Now that we had a short summarylets get down to business! Its been an amazing journey to take a deeper look at this Old Testament prophet. Whatever the case, he did not rejoice over the peoples repentance or over Jehovahs mercy. To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. Nope. I dont select the ads displayed here but generated by advertising software. Thank you for having available online. 1:17; 4:6, 7). Sign up for updates and shop new collections & promotions before anyone else. 5 Nineveh was ancient, being among the first cities that Nimrod established after the Flood. Thank you, Jesus! When the ship is threatened, he tells them to throw him over, willing to give his life to do what he thinks is best for Israel. And now, God is sending Him to them. Where can I fleefrom your presence? The Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. In fact, the narrator uses the same grammatical structure as in Jonah 4:1. God often only tells us what we can handle at the time. The sign is that a place of death had become a place of deliverance. For instance, Jehovah had shown him mercy, saving him from drowning, holding back punishment for his rebellion, and giving him a second chance to carry out this assignment. No. God can simply choose to find another Prophet to do the job. But have you thought of what you also deserve? What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? Under King Jeroboam II, the nation expanded its borders and enjoyed an age of splendour that . God's Interest in All People After they threw him overboard, the waves grew calm. 15 What was troubling Jonah? 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. - Acts 20:24b Props: One Ziploc bag with a fresh piece of Play-doh inside; Second piece of Play-doh that is dried out, in no particular shape; an extra ziplock bag. 1:4, 11, 13, 15; 4:8), and he prepared a sea-creature, a vine, and a worm to do his bidding (Jon. Jonah (whose name means "dove") ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel in about 790-760 BC. Now, here was Jonah, a man who perfectly knew who the Ninevites were. He observed the change in those people and saw that the punishment he had intended to bring on them would no longer be fitting. They abstained from food. We pray, OLord, please do not let us perish for this mans life, anddo not charge us with innocent blood; for You, OLord,have done as it pleased You. Jonah 1:14, Then the fun stuff happens Please observe picture below. Jonah repented while in the belly of a fish; God heard his voice and saved him. Did he leap for joy and shouted hooray? It may be that Jonah made his proclamation in his native Hebrew and used an interpreter to relate it to the Ninevites. He tried to run away from the presence of God, and enjoy himself. 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. Jonah didn't want to go there because the Ninevites were wicked people (see Jonah 1:2), and Jonah knew that when he came there to preach to the people, they'd repent and be spared from God's impending wrath (see Jonah 4:2). This lesson shows the importance of believers obeying God's command to. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. Kia Ora Gramps.Could you please help to understand what lesson the Lord wanted to teach Jonah about the Gourd and the Worm? Thank you for your patience and continued support! Then he sent a parching east wind until Jonah began swooning away because of the heat. He must learn that God's love is greater and wider than he had ever imagined. Will the United States be on the side of Israel in the last war? He was then swallowed by a huge fish - his transport to Nineveh. In truth, though, his answer is there. Its victim never departs. The story of Jonah was a popular tale in Jesus' time. . In this sermon, Jerry Gifford deals with how the book of Jonah ends abruptly with a question. So, Yahweh "sent out a great wind on the sea." As a result, Jonah was thrown to the sea and God saved him. 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. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Ninevites. God plans to bring unity to all things under Christ - Ephesians 1:10. These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. 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). James Taiwo Click to tweet. When Jonah adds that to his list of complaints the Lord uses it as a teaching moment. BIBLEARENA.ORG presents the sacred teachings of the Bible to enhance spiritual growth. Thats after the prophet Elijah but before Amos and Hosea. Meanwhile, as soon as Jonah was thrown from the ship, the storm stopped and the water became calm again. 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. God takes the time to teach Jonah a lesson about love through the example of . God chose Jonah to go to the Ninevites and tell them that unless they turned from their wicked ways they would face God's punishment. 21 Do you see the depth of Jehovahs object lesson? These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. He wants to show His love to everyone. God called Jonah to a mountaintop and showed him all the lands of His creation. What does his familiar and most often considered a childrens story could teach us, adults? But Nineveh was a very wicked city. 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. Jonah was quite content with God's grace and God's love over Israel and over his own life. (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]. 4,5. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?'" God gave us the ability to choose - Joshua 24:15. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. | We could be in the church, but our heart is not in the church. Jonah is told by God that he must go to Nineveh and tell the people living there to lead better lives or God will punish them. Instead, we see the exact opposite. We read: "Now Nineveh herself proved to be a city great to God." ( Jonah 3:3) Three times, the record of Jonah quotes Jehovah as referring to "Nineveh the great city." ( Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:11) Why was this city great, or important, to Jehovah? but how about the Lords mention of His concern about the cattle? News of this popular movement soon reached the ears of the king. Jonah did not weep over the city, but Jesus, the true prophet, did. Jonah prophesied in the mid-700s BC, a time when Assyria was not as powerful as they had been in recent years. This lesson is based on Jonah's response to God's mercy to the Ninevites from Jonah 4. Or did Jehovah grant him that ability through a miracle? And that response is nestled within the greater framework of Gods plan for the ages: from Paradise Lost(Milton, 1667) to Paradise Regained (Milton, 1671). Is it true that it never rained before Noah? But the plant wasn't an act of divine mercy it was part of a divine lesson. As he sank deeper and deeper into the sea, he prayed to Jehovah. Even if Jonah obeyed God from the start, it would still have been easier to send an angel or to appear as a pillar of cloud. 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. My honest opinion of why he did that was in hopes that he could escape from Gods presence. Bible stories and audio Bible listening also come in handy! 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. The mandate to preach repentance is inexorably linked to the announcement of Gods grace and forgiveness. Jonah could have known friends, family members, and relatives who have been killed by the Ninevites. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. To top it off Nineveh is 800 miles away. He is, now, angry that God has forgiven them. The result, however, was nothing short of amazing. Jonah Goes to Nineveh Main Point: We should share God's grace with others. After all of this, had Jonah learned to show mercy to others? The book of Jonah is often characterized by liberal theologians as a metaphorical story to teach Israel to be more open to others. They are the archenemy of the nation of Israel. Three days later, Jonah was vomited out alive onto a beach, an awed and more compliant man.Jonah, chaps. Though Jonah ran away from God, God wasn't finished with him yet. Im having trouble understanding the story. Jonah 1:3 ButJonahran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. I read recently that the atonement doesnt cover all sins such as murder which requires a blood sacrifice. Why werent Adam and Eve told to plenish instead of replenish? What did the Lord mean in Jonah4:10-11? He was to call Nineveh to repentance. Jonah would know that if Nineveh repented, the Lord would not destroy it, and it would remain a threat to Israel. The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. Article Images Copyright , 4 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Jonah for Today. Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I was out on the road today in my car, I was dropping off a package and when I returned to my car there was paper on the front of my bumper. Jonah knew that God was full of grace and mercy, and that was why he was afraid to tell the people of Nineveh. Jonah then goes to Ninvaha, tells them to repent and the whole city believes Jonah and repents. What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord? 8 This detail may seem odd, but it is not without precedent in ancient times. 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. PDF to print for family reading. 2) So he ran from God. Jonah went outsidethe city, hoping to witness its condemnation, but Jesus Christ went outside the city to die on a cross to accomplish its salvation. What gets missed is Jonah's repentance . Side note on Vs 15- 16 (Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. Long story short they toss him overboard, but before doing so they ask God to forgive them. Notice, Nineveh is northeast of Israel and Tarshish is in the west. (see Jonah 3:4) Such a preaching could sound pretty condemning and scary, and it is: it's a message of judgment. and God's forgiveness. Should the Ninevites resume their wicked ways, God would bring the same judgment against them. We could be preaching, but our hearts may not be in preaching. . How would Jehovah teach this hardheaded man to be merciful? You have remained in right site to begin getting this info. Jonah was called to go and to preach to Nineveh. We must realize we dont see it all, we dont understand it all. Please keep me ever worthy of your kingdom! All people will one day glorify God - Psalms 86:9. The only disobedient figure in the book of Jonah is Jonah. Liberal scholars might dismiss the story of Jonahs prayer time in a fish belly as riotous rabbinical storytelling, but Jonah would surely protest. 14. Learning to show mercy is often difficult for imperfect humans. by Leanne Guenther. Jehovah can allow his children to suffer for the sake of saving them. We all have our opinions, and ideas about how things should happen or be. What sign is God giving me to trust in him? In faith, Jonah knew that he would be delivered. One of those is the way the historical account is conceived and recorded. Jonah was a prophet who supported Israel at a time when Israel was threatened by Nineveh. Further, we know that such critics are mistaken, for Jesus Christ himself later referred to the repentance of the Ninevites. At this point we find our first great lessons regarding God's sovereignty. The story shows us how merciful God is, by contrasting His mercy with Jonah's hunger for revenge. 10,11. He decides the best thing to do is leave Israel and go in the polar opposite direction to Tarshish, which is said to be near Spain. i. Jonah knew God heard him before the answer came. 11 Does this mean that Jehovah decided that his own judgment about Nineveh had been in error? 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? 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. Jonah's preaching was quite short, and he probably wasn't enthusiastic when he preached it: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 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. Expressing hope that the true God would soften upon seeing their repentance, the king said: God may . 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). But none of these factors made the city important to Jehovah God. But then they did repent. He asked him to go somewhere Jonah would NEVER want to go. As Jonah obeys God the people of Nineveh believe God's message and repent. So, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to teach Jonah a lesson in compassion. When we look at Jonah 4, Jonah calls God "a gracious God and merciful." Then, in Ephesians 2, Paul says that God's nature is "rich in mercy." As Christians, we know that God is making. Nahum 3:1-4 gives us an idea of just how wicked the people of Nineveh were: "Woe to the bloody city! 14 How did Jonah react when destruction did not come at the time he expected it to? 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. 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). (Read Jonah 3:1-3.) . Jonah repented while in the belly of a fish; God heard his voice and saved him. Instead of us being beaten, insulted, and crucified, Yahshua did it for us. We cannot know all that went through his mind, but we do know that Jonah had proclaimed doom to Nineveh before all those people. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Why would they do that? Jonah 1:1-2 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Ninevehand preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.. I hope you learned something new about the story of Jonah. 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 . Jonah's response is joy, great joy. You see, the Day of Atonement is a reminder that part of humbling ourselves and repenting of our sins is to do the work God has called us to do. Mark Wahlberg gives lessons on fasting during Lent, Free Church of Scotland condemns 'anti-Christian intolerance' towards Kate Forbes, Ian Paul on why he won't leave the Church of England despite its support for gay blessings, How becoming a refugee host forged a friendship for life, Rate of church closures is higher in low-income neighbourhoods, 'We never stopped praying,' says kidnap for ransom survivor, Medieval Christian women voices that we need to hear. After all, he felt sorry for the plant only because it had benefited him personally. Jonah woke to see this luxuriant growth, with its broad leaves providing far more shade than his flimsy shelter ever could. 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. In his mind, they deserve nothing but death. 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. Only true repentance can happen when we acknowledge and are willing to go in Gods direction. Just imagine that prophet, once again safe in his homeland, writing this account. 10 How did Jehovah react to the Ninevites repentance? The story of Jonah demonstrates how Almighty God has sovereign control over every creature on earth. So great was this monumental world capital that considerable remnants of Nineveh remain to this day. The Bible record is silent. 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. We need to realize who the Ninevites were. Could we be like that brethren? * He walked for a day, penetrating ever deeper into that teeming metropolis, perhaps looking for a suitable central location to start spreading his message. Isaiah was called to preach to a derelict people: "Jerusalem is ruined, and . Will we?Read Matthew 5:7. He sent a worm to attack and kill the plant. They are just nothing but mere pretension. Jonah's story is told in the short (just 48 verses) but powerful book of Jonah. When God speaks to our heart to do something we should take intitive. 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