Jonah

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The Book Of Jonah

One of the best-known stories from Sunday School is Jonah, and one of my favorite movies is VeggieTales, “Jonah The Movie”. I love movies with talking animals. So, talking animals and vegetables made it all that much better. If you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it.

This week, while reading for the Reflecting The Son series there were a lot of topics to choose from and it was hard to choose what to write, but then I got to Jonah and I have always looked at this book from the children’s story aspect and not really from the actual reading of it.

Running From God’s Call

Much like Jonah, have you ever wanted to run from what God has asked you to do? When I knew God had called me to go to the middle east, I knew without a doubt I was going, but did everything in my power to convince Him other people were more qualified and it was not a smart idea for a mom of three to go into a possibly dangerous situation. I went, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Jonah ran from God and not just in his thoughts, but physically. God had called Jonah to prophesy to Nineveh, which was to the east. Jonah caught a boat and aimed for Tarshish, which was in Spain and the farthest west he could go.

Nineveh

Jonah was one of the few prophets we read about that came from the northern kingdom of Israel. God wanted Jonah to prophesy to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, who captured Israel and took them into exile. The Israelites were not fond of the Ninevites and certainly did not want to prophesy to them. Now hold on to this thought as we go to another.

Dead Or Alive?

Now this really got me. When listening to my favorite Bible teacher, Dr. Bill Creasy, he mentioned that Jonah actually died for three days. Well, that was not what I learned in the children’s versions. In those versions, Jonah prayed and wrestled with God for three days before coming out of the fish.

I know someone could not survive living in a fish, but we are talking about God here. He can make anything happen, right? Let’s jump to the book of Matthew for a moment.

“One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, ‘Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.’”

“But Jesus replied, ‘Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.’”

Matthew 12:38-40 NLT

Jonah died in the belly of a fish for three days, just like Jesus was in the tomb, dead for three days. When the fish spit him out on dry land, God miraculously brought him back to life. God also put him back on the shore of Israel, right where he started.

I love how the prophesy of the prophets share what happened within their time frame, but also prophesied about Jesus and end-time events. I had never thought about Jonah also doing this. His death and resurrection is the foreshadowing of Jesus. Wow!

Back To Nineveh

Now, back to that original thought. After being placed back on the shore, Jonah went and begrudgingly shared God’s message to the people of Nineveh. Unlike most of the prophecies we read, the Ninevites repented.

Jonah knew God would do this, and that is why he did not want to do it. He did not think they deserved what God would do for them.

"I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love." Jonah 4:3 Click To Tweet

“So he complained to the Lord about it: ‘Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.’”

Jonah 4:2-3 NLT

When Life Does Not Feel Fair

Haven’t we all been in Jonah’s shoes? None of us wants to admit we do not want God to move in someone else’s life, but I am sure deep inside we have felt that. Whether it was a jealousy that someone got a gift you wanted and you felt rejected by God, or someone who wronged you God did something miraculous in your life, or on a larger scale a country that wronged another and God showed favor on the enemy.

Life does not always feel fair. I know I have wondered why someone else experienced healing before me. I felt left behind or that God loved them more, but I know that is not true. All of this before is amazing, but you know what I think is even greater about this story?

He Still Provides

Even when Jonah was whining and complaining, and watching to see if God might actually destroy Nineveh, God grew a plant and provided shade. Even when we struggle and may feel slighted by God, He is still there and He is still providing for our needs, even when we may not see it.

When Jonah did not see all God had done for him and continued to complain and get angry with God, He took the shelter away. God is with us, even when our heart is not in the right place, but if we continue not to see God’s side, we may see the consequences of our actions.

[God speaking] “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Jonah 4:11 NLT

The End Of The Story

We don’t get to know the end of this story, but it shows us that God sees everyone. Even those that may have hurt us, He still sees something we can’t and loves them. This story encourages me to pray for God to let me see others, even my enemies, as He does. To see the person as another person created by God and loved by Him. Each person deserves a chance at salvation.