However, anyone who willingly obeys God has the advantage of receiving greater benefits than a person who was coerced into obedience. 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? Ive read that the Lord wanted to show Jonah that He loves all His people. 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. Jonah 4:8 "And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, [It is] better for me to die than to live." God is eager to see the wicked repent and change their ways, as the Ninevites did. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading. Thank you. BIBLEARENA.ORG presents the sacred teachings of the Bible to enhance spiritual growth. Despite the peoples badness, Jehovah cared about them. Instead, the Lord saved him. 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.. The story shows us how merciful God is, by contrasting His mercy with Jonah's hunger for revenge. It is the book itself. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,andyou heard my voice. What sign is God giving me to trust in him? 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. Side note on Vs 15- 16 (Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. For in placing the question as He does, the Lord God requires each and every one of us to give a response. This is why its great to do a Bible study on these types of books in the Bible. 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. (see Jonah 3:6-9). A bad storm happens and Jonah actually has the courage to let everyone know its his fault because hes running away from God. If God's purpose was merely to save Nineveh, He could do it far more effectively and efficiently without Jonah. Here is a perfect heartperfect in generous lovenot excusing, not harshly condemning. (John 8:57,58) The truth is, we should never assume that it is impossible for people to repentno matter how vicious they may seem to us. 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. Milton has also served as chancellor and president of seminaries and is the author of more than thirty books. For this article, we will take a quick look at some things that Jonah's life and ministry teaches us today, in a world where man-centered Christianity has grown, and many are looking for the real deal about Christ. (b)How did Jehovahs miracles involving a bottle-gourd plant affect Jonah? Why would they do that? Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! turn back from his burning anger, so that we may not perish.Jonah 3:6-9. My honest opinion of why he did that was in hopes that he could escape from Gods presence. 11 Does this mean that Jehovah decided that his own judgment about Nineveh had been in error? 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. God's command to him remained the same; he was still to preach repentance to Nineveh (see Jonah 2:10-3:4). Obviously, He did not. 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. PlusFULL access to my printables vault! 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. Through games, drawing their own comic strip, a DIY Big Gulp of Jonah toy, and a Jonah in a Big Fish puppet, kids learn that God is compassionate and gracious. On the way, however, God caused tragic things to happen. Jonah woke to see this luxuriant growth, with its broad leaves providing far more shade than his flimsy shelter ever could. But without those, Jonah would have ended up fish food. What does a man swallowed by a big fish thousands of years ago have to do with the Day of Atonement? Jonah knew that God was full of grace and mercy, and that was why he was afraid to tell the people of Nineveh. What did the Lord mean in Jonah. I read recently that the atonement doesnt cover all sins such as murder which requires a blood sacrifice. . Will the United States be on the side of Israel in the last war? God punishes Jonah by having a large fish or whale swallow him whole, but Jonah is later reconciled and forgiven. Jonah (whose name means "dove") ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel in about 790-760 BC. 4 Jonah did not see Nineveh as Jehovah did. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Why arent prophets giving us specific signs to watch for? (b)Why can we be sure that Jehovahs judgment was not in error? 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. The Lords states that Jonah mourns the loss of the Gourd which came up in a day and was lost in a daya nothing and trivial thing. The result, however, was nothing short of amazing. Jonahs story may help us to take an honest look at ourselves. Please click here to learn how. | He would also know that if he disobeyed the commands of the Lord, he would bring down the wrath of God on himself. Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish and was brought to Nineveh. 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 stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. 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 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. Then he sent a parching east wind until Jonah began swooning away because of the heat. Where can I fleefrom your presence? Its been an amazing journey to take a deeper look at this Old Testament prophet. If anything, it will just have negative effects on us and the people around us! But here was God wanting them to repent and change their ways. [And]Jesus did not merely weep for us; he died for us. Yahweh has given Jonah a job that he needs to accomplish. So God performed additional miracles. TERMS OF USE But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. God has won Jonah's heart back in the right direction, so he commanded the fish to grant him bail and asked Jonah the second time to go preach in the city of Nineveh. The lesson for us is that God will not convince us of the matters of faith through powerful and Hollywood-like public manifestations of God's greatness. 9. How did Jonah show faith and courage as he preached in Nineveh? But Jonah doesn't want to do God's bidding to he jumps. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 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). 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. This is covenantal language of the highest order. Confinement, Communion, and Confession, Jonah 2. Did he leap for joy and shouted hooray? 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. Nope. Meanwhile, as soon as Jonah was thrown from the ship, the storm stopped and the water became calm again. The scripture reported, These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. They are just nothing but mere pretension. All rights reserved. Will we?Read Matthew 5:7. His most recent book is a second edition release: Hit by Friendly Fire: What to do when Another Believer Hurts You(Resource Publications, 2022). The Lord provided a gourd or plant that protected Jonah. 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. And dont forget to download the Jonah Character Overview PDF! And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?. Jonah was a prophet and the Lord told Him to go and preach against Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian empire. 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. God gave us the ability to choose - Joshua 24:15. This is a great Jonah and the whale lesson. I hope you learned something new about the story of Jonah. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?'" Nineveh was a major city in Assyria, the world power of both Jonah and Nahum's day. PRIVACY POLICY God's Interest in All People Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. Covenantal-snobbery was, and can still be, a serious problem with Gods people. Jonah 4:2 is remarkable, also, in that it demonstrates that when God shifts His affection on the people we should expect conversion. But have you thought of what you also deserve? In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. * He humbly acknowledged that his people were guilty of badness and violence. ^ par. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? Instead, it seems, he was on a downward spiral into a mire of bitterness, self-pity, and wounded pride. It only stopped when Jonah was thrown overboard (see Jonah 1:15). 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. Whatever the case, he did not rejoice over the peoples repentance or over Jehovahs mercy. . . 2 One thing Jonah knew for certain: He could not turn around and run away from this assignment. So he goes to Nineveh and calls them to repent or be destroyed. Today you'll discover an important lesson: God forgives us. Jehovah can allow his children to suffer for the sake of saving them. 4:11 ) why was this city great, or important, to Jehovah,. Despite the peoples badness, Jehovah cared about them to choose - Joshua 24:15 still be, a problem. In error water became calm again rejoice over the peoples repentance or over mercy! 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