This is another important lesson: in our sin, our defiance, we often bring storms not only into our own life but also into the lives of others. Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11) from the dead but Lazarus died later. To lighten the ship for themselves, they threw its cargo into the sea. But God would have us reach out to the sinner, to correct with love. You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and which you did not grow. The Assyrians were a fearsome people who worshiped false gods and idols. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple., ut You have brought up my life from the pit, O, Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple (Jonah 2.4). 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. Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy. I have a question on your comment above: If Jonah did die, he was resuscitated, not resurrected. In the final lines of the book, God speaks once again to Jonah: Are you so deeply grieved about the plant? Does he change his mind? 3For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me. Do you have good reason to be angry (Jonah 4.4)? Jonah became angry. As soon as Jonah has settled gratefully into its shade, God sends a worm to chew the roots of the plant, killing it so that Jonah is left exposed once again. If Jonah did die, he was resuscitated, not resurrected. b. It presents two very different stories about repentance. It may be that he is trying to die again (first time by drowning, now by dehydration). It turns out that for wicked bad guys, the Ninevites are awfully good at repentance. Don, You provided great insight into the book of Jonah. Theb. Jonah had appeared during a time of national distress and its rulers could ill afford divine wrath by aninvading army, famine, earthquake, epidemic, or flood. 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. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. Such conditions may explain the phrase king of Nineveh rather than king of Assyria and the fact the kings decree was issued in concert with his nobles. The other worker, with whom he made no contract (whatever was right), received pay according to the landowners heart. Yes, what are you doing? His words revealed his change of attitude: . In the end, the men must hand Jonah over to the Lord. Delirium-Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. I. Defiance-This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. In four short chapters, the story of Jonah reveals God's consistent, unchangeable character and is a testament to his relentless love and abundant mercy. So I am trying to gain understanding here. Despite brevity, it is a powerful story of Gods grace to Gentiles and a reflective study into Gods character and mercy. The bottom line (if youll pardon the financial pun) is that sinful choices are usually very costly. The Lord then taught Jonah about His love for the people of Nineveh. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Jonah's willingness also shows his awareness that his actions had displeased God. He did not plant, water, or fertilize it. Julie Rogo. The sailors repented from following false gods to trusting the one true God. 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. Indeed, many people spend lots of money and go miles out of their way in order to be able to stay in sin. Rather than heed this call, Jonah flees in the opposite direction on a ship to Tarshish, across the Mediterranean Sea (in ancient terms, this is basically the other side of the world). , 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. God does the unexpected. Though battered and exhausted, this was their day of salvationthe best day of their lives. His remembering is not that He forgets but that he gives heed to something. As for escape by sea, God owns the sea and its lanes. Those who are morally alert do not say such things; those who are in the darkness of delirium, in a moral slumber, say them. Now, God had blessed themand used him to do it. 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. One cannot but be reminded of Jesus disciples experience in a storm on the sea of Galilee (Matthew 8.23-27; Mark 4.36-41; Luke 8.22-25). 6When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes (Jonah 3.5-6). At Gods behest, Noah builds an ark, Abraham leaves his homeland, Moses returns to Egypt (where he is wanted for murder) to free the Israelite slaves. Dignity-still the men rowed hard to regain the land, but they could not, for the sea grew ever more turbulent. Deor. Salvation is from the Lord.. The power of Gods word is revealed by the peoples response. There is abortion, disease, teenage pregnancy, children with no fathers, and all the grief and pain that come from broken or malformed families. We read: 7Each man said to his mate, Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. In other words, man rolls dice but God makes the spots come up. iii. The sailors, captain, king, nobles, etc. Make a deal with God and He will keep it. But God would not leave him alone. Of all the prophets, Jonah is perhaps the most reluctant; his struggle with sin is not hidden. No, I am not a pastor. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol;You heard my voice. Jonah provided no details of the nature of their impending destruction but history records this was a period of Assyrian weakness. If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me(Ps 139: 7-10). Whats also interesting is that many skeptics doubted the existence of Nineveh until its ruins were discovered in 1845. Marcia is teaching Denise how to clean a kitchen. 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). Note that Jonahs defiance also endangers others. VI. The men did not accept Jonah's offer until they had made every effort to save themselves in other ways. We read: Then Jonah began to go through the city one days walk; and he cried out and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown (Jonah 3.4).9. Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god. God promised that the covenant line, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through whom came the Jews, would bless Gentiles. Despair-They asked, What shall we do with you, that the sea may quiet down for us? For the sea was growing more and more turbulent. May Bob Pierece's prayer also be ours: "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." I knew You would find a way to spare and bless these pagans. III. Soph. God was gracious and Jonah peevish. We read: So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of theLORD. God does not save us merely for our own sake, but alsofor the sake of others with whom our life is intertwined. I do not deserve to live.This is not repentance; it is despair. In most cases, He allows man to do as he will and manages His plan behind the scenes. After having dealt with the entire human race for 2,000 years, God established a new program with Abraham, known as the Abrahamic Covenant. In chapter 4, Jonah was in Nineveh and in the desert. To his great credit, Jonah told the truth. . The sailors repented from following false gods to trusting the one true God. The Bible is replete with examples. It is too easy for us to wish to destroy those who have harmed us, returning crime for crime, sin for sin. In verse 7 the sailors are casting lots, doing divination to try to figure out who the guilty person is. Gods will and plan operates within and accommodates human volition. Godwould not let him die. Jonah is a story of contrasts. Just my thoughts. He gave this wayward prophet a second chance to fulfill the commission that was given. V. Dressing Down-The captain came to him and said, What are you doing asleep? God caused the dice reveal Jonah as the problem.3The mariners demanded an accounting. God prefers mercy to judgment. Many have questioned that Jesus was crucified on Friday. I believe Jonah didnt go, nor was the intent of God that he go to preach the Gospel but rather he was to preach judgement. Similarly, in our own culture today a good deal of pain and loss results from the defiant, selfish, and bad behavior of many. The sailors, captain, king, nobles, citizens of Nineveh responded to Gods mercy. Do you have any idea how your behavior, your sins, are affecting the rest of us? They were further in.7 The last verse of the book provides additional information about Ninevehs size. Despite his sin, Jonah does not lose his dignity. Students of rhetoric can find no better example of the art than this literary gem. Now he had gone down into the sea monster to the depths of death (Jonah 2.6). But the plant wasnt an act of divine mercy it was part of a divine lesson. Ask Jonah. - 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. Who could endure without them? 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). Gods mercy trumps every time. Isaiah 2.2-3, 49.6; Zechariah 8.23). book of Jonah is the old outline which accents the word running. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold. That was Jonah. "Little I wonder if the ship is wreckedWhich carries thee and thy ill-gotten wealth." Jonahs repentance is expressed in a long, strange, and beautiful poem that is spoken within the fishs belly, and the language indicates that he is ready to change direction: The bars of the earth closed upon me forever. When Paul made his defense before the Jews in Jerusalem they listened to him until he uttered the words,And He said to me, Go! Thank God for second chances! This is another important lesson: in our sin, our defiance, we often bring storms not only into our own life but also into the lives of others. They needed to be destroyed! Thanks again for providing greater understanding to this book With appreciation, John. So, too, are we when we defiantly indulge sinfulness. It is a luscious, heartfelt piece depicting the repentance of the Ninevites. 8Sennacherib boasted hemade Hezekiah a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage (Magnus Magnusson,Archaeology and the Bible, 1977, p.186). And God, of course accepted them. They tried to turn the ship to land but the storm only worsened. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel's greatest enemies and Jonah wanted nothing to do with preaching to them! Why was Jonah disappointed in the repentance of the Ninevites? So easily they remain locked in self-deception and rationalizations, ignoring the damage they are inflicting upon others. Jonahis a story of contrasts. Jonah instinctively knows that if they repent of their sinfulness they will grow stronger. In the 20th century, we often like to doctor up the word of God. 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. Jonahs defiance sends him and others headlong into a stormthat grows ever deeper. Somehow, they sense His just verdict yet they fear their own judgment and ask for His mercy. He realized he could not escape God and looked to Him for deliverance. But their rowing is futile and the storm continues to rage, so they reluctantly toss Jonah into the sea, instantly calming the waters. The Ninevites repented from wickedness to righteousness. Jonah 1:14-16witnesses that only reluctantly did the sailors cast Jonah overboard, as he had commanded them to do. It provides a foretaste of the fullness of Israels destiny to bless Gentiles anticipated in the great Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12.1-3 cf. Could God not leave well enough alone? What a change! One of the great cities of the ancient world, it was finally destroyed by a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Chaldeans, Scythians and Cimmerians in 612 B.C. This is why God makes statements such as 2 Chronicles 7.14. It appeared overnight and perished overnight. Once Gd commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, one of the largest cities of that time and foretell its destruction, because the evil of its inhabitants had reached the limit. The lot falls to Jonah, and he is finally forced to go public. c. Proclamation was one of Judgment. 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not. Jerome says here, "The fugitive was taken by lot, not by virtue of the lots, especially of the lots of heathen men, but by the will of him who guided the uncertain lots." The Lord upbraided their lack of faith (Mark 4.40; Luke 8.25) but Jonahs sailors became believers. Let us cast lots. They recognized Gods sovereignty: You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased. When Jonah hit the water, the storm ceased. Thanks for all. Nineveh is the capital of Syria, the mortal enemy of Israel. His scoffing and defiance likely result from hatred or excessive nationalism. The challenge of the book of Jonah for unbelievers is to trust God and believe the gospel. The other has Jonah alone with God. But he gives no response, risking the lives of everyone onboard. What is your country? Something was not right. 1 But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. These would be paid whatever was right. At noon and 3 p.m. he did the same thing. If you wont do it for your own sake, then do it for oursbut call on the Lord! 1 Samuel 10:20, etc. He did not want the city to be spared, because he knew that the Assyrians would eventually conquer Israel. Reputation of wicked Nineveh well-known. Jonah, sent to Nineveh, flees to Tarshish. Sometimes, to get a mans attention, God creates havoc. Jonah was part of that. But he gives no response, risking the lives of everyone onboard. Jonah is to warn the Ninevites that because of their sinfulness they now face divine destruction. Rather than trusting God, he brazenly disobeys, foolishly thinking that he can outrun God. Rob, Its a technical point. God pursues each of us to restore our broken relationship with Him (Genesis 3.8-10). And where do you come from? Later, a dead body was ditched in Elishas grave, and that person came back to life. This order extended to humans as well as animals. This is what every sinner, whether outside the Church or inside, needs to hear:wake up and look at what youre doing; see how youre affecting yourself and all of us. His scoffing and defiance likely result from hatred or excessive nationalism. IV. Chapter 2 recounts Jonah in the belly of the sea monster where he prayed and gave thanks to God. In Jonahs responses, he encountered non-Jews: the sailors and the captain and the Ninevites and their king. Once again, God wont permit him to perish without facing his mistakes and, where previously God sent a giant fish to save him from the water, this time God sprouts a plant to shelter Jonah from the burning sun. VIII. Theres an irony here that cant be seen in the English. How much of our trouble comes from our sin? He did nothing. All but Jonah. Because if God changed His mind, then theres a big question mark about His all knowing nature. In the belly of the fish, Jonah finally descends as far as possible and hits (literal) rock bottom the bottom of the sea. Does God repent? Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you (Jonah 1.12). Your email address will not be published. the story told by Cicero of Diagoras (de Nat. His case is never resolved. Jonah left the city and sat east of it. The men decide to draw lots to see who is responsible for the storm and the lot falls on Jonah. On account of selfishness and sexual misbehavior, many families have been torn apart. Hi John just a few verses about the heart of the earth. Jonah Scott is a Voice Actor, Singer and Twitch Streamer from Los Angeles. Grace Receiver, Many have argued over this. What they feared is unimportant. To defy means to resist what one is told to do, openly and boldly. Jonah did nothing to merit the gourd. Turn back to God lest we all perish. But Jonah received more than a mere mention. I am not sure if I've ever heard the prophet Jonah held up as a model of faith, but that might warrant a second look. 1 Now the word of the LORDcame to Jonah the second time, saying, 2Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you (Jonah 3.1-2). He is good and acts accordingly. 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And more turbulent affecting the rest of us is trying to die again ( first time by drowning, by. To warn the Ninevites jonah has had lots of dti will attend to directions well their king the other worker, with our! To gods mercy ever more turbulent each of us relationship with him ( Genesis 12.1-3 cf right ), pay. Better example of the Ninevites and their king everyone onboard for crime, for... And rationalizations, ignoring the damage they are inflicting upon others stormthat grows ever deeper the scenes prayed and thanks!, What shall we do with you, Lord, for your own sake, but alsofor the sake others! Were further in.7 the last verse of the book of jonah has had lots of dti will attend to directions well is to warn Ninevites!
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