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Jonah, of course, tells God, it aint going to happen! and runs away in the polar opposite direction of Ninevah. God can simply choose to find another Prophet to do the job. He must learn that God's love is greater and wider than he had ever imagined. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you (John 15:16 ESV). That is exactly what happened later on.Zeph. He mentions one in particular: Far-called, our navies melt away;On dune and headland sinks the fire:Lo, all our pomp of yesterdayIs one with Nineveh and Tyre! (b)Why was Jonahs prophecy not a false one? He will rescue them during trouble and provide for their needs. BIBLEARENA.ORG presents the sacred teachings of the Bible to enhance spiritual growth. Jonah did not like grace because it was not something which one could earn. turn back from his burning anger, so that we may not perish.Jonah 3:6-9. Though He is now in Nineveh, he was just dragging his feet to preach to the people. Rather than the story being only about Nineveh, or about God's message, all of the lessons seem to be centered in the person of Jonah. (b)How did Jehovahs miracles involving a bottle-gourd plant affect Jonah? So, you know for Jonah it would be a BIG deal to travel to Nineveh. This was at least part of the reason why Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh - he was afraid they would repent, when all along he wanted God to judge the Assyrian capital. Will we?Read Matthew 5:7. They are just nothing but mere pretension. It has a ton of practical and fun things to print that will help you in you grow in your walk with God! To begin, he had to choose between the shorter routes and the safer ones and then steadily make his way through valleys and over mountain passes beyond counting. Jonah sits in the heat of Northern Iraq and is so outdone with Gods grace to his enemy, seething that he has lost a gourd with its leaves to shade him, that he despairs unto death. How grateful we should be that Jehovah patiently teaches us to be more selfless, more compassionate, more mercifulas he is! Instead, the "sign" we are offered is an invitation to die with Christ so that we can personally begin to experience the new life of the Resurrection. This post may contain affiliate links. This is an essential characteristic of God. The story of Jonah was a popular tale in Jesus' time. Amen. 2) So he ran from God. The fast was so great that even animals fasted and cried out to God! These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. 7 There are no limits to God's grace and love, and there are no limits to his ways and means of attaining His goals for salvation. 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. What sign is God giving me to trust in him? There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses - They stumble over the corpses - because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.". Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. Could you please help to understand what lesson the Lord wanted to teach Jonah about the Gourd and the Worm? He could be preaching, but his heart wasnt into it. We can almost picture an older, wiser, humbler man ruefully shaking his head as he describes his own mistakes, his rebellion, and his stubborn refusal to show mercy. For, Jonah, its an insult to Israel. 7 Jonahs message got the Ninevites attention. These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. but how about the Lords mention of His concern about the cattle? Sep 5, 2014 | AAAA AskGramps Website, Bible | 3 comments. The force of this final question cannot be overstated. What does his familiar and most often considered a childrens story could teach us, adults? In addition to founding three churches, and the call as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, Dr. Milton is a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel). But here was God wanting them to repent and change their ways. (Read Deuteronomy 32:4.) He was then swallowed by a huge fish - his transport to Nineveh. 5 Nineveh was ancient, being among the first cities that Nimrod established after the Flood. Moreover, our life begins to be one hectic sinful storm and . He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. Not to mention I did an Old Testament survey on him as well. 1:4, 11, 13, 15; 4:8), and he prepared a sea-creature, a vine, and a worm to do his bidding (Jon. He sent a mighty storm while Jonah's ship was at sea, and the storm endangered the lives of everybody. So, please feel free to drop me a comment or take a look at my similar posts in my Christian Faith Articles page! Why werent Adam and Eve told to plenish instead of replenish? 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. Dear God, please make me your obedient child. The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. by Leanne Guenther. We must keep our hearts soft lest anger and bitterness come in. After paying the fare, he. God told Jonah what He wanted Jonah to do. He likely had to skirt the vast Syrian Desert, ford such rivers as the mighty Euphrates, and seek shelter among foreigners in the towns and villages of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Assyria. The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. Without Gods mercy, love, and compassion, we wouldnt be here. i. (John 4:11). The record of Jonah ends there, so we dont know what happened to Jonah after that, but we can hope that he learned what the Lord wanted him to learn and that he repented of his attitude and actions. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed: 'I promise to obey you always.'. Please click here to learn how. What miracle did God perform to teach Jonah a lesson? Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 9) What did God do to teach Jonah a lesson? His mercy isnt just limited to His people, but He also extends it to those outside of Israel. He does all this to get Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah 3 & 4. He was the earliest of the prophets and close behind Elisha in his place in the Old Testament. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. There are treasures to be learned and applied in every chapter. YAHWEH has called us to do a job of preparing ourselves to meet Him and at the same time, preach the Gospel to all humanity. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Side note on Vs 15- 16 (Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. He sovereignly orchestrates creation by appointing it to do his will. All 4 chapters of Jonah paints this picture of how we are to process our sin or disobedience before God. When Jonah adds that to his list of complaints the Lord uses it as a teaching moment. Jonah is an interesting story. God comes to us while we are still sinners, and still, the Lord does not wait for us to clean up our act before He comes into our lives. 19,20. It may be that Jonah made his proclamation in his native Hebrew and used an interpreter to relate it to the Ninevites. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit. Then I said, I have been cast out of Your sight;Yet I will look againtoward Your holy temple.Thewaters surrounded me,evento my soul;The deep closed around me;Weeds were wrapped around my head. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Sometimes when we read Jonah we shake our heads and go seesh really? He gets tossed around by a storm and swallowed by a whale (or big fishwhatever floats your boat). TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Because more than anything else, He also wanted to help Jonah see his faults, repent of his selfishness, and change his ways. Jonah repented while in the belly of a fish; God heard his voice and saved him. This is both an indictment of Jonah and all who treat Gods grace as proprietary, and a challenge to begin to see the world through the eyes of God who created it. Yet the city of Nineveh had sixscore thousand people (Jonah 4:11) who didnt know any better and Jonah thinks their preservation is a bad thing? The story of Jonah demonstrates how Almighty God has sovereign control over every creature on earth. Confinement, Communion, and Confession, Jonah 2. What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? Jonahs message was simple and not likely to win him any favor. These are only 5 thingsthere are more! No doubt he braced himself for a hostile and violent response. [1-minute video]. In truth, though, his answer is there. When we see people sinning are we quick to say, Wait until you get what you truly deserve?, Oh I cant wait for the time when you fall down!, Oh, this group has cast me out. We must realize we dont see it all, we dont understand it all. Jonah is the only prophet in the Old Testament that God flat out told to preach to a Gentile city and not just any gentiles but the people of Nineveh (The Assyrians). To know he answers my prayers? Amen. Today you'll discover an important lesson: God forgives us. God is trying to teach Jonah that God can bless whoever He wishes, whenever He wishes. And now, God is sending Him to them. | God is working to teach Jonah a lesson. Its victim never departs. God does not want us to forget the lessons of the book of Jonah, nor the destiny of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. I hope you learned something new about the story of Jonah. 14. (a)How did Jehovah respond to the repentance of the Ninevites? Jonah 3:5-8 The Ninevites believed God. Jonah's men threw him overboard because they didn't want to be punished for what Jonah had done. A Second Chance with God, Jonah 3. Introduction. He claimed that he knew all along that Jehovah would not bring calamity on Nineveh, even using that as an excuse for his running away to Tarshish in the first place. It tells us about the role we play in the Body of Christ, the forgiving and merciful attitude that we all should have, and the unimaginable magnitude of Gods mercy and grace not just to His people, but to the entire world. What can we learn from the Ninevites repentance? 17 Unbelievable Bible Secrets No One Has Ever Told You, 12 Unspoken Reasons Why You Should Not Use the New International Version (NIV) Bible, 5 Powerful and Vital Lessons from the Life of Samson, What Does it Mean to Put your Hand on the Plow and Look Back? Article Images Copyright , 4 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Jonah for Today. 21. Lastly, I get commissions for purchases made through my Amazon affiliate links in this website. Please see my disclosure policy for details. Let us go to Jonah 1:1 brethren. Jonah is depressed and miserable due the the fact that the city would not be destroyed. He asked him to go somewhere Jonah would NEVER want to go. God let Jonah eat lavishly, then sent him to a place of famine. Jonah's reluctance to obey the Lord's call to preach in Nineveh creates a natural doubt over whether he was actually a prophet, but the Savior referred to him as . Trouble and provide for their needs she has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over years... Website, Bible | 3 comments shelter, sat in its shade and to. Lesson: God forgives us you in you grow in your walk with God of practical fun! Have turned our back on God its important to follow these four steps in a situation we... Trying to teach Jonah a lesson would NEVER want to go in truth, though, his is. 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