You could really see the clear intent of Jonah here that he really didnt want to do the job he was called to do. Oddly enough Jonah was not too happy about that. After all of this, had Jonah learned to show mercy to others? The Lord provided a gourd or plant that protected Jonah. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fishs belly. Jonah then goes to Ninvaha, tells them to repent and the whole city believes Jonah and repents. What can we learn from the Ninevites repentance? The mandate to preach repentance is inexorably linked to the announcement of Gods grace and forgiveness. 2) So he ran from God. Some critics might complain that Jonah never answers. We learned here that both Socratic teaching and rabbinical teaching (by asking questions) was used by God long before educators ever thought about such things. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! Of course, we know that you and I cant flee from God. 7 16 It is easy to judge Jonah for his conduct, but we do well to remember that it is not unusual for imperfect humans to disagree with God. Evidently, though, Jonahs merciful God still saw good in this distressed prophet. Where can I fleefrom your presence? The stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. acquire the The Prodigal Prophet Jonah And The Mystery Of God member that we present here and check out the link. 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 . Jonah knew what the Assyrians were capable of doing. He asks the men to hurl him into the sea, which they do, and the storm. 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. No one expects a person to survive inside a fish. What does a man swallowed by a big fish thousands of years ago have to do with the Day of Atonement? Or, are we angry, too? When God speaks, it is up to man to obey. Further, we know that such critics are mistaken, for Jesus Christ himself later referred to the repentance of the Ninevites. They abstained from food. What kind of journey lay ahead of Jonah, and how did he feel about his destination? Jonah had experienced God's mercy and was given a second chance in his life. 17,18. 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. 3. How grateful we should be that Jehovah patiently teaches us to be more selfless, more compassionate, more mercifulas he is! 1) God gave Jonah a job, but Jonah didn't want to do it. TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. 4 Jonah did not see Nineveh as Jehovah did. God let Jonah eat lavishly, then sent him to a place of famine. Jonah's response is joy, great joy. And Jonah has good earthly reasons why, but God looks beyond the earthly and looks through His spiritual eyes. The Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah. So, Yahweh "sent out a great wind on the sea." As a result, Jonah was thrown to the sea and God saved him. There might be more, but thats just what is said here. He could have detested and hated these people. Did that solve Jonahs attitude? The Bible explains that Jehovahs justice is perfect. Thank you for having available online. Even in our failures, God can use it for good! After God delivered him, Jonah traveled to Nineveh and prophesied that the Lord would destroy the city because of its wickedness. Rich and poor, strong and weak, young and old were all caught up in the same repentant spirit. What does his familiar and most often considered a childrens story could teach us, adults? 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. How did Jonah show faith and courage as he preached in Nineveh? Whatever the case, he did not rejoice over the peoples repentance or over Jehovahs mercy. Then he sent a parching east wind until Jonah began swooning away because of the heat. Jonah thought he was going to die. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Ninevites. 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. What sign is God giving me to trust in him? 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. Then, God asks a question to Jonah, which echoes through the ages down to our own lives: Jonah 4:10-11 (ESV): And the Lord said, You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. As we know it didnt really work too well for him. turn back from his burning anger, so that we may not perish.Jonah 3:6-9. The origin or source of the grace Jonah disdained is God. Jonah 1:3 ButJonahran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. Dear God, please make me your obedient child. As the days passed, he thought about the destination that he so dreaded, the city that drew closer with each step he tookNineveh. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! What quality had Jehovah shown toward Jonah, yet what question arises? (b)What lesson do we all need to learn? Is it true that it never rained before Noah? Join me now as we explore Gods word and discover what it takes to become a true Christian! Like us, Jonah initially responds to his prophetic call with fear. but how about the Lords mention of His concern about the cattle? To put the matter in plain words, Jonah did not like grace because it was charity. This is an essential characteristic of God. Jonah couldnt see that and sometimes, we couldnt see that as well. We all have our opinions, and ideas about how things should happen or be. The Book of Jonah offers valuable lessons in regards to this fear and shows us how we can become the prophets we are called to be. 9) What did God do to teach Jonah a lesson? 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. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 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. . He had tried that before. - 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. I hope these 5 keys have made you hungry to dive more into Gods word. . How does that show through the story? Perhaps, even us today, we'd be hesitant to go to somewhere chaotic and full of wickedness to preach the Gospel. He has composed and performed original music for five albums. This blatant rebellion leads Jonah a not so fun boat ride. Jonah 3:5-8 The Ninevites believed God. At one time their ancestors had known the Lord but over time the people had drifted away and taken a different path, one . Had he learned to speak the Assyrian tongue? (a)How did Jehovah respond to the repentance of the Ninevites? Jonah; Micah . Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. We could be in the church, but our heart is not in the church. Jonah is depressed and miserable due the the fact that the city would not be destroyed. 6. He ordered that all wear sackcloth, even the domestic animals. 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. 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. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! When Jonah adds that to his list of complaints the Lord uses it as a teaching moment. News of this popular movement soon reached the ears of the king. Jonah's ordeal inside the belly of the whale certainly evokes Christ's death and resurrection over the same time period. (a)What did Jonah do after leaving Nineveh? If you want to learn more, read, 13 Best Lessons We can Learn from Jonah.. PRIVACY POLICY 21. Read More, 3 Important Ways to Pray for Your Future Husband. These past few months I have been doing the Jonah Bible study from Priscilla Shirer with my good friend Ana. 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. 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. Jonah was the prophet who served during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Eighth Century before Christ. GOD TAUGHT JONAH THE LESSON OF OBEDIENCE Jonah. However, Jehovah wanted to do more for Jonah than simply deliver him from the heat and from his own petulant anger. Nope. Jonah would not weep over a people who came close to destruction, but "Jesus, the true prophet, did.". But when God called him to go to Nineveh, we read that Jonah went in the opposite direction. 19,20. The stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. Why does God allow good people to suffer? Without Gods mercy, love, and compassion, we wouldnt be here. 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. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. Jonah was doing the bare minimum. If you want to learn more about Jonahcheck out Priscilla Shirer Jonah Bible Study. After paying the fare, he. The first gentile revival just took place. 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. 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. Or did Jehovah grant him that ability through a miracle? Nineveh had a huge population for that time. 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? He tried to run away from the presence of God, and enjoy himself. 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. 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. He was hoping God was going to call down fire on everyone. (a)What may have led Jonah into a downward spiral? Thanks for malisa for strong messages from the book Jonah ,Jonah prophecy symbol Christ in other characteristics such 3 days in fish belly while Jesus spend 3day in a tomb ,2 both messages gentiles, I enjoyed your Bible Study today on Jonah very much.. it was a blessing. In his mind, they deserve nothing but death. But thankfully brethren, God is not like that. And dont forget to download the Jonah Character Overview PDF! God gave us the ability to choose - Joshua 24:15. 1. He knew, because of Gods incredible and unfathomable deep level of mercy, He would forgive them if they repent! Nineveh was a great wealthy city with many people ( Jonah 4:11 ). Is it wrong to judge other people? And is the founder of Think About Such Things. Post by James Taiwo author ofBook of Prayers|Pinnacle of Compassion|Bible Application Lessons|Success Express Lane|Bible Giants of Faith& others. God does not want us to forget the lessons of the book of Jonah, nor the destiny of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. (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]. The paper was a bible page of jonah and these readings. 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. Meanwhile, as soon as Jonah was thrown from the ship, the storm stopped and the water became calm again. Bible stories and audio Bible listening also come in handy! 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