We dont deserve mercy and compassion. God knows the future - Isaiah 46:10. Hes actually ANGRY at God. (b)What do we learn about Jonah from the preaching work that he carried out? How had Jonah learned that he could not run away from his assignment? Just imagine that prophet, once again safe in his homeland, writing this account. 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). Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. Digging deep and having the Holy Spirit reveal truths to us is how we start to grow and mature. (b)How did Jehovah deal with his distressed prophet? God takes the time to teach Jonah a lesson about love through the example of . (Read Matthew 12:41.) [1-minute video]. 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 ). ^ par. . God gave us the ability to choose - Joshua 24:15. For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. Why arent prophets giving us specific signs to watch for? As Jonah obeys God the people of Nineveh believe God's message and repent. Please keep me ever worthy of your kingdom! When we begin to reduce Gods response to human sin as judgment without mercy, then it is time for us to open up the book of Jonah, and invite the Spirit of the Lord to cleanse us of self-interests, smugness, and uncaring attitudes and return to the Lord of love. Like us, Jonah initially responds to his prophetic call with fear. When we look at Jonah 4, Jonah calls God "a gracious God and merciful." Then, in Ephesians 2, Paul says that God's nature is "rich in mercy." As Christians, we know that God is making. Article Images Copyright , 4 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Jonah for Today. 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?? 3 - 4 ) Jonah's Renewed Commission and Obedience ( 3:1-4) The Endangered Ninevites' Repentant Appeal to the Lord ( 3:5-9) Jonah's lack of response indicates that he got the point. From the wind to the fishes of the sea, and even pagan sailors, all respond to God in obedience. How well are we doing our job? Jonah was inside the fish for three days. However, as the story unfolds we can see how the Lord draws him from fear . God then tells the whale to throw Jonah up. 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. 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. Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly: Jonah was still in the belly of the fish but he knew it was enough that the LORD had heard his cry ( You heard my voice ). Those who hold Jonah as a mythological yarn seek to strengthen their unbelieving position by adding disbelief in a fish swallowing Jonah and, then, spitting the reluctant revivalist onto the shore. And now, God is sending Him to them. ^ par. 2. God punishes Jonah by having a large fish or whale swallow him whole, but Jonah is later reconciled and forgiven. As he sank deeper and deeper into the sea, he prayed to Jehovah. Because God has shown us mercy, wouldnt He also show mercy to those people outside our Christian faith? In his mind, they deserve nothing but death. Based on what happened to Jonah's life, we can simply conclude that there's no point in trying to run away from God, from running away from His purposes, and in trying to achieve our own will and not His. Jonah is the only prophet in the Old Testament that God flat out told to preach to a Gentile city and not just any gentiles but the people of Nineveh (The Assyrians). I went down to themoorings of the mountains;The earth with its barsclosedbehind me forever;Yet You have brought up mylife from the pit,OLord, my God. . Jonah 4:2 is remarkable, also, in that it demonstrates that when God shifts His affection on the people we should expect conversion. Jehovah, on the other hand, was the Source of life for those Ninevites and had sustained them, as he does all creatures on earth. People listened! 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! 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. Confinement, Communion, and Confession, Jonah 2. (a)Why might Jonah have found Nineveh intimidating? Can you elaborate? He asks the men to hurl him into the sea, which they do, and the storm. He tried to run away from the presence of God, and enjoy himself. Expressing hope that the true God would soften upon seeing their repentance, the king said: God may . The Lord called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah fled and was swallowed by a great fish. Bible stories and audio Bible listening also come in handy! He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit. Jonah admits that he worships the God of heaven and earth and that right now, he is fleeing from God's direct command. It tells us about the role we play in the Body of Christ, the forgiving and merciful attitude that we all should have, and the unimaginable magnitude of Gods mercy and grace not just to His people, but to the entire world. Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. After paying the fare, he. The book of Jonah is remarkable for several reasons. But the Lord is also working with Jonah trying to get him to see the value of every soul, not just the Israelites. Jonah was a prophet and the Lord told Him to go and preach against Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian empire. However, Jehovah wanted to do more for Jonah than simply deliver him from the heat and from his own petulant anger. 7 Clearly, Jonah did learn a vital lesson from Jehovahs wise instruction. At this point we find our first great lessons regarding God's sovereignty. TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. (see Jonah 3:6-9). Because more than anything else, He also wanted to help Jonah see his faults, repent of his selfishness, and change his ways. Im having trouble understanding the story. We read: Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." Yahweh has given Jonah a job that he needs to accomplish. 13 Was Jonahs prophecy a false one? Jonah knew what the Assyrians were capable of doing. Or, are we angry, too? Jonah was doing the bare minimum. After they threw him overboard, the waves grew calm. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. He asked him to go somewhere Jonah would NEVER want to go. . 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. (a)What object lesson did Jehovah teach Jonah? BIBLEARENA.ORG presents the sacred teachings of the Bible to enhance spiritual growth. 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. God, however, had compassion on the people of Nineveh: "And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their leftand much livestock?" God caught Jonah in a ship and commanded a fish to swallow him. The stubborn servant felt the heat of hell until he repented. Nope. Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish and was brought to Nineveh. The book of Jonah is a short narrative book about a prophet who doesn't really act like a prophet of God at all. Did this make Jonah happy? Instead, something remarkable happened. So, you know for Jonah it would be a BIG deal to travel to Nineveh. Jonah was the man who prayed to God from the belly of the great fish, seeking God's mercy Praising God because He was a God who heard his prayer The God Who Jonah declared was the one responsible for salvation He would also know that if he disobeyed the commands of the Lord, he would bring down the wrath of God on himself. He must learn that God's love is greater and wider than he had ever imagined. . But have you thought of what you also deserve? Jonah demonstrates how God uses all of His creation to bring about the salvation of one very wicked nation. He gets on the boat and flees Jerusalem. I like this commentary, indeed there are great lessons to learn from Jonah's situation. Clearly the Lord knew what Jonah would do, and it seems the Lord was prepared to use that to further His own ends. I AM JOSHUA and Im on a mission to help fellow Christians build a closer and more intimate relationship with God. 21 Do you see the depth of Jehovahs object lesson? Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! As a result of his rebellion, the Lord sent a wild storm. Jonah Disobeys God. 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. 2. To top it off Nineveh is 800 miles away. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! If you want to learn more about Jonahcheck out Priscilla Shirer Jonah Bible Study. Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. How much more will God hear your prayers as you cry out for a wayward child? Icried out to theLordbecause of my affliction,And He answered me. Image what they would be thinking when he started telling them that God had a message for them, and they needed to repent or be destroyed. 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