But none of these factors made the city important to Jehovah God. Will the United States be on the side of Israel in the last war? "Lest we forget lest we forget!". She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. 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. Why did Jehovah refer to Nineveh as the great city, and what does that teach us about him? 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. 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. God does not tempt us with sin - James 1:13. Thats all that was recorded in the preaching of Jonah. TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. | Imitate Their Faith, Share As Jonah obeys God the people of Nineveh believe God's message and repent. 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. Kia Ora Gramps.Could you please help to understand what lesson the Lord wanted to teach Jonah about the Gourd and the Worm? It is the book itself. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. His spirits lifted. 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. God comes to us while we are still sinners, and still, the Lord does not wait for us to clean up our act before He comes into our lives. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,andyou heard my voice. He could be preaching, but his heart wasnt into it. What's wrong with the House of Bishops' proposed same-sex prayers? God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Ninevites. 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. How well are we doing our job? The word for the English, loving kindness in the text is the Hebrew, hesed. Hesed is the word used repeatedly throughout the Old Testament to describe Gods loyal love, His self-sworn obligation to love Israel, and to provide what Israel lacked (viz., sacrifice for sin and a holy life). Further, we know that such critics are mistaken, for Jesus Christ himself later referred to the repentance of the Ninevites. If you want to learn more about Jonahcheck out Priscilla Shirer Jonah Bible Study. He does all this to get Jonah to Nineveh. Of course, we know that you and I cant flee from God. Yet he rebelled, and Nineveh accepted him as a messenger and quickly repented when he got there. If I go up to the heavens,you are there;if I make my bedin the depths, you are there.If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right handwill hold me fast.If I say, Surely the darkness will hide meand the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be darkto you;the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you. These are only 5 thingsthere are more! God Bless (b)What do we learn about Jonah from the preaching work that he carried out? Did he leap for joy and shouted hooray? We dont deserve mercy and compassion. . As we know it didnt really work too well for him. 7 Critics have expressed what doubt regarding the Ninevites, but how do we know that the critics are mistaken? Jonah (whose name means "dove") ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel in about 790-760 BC. I enjoy the Bible study and I want to be a blessing to others. God used the bottle-gourd plant to teach Jonah a lesson in mercy, 20 God reasoned with Jonah, saying that the prophet was feeling sorry over the death of a mere plant that had sprung up overnight, one that Jonah neither planted nor caused to grow. 2. This is both an indictment of Jonah and all who treat Gods grace as proprietary, and a challenge to begin to see the world through the eyes of God who created it. Under King Jeroboam II, the nation expanded its borders and enjoyed an age of splendour that . How did Jonah show faith and courage as he preached in Nineveh? 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. And he said: I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction,and He answered me. His mercy isnt just limited to His people, but He also extends it to those outside of Israel. He will establish his abiding presence with his favorite children. They are the archenemy of the nation of Israel. Many thanks. 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?? Let us go to Jonah 1:1 brethren. 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. He sent a worm to attack and kill the plant. He would have very likely carried PTSD and claustrophobia with him for the rest of his life. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? Bible stories and audio Bible listening also come in handy! Imitate Their Faith, Audio download options 7,8. You can try to hide, move, go away, either physically or even internally with your emotions, but its futile. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! TERMS OF USE . To top it off Nineveh is 800 miles away. Jehovah, on the other hand, was the Source of life for those Ninevites and had sustained them, as he does all creatures on earth. Jonah 1:1-2 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Ninevehand preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.. 8 The king too responded to Jonahs proclamation. Are we there yet? God have mercy! 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. Clearly, Jonah did learn a vital lesson from Jehovahs wise instruction. After they threw him overboard, the waves grew calm. . What did the Lord mean in Jonah4:10-11? The story has a long interpretive history and has become well . But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. I dont select the ads displayed here but generated by advertising software. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. 33:11) Jehovah told his prophet Jeremiah: At any moment that I may speak against a nation and against a kingdom to uproot it and to pull it down and to destroy it, and that nation actually turns back from its badness against which I spoke, I will also feel regret over the calamity that I had thought to execute upon it.Jer. 19 Once more Jehovah asked Jonah if he was rightly angry, this time over the death of the bottle-gourd plant. Long story short they toss him overboard, but before doing so they ask God to forgive them. 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If you look into history, Nineveh became the capital of the Assyrian Empire and has eventually conquered Israel and drove them into slavery. God Wants You Back, Jonah 1-2. Jonah was the prophet who served during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Eighth Century before Christ. PRIVACY SETTINGS, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1102013260/univ/art/1102013260_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/ia/E/wpub/ia_E_lg.jpg, Share Its not always easy or fun, but at the end of it, there is a beautiful reward. but how about the Lords mention of His concern about the cattle? But Nineveh was a very wicked city. God would use Israel to reach the entire world with His love and grace and forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. 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.. These results are in verse three, that is, one verse before the one that tells of God's special intervention in sending the storm . God has Compassion on All People, not just us. Yes, that. 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. What can we learn from the Ninevites repentance? Then I said, I have been cast out of Your sight;Yet I will look againtoward Your holy temple.Thewaters surrounded me,evento my soul;The deep closed around me;Weeds were wrapped around my head. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. Let us go to Jonah 1:1 brethren. Why would they do that? You can read it here on Bible Gateway: Book of Jonah NIV and Book of Jonah NKJ. 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. When Jonah adds that to his list of complaints the Lord uses it as a teaching moment. We must keep our hearts soft lest anger and bitterness come in. They are the enemies of Israel. The commandment to Jonah was to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" (Jonah 1:2). 1) God gave Jonah a job, but Jonah didn't want to do it. Instead, the Lord saved him. One day, God told the prophet Jonah, "Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I was out on the road today in my car, I was dropping off a package and when I returned to my car there was paper on the front of my bumper. God caught Jonah in a ship and commanded a fish to swallow him. In what ways would you like to imitate the faith of Jonah when you receive corrective counsel? But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. Jonah's obedience to God, albeit reluctant, brought about great results, results that only God could bring. 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. They abstained from food. A gourd, an easterly winder, and even a worm, all over the Lord without any protests. Was the restriction of unclean foods in the Bible a commandment. 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. 14. by Shelby Faith. Jonah was a prophet and the Lord told Him to go and preach against Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian empire. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. 2:13-15. We read: "Now Nineveh herself proved to be a city great to God." ( Jonah 3:3) Three times, the record of Jonah quotes Jehovah as referring to "Nineveh the great city." ( Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:11) Why was this city great, or important, to Jehovah? Notice, out of the four chapters of Jonah, the words of his preaching was only one sentence. 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). ). 3 When Jehovah ordered Jonah to Nineveh the second time, the prophet obediently headed east on this long journey. We read: Now Nineveh herself proved to be a city great to God. (Jonah 3:3) Three times, the record of Jonah quotes Jehovah as referring to Nineveh the great city. (Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:11) Why was this city great, or important, to Jehovah? Because more than anything else, He also wanted to help Jonah see his faults, repent of his selfishness, and change his ways. Instead, we see the exact opposite. Jonah couldnt make himself go to Nineveh. He could have detested and hated these people. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! Then God concluded: For my part, ought I not to feel sorry for Nineveh the great city, in which there exist more than one hundred and twenty thousand men who do not at all know the difference between their right hand and their left, besides many domestic animals?Jonah 4:10,11. Before him lay a journey of more than 500miles (800km), an overland trek that would take him about a month, perhaps even longer. God has won Jonah's heart back in the right direction, so he commanded the fish to grant him bail and asked Jonah the second time to go preach in the city of Nineveh. James Taiwo Click to tweet. Now that we had a short summarylets get down to business! Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm (Jonah 4:2 NKJV). 10 Reasons God Might Not Be Blessing Your Life, 9 Christians You Don't Want to Sit Beside on Sunday Morning, 6 Truths about Jesus Coming into the World, Inspiring Mother Breaks Down after Earning Golden Buzzer with Celine Dion Hit, 7 Ways Anxiety Dominates the Christian Mind. He Learned a Lesson in Mercy, Publication download options (a)How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonahs message? Not all of his prophecies are recorded, but one of his major predictions was that the northern kingdom would have peace from its enemies to the North (this was fulfilled later in the reign of Jeroboam II). Nope. And now, God is sending Him to them. In fact, the narrator uses the same grammatical structure as in Jonah 4:1. 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 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. Just like us, brethren, we have also been given a task by God to preach the Gospel to this morally decaying and dying world. What kind of journey lay ahead of Jonah, and how did he feel about his destination? I would love to hear from you! It has spiritual ramifications that affects both our spiritual life, and daily life. 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