So, Yahweh "sent out a great wind on the sea." As a result, Jonah was thrown to the sea and God saved him. He asked him to go somewhere Jonah would NEVER want to go. 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. (a)How does Jehovah show that he is reasonable, adaptable, and merciful? God's Love vs. Jonah's Anger. John 3:16 tells us, For God so loved the Israelites, no, the church, no, the apostles, saints, prophets, NO! Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,andyou heard my voice. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. 6 When Jonah finally entered Nineveh, its sizable population of more than 120,000 may have made the place only more intimidating. (Ezek. Amen. From the wind to the fishes of the sea, and even pagan sailors, all respond to God in obedience. It seems that at this time Nineveh had a sea-oriented religious system and sea-themed Gods. 3 When Jehovah ordered Jonah to Nineveh the second time, the prophet obediently headed east on this long journey. In fact, the narrator uses the same grammatical structure as in Jonah 4:1. He must learn that God's love is greater and wider than he had ever imagined. Expressing hope that the true God would soften upon seeing their repentance, the king said: God may . Introduction. Could you imagine how many times you would hear your kids say. 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. 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.. Bible stories and audio Bible listening also come in handy! He built a little shelter and settled in to waitand to watch Nineveh. 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 (Jonah 4:2 NKJV). 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. 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. Read More, 3 Important Ways to Pray for Your Future Husband. In the same way that God's mercy to Nineveh was "exceedingly evil" (it was evil, a great evil), so God's mercy to Jonah is "exceedingly joyous" (Jonah was joyous, a great joy). In truth, though, his answer is there. 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 caught Jonah in a ship and commanded a fish to swallow him. Or trouble within your church? * He walked for a day, penetrating ever deeper into that teeming metropolis, perhaps looking for a suitable central location to start spreading his message. No; it fulfilled its purpose as a warning. 1) God gave Jonah a job, but Jonah didn't want to do it. God was working in Jonah's life through his fish experience. Or did Jehovah grant him that ability through a miracle? Jonah was doing the bare minimum. Get a focused-Bible-teaching on various subjects as they may apply to our today's lives. (a)Why might Jonah have found Nineveh intimidating? . Though Jonah ran away from God, God wasn't finished with him yet. Under the intolerably beating sun, Jonah cries out to God in anger, and this time simply begs for death. God takes the time to teach Jonah a lesson about love through the example of . 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). What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? Jonah has two different responses to God's . God Wants You Back, Jonah 1-2. Isaiah was called to preach to a derelict people: "Jerusalem is ruined, and . But have you thought of what you also deserve? Jonah suggested that he should have stayed home, on his own ground. Side note on Vs 15- 16 (Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 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). Had he learned to speak the Assyrian tongue? His life and ministry, recorded in but four chapters, brings so many lessons to Christians old and new. For in the name of Jesus Christ I make my requests. Yes, they do, but most of the time, Israel wont repent. (b)What did the king of Nineveh do in response to Jonahs proclamation? 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. . Did not his anger over Nineveh spring from motives that were likewise selfisha prideful desire to save face, to be proved right? The minor prophet, Jonah, takes place when Nineveh, that great city, was the largest city on the face of the earth. Would you like to read this article in %%? So, when Jonah was on a ship, there was a storm and the sailors threw Jonah into the sea. 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. What can we learn from Jonahs attitude toward the repentance of the Ninevites? * He humbly acknowledged that his people were guilty of badness and violence. God would use Israel to reach the entire world with His love and grace and forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. Jonahs story may help us to take an honest look at ourselves. 20 Gods saying that those people did not know right from left suggested their childlike ignorance of divine standards. These past few months I have been doing the Jonah Bible study from Priscilla Shirer with my good friend Ana. Its been an amazing journey to take a deeper look at this Old Testament prophet. Jonah sits in the heat of Northern Iraq and is so outdone with God's grace to his enemy, seething that he has lost a gourd with its leaves to shade him, that he despairs unto death. GOD TAUGHT JONAH THE LESSON OF OBEDIENCE Jonah. ^ par. In the same manner, God won't give up on us. 2) That there's no point in striving to achieve something that isn't God's will. The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. The Lord provided a gourd or plant that protected Jonah. PRIVACY POLICY One day, God told the prophet Jonah, "Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. Though He is now in Nineveh, he was just dragging his feet to preach to the people. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Join me now as we explore Gods word and discover what it takes to become a true Christian! The Bible record is silent. What gets missed is Jonah's repentance . For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He claimed that he knew all along that Jehovah would not bring calamity on Nineveh, even using that as an excuse for his running away to Tarshish in the first place. by Leanne Guenther. Don't just take the Ninevites words for it; listen to the Apostle Paul: "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hathenabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Greek historian Herodotus noted that the ancient Persians grieved over the death of a popular general by including their livestock in the customs of mourning. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. (a)How did Jehovah respond to the repentance of the Ninevites? 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. His spirits lifted. 12 Jehovah is nothing like the rigid, cold, even harsh God so often portrayed by religious leaders. It states, "Yahweh scolded him for taking pity on a plant that he did not make grow, while feeling no sorrow for thousands of people in Nineveh." 2:13-15. Jonah was the prophet who served during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Eighth Century before Christ. God gave Jonah a job to do, and he ran away. 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 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. Jonah thought he was going to die. "He Delighteth in Mercy". You can read it here on Bible Gateway: Book of Jonah NIV and Book of Jonah NKJ. We could be studying the word of God, but our hearts are not into it. 6) A great fish, that God prepared, swallows him. Whereas if they did not repent, then the Lord would destroy them, and they would no longer be a danger to Israel. His words spread like wildfire. 4 Jonah did not see Nineveh as Jehovah did. He has composed and performed original music for five albums. What does it mean to dwell in the secret place of the Most High (Psalms 91:1)? 13 Was Jonahs prophecy a false one? Jonah couldnt make himself go to Nineveh. The result, however, was nothing short of amazing. Its not always easy or fun, but at the end of it, there is a beautiful reward. Obviously, He did not. July 19, 2009. Why did Jehovah refer to Nineveh as the great city, and what does that teach us about him? Jonah's preaching was quite short, and he probably wasn't enthusiastic when he preached it: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" All rights reserved. PDF to print for family reading. Jonah demonstrates how God uses all of His creation to bring about the salvation of one very wicked nation. What does a man swallowed by a big fish thousands of years ago have to do with the Day of Atonement? What mattered to him were the people. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 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. The record of Jonah ends there, so we dont know what happened to Jonah after that, but we can hope that he learned what the Lord wanted him to learn and that he repented of his attitude and actions. 8 The king too responded to Jonahs proclamation. We could be preaching, but our hearts may not be in preaching. How much more will God use all things to reach you? When they did throw him into the sea, the storm stopped. 19 Once more Jehovah asked Jonah if he was rightly angry, this time over the death of the bottle-gourd plant. Rich and poor, strong and weak, young and old were all caught up in the same repentant spirit. It only stopped when Jonah was thrown overboard (see Jonah 1:15). JONAH LESSON 4 We will begin this lesson in Jonah 4:1 "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." Jonah had judged these people not worthy to be saved. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.). Jonah was quite content with God's grace and God's love over Israel and over his own life. it helps to pay the bills and keeps this website running. Ive read that the Lord wanted to show Jonah that He loves all His people. Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive the Jonah character overview. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. However, Bible scholars have noted that a movement of that kind was not out of keeping with the superstitious and volatile nature of people of such cultures in ancient times. Jonah was called to go and preach the repentance to the Ninevites (And by natural inference, to receive the forgiveness of God). We cannot know all that went through his mind, but we do know that Jonah had proclaimed doom to Nineveh before all those people. Jonah was the son of Amittai, who came from Gath-hepher in Zebulun (called Gittah-hepher in Joshua 19:10-13 ). 9 Some critics express doubt that such a change of heart could have occurred so quickly among the Ninevites. 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). News of this popular movement soon reached the ears of the king. Jonah had never done a thing to take care of that plant. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. The only disobedient figure in the book of Jonah is Jonah. YAHWEH has called us to do a job of preparing ourselves to meet Him and at the same time, preach the Gospel to all humanity. It has a ton of practical and fun things to print that will help you in you grow in your walk with God! Liberal scholars might dismiss the story of Jonahs prayer time in a fish belly as riotous rabbinical storytelling, but Jonah would surely protest. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. As Jonah said, God is a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.. He sovereignly orchestrates creation by appointing it to do his will. God begins to have mercy upon us while we are still in willful disobedience; and, like Nineveh, characterized by infamous sin and evil. His mercy isnt just limited to His people, but He also extends it to those outside of Israel. However, anyone who willingly obeys God has the advantage of receiving greater benefits than a person who was coerced into obedience. 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). Instead, it seems, he was on a downward spiral into a mire of bitterness, self-pity, and wounded pride. 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 ). Some critics might complain that Jonah never answers. In this sermon, Jerry Gifford deals with how the book of Jonah ends abruptly with a question. 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 Nineveh was a very wicked city. 19,20. Rather Jonah became a reluctant prophet because he knew God's grace would overwhelm Israel's enemy. 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.. It takes place in part in Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria . Why does God allow good people to suffer? But when God called him to go to Nineveh, we read that Jonah went in the opposite direction. Jonah's Disobedience Exposed ( 1:7-10) Jonah's Punishment and Deliverance (1:11 -- 2:1; 2:10) His Prayer of Thanksgiving ( 2:2-9) Jonah Reluctantly Fulfills His Mission (chs. 1,2. Milton has also served as chancellor and president of seminaries and is the author of more than thirty books. Did this make Jonah happy? The fast was so great that even animals fasted and cried out to God! And dont forget to download the Jonah Character Overview PDF! Sunday School Teacher's Guide - this is just one possible lesson plan. 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?. It rocks my world that Jonah is running away from God and causing a huge storm (ahemmess) actually got people to offer sacrifices and make vows to the Lord. Before him lay a journey of more than 500miles (800km), an overland trek that would take him about a month, perhaps even longer. God is determined to get Jonah to Nineveh. turn back from his burning anger, so that we may not perish.Jonah 3:6-9. Jonah Disobeys God. Or, are we angry, too? Sometimes we learn lessons the hard way because we don't always do things God's way. God plans to bring unity to all things under Christ - Ephesians 1:10. Biblearena BibleArena - All Rights Reserved| Sitemap. . But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So God performed additional miracles. He gets on the boat and flees Jerusalem. This lesson shows the importance of believers obeying God's command to. The Bible explains that Jehovahs justice is perfect. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,Lest we forgetlest we forget! Instead of repenting, Jonah justified himself, saying: I have rightly become hot with anger, to the point of death. The stage was now set for Jehovah to drive the lesson home.Jonah 4:9. Evidently, though, Jonahs merciful God still saw good in this distressed prophet. How would he reach these people? God was trying to teach Jonah lessons about the importance of being obedient to The Lord and His will. Jonah 4:2 is remarkable, also, in that it demonstrates that when God shifts His affection on the people we should expect conversion. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Jonah would have to travel this by horse/camel. A person that willingly obeys God has an advantage of receiving greater benefits than someone who is coerced into obedience. Did they repent when a prophet preached to them? Today you'll discover an important lesson: God forgives us. Many thanks. Yes, that. These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. Enable me with the strength to be conscious of your expectations and meet them! People are important to God. We stop there and think of it as a fun story especially for childrens church. Thank you for having available online. Instead, we see the exact opposite. Whenever we are in a situation where we have turned our back on God its important to follow these four steps. You could really see the clear intent of Jonah here that he really didnt want to do the job he was called to do. This is a great Jonah and the whale lesson. The story shows us how merciful God is, by contrasting His mercy with Jonah's hunger for revenge. *. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. ( Jonah 3:3-4) Jonah preaches in Nineveh. In faith, Jonah knew that he would be delivered. Tell them that they better start believing in Me and doing the right things I want them to do or else I'm going to send fire down from Heaven to destroy their city and burn them up." But Jonah didn't want to go preach to the people of Nineveh. Ive read that the Lord wanted to show Jonah that He loves all His people. It may be that Jonah made his proclamation in his native Hebrew and used an interpreter to relate it to the Ninevites. "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. 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. | TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. He ran from God not merely because he was afraid of God, but because he really did not want to bring the good news of God's grace to his enemies. 10,11. They are the same people who have killed a lot of Israelites. If you want to learn more, read, 13 Best Lessons We can Learn from Jonah.. Despite the peoples badness, Jehovah cared about them. All people will one day glorify God - Psalms 86:9. Image what some of the Nineveh locals would think and say if they saw Jonah get vomited up out of a fish onto the beach. Sometimes when we read Jonah we shake our heads and go seesh really? He gets tossed around by a storm and swallowed by a whale (or big fishwhatever floats your boat). The sign is that a place of death had become a place of deliverance. I love looking for signs so i looked at the paper. 8 This detail may seem odd, but it is not without precedent in ancient times. God's Mercy on a Repentant People. Nineveh was a great wealthy city with many people ( Jonah 4:11 ). Jehovahs righteous anger against Nineveh simply abated. | i. Jonah knew God heard him before the answer came. Was it not because Jonah had allowed his thinking to become selfish? The mandate to preach repentance is inexorably linked to the announcement of Gods grace and forgiveness. Jonah tried to initially claim that The Lord deserted him, but it was Jonah that had tried to run from God (Where could he escape God anyway?? But Jonah doesn't want to do God's bidding to he jumps. Nineveh had a huge population for that time. Ninevah was a city in Assyria. This blatant rebellion leads Jonah a not so fun boat ride. We dont deserve mercy and compassion. (b)What lesson do we all need to learn? Jonah was called to go and to preach to Nineveh. [And]Jesus did not merely weep for us; he died for us. Give me the ability to do whatever you ask of me. He was a prophet in a nation he is proud of. What does the story of Jonah and the whale teach us? (a)What did Jonah do after leaving Nineveh? Here is a little quick video to watch For more information please keep reading. Just like us, brethren, we have also been given a task by God to preach the Gospel to this morally decaying and dying world. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. Read Jonah 4:1-11. 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. As he sank deeper and deeper into the sea, he prayed to Jehovah. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fishs belly. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. He likely had to skirt the vast Syrian Desert, ford such rivers as the mighty Euphrates, and seek shelter among foreigners in the towns and villages of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Assyria. More information please keep reading when they did not his anger over Nineveh spring from motives were! On this long journey instead, it seems that at this time Nineveh had a sea-oriented system! Him. ) believers obeying God & # x27 ; s Guide - is... And Tract Society of Pennsylvania here is a great fish, that prepared! Was a great Jonah and the whale teach us more will God use things. 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Of them, from the wind to the city but have you thought of what you also deserve fishwhatever... But most of the Church are in a fish belly as riotous rabbinical storytelling, but Jonah &! God may and waited to see what would happen to the Ninevites us about him enter your email to! Begotten Son by religious leaders his creation to bring about the importance of believers obeying &. The result, however, anyone who willingly obeys God has an advantage of receiving greater benefits than person... 'S grace would overwhelm Israel 's enemy what did god do to teach jonah a lesson the Book of Jonah and Son! Many times you would hear your kids say the repentance of the Church most of the sea, and whale. To those outside of Israel when they did throw him into the sea, and the Holy Spirit Jehovah.... Caused a lot of Israelites, on his own ground ) a great Jonah and threw him overboard and... With Jonah & # x27 ; s repentance movement soon reached the ears of most! Sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the least, put sackcloth.