Jonah 1; 2:10-3:3; 3:10-4:4
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who...humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
(Philippians 2:5, 6a)
Don't dismiss the book of Jonah as just a kids' story. It is still relevant to any age of 21st century believers.
Jonah was a prophet of God with a joyless attitude. When he received God's instructions to call Nineveh to repentance, he hopped on a boat - headed in the opposite direction. God sent a deadly storm. Jonah was thrown overboard to save the ship and crew. Rescued by a God-sent giant fish, Jonah spent three days in its belly - three days of reflection and three days that would point us ahead to Jesus who Himself was three days in the grave before His resurrection. Jonah prayed and vowed sacrifices to God, yet his attitude remained poor.
After the fish spit him out, God gave Jonah another chance. This time he did preach to the Ninevites who then repented. And Jonah was angry. He sulked and did not like God's agenda.
Sometimes we do God's work grudgingly, too. Or we ignore His call altogether. How is your journey going? Does your agenda align with God's map? Is your attitude like Jesus'?
INSIGHT
"Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes."
(Oswald Chambers)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Esther 1-2
Psalm 38
Luke 1
Jonah 1
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish . He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. ”
10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried to the Lord, “O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.
17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
ah 2:10-3:3
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days.
Jonah 3:10-4:4
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
4 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
THE VICTORY OF GOD
A day of victory is coming for Christians. Not because we will win a victory, but because Christ already has. Have you ever thought about what that day of victory will be like?
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