2. 33:11) Jehovah told his prophet Jeremiah: At any moment that I may speak against a nation and against a kingdom to uproot it and to pull it down and to destroy it, and that nation actually turns back from its badness against which I spoke, I will also feel regret over the calamity that I had thought to execute upon it.Jer. Whether Jonah liked what God commanded, understood the reason for what God commanded or wanted something different than what God commanded made no difference whatsoever. "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. Struck with godly fear, he rose up from his throne, removed his luxurious robes of state, put on the same rough clothing that his people were wearing, and even sat down in the ashes. With his great ones, or nobles, he issued a decree that turned the fast from a spontaneous popular movement into an official action of state. 7,8. It was vast, a metropolitan region that evidently included several other cities, requiring a man three days to walk from one end to the other. Based on what happened to Jonah's life, we can simply conclude that there's no point in trying to run away from God, from running away from His purposes, and in trying to achieve our own will and not His. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I hope these 5 keys have made you hungry to dive more into Gods word. Im having trouble understanding the story. 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. Notice, Nineveh is northeast of Israel and Tarshish is in the west. To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. In doing so, he showed remarkable courage and faith, qualities that Christians today need more than ever. She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. GOD TAUGHT JONAH THE LESSON OF OBEDIENCE Jonah. Learn More. (Gen. 10:11; Jonah 3:3) Nineveh was impressive, with stately temples, mighty walls, and other edifices. God Bless In faith, Jonah knew that he would be delivered. i. Jonah knew God heard him before the answer came. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah tried to run away from God. 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? You will see how this Jonah Bible study has changed the way I look at obedience and repentance. Jonah knew that God was full of grace and mercy, and that was why he was afraid to tell the people of Nineveh. Before long, the whole city was talking about Jonahs prophecy of doom. Then all of sudden God decided to come between Jonah and his patriotism. Now there is potential for a bit of Irony here. He was to call Nineveh to repentance. The mans spirits plummeted, and again he asked God that he might die.Jonah 4:6-8. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. When they did throw him into the sea, the storm stopped. . But when God called him to go to Nineveh, we read that Jonah went in the opposite direction. Am I Less Worthy Not Being From the Tribe of Ephraim? 22 The question is, Did Jonah take the lesson to heart? This was an occasion to show divine mercy. Jonah couldnt make himself go to Nineveh. The stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. So great was this monumental world capital that considerable remnants of Nineveh remain to this day. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. He could be preaching, but his heart wasnt into it. Rich and poor, strong and weak, young and old were all caught up in the same repentant spirit. If they listened to God's warningif they repented then God might spare them, and they would remain a looming threat. An encyclopedia hit the nail on the head as it described the lesson that God taught Jonah through the worm destroying the plant that gave him such delight in an emotional and tiring time in his life. James Taiwo Click to tweet. But have you thought of what you also deserve? What sign is God giving me to trust in him? Roger J. Landry Columbia Catholic Ministry, Notre Dame Church, Manhattan Wednesday of the First Week of Lent March 1, 2023 Jonah 3:1-10, Ps 51, Lk 11:29-32 To listen to an audio recording of today's homily, please click below: [coming] The following points were attempted in the homily: We're now one week into [] . After all of this, had Jonah learned to show mercy to others? If that were so we would never be saved. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Ninevites. 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). 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 (Jonah 2:1-3 NKJV). If you want to learn more about Jonahcheck out Priscilla Shirer Jonah Bible Study. 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. However, as the story unfolds we can see how the Lord draws him from fear . Not stopping and chewing on what the scripture is trying to show us. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fishs belly. 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. 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). 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. What does the story of Jonah and the whale teach us? And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying. 19,20. Its victim never departs. God loves us as much as He loves the people outside of the church. Or lets be really honest when we think of Jonah we just think about the whale (or Big Fish). Enable me with the strength to be conscious of your expectations and meet them! This lesson is based on Jonah's response to God's mercy to the Ninevites from Jonah 4. Key Verse: I want to complete the work the Lord Jesus has given me.He wants me to give witness to others about the good news of God's grace. Imitate Their Faith, Audio download options and God's forgiveness. 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.". He gets on the boat and flees Jerusalem. By so doing, the Lord is showing Jonah that his priorities are more then a bit messed up. Instead of us being beaten, insulted, and crucified, Yahshua did it for us. I hope they will fail., Oh why cant my angry boss just be gone., At times, we are so busy in saying that, I hope he gets what he deserves.. How does that show through the story? Did not his anger over Nineveh spring from motives that were likewise selfisha prideful desire to save face, to be proved right? For built into Jonah's first attempts to get away from God are two results which will inevitably follow whenever anyone tries to disobey Him. Whenever we come to think that someone is beyond Gods love, or they have committed acts so vile as to be forever separated from God, then it is time for us to return to the book of Jonah. Michael A. Milton (PhD, Wales) is a long-time Presbyterian minister (PCA) and a regular contributor to Salem Web Network. ). Jonah Disobeys God. News of this popular movement soon reached the ears of the king. 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. A bad storm happens and Jonah actually has the courage to let everyone know its his fault because hes running away from God. Ninevah was a city in Assyria. Not to mention I did an Old Testament survey on him as well. Jonah meets big fish, big fish eats him, Jonah decides if he gets out of fish alive he'll do what God says, fish throws up, and out comes a very stinky Jonah. 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. Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,Lest we forgetlest we forget! These results are in verse three, that is, one verse before the one that tells of God's special intervention in sending the storm . 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. In fact, the narrator uses the same grammatical structure as in Jonah 4:1. View joshua.infantado.1s profile on Facebook, View joshuainfantados profile on Twitter, View joshuainfantados profile on LinkedIn, View +JoshuaInfantados profile on Google+, Follow Becoming Christians on WordPress.com. And now, God is sending Him to them. Last week we looked at the Jonah 1 & 2 and God's Mercy on a Reluctant Prophet. 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). Further, we know that such critics are mistaken, for Jesus Christ himself later referred to the repentance of the Ninevites. Instead, something remarkable happened. 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. It is not that Jonah hesitated and, then, refused to go to Nineveh because the task would be difficult (although that is an argument from silence). 3 - 4 ) Jonah's Renewed Commission and Obedience ( 3:1-4) The Endangered Ninevites' Repentant Appeal to the Lord ( 3:5-9) After they threw him overboard, the waves grew calm. What does his familiar and most often considered a childrens story could teach us, adults? His life and ministry, recorded in but four chapters, brings so many lessons to Christians old and new. The book of Jonah is short and a lot of time we can read through it quickly. Jonah was called to go and to preach to Nineveh. | When we begin to reduce Gods response to human sin as judgment without mercy, then it is time for us to open up the book of Jonah, and invite the Spirit of the Lord to cleanse us of self-interests, smugness, and uncaring attitudes and return to the Lord of love. Jonah would not weep over a people who came close to destruction, but "Jesus, the true prophet, did.". He will rescue them during trouble and provide for their needs. As a result of his rebellion, the Lord sent a wild storm. If I go up to the heavens,you are there;if I make my bedin the depths, you are there.If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right handwill hold me fast.If I say, Surely the darkness will hide meand the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be darkto you;the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you. 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? God Wants You Back, Jonah 1-2. The Book of Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi'im ("Prophets") in the Hebrew Bible, and as a book in its own right in the Christian Old Testament.The book tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, son of Amittai, who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but tries to escape this divine mission.. A person should aspire to obey God and receive his blessing than to disobey him and suffer terrible consequences. Thank you, Jesus! Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish and was brought to Nineveh. (2) The Recipients of Grace. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. Not all of his prophecies are recorded, but one of his major predictions was that the northern kingdom would have peace from its enemies to the North (this was fulfilled later in the reign of Jeroboam II). The pagan city of Nineveh, the capital of an Ancient Near Eastern Empire, Assyria, was the epicenter of antagonism toward Israel, and yet, this enemy of God became the object of God's love and grace. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to teach Jonah a lesson in compassion. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. Of course, we know that you and I cant flee from God. He learned to be merciful. Jonah believes that the Ninevites dont deserve Gods mercy and forgiveness. I love looking for signs so i looked at the paper. Please click here to learn how. When we accept Jesus and our Lord and Savior, then we need t to not just talk the talk but actually walk the walk. Evidently, though, Jonahs merciful God still saw good in this distressed prophet. It only stopped when Jonah was thrown overboard (see Jonah 1:15). Please see my disclosure policy for details. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. (Read Jonah 3:1-3.) His life and ministry, recorded in but four chapters, brings so many lessons to Christians old and new. Read Jonah 4:1-11. God was telling Jonah to take a message of repentance to an empire destined to destroy his own nation and people. 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. Then God concluded: For my part, ought I not to feel sorry for Nineveh the great city, in which there exist more than one hundred and twenty thousand men who do not at all know the difference between their right hand and their left, besides many domestic animals?Jonah 4:10,11. In his heart of hearts, he knew that they deserve nothing but punishment and death. The people of Nineveh, from the king to the poorest, repented and held a fast. Lesson #2. If you want to learn more, read, 13 Best Lessons We can Learn from Jonah.. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Jonah's obedience to God, albeit reluctant, brought about great results, results that only God could bring. Under King Jeroboam II, the nation expanded its borders and enjoyed an age of splendour that . The book of Jonah is remarkable for several reasons. Jonah repented while in the belly of a fish; God heard his voice and saved him. . Talk about Jonah 1: 4-16: This is what it is like to turn away from God. 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.
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