Ive read that the Lord wanted to show Jonah that He loves all His people. It had all the elements of a spellbinder: a reluctant prophet fleeing God, a sinking ship, a man thrown overboard into the maw of a sea. He asked him to go somewhere Jonah would NEVER want to go. Sometimes we learn lessons the hard way because we don't always do things God's way. (a)Why might Jonah have found Nineveh intimidating? Jonah had experienced God's mercy and was given a second chance in his life. But the Lord is also working with Jonah trying to get him to see the value of every soul, not just the Israelites. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying. What does a man swallowed by a big fish thousands of years ago have to do with the Day of Atonement? We must keep our hearts soft lest anger and bitterness come in. For in placing the question as He does, the Lord God requires each and every one of us to give a response. 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. Like us, Jonah initially responds to his prophetic call with fear. Jehovah will satisfy the needs of his faithful children from this earth to heaven. In what ways might some find themselves disagreeing with God, and what lesson can we learn from Jonahs example? His failure would have resulted in the destruction of Nineveh by the Lord due to their wickedness. Clearly, Jonah did learn a vital lesson from Jehovahs wise instruction. He was a prophet in a nation he is proud of. For, Jonah, its an insult to Israel. Jonah sits in the heat of Northern Iraq and is so outdone with Gods grace to his enemy, seething that he has lost a gourd with its leaves to shade him, that he despairs unto death. 1) That while our love for others fail, God's compassion knows no ends. Jonah would know that if Nineveh repented, the Lord would not destroy it, and it would remain a threat to Israel. Disobedience is a big deal when it comes to God. 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 ). The Lord called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah fled and was swallowed by a great fish. Its easy to be triggered when things dont go the way we plan, but we need to surrender our will to His will. Confinement, Communion, and Confession, Jonah 2. Six Signs We Need to Return to God, Jonah 1. Let us go to Jonah 1:1 brethren. On the way, however, God caused tragic things to happen. They are just nothing but mere pretension. Jonah was a prophet in Israel (the Northern Kingdom, see 2 Kings 14:25). Roger J. Landry Columbia Catholic Ministry, Notre Dame Church, Manhattan Wednesday of the First Week of Lent March 1, 2023 Jonah 3:1-10, Ps 51, Lk 11:29-32 To listen to an audio recording of today's homily, please click below: [coming] The following points were attempted in the homily: We're now one week into [] The 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, are likely infants. Please keep me ever worthy of your kingdom! Why does God allow good people to suffer? He does all this to get Jonah to Nineveh. He mentions one in particular: Far-called, our navies melt away;On dune and headland sinks the fire:Lo, all our pomp of yesterdayIs one with Nineveh and Tyre! God often only tells us what we can handle at the time. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. I am so grateful for technology. 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. God's command to him remained the same; he was still to preach repentance to Nineveh (see Jonah 2:10-3:4). But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 22. . During this time Jonah humbled himself to do what the Lord wanted. Yes, that. But without those, Jonah would have ended up fish food. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!. (b)How did Jehovah deal with his distressed prophet? We read in Jonah 3:4: Yet, forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.. The result, however, was nothing short of amazing. If they listened to God's warningif they repented then God might spare them, and they would remain a looming threat. How did Jehovah reason with Jonah about the bottle-gourd plant? For, Jonah, this is unthinkable and so, HE FLED! . 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. The story is probably written between the 8th and 3th century BC. 9. Jonah then goes to Ninvaha, tells them to repent and the whole city believes Jonah and repents. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. You have remained in right site to begin getting this info. Jonah admits that he worships the God of heaven and earth and that right now, he is fleeing from God's direct command. We read: To Jonah, though, it was highly displeasing, and he got to be hot with anger. (Jonah 4:1) Jonah even uttered a prayer that sounds like a rebuke of the Almighty! Jonah; Micah . They had believed him. He was to call Nineveh to repentance. Thank you for your patience and continued support! 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. Please see my disclosure policy for details. God grew a vine to shelter Jonah from the sun, then sent a worm to chew it up. Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. Did that solve Jonahs attitude? You will see how this Jonah Bible study has changed the way I look at obedience and repentance. ^ par. Imitate Their Faith. 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. Or lets be really honest when we think of Jonah we just think about the whale (or Big Fish). The book of Jonah is a short narrative book about a prophet who doesn't really act like a prophet of God at all. We stop there and think of it as a fun story especially for childrens church. Last week we looked at the Jonah 1 & 2 and God's Mercy on a Reluctant Prophet. by Shelby Faith. 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? The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. If God's purpose was merely to save Nineveh, He could do it far more effectively and efficiently without Jonah. His life and ministry, recorded in but four chapters, brings so many lessons to Christians old and new. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. God is determined to get Jonah to Nineveh. No. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! The issue in the book of Jonah causes each of us to reflect on this truth: those who curse Christ today could be those who preach Christ tomorrow. 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. After paying the fare, he. Jonah was the son of Amittai, who came from Gath-hepher in Zebulun (called Gittah-hepher in Joshua 19:10-13 ). 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. Even in our failures, God can use it for good! He asks the men to hurl him into the sea, which they do, and the storm. Before long, the whole city was talking about Jonahs prophecy of doom. Let us see what we can gather from Jonahs struggle. 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 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. Sunday School Teacher's Guide - this is just one possible lesson plan. And dont forget to download the Jonah Character Overview PDF! Jonah, after receiving God's command, quickly ran away to a place far away from Nineveh: Tarshish. God punishes Jonah by having a large fish or whale swallow him whole, but Jonah is later reconciled and forgiven. While the theme of Gods sovereignty and Gods grace is, indeed, the predominant storyline of Jonah, the book is certainly not merely metaphorical. He values human life and the potential that each individual has for repenting and learning to do what is right. God is eager to see the wicked repent and change their ways, as the Ninevites did. News of this popular movement soon reached the ears of the king. 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. Jonah was the prophet who served during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Eighth Century before Christ. They are the same people who have killed a lot of Israelites. James Taiwo Click to tweet. But Nineveh was a very wicked city. TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Why did Jehovah refer to Nineveh as the great city, and what does that teach us about him? Did they repent when a prophet preached to them? The stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. 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. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. And when God did not destroy Nineveh, Jonah became angry. 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). And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But thankfully brethren, God is not like that. 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. We could be in the church, but our heart is not in the church. As Jonah obeys God the people of Nineveh believe God's message and repent. 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