We must keep our hearts soft lest anger and bitterness come in. Yes, that. Lesson 48, November 21-27. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Ninevites. But thankfully brethren, God is not like that. In the same way, God is not quitting on us. 4) A storm threatens to overturn the ship. However, had he allowed Jehovahs discipline to work a thorough change in him? In addition to founding three churches, and the call as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, Dr. Milton is a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel). God is omniscient - Psalm 139:1-6. Jonah would have to travel this by horse/camel. 8 This detail may seem odd, but it is not without precedent in ancient times. The only disobedient figure in the book of Jonah is Jonah. We read in Jonah 3:4: Yet, forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.. Thanks for malisa for strong messages from the book Jonah ,Jonah prophecy symbol Christ in other characteristics such 3 days in fish belly while Jesus spend 3day in a tomb ,2 both messages gentiles, I enjoyed your Bible Study today on Jonah very much.. it was a blessing. We all have our opinions, and ideas about how things should happen or be. Why did Jehovah refer to Nineveh as the great city, and what does that teach us about him? But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. . I think not. 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. The petulant prophet is perturbed that God's grace to pagans is of greater priority to God than Jonahs comfort. In Jonah 4:2, we read the reason why he doesnt want to go to Nineveh in the first place: So he prayed to the LORD, and said, Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Let us see what we can gather from Jonahs struggle. 3 - 4 ) Jonah's Renewed Commission and Obedience ( 3:1-4) The Endangered Ninevites' Repentant Appeal to the Lord ( 3:5-9) When thinking about this book as a whole, and what God is trying to teach Jonah, what does this mean for us. All people will one day glorify God - Psalms 86:9. He was to call Nineveh to repentance. Jonah rebels, gets swallowed by a great fish, repents, and, at last, fulfills his mission. Long story short they toss him overboard, but before doing so they ask God to forgive them. Jonah 4:2 is remarkable, also, in that it demonstrates that when God shifts His affection on the people we should expect conversion. Image what some of the Nineveh locals would think and say if they saw Jonah get vomited up out of a fish onto the beach. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,AndYou heard my voice. How had Jonah learned that he could not run away from his assignment? Thats all that was recorded in the preaching of Jonah. He learned to be merciful. Jonah wanted to see Nineveh destroyed. Jonah knew that God was full of grace and mercy, and that was why he was afraid to tell the people of Nineveh. To begin, he had to choose between the shorter routes and the safer ones and then steadily make his way through valleys and over mountain passes beyond counting. 9 Some critics express doubt that such a change of heart could have occurred so quickly among the Ninevites. The lesson for us is that God will not convince us of the matters of faith through powerful and Hollywood-like public manifestations of God's greatness. Please click here to learn how. . TIMELINE: Jonah is a prophet during the reign of King Jeroboam II. Or, are we angry, too? They are just nothing but mere pretension. A Second Chance with God, Jonah 3. Sep 5, 2014 | AAAA AskGramps Website, Bible | 3 comments. Jonah did not like grace because it was not something which one could earn. Jonah is mad at the Lord, so the Lord tried to teach him. Thank you, Jesus! 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. 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. Could we be like that brethren? Instead of us being beaten, insulted, and crucified, Yahshua did it for us. We need to learn from him and his mistakes. 22. These are only 5 thingsthere are more! 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 . In truth, though, his answer is there. He could have detested and hated these people. 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. Talk about Jonah 1: 4-16: This is what it is like to turn away from God. It states, "Yahweh scolded him for taking pity on a plant that he did not make grow, while feeling no sorrow for thousands of people in Nineveh." No; it fulfilled its purpose as a warning. [And]Jesus did not merely weep for us; he died for us. The story of Jonah demonstrates how Almighty God has sovereign control over every creature on earth. Thank you for your patience and continued support! Or trouble within your church? He is just doing it just for the sake of preaching. Sign up for updates and shop new collections & promotions before anyone else. 9. 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 past few months I have been doing the Jonah Bible study from Priscilla Shirer with my good friend Ana. (See also footnote.) Let us go to Jonah 1:1 brethren. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit. How much more will God hear your prayers as you cry out for a wayward child? 2:13-15. What does it mean to dwell in the secret place of the Most High (Psalms 91:1)? 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. Jonah's response is joy, great joy. God is determined to get Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah began to rejoice greatly over the plant, perhaps viewing its miraculous appearance as a sign of Gods blessing and approval. Jesus knew what he was talking about, for he had been alive in heaven to witness those events as they unfolded. "Jonah & the Whale" Unit: Splash Into Summer LESSON PURPOSE: The story of Jonah & the Whale teaches us about listening to God's Words and how he is always there to guide us and take care of us. Perhaps he still clung to the hope of witnessing her destruction. We can come to think that we are blessed to be in the family of God because of something of value or usefulness that impresses God. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. (a)How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonahs message? To learn more visit and subscribe: https://michaelmilton.org/about/. Prophet Jonah disobeyed God and attempted to escape, but God caught him red-handedly. They had believed him. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Jonah would have to travel this by horse/camel. What Does it Mean That Jesus Was Gods Begotten Son? 3) That obedience to God will always bring God-sized results. God's command to him remained the same; he was still to preach repentance to Nineveh (see Jonah 2:10-3:4). For the official Church websites, please visit churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org. But none of these factors made the city important to Jehovah God. To put the matter in plain words, Jonah did not like grace because it was charity. We are all sinners who are worthy of death. James Taiwo Click to tweet. 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. - Acts 20:24b Props: One Ziploc bag with a fresh piece of Play-doh inside; Second piece of Play-doh that is dried out, in no particular shape; an extra ziplock bag. . Jonah 3 & 4. But then they did repent. God grew a vine to shelter Jonah from the sun, then sent a worm to chew it up. Will the United States be on the side of Israel in the last war? They are the enemies of Israel. So, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to teach Jonah a lesson in compassion. Thats after the prophet Elijah but before Amos and Hosea. The Bible says that God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Yahweh has given Jonah a job that he needs to accomplish. 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?? His failure would have resulted in the destruction of Nineveh by the Lord due to their wickedness. We could be preaching, but our hearts may not be in preaching. (Read Jonah 3:5.) It seems that at this time Nineveh had a sea-oriented religious system and sea-themed Gods. July 19, 2009. Jonah 1-4. Jonah was the prophet who served during the reign of Jeroboam II in the Eighth Century before Christ. 2) So he ran from God. 6. Three days later, Jonah was vomited out alive onto a beach, an awed and more compliant man.Jonah, chaps. Now that we had a short summarylets get down to business! He has composed and performed original music for five albums. God Bless If they listened to God's warningif they repented then God might spare them, and they would remain a looming threat. He asks the men to hurl him into the sea, which they do, and the storm. Obedience is the key to receivingGods benefits! We could be studying the word of God, but our hearts are not into it. (b)How did Jehovah deal with his distressed prophet? Jonah couldnt see that and sometimes, we couldnt see that as well. How would he reach these people? California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. The book of Jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the Almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. God's Love vs. Jonah's Anger. Teach: The Lord had warned (through Jonah) that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. What miracle did God perform to teach Jonah a lesson? So, please feel free to drop me a comment or take a look at my similar posts in my Christian Faith Articles page! Jonah could have known friends, family members, and relatives who have been killed by the Ninevites. The story of Jonah demonstrates why God so often leads us one step at a time without telling us more. Rudyard Kipling, the great English poet of the first part of the 20th century, considered the strengths and influence of the British Empire but warned his fellow subjects of the crown that empires are fleeting. Jonah was called to go and preach the repentance to the Ninevites (And by natural inference, to receive the forgiveness of God). Clearly, Jonah did learn a vital lesson from Jehovahs wise instruction. He would have very likely carried PTSD and claustrophobia with him for the rest of his life. Its only 4 short chapters. God Wants You Back, Jonah 1-2. Sunday School Teacher's Guide - this is just one possible lesson plan. Of course, we know that you and I cant flee from God. Sometimes God will ask us to step out or step up. God does not want us to forget the lessons of the book of Jonah, nor the destiny of the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. Nineveh had a huge population for that time. Jonah is an interesting story. In his heart of hearts, he knew that they deserve nothing but punishment and death. Yes, that means precisely what it says: Jonah was preferring death over the advance of Gods grace to Nineveh. God told Jonah to go preach a message of repentance to the people of Ninevah. Jonahs message was simple and not likely to win him any favor. (Gen. 10:11; Jonah 3:3) Nineveh was impressive, with stately temples, mighty walls, and other edifices. 15. 1:4, 11, 13, 15; 4:8), and he prepared a sea-creature, a vine, and a worm to do his bidding (Jon. Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. God called Jonah to a mountaintop and showed him all the lands of His creation. People listened! And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-14). I hope you learned something new about the story of Jonah. Lesson #2. This lesson is based on Jonah's response to God's mercy to the Ninevites from Jonah 4. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you (John 15:16 ESV). 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! Ninevah was a city in Assyria. Jonah remains today a powerful lesson on compassion, on purpose, and obedience. It had all the elements of a spellbinder: a reluctant prophet fleeing God, a sinking ship, a man thrown overboard into the maw of a sea. 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. They abstained from food. What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord? He gets on the boat and flees Jerusalem. Its not always easy or fun, but at the end of it, there is a beautiful reward. But have you thought of what you also deserve? Im having trouble understanding the story. 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. Jonah would know that if Nineveh repented, the Lord would not destroy it, and it would remain a threat to Israel. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!. 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). Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive the Jonah character overview. He was then swallowed by a huge fish - his transport to Nineveh. . When he determines to bring punishment on the wicked, he first uses his representatives on earth to issue warnings, for he is eager to see the wicked do what the Ninevites didrepent and change their ways. 3. God has Compassion on All People, not just us. How did Jonah react to Jehovahs mercy on Nineveh? Despite the peoples badness, Jehovah cared about them. So, Yahweh "sent out a great wind on the sea." As a result, Jonah was thrown to the sea and God saved him. He was a prophet in a nation he is proud of. Whenever we come to think that someone is beyond Gods love, or they have committed acts so vile as to be forever separated from God, then it is time for us to return to the book of Jonah. Did that solve Jonahs attitude? TERMS OF USE Knowing that the people of Nineveh were wicked, Jonah naturally wouldn't want to go there to preach. PlusFULL access to my printables vault! He built a little shelter and settled in to waitand to watch Nineveh. Jehovahs righteous anger against Nineveh simply abated. Jonah later wrote: The true God got to see their works, that they had turned back from their bad way; and so the true God felt regret over the calamity that he had spoken of causing to them; and he did not cause it.Jonah 3:10. As he sank deeper and deeper into the sea, he prayed to Jehovah. Jonah admits that he worships the God of heaven and earth and that right now, he is fleeing from God's direct command. The book of Jonah begins with these words: "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.". Rather Jonah became a reluctant prophet because he knew God's grace would overwhelm Israel's enemy. But the plant wasn't an act of divine mercy it was part of a divine lesson. The book of Jonah concludes with a rather enigmatic ending. It is all full of lies and robbery. So, grab your Bible and let's go on an adventure in God's Word! 20 Gods saying that those people did not know right from left suggested their childlike ignorance of divine standards. His spirits lifted. Though He is now in Nineveh, he was just dragging his feet to preach to the people. Use this lesson to lead kids to respond to God's compassion and . 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. 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. (b)What do we learn about Jonah from the preaching work that he carried out? God caught Jonah in a ship and commanded a fish to swallow him. (John 4:11). The Beginning of the story of Jonah brings us the first lesson about missionary service: 1.There are no easy calls. The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. So he goes to Nineveh and calls them to repent or be destroyed. This is an essential characteristic of God. . From inside the fish, Jonah prayed: 'I promise to obey you always.'. With this understanding, Jonahs choice to flee makes sense (in a very short-sighted kind of way) . These people were extremely cruel towards Israel and caused a lot of problem in the past. God plans to bring unity to all things under Christ - Ephesians 1:10. | God knows the future - Isaiah 46:10. You will see how this Jonah Bible study has changed the way I look at obedience and repentance. 19,20. Am I Less Worthy Not Being From the Tribe of Ephraim? acquire the The Prodigal Prophet Jonah And The Mystery Of God member that we present here and check out the link. The 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, are likely infants. We must realize we dont see it all, we dont understand it all. In this post, let us take a deeper look at the Book of Jonah and its many lessons it can teach us about Gods mercy and forgiveness and the role we need to play in doing his work. by Leanne Guenther. Israel on the other hand, was in a "silver age.". We stop there and think of it as a fun story especially for childrens church. 2) That there's no point in striving to achieve something that isn't God's will. No doubt he braced himself for a hostile and violent response. And now, God is sending Him to them. GOD TAUGHT JONAH THE LESSON OF OBEDIENCE Jonah. The Lord controlled the elements of weather (Jon. Hi, welcome to my little piece of cyberspace! 5 Nineveh was ancient, being among the first cities that Nimrod established after the Flood. Jonah found Nineveh to be a huge city full of wrongdoing. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Jonah's preaching was quite short, and he probably wasn't enthusiastic when he preached it: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 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. Liberal scholars might dismiss the story of Jonahs prayer time in a fish belly as riotous rabbinical storytelling, but Jonah would surely protest. Lastly, I get commissions for purchases made through my Amazon affiliate links in this website. The Lord provided a gourd or plant that protected Jonah. Jonah Goes to Nineveh Main Point: We should share God's grace with others. 11 Does this mean that Jehovah decided that his own judgment about Nineveh had been in error? Jonah was under God's observation all along. Jonah was quite content with God's grace and God's love over Israel and over his own life. When God told Jonah what he would say in Nineveh, Jonah rejected the call. It only stopped when Jonah was thrown overboard (see Jonah 1:15). 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. Jonah stays 3 days inside the whale and Jonah cried out to God. When God speaks, it is up to man to obey. 8 The king too responded to Jonahs proclamation. In this sermon, Jerry Gifford deals with how the book of Jonah ends abruptly with a question. Im having trouble understanding the story. MATERIALS: Learning props and toys, craft supplies, music SONG IDEAS:&a The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city. You see, evidence indicates that Jonah wrote the book bearing his name. Then he sent a parching east wind until Jonah began swooning away because of the heat. From the wind to the fishes of the sea, and even pagan sailors, all respond to God in obedience. Now there is potential for a bit of Irony here. What's wrong with the House of Bishops' proposed same-sex prayers? There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses - They stumble over the corpses - because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.". One day, God told the prophet Jonah, "Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. Nineveh was a great wealthy city with many people ( Jonah 4:11 ). Jonah 4:8 "And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, [It is] better for me to die than to live." Covenantal-snobbery was, and can still be, a serious problem with Gods people. Before long, the whole city was talking about Jonahs prophecy of doom. Not to mention I did an Old Testament survey on him as well. Instead, it seems, he was on a downward spiral into a mire of bitterness, self-pity, and wounded pride. 12 Jehovah is nothing like the rigid, cold, even harsh God so often portrayed by religious leaders. 2. Instead, the "sign" we are offered is an invitation to die with Christ so that we can personally begin to experience the new life of the Resurrection. He decides the best thing to do is leave Israel and go in the polar opposite direction to Tarshish, which is said to be near Spain. (b)How did Jehovahs miracles involving a bottle-gourd plant affect Jonah? Did they repent when a prophet preached to them? (John 8:57,58) The truth is, we should never assume that it is impossible for people to repentno matter how vicious they may seem to us. 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. Sometimes when we read Jonah we shake our heads and go seesh really? He gets tossed around by a storm and swallowed by a whale (or big fishwhatever floats your boat). 1) That while our love for others fail, God's compassion knows no ends. 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. "Lest we forget lest we forget!". 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 Where can I fleefrom your presence? Jonahs story may help us to take an honest look at ourselves. You see, the Day of Atonement is a reminder that part of humbling ourselves and repenting of our sins is to do the work God has called us to do. She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. God told Jonah what He wanted Jonah to do. Notice, Nineveh is northeast of Israel and Tarshish is in the west. What does a man swallowed by a big fish thousands of years ago have to do with the Day of Atonement?