Jonah (his name means dove) was a prophet from Gath-Hepher,1 a town a few miles north of Nazareth (2 Kings 14.23-25). Grace Receiver, Many have argued over this. The other worker, with whom he made no contract (whatever was right), received pay according to the landowners heart. Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. Jonah cared for his gourd. So I am trying to gain understanding here. So much suffering, so much expense, so much extra mileage could be avoided if we just obeyed God. Thus, he said: 9Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish (Jonah 3.9)? So much suffering, so much expense, so much extra mileage could be avoided if we just obeyed God. 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When Jesus told the Twelve not to go to Gentiles it was because Israel had to repent first to comply with the kingdom blessings which were part of the Abrahamic Covenant. and suffer great losses (by throwing their cargo overboard) on account of Jonahs sinfulness. Apparently he had no problem traveling quickly to hop a boat headed the opposite direction. Jonah thought he would drown when thrown into the sea. They were saved. if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 8Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, 9But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving. Rise up, call upon your God! 1. Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. His remembering is not that He forgets but that he gives heed to something. ; 1 Samuel 14:41; Acts 1:26). Despite his death wish, Jonah is relieved to have the plants protection. One night, when Hill was 15 years old, he and a friend snuck out in an SUV. The storm was so violent they knew their ship was about to shatter. Two books of the Bible speak of Nineveh. The unusual nature of the tempest showed them that it was sent in judgment. Then the LORD commanded the fish to spew Jonah upon the shore. (Comp. All the while, they continue to ramble on about their right to do as they please. And He did not do it(Jonah 3.10). Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. Defiance also indicates a lack of faith because it comes from the Latin dis (against) and fidere (believe). Some things must ultimately be left to God. Distance-He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD. Implicit in Jonahs message was that God was displeased with their behavior. Everyone from the street sweeper to the king heeded Jonahs warning. II. Some think God is absent from the worlds affairs, that the world goes on unnoticed by Him. He did not care for the hundreds of thousands of Ninevites, their children, or their animals. That was Jonah. He knew that God was compassionate and suspected that the city might repent and be spared. Until Christs blood was shed all the people that had died were held in the heart of the earth Hebrews 10:4. Jonah 1:14-16witnesses that only reluctantly did the sailors cast Jonah overboard, as he had commanded them to do. VIII. In a remarkable turn in the story, those who are not believers in the God of Israel dress down Jonah,who is to be Gods prophet, unto repentance! Note that he also puts down good money in order to flee. Jonah doubtless had meantime complied with the captain's request, but, as the sailors saw, without visible effect. From what people are you? 9He said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land (Jonah 1.7-9). Jonah instinctively knows that if they repent of their sinfulness they will grow stronger. 270, 271.) Indeed, he never really repents, just continually runs from his mistakes even repeatedly prefers death over repentance. God does not save us merely for our own sake, but also, for the sake of others with whom our life is intertwined. Jonah 's Flight. In other words, get back in touch with God, from whom youre running. The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. Deor.,' 3:37). In an attempt to absolve themselves . First there comes the pointed question, What are you doing asleep?Yes, what are you doing? The virtue of obedience is it allows one to enjoy God, to celebrate His work. The Lord knows. But the plant wasnt an act of divine mercy it was part of a divine lesson. Waves roiled the ship, smashing into its sides and onto the deck. He was not helping to lighten the ship or praying for deliverance: a total slacker. 2, 26-30. Consider their situation. The book of Nahum prophesied and described its doom. Jonah left the city and sat east of it. That Jonah thought he could run from God shows his foolishness, typifying mans foolishness in thinking he can escape God (Jeremiah 23.24). In the end, they DID finally turn to God in repentance. If Only We had the Faith of Jonah! ), king of Assyria, invaded Israel during Hezekiahs reign about 50 years later. 11Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals (Jonah 4.10-11). Jonahs prayer was bitter: I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. I knew it. The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice. Jonah's prayer is a masterpiece of heartfelt emotion and reaching out to God for mercy and forgiveness. The Bible has no shortage of characters who heed divine calls. The book of Jonah is short, compassing four brief chapters of 48 verses. A normal reading of three days walk indicates the time to cross Ninevehs metropolitan area. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Prophets: Jonah 1:7 They all said to each other Come (Jon. That's where the word of the Lord came to Jonah a . Later, about 9 a.m. he hired more workers. The text states 120,000 did not know their right hand from their left (Jonah 4.11). The phrasing of the order emphasized individual accountability and personal responsibility: that each may turn from his wicked way. The text reads: 7He issued a proclamation and it said, In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Some have doubted Jonah is history. Throughout the telling, Jonahs disobedience and iniquity is highlighted by repeated use of the verb down. Rather than follow Gods instruction, Jonah goes down to the port city of Jaffa, then down onto the ship on the way to Tarshish, then down to a lower deck. They now prayed that He would spare them and not hold them guilty for shedding innocent blood by throwing Jonah overboard. We might have expected Jonah to be pleased. For the most part, Gentile salvation is rare. What a change! Jonah was a typical Jew who wished to have no dealings with Gentiles. What are your thoughts on this? 3 Albert Einstein said,God does not play dice with the universe. He hated the notion of a universe governed by probability, a fundamental concept of quantum theory. That attitude, rather than Jonah's outward disobedience, was what upset God the most. Kerry Malakosky, Weatherford, OK I also pastor Liberty Heights Chapel, Lawton, OK. LHC is listed as a Grace Church, How Big Was Nineveh? To paraphrase: God, I told you they would just repent and you, being a merciful God, would forgive them. Responding to Gods grace begins by believing Pauls gospel of grace (Acts 20.24): that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). 7While I was fainting away,I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Just my thoughts. At the end of the day, 6 p.m., his foreman paid each man a denarius. Jonahs ministry is the greatest exception. The great majority of it. The sailors were noble. The Lord upbraided their lack of faith (Mark 4.40; Luke 8.25) but Jonahs sailors became believers. Hmm, now why does this description seem so familiar? Tarshish is widely held to refer to the coastline of modern-day Spain. After having dealt with the entire human race for 2,000 years, God established a new program with Abraham, known as the Abrahamic Covenant. 7Charles Halton. The next thing Hill knew, he was waking up in the . Our first instinct should always be to respect the dignity of every personeven great sinnersand strive to bring them to the Lord with loving correction. God was gracious and Jonah peevish. Determination-Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you. Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-3). Verse 7 - Finding the storm still violent, the crew come to the conclusion that it is sent by Heaven in punishment of some crime committed by one on board; and they proceed to cast lots to discover the guilty person. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple (Jonah 2.4). Their story highlights Gods benevolence, the quickness with which God wishes to forgive people who want to make a genuine change, whatever their motivation. - we left Jonah last week in quite a pickle.. - He was a prophet of Israel.and God had told him "arise, and go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it, because their wickedness had come up before the Lord." - well, Jonah didn't like that idea because Ninevah was in Assyria..and the Assyrians were enemies of Israel. Charles Pope. It is a story of repentance. This is why God makes statements such as 2 Chronicles 7.14. Phantom, Thank you. But the entire city of Nineveh responded to Jonahs message. Because if God changed His mind, then theres a big question mark about His all knowing nature. And God, of course accepted them. When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah fled as far as he could from God. But the LORD sent a large fish, that swallowed Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah pouted. and a cause of grief to others around him. The Psalmist wrote God founded the earth upon the seas (Psalm 24.1-2). Nineveh was probably the greatest city in the world in Jonahs day. The great majority of it. They were further in.7 The last verse of the book provides additional information about Ninevehs size. His words revealed his change of attitude: That which I have vowed I will pay. This idiom indicates a child under the age of two. God asked why Jonah had so much more . When spoken, it brings men to salvation. Even the fallen deserve our love and respect as fellow human beings. The Ninevites repented from wickedness to righteousness. 1The etymology of the name is literally wine-press of the digging and is mentioned in Joshua 19.13 and 2 Kings 14.25. actions that supposedly dont hurt anyone. During that time, which will last seven years (Daniels 70th week, Daniel 9.27), God will pour His wrath upon all mankind for its unbelief and evil (Psalm 2.5, 9). In order to avoid going 500 miles into Gods will, Jonah runs some 1500 miles away. It is true, however,that not everyone is willing or able to be corrected. No, I am not a pastor. In that event, Jesus had slept through the storm. God does the unexpected. He revealed he was a Jew and despite his disobedience, he declared he feared the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.4Jonah retained his testimony and witness. That fear had been realized. Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Ask Jonah. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. Summary- God appointed a worm to kill the plant that Jonah delighted in. Why was Jonah disappointed in the repentance of the Ninevites? Jonah is a dangerand a cause of grief to others around him. In despair, the men shouted, What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us (Jonah 1.11)? Jonah 3 God gave His commission to Jonah a second timeand this time, Jonah was ready to obey. , 1 Samuel 14:38,39 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. He was Gods channel of blessing but he refused to celebrate his ministry. After the great fish vomited up Jonah on dry ground, God appeared to Jonah a second time (3:1). Many people today talk about victimless sins,actions that supposedly dont hurt anyone. Under the intolerably beating sun, Jonah cries out to God in anger, and this time simply begs for death. Jesus used the word to refer to the sea creature which swallowed Jonah (Matthew 12.40). 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