My Sunday School class worked through the first 2 chapters of Jonah last week and we are going to read the last 2 this week. I am amazed at the things I see reading this as an adult that you just don't hear or notice reading this familiar story as a child.
1. Jonah didn't argue with God. He simply walked away and expected everything to work out for him. Really?
2. The sailors on the ship were more able to cry out to Jonah's God than he was. A prophet of God was silent towards God in the storm.
3. Those sailors knew it was Jonah and they still tried to find another way instead of throwing him over!
Today I'm reminded of the repentance of Ninevah and then Matthew 12:41. Christ is talking to the pharisees who have asked for a sign. Jesus says that they won't get any other sign that the sign of Jonah (three days and nights in the belly of the fish). He then point out that the Ninevites will themselves condemn their generation because they heard Jonah and repented. Yet, they had Jesus Christ, who is greater than Jonah, and they were not believing.
So do we....so do our loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc. We have Jesus Christ and his messages, we have the rest of the Bible, and yet many don't believe. Was it the number of days? Jonah told them they had 40 days and it would be over. I think that if someone showed up today and preached that they would be laughed out of town. The Ninevites were a very wicked people and yet they heard the preaching of Jonah and they repented!!
What about the Bible would you prefer to ignore than to repent and change something in your life? Are we going to be the seed (in the parable of the sower) that fell among thorns and the cares of this world choked out the Word or will have understood it and be able to bear fruit?
To God be the glory!!!
1. Jonah didn't argue with God. He simply walked away and expected everything to work out for him. Really?
2. The sailors on the ship were more able to cry out to Jonah's God than he was. A prophet of God was silent towards God in the storm.
3. Those sailors knew it was Jonah and they still tried to find another way instead of throwing him over!
Today I'm reminded of the repentance of Ninevah and then Matthew 12:41. Christ is talking to the pharisees who have asked for a sign. Jesus says that they won't get any other sign that the sign of Jonah (three days and nights in the belly of the fish). He then point out that the Ninevites will themselves condemn their generation because they heard Jonah and repented. Yet, they had Jesus Christ, who is greater than Jonah, and they were not believing.
So do we....so do our loved ones, friends, co-workers, etc. We have Jesus Christ and his messages, we have the rest of the Bible, and yet many don't believe. Was it the number of days? Jonah told them they had 40 days and it would be over. I think that if someone showed up today and preached that they would be laughed out of town. The Ninevites were a very wicked people and yet they heard the preaching of Jonah and they repented!!
What about the Bible would you prefer to ignore than to repent and change something in your life? Are we going to be the seed (in the parable of the sower) that fell among thorns and the cares of this world choked out the Word or will have understood it and be able to bear fruit?
To God be the glory!!!
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