At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.). Icried out to theLordbecause of my affliction,And He answered me. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Those who hold Jonah as a mythological yarn seek to strengthen their unbelieving position by adding disbelief in a fish swallowing Jonah and, then, spitting the reluctant revivalist onto the shore. The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. (b)Why was Jonahs prophecy not a false one? Hes actually ANGRY at God. Thank you for having available online. How would Jehovah teach this hardheaded man to be merciful? Its like what my pastor says, Earthly obedience, brings forth spiritual release. 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. Evidently, though, Jonahs merciful God still saw good in this distressed prophet. The commandment to Jonah was to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" (Jonah 1:2). 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. Enable me with the strength to be conscious of your expectations and meet them! Jonah, of course, tells God, it aint going to happen! and runs away in the polar opposite direction of Ninevah. Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish and was brought to Nineveh. Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. What kind of journey lay ahead of Jonah, and how did he feel about his destination? So, grab your Bible and lets dig in. 9. The Bible states that the Lord had Jonah caught by a giant fish for three days and then vomit him up (presumably near Nineveh). So, Yahweh "sent out a great wind on the sea." As a result, Jonah was thrown to the sea and God saved him. The book of Jonah is remarkable for several reasons. As Jonah said, God is a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.. If that were so we would never be saved. We dont deserve mercy and compassion. (b)What lesson do we all need to learn? 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. Jonah would have to travel this by horse/camel. 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). Or lets be really honest when we think of Jonah we just think about the whale (or Big Fish). 4) A storm threatens to overturn the ship. For, Jonah, this is unthinkable and so, HE FLED! But did He? California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! In this post, let us take a deeper look at the Book of Jonah and its many lessons it can teach us about Gods mercy and forgiveness and the role we need to play in doing his work. Could we be like that brethren? If anything, it will just have negative effects on us and the people around us! Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! We stop there and think of it as a fun story especially for childrens church. 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. The next day he sent in a worm which destroyed the gourd leaving Jonah open to the elements. These past few months I have been doing the Jonah Bible study from Priscilla Shirer with my good friend Ana. 1. Did he fear being ridiculed or being labeled a false prophet? Not stopping and chewing on what the scripture is trying to show us. The book bearing his name ends with Jehovahs question hanging therein effect, still echoing. In the 4th chapter of Jonah, we see God's love and grace contrasted with Jonah's anger and lack of compassion. God's Mercy on a Repentant People. ^ par. This would take him weeks if not months! Jonah was cast into the sea and did not drown. And now, no doom was coming. God grew a vine to shelter Jonah from the sun, then sent a worm to chew it up. Yes, that. God was working in Jonah's life through his fish experience. Rather Jonah became a reluctant prophet because he knew God's grace would overwhelm Israel's enemy. 6) A great fish, that God prepared, swallows him. But have you thought of what you also deserve? If you are a follower of Jesus, God has given you instructions to take the message of the Good News to others ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Please click here to learn how. Nineveh had a huge population for that time. . These are only 5 thingsthere are more! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. 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). it helps to pay the bills and keeps this website running. In this article When we look at Jonah in the Bible you will discover incredible life lessons that can be applied to our daily walk with God. ^ par. Jonah 1:3 ButJonahran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. BIBLEARENA.ORG presents the sacred teachings of the Bible to enhance spiritual growth. They abstained from food. 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. Why Do We Need to Be Crucified with Christ? . He built a little shelter and settled in to waitand to watch Nineveh. The book of Jonah begins with these words: "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.". When someone repents, are we happy for the person? (b)How may the account about Jonah help us to take an honest look at ourselves? I like this commentary, indeed there are great lessons to learn from Jonah's situation. God is omniscient - Psalm 139:1-6. But here was God wanting them to repent and change their ways. Perhaps, he was angry, because the warning he had given them had not been carried out. God does not tempt us with sin - James 1:13. 2 One thing Jonah knew for certain: He could not turn around and run away from this assignment. Jonah was a prophet and the Lord told Him to go and preach against Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian empire. We need to realize who the Ninevites were. Jonah knew that God was full of grace and mercy, and that was why he was afraid to tell the people of Nineveh. A Second Chance with God, Jonah 3. The book is historical and refers to what became one of the greatest revivals in the history of humankind. 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. God told Jonah what He wanted Jonah to do. The Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah. He was then swallowed by a huge fish - his transport to Nineveh. On this site, you can explore the Bible with me as dig into fun topics, like angels, symbolism, characters, dreams and more. So God performed additional miracles. Why did Jehovah refer to Nineveh as the great city, and what does that teach us about him? His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). It may be that Jonah made his proclamation in his native Hebrew and used an interpreter to relate it to the Ninevites. He Learned a Lesson in Mercy, Publication download options Long strands of briny seaweed wrapped around Jonahs neck and the distinct rankness of a creatures stomach acid digesting the prophet would remain with Jonah for the rest of his life. PRIVACY SETTINGS, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1102013260/univ/art/1102013260_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/ia/E/wpub/ia_E_lg.jpg, Share The book of Jonah exactly shows us the unlimited Mercy of God. He is, now, angry that God has forgiven them. How did Jonah react to Jehovahs mercy on Nineveh? It is all full of lies and robbery. The book of Jonah is often characterized by liberal theologians as a metaphorical story to teach Israel to be more open to others. Jonah would know that if Nineveh repented, the Lord would not destroy it, and it would remain a threat to Israel. We are all sinners who are worthy of death. 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. 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. Here is a little quick video to watch For more information please keep reading. He had prophesied doom and destruction in the name of the Lord, but due to repentance it wasnt going to happen. He would also know that if he disobeyed the commands of the Lord, he would bring down the wrath of God on himself. TERMS OF USE The story of Jonah was a popular tale in Jesus' time. Or trouble within your church? So, Jonah has a pity party and God tries to show and teach him His compassion towards mankind with a plant giving him shelter and worm. Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. As the days passed, he thought about the destination that he so dreaded, the city that drew closer with each step he tookNineveh. 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