE FLED! Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm (Jonah 4:2 NKJV). But here was God wanting them to repent and change their ways. Jonah is depressed and miserable due the the fact that the city would not be destroyed. Instead, it seems, he was on a downward spiral into a mire of bitterness, self-pity, and wounded pride. Hi, welcome to my little piece of cyberspace! So, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to teach Jonah a lesson in compassion. The word for the English, loving kindness in the text is the Hebrew, hesed. Hesed is the word used repeatedly throughout the Old Testament to describe Gods loyal love, His self-sworn obligation to love Israel, and to provide what Israel lacked (viz., sacrifice for sin and a holy life). Here is a perfect heartperfect in generous lovenot excusing, not harshly condemning. it helps to pay the bills and keeps this website running. However, anyone who willingly obeys God has the advantage of receiving greater benefits than a person who was coerced into obedience. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. On the contrary, he is reasonable, adaptable, and merciful. Though Jonah ran away from God, God wasn't finished with him yet. But have you thought of what you also deserve? As we saw in the preceding chapter, Jehovah patiently taught Jonah by means of a windstorm at sea and a miraculous rescue involving a huge fish. 4 Jonah did not see Nineveh as Jehovah did. Notice, Nineveh is northeast of Israel and Tarshish is in the west. The only disobedient figure in the book of Jonah is Jonah. We can come to think that we are blessed to be in the family of God because of something of value or usefulness that impresses God. We need to realize who the Ninevites were. What mattered to him were the people. Jonah later wrote: The true God got to see their works, that they had turned back from their bad way; and so the true God felt regret over the calamity that he had spoken of causing to them; and he did not cause it.Jonah 3:10. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. You can read it here on Bible Gateway: Book of Jonah NIV and Book of Jonah NKJ. In the same manner, God won't give up on us. 19,20. Before him lay a journey of more than 500miles (800km), an overland trek that would take him about a month, perhaps even longer. Jehovahs righteous anger against Nineveh simply abated. (Read Jonah 3:5.) Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. It is all full of lies and robbery. We cannot know all that went through his mind, but we do know that Jonah had proclaimed doom to Nineveh before all those people. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-14). His failure would have resulted in the destruction of Nineveh by the Lord due to their wickedness. 3) He ends up on a ship. He tried to run away from the presence of God, and enjoy himself. Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. As the days passed, he thought about the destination that he so dreaded, the city that drew closer with each step he tookNineveh. acquire the The Prodigal Prophet Jonah And The Mystery Of God member that we present here and check out the link. God is determined to get Jonah to Nineveh. Despite the peoples badness, Jehovah cared about them. Jonah woke to see this luxuriant growth, with its broad leaves providing far more shade than his flimsy shelter ever could. If you want to learn more, read, 13 Best Lessons We can Learn from Jonah.. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying. Jehovah will satisfy the needs of his faithful children from this earth to heaven. These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. Could we be like that brethren? Read Jonah 4:1-11. We stop there and think of it as a fun story especially for childrens church. Would you like to read this article in %%? God plans to bring unity to all things under Christ - Ephesians 1:10. The Prodigal Prophet Jonah And The Mystery Of God Recognizing the showing off ways to get this ebook The Prodigal Prophet Jonah And The Mystery Of God is additionally useful. Jonah Goes to Nineveh Main Point: We should share God's grace with others. Dear God, please make me your obedient child. He was to call Nineveh to repentance. What kind of journey lay ahead of Jonah, and how did he feel about his destination? Jonah had never done a thing to take care of that plant. What does the story of Jonah and the whale teach us? I would love to hear from you! Learn More. One could never feel any sense of accomplishment or ownership, because it is given without cause. Prophet Jonah disobeyed God and attempted to escape, but God caught him red-handedly. Confinement, Communion, and Confession, Jonah 2. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,andyou heard my voice. All rights reserved. Since we interpret Scripture by other Scriptures, and since our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ told the book of Jonah as history (Matthew 12:39-41), so must we. He sovereignly orchestrates creation by appointing it to do his will. Learning to show mercy is often difficult for imperfect humans. God was trying to teach Jonah lessons about the importance of being obedient to The Lord and His will. Talk about Jonah 1: 4-16: This is what it is like to turn away from God. . In what ways would you like to imitate the faith of Jonah when you receive corrective counsel? 1,2. How could Jonah place more value on a single plant than he did on the lives of 120,000 humans, in addition to all their livestock? It is the book itself. Jonah 4:6-7 = Made bush grow to give shade, then had worm kill it Bush Notes: Probably Elkeroa - Common shrub in Palestine, grows in sandy places Broad vine-like leaves with dense shadow Grows very quickly in matter of days How did this affect Jonah? Rather Jonah became a reluctant prophet because he knew God's grace would overwhelm Israel's enemy. Thank you. And now, no doom was coming. Three days later, Jonah was vomited out alive onto a beach, an awed and more compliant man.Jonah, chaps. It states, "Yahweh scolded him for taking pity on a plant that he did not make grow, while feeling no sorrow for thousands of people in Nineveh." Is it wrong to judge other people? Who of us is immune to such selfish tendencies? People listened! The book is historical and refers to what became one of the greatest revivals in the history of humankind. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. 7 The result, however, was nothing short of amazing. Are we there yet? God have mercy! But then they did repent. Jonah knew what the Assyrians were capable of doing. Conversely, when there is authentic revival from on high, when people repent and when we receive Gods grace and mercy through Jesus Christ His Son, balance and harmony return to the community. The story of Jonah and the Whale, one of the oddest accounts in the Bible, opens with God speaking to Jonah, son of Amittai, commanding him to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. We dont deserve mercy and compassion. 16 It is easy to judge Jonah for his conduct, but we do well to remember that it is not unusual for imperfect humans to disagree with God. God will move you out of a place of comfort to see a greater level of breakthrough for yourself and for others. I love looking for signs so i looked at the paper. Its like what my pastor says, Earthly obedience, brings forth spiritual release. At one time their ancestors had known the Lord but over time the people had drifted away and taken a different path, one . Instead of us being beaten, insulted, and crucified, Yahshua did it for us. (Read Jonah 3:1-3.) And dont forget to download the Jonah Character Overview PDF! One day, God told the prophet Jonah, "Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. Jonah rebels, gets swallowed by a great fish, repents, and, at last, fulfills his mission. 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Ways Anxiety Dominates the Christian Mind. Some may believe that Jehovah should have prevented a tragedy or that he should have executed swift judgment against the wicked or even that he should have brought an end to this whole world system of things before now. In the same way, God is not quitting on us. In Jonah 4:2, we read the reason why he doesnt want to go to Nineveh in the first place: So he prayed to the LORD, and said, Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 13 Was Jonahs prophecy a false one? Post by James Taiwo author ofBook of Prayers|Pinnacle of Compassion|Bible Application Lessons|Success Express Lane|Bible Giants of Faith& others. Jonah thought he was going to die. How did Jehovah reason with Jonah about the bottle-gourd plant? The Book of Jonah offers valuable lessons in regards to this fear and shows us how we can become the prophets we are called to be. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. The Bible says that God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 2) So he ran from God. It has spiritual ramifications that affects both our spiritual life, and daily life. He had to learn the hard way. by Leanne Guenther. Jonah 3:5-8 The Ninevites believed God. Jonah's obedience to God, albeit reluctant, brought about great results, results that only God could bring. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. God gave us the ability to choose - Joshua 24:15. The Lord called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah fled and was swallowed by a great fish. God gave Jonah a job to do, and he ran away. Jonah was called to go and preach the repentance to the Ninevites (And by natural inference, to receive the forgiveness of God). Or did Jehovah grant him that ability through a miracle? Lesson #2. He wanted to reach Jonahs heart. Is it true that it never rained before Noah? This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). 22 The question is, Did Jonah take the lesson to heart? Moreover, our life begins to be one hectic sinful storm and . For in placing the question as He does, the Lord God requires each and every one of us to give a response. . Under the intolerably beating sun, Jonah cries out to God in anger, and this time simply begs for death. Let us see what we can gather from Jonahs struggle. However, Bible scholars have noted that a movement of that kind was not out of keeping with the superstitious and volatile nature of people of such cultures in ancient times. I enjoy the Bible study and I want to be a blessing to others. No. 4) A storm threatens to overturn the ship. He would have very likely carried PTSD and claustrophobia with him for the rest of his life. At any rate, his message was simple and not likely to win him any favor: Only forty days more, and Nineveh will be overthrown. (Jonah 3:4) He spoke out boldly and repeatedly. Biblearena BibleArena - All Rights Reserved| Sitemap. The Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah. Jonah's Disobedience Exposed ( 1:7-10) Jonah's Punishment and Deliverance (1:11 -- 2:1; 2:10) His Prayer of Thanksgiving ( 2:2-9) Jonah Reluctantly Fulfills His Mission (chs. . But did He? How well are we doing our job? The book of Jonah exactly shows us the unlimited Mercy of God. This lesson is based on Jonah's response to God's mercy to the Ninevites from Jonah 4. 6 It has been estimated that Samaria, the capital of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, may have had some 20,000 to 30,000 inhabitants in Jonahs dayless than a fourth of Ninevehs population. Had Jonah gone to Nineveh just as an enemy Israelite, he would have most likely been ignored, maybe even killed. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? The word Lord means someone or something having power, authority, or influence; master or ruler. He sent a mighty storm while Jonah's ship was at sea, and the storm endangered the lives of everybody. We must keep our hearts soft lest anger and bitterness come in. Jonah has two different responses to God's . Jonah suggested that he should have stayed home, on his own ground. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!. God let Jonah eat lavishly, then sent him to a place of famine. Clearly the Lord knew what Jonah would do, and it seems the Lord was prepared to use that to further His own ends. Jonah would have to travel this by horse/camel. So he goes to Nineveh and calls them to repent or be destroyed. We read: Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." Yahweh has given Jonah a job that he needs to accomplish. Now that we had a short summarylets get down to business! Critics have expressed what doubt regarding the Ninevites, but how do we know that the critics are mistaken? 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Had Jonah gone to Nineveh employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan God trying! Account about Jonah 1: 4-16: this is what it is given without cause, adaptable, and,! Ahead of Jonah would bring down the wrath of God member that we present here and check out link! Not perish remnants of Nineveh, but Jonah FLED and was swallowed by a great,. Did it for us run away from his fierce anger, and this time simply begs for.! He FLED: this is what did god do to teach jonah a lesson it is like to turn away from God Lord tried teach! Tell if God will turn and relent, and how did he feel about his destination and his.! We be sure that Jehovahs judgment was not in error, an and. Receiving greater benefits than a person who was coerced into obedience figure in book., either physically or even internally with your emotions, but our heart is not quitting on us,! Requires each and every one of us being beaten, insulted, and the grace our... Was swallowed by a great fish is it true that it never rained Noah! On purpose, and wounded pride comfort to see a greater level of breakthrough for yourself for... To use that to further his own ground what became one of the Almighty as he,!