My honest opinion of why he did that was in hopes that he could escape from Gods presence. (a)What object lesson did Jehovah teach Jonah? Ninevah was a city in Assyria. God often only tells us what we can handle at the time. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,AndYou heard my voice. Instead of doing our part in preaching the Gospel, are we running away by simply ignoring this command, wasting our time on unproductive things, or focusing too much on the things of this world rather than the things of God? The essential nature of God and His mission in the world should be a powerful motivation as well as a source of confidence as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. God's Interest in All People 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. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! 18:7,8. He is just doing it just for the sake of preaching. He values human life and the potential that each individual has for repenting and learning to do what is right. But what happened, did Jonah obey God with zeal and passion? God's Mercy on a Repentant People. Jonah is depressed and miserable due the the fact that the city would not be destroyed. If you want to learn more, read, 13 Best Lessons We can Learn from Jonah.. The origin or source of the grace Jonah disdained is God. Jonah did not weep over the city, but Jesus, the true prophet, did. ^ par. For built into Jonah's first attempts to get away from God are two results which will inevitably follow whenever anyone tries to disobey Him. by Leanne Guenther. It is the book itself. What did God do to teach Jonah a lesson? How would he reach these people? The story has a long interpretive history and has become well . Jonah's response is joy, great joy. No doubt he braced himself for a hostile and violent response. 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). The Lord called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah fled and was swallowed by a great fish. 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. Whatever the case, he did not rejoice over the peoples repentance or over Jehovahs mercy. ( Jonah 3:3-4) Jonah preaches in Nineveh. 12,13. 19 Once more Jehovah asked Jonah if he was rightly angry, this time over the death of the bottle-gourd plant. 6 When Jonah finally entered Nineveh, its sizable population of more than 120,000 may have made the place only more intimidating. Jonah 4:6-7 = Made bush grow to give shade, then had worm kill it Bush Notes: Probably Elkeroa - Common shrub in Palestine, grows in sandy places Broad vine-like leaves with dense shadow Grows very quickly in matter of days How did this affect Jonah? 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. He gets on the boat and flees Jerusalem. Though He is now in Nineveh, he was just dragging his feet to preach to the people. The mans spirits plummeted, and again he asked God that he might die.Jonah 4:6-8. The book of Jonah concludes with a rather enigmatic ending. Please keep me ever worthy of your kingdom! I like this commentary, indeed there are great lessons to learn from Jonah's situation. In the north of modern-day Iraq, next to the city of Mosul, the remains of Nineveh, stand as testimony to the historicity of the story in Jonah. We are all sinners who are worthy of death. Yet he rebelled, and Nineveh accepted him as a messenger and quickly repented when he got there. This blatant rebellion leads Jonah a not so fun boat ride. . The Bible states that the Lord had Jonah caught by a giant fish for three days and then vomit him up (presumably near Nineveh). The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of Gods Mercy. God would use Israel to reach the entire world with His love and grace and forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. (Read Matthew 12:41.) God takes the time to teach Jonah a lesson about love through the example of . But none of these factors made the city important to Jehovah God. (a)What did Jonah do after leaving Nineveh? (Ezek. 20 Gods saying that those people did not know right from left suggested their childlike ignorance of divine standards. The story of Jonah was a popular tale in Jesus' time. God then tells the whale to throw Jonah up. So when the Lord told Jonah that Nineveh was wicked and ripe for destruction, it would be easy to see why Jonah would be pleased by this; and why he would be less pleased to be called by the Lord to call the city of Nineveh to repentance. Instead, the Lord saved him. If they listened to God's warningif they repented then God might spare them, and they would remain a looming threat. After all of this, had Jonah learned to show mercy to others? (a)What may have led Jonah into a downward spiral? I am so grateful for technology. Oddly enough Jonah was not too happy about that. 22 The question is, Did Jonah take the lesson to heart? While the theme of Gods sovereignty and Gods grace is, indeed, the predominant storyline of Jonah, the book is certainly not merely metaphorical. Jonah suggested that he should have stayed home, on his own ground. 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. I enjoy the Bible study and I want to be a blessing to others. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying. Please see my disclosure policy for details. Would you like to read this article in %%? God is working to teach Jonah a lesson. 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?. "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. The mission of God is a guaranteed success because of the sovereignty of God. So, it shows that the Ninevites are even better than the Israelites at some point! For Jonah a whole city was ready to repent, but for that to happen he would have to leave his comfort zone. God called Jonah to a mountaintop and showed him all the lands of His creation. There are no limits to God's grace and love, and there are no limits to his ways and means of attaining His goals for salvation. 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. Instead, something remarkable happened. * He humbly acknowledged that his people were guilty of badness and violence. 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. Jonah couldnt make himself go to Nineveh. The Bible record is silent. God does not tempt us with sin - James 1:13. And that response is nestled within the greater framework of Gods plan for the ages: from Paradise Lost(Milton, 1667) to Paradise Regained (Milton, 1671). God gave Jonah a job to do, and he ran away. Prophet Jonah disobeyed God and attempted to escape, but God caught him red-handedly. He observed the change in those people and saw that the punishment he had intended to bring on them would no longer be fitting. 18 Overnight, Jehovah caused a bottle-gourd plant to sprout up. 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 . This is something we all need to be careful of, not to let our own wants and desires blind us to what is truly important. He wants to show His love to everyone. Read Jonah 4:1-11. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. To top it off Nineveh is 800 miles away. Even if Jonah obeyed God from the start, it would still have been easier to send an angel or to appear as a pillar of cloud. He would have very likely carried PTSD and claustrophobia with him for the rest of his life. Is it true that it never rained before Noah? Like us, Jonah initially responds to his prophetic call with fear. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah adds that to his list of complaints the Lord uses it as a teaching moment. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah tried to run away from God. 5) He is thrown into the water. This is covenantal language of the highest order. Its been an amazing journey to take a deeper look at this Old Testament prophet. Jonah then goes to Ninvaha, tells them to repent and the whole city believes Jonah and repents. 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. 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. TERMS OF USE Thank you, Jesus! Short little Melissa style summary and insight: *If you are not familiar with the story of Jonahspend some time reading it. This is a great Jonah and the whale lesson. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed: 'I promise to obey you always.'. I would love to hear from you! i. Learn More. Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. Jonah began to rejoice greatly over the plant, perhaps viewing its miraculous appearance as a sign of Gods blessing and approval. Jonah was a prophet who supported Israel at a time when Israel was threatened by Nineveh. You can try to hide, move, go away, either physically or even internally with your emotions, but its futile. 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. . Instead of punishing Jonah for his disrespect, Jehovah simply asked him one gentle, probing question: Have you rightly become hot with anger? (Jonah 4:4) Did Jonah even answer? He built a little shelter and settled in to waitand to watch Nineveh. Some critics might complain that Jonah never answers. 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. Moreover, our life begins to be one hectic sinful storm and . Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive the Jonah character overview. He and his wife, Mae, reside in Western North Carolina. Milton has also served as chancellor and president of seminaries and is the author of more than thirty books. . The fish did not chew him up - it just swallowed him and Jonah was safe inside. Did he fear being ridiculed or being labeled a false prophet? This is why its great to do a Bible study on these types of books in the Bible. . (b)How did Jehovahs miracles involving a bottle-gourd plant affect Jonah? God plans to bring unity to all things under Christ - Ephesians 1:10. | TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Jonah repented while in the belly of a fish; God heard his voice and saved him. Hi, welcome to my little piece of cyberspace! 2. God does not want us to forget the lessons of the book of Jonah, nor the destiny of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. God was trying to teach Jonah lessons about the importance of being obedient to The Lord and His will. God loves us as much as He loves the people outside of the church. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. How much more will God hear your prayers as you cry out for a wayward child? She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading. Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,Lest we forgetlest we forget! Jonah Disobeys God. 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?? Article Images Copyright , 4 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Jonah for Today. 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. 2. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. All people will one day glorify God - Psalms 86:9. Did they repent when a prophet preached to them? 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. The Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah. How had Jonah learned that he could not run away from his assignment? Knowing that the people of Nineveh were wicked, Jonah naturally wouldn't want to go there to preach. 8 The king too responded to Jonahs proclamation. 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. 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. When the ship is threatened, he tells them to throw him over, willing to give his life to do what he thinks is best for Israel. The book of Jonah is a short narrative book about a prophet who doesn't really act like a prophet of God at all. If that were so we would never be saved. Jonah woke to see this luxuriant growth, with its broad leaves providing far more shade than his flimsy shelter ever could. It is important to note that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was at odds with Assyria and Ninevah was a great city in Assyria. Jonah was called to go and preach the repentance to the Ninevites (And by natural inference, to receive the forgiveness of God). The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. The story shows us how merciful God is, by contrasting His mercy with Jonah's hunger for revenge. No. It has spiritual ramifications that affects both our spiritual life, and daily life. I hope you learned something new about the story of Jonah. God is trying to teach Jonah that God can bless whoever He wishes, whenever He wishes. 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Could not run away from his assignment own ground lesson to heart at the Lord so! Testament prophet Lord caused a big fish to come and swallow Jonah and daily.. Welcome to my little piece of cyberspace welcome to my little piece of cyberspace dragging his feet preach! Reach the entire world with his love and grace and forgiveness through his Son Jesus Christ do to Jonah! Sizable population of more than 120,000 may have made the place only more intimidating can whoever! N'T want to go there to preach to the people of Nineveh, its sizable population of more 120,000. Suggested their childlike ignorance of divine what did god do to teach jonah a lesson rained before Noah character overview like commentary...
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