July 17, 2025 • 18 mins
In this Bible Story, Jonah is appointed to preach to the great and wicked city of Nineveh. However, Jonah’s hatred is deep so Jonah runs from the will of God and boards a ship towards Tarshish. God sends a storm to catch up to Jonah, and Jonah is taken by the sea. In the deep, he's then swallowed up by a large fish, and remains in its belly for three days. This story is inspired by Jonah 1-2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Jonah 1:2 from the King James Version.
Episode 143: Jonah, now on dry land, is once again confronted by the voice of God telling him to go to Nineveh. Though it was not his desire, he obeyed. When he finally arrived he gave a sermon and left to watch the city burn. However, to his amazement, the entire city of Nineveh, even their king repented. Furious at this change of events, Jonah, sulked outside the city cursing God for his goodness and mercy. In reply, God gives both him and us a lesson of what it means to have mercy and love what God loves.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
Producer: Ben Gammon
Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham
Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
and cry against it for their wickedness is come up
before me Jonah one two, My God. When I hear
the whisper of your voice like a cool breeze, I
(00:21):
will heed your commands and come into alignment with your
heart's desire. I will not take the position of Jonah
in my life by looking out for myself and ignoring
the plans you have for me. Through my obedience, I
am securing myself from being thrown overboard in the storm
(00:42):
of life and from causing others to suffer as a
result of my disobedience. No matter how reluctant I might feel,
through my faithfulness to you, no fish will be needed
to get me to the place You've called me to go.
Instead of being thrown up, I will grow up and
(01:04):
acknowledge that you are in control of my life, and
as I submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow.
Instead of being thrown up, I will grow up and
acknowledge that you are in control of my life, and
as I submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow.
(01:30):
In Jesus' name, Amen, thanks for making prayer a priority
in your life to hear the Bible come to life.
Stay tuned for the Bible in a Year, brought to
you by Bible in a Year.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Dot Com Jonah and the Fish.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
In our last story, we said goodbye to the Elisha
along with the prophet. Was the end of the era
of kings. The nations of Judah and Israel continued to
wrestle with God. Their hearts were in a continual state
of drawing near and far from Him. Soon a great
(02:17):
threat would arise to take Israel captive. This was a
threat they were not prepared for. Now we learn about
the prophet Jonah. Unlike the prophets before him and after him,
Jonah was a prophet that actively ran away from the
Lord's calling on his life. Soon Jonah would be consumed
(02:39):
by his own disobedience and learn the true meaning of
closeness to God in the belly of a giant fish.
Inspired by the Book of Jonah.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year. In yesterday's scripture, we heard of
the downward spiral of Israel, who, under King Jehoahs and
later his son Jehoash, continued to turn to foreign gods.
Facing defeat after defeat from outside enemies, Israel would soon
face a great fall like they had never seen before,
(03:13):
as God judged them for their stubbornness and sinful behavior.
Today we'll hear about an unwilling prophet by the name
of Jonah who was sent to a wicked people to
call them to repentance. God's call for Jonah to preach
in Nineveh will highlight just how merciful our God is,
not only to the Jewish people, but to everyone. Let's
(03:35):
listen now to the reading of God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Jonah watched as the gentle tide rolled in from the sea.
The morning breeze was cool on his face and filled
his lungs with fresh air. He watched the water rise
and fall to the rhythm of the tide. Jonah was
a man who valued his peace. Although he was a
prophet of God, he was not like Elijah or Elisha.
(04:02):
Jonah valued harmony above all. During the crisis of King Jeroboam,
Jonah prophesied that he would win all of his battles
and bring victory to his kingdom. He did this because
he did not want to tell the king something he
did not want to hear. Jonah saved his own reputation
and safety. The prophet Amos eventually rebuked him and told
(04:26):
the king that he would certainly lose his battle and
his kingdom. Jonah was not ashamed of these things. He
knew that he must look out for his own peace
and his own comfort first. So Jonah sat staring out
at the sea, enjoying his blissful mourning without quarrel or stress.
(04:48):
Jonah closed his eyes and allowed the morning sun to
shine on his face. He could hear the waves slowly
crashing on the shore and the sound of birds chirping
in the air. With his eyes still closed, Jonah could
hear another peculiar sound. A whisper came in with the breeze.
The voice was gentle, but clear and strong. Jonah could
(05:13):
sense the presence of God drawing closer. Arise, God said.
Jonah's forehead began to wrinkle as he listened to the words,
go inland to the great city of Nineveh. They have
fallen into a great deal of wickedness. Go and point
out their evil so they can repent. Then the voice
(05:36):
of the Lord trailed off with the breeze. Jonah opened
his eyes and stood to his feet. No Jonah thought
to himself, absolutely not. Jonah would not help the wicked
people of Nineveh. Jonah had a deep seated hatred for them.
Pain and contempt harbored in his heart like an old
(05:57):
ship without a sail. He would not preach the word
of God to them. He would not help them. He
would not allow them to be spared. Jonah knew they
deserved to die, and he wanted no part in whatever
redemptive plan he had in store. So Jonah boarded a
ship to Joppa that was setting sail for Tarshish. He
(06:20):
paid the fare and ventured off with a crew of
gentile sailors. Tarshis was the furthest city from Nineph. There
he would seek safety from the uncomfortable and dangerous call
of God. Jonah watched Israel become smaller and smaller as
they sailed away. Jonah sighed and decided to go down
(06:40):
and sleep. As Jonah slumbered, clouds were rolling in from
the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The waves began to
chop at the side of the boat. The clouds grew darker,
and thunder echoed across the waters. Lightning struck dangerously close
to the ship, and the wind began to howl with
great fools. Jonah could not outrun God. The sailors tugged
(07:05):
at the ropes, trying to keep the sails from tearing
to shreds. The boat was taking on water and the
waves were threatening to destroy the entire vessel. Each sailor
grew more and more fearful. They had never experienced such
a storm. Each man prayed to his own God, desperately
asking for mercy. As the frightened mariners prayed for their lives.
(07:30):
Jonah was fast asleep in the brig, content in his
disobedience to God. The captain burst open the doors and
awoke Jonah. How could you be sleeping, the captain wailed,
Get up. You better be praying to your God as
we are praying to ours. Perhaps yours were actually answered.
Jonah rose from his cart and walked up to the deck.
(07:53):
He fell forward as the waves shook the boat. Jonah
looked up and saw a mighty tempest surrounding him. The
cold wind felt like a razor blade on his face,
and the rain drummed against the wood of the ship.
Jonah knew what was happening. God had found him. There
would be no escape. The crew gathered lots to see
(08:14):
who was responsible for the unprecedented story. They cast them
on to the deck, and the lot fell on Jonah.
They looked at him in disgust. Who are you, they shouted,
tell us why this evil has come upon us? Where
do you come from? And why are you here. Jonah's
lips quivered slightly. He looked at the men and said,
(08:36):
I am a Hebrew. You worship gods of water, wind
or land, But I worshiped the God who has made
the water, wind and land, and I am running from him.
The men were exceedingly afraid they were harboring a man
who was fleeing the almighty creator of the sea. Even they,
in their limited knowledge of God, knew that Jonah made
(08:59):
a big state. Joining then, what are we supposed to
do with you?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
They asked.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Jonah looked out at the vast sea raging. It was
growing more violent by the minute. These sailors would be
under water in less than an hour unless Jonah did something.
He took a deep breath and said, throw me in.
The men gasped for a moment. Pick me up and
hurl me into the sea. The storm should quiet after that,
(09:30):
Lord forgive us and do not hold this man's life
against us, the men cried out as they threw Jonah
into the water. Jonah was hurled into the air and
then surrounded by the raging sea. The men repented and
bowed before God. They worshiped him and made vows of
devotion to him. The gentile men had more repentant hearts
(09:52):
than Jonah himself. The waters continued to thrash in every direction.
Jonah swam to the best of his ability, but was
eventually consumed by the dark and vast ocean. He fell
deeper and deeper into the depths. Jonah closed his eyes,
embracing his inevitable demise. Even now surrounded by a storm,
(10:14):
Jonah was happy he wasn't in Nineveh. As Jonah was
ready to welcome death, a large shadow loomed over him.
He opened his eyes in terror. A gargantuan fish was
swimming towards him. Jonah screamed, but the sound was trapped
by the water surrounding him, and in an instant he
was consumed by the scaly gray. Jonah awoke in darkness.
(10:39):
He could barely move and could see nothing around him.
The stench of rotting fish and stomach acid filled his nostrils.
He could hear nothing but his own panicked breathing. For hours,
he lamented his own undoing. He tried to escape, with
no success. He was trapped in an underwater tomb. Hours passed,
(11:01):
then a day. Hunger and thirst consumed him, and he
could feel his joints beginning to cramp in place. Yet
there was this peace that Jonah felt. During the second day,
surrounded by darkness, Jonah began to feel the presence of God.
Joy welled up inside Jonah and he began to sing
to the Lord. I called to God in my time
(11:25):
of need, and he answered me. From the belly of
the grave, I cried, and he heard. You cast me
into the depths. O Lord, you threw me into the
heart of the seas, and your waves crashed over me.
I am driven away from you, but I will set
my eyes upon your temple. The waters have closed in
(11:45):
to kill me. The deep has surrounded me, the weeds
are wrapping around my neck. Yet I will praise and
give thanks to you, my God. On the third day,
as Jonah accepted his place with God and the sea,
he felt a surge come through the belly of the fish,
rumbling surrounded Jonah, and he looked up to see a
(12:07):
faint light. The fish threw Jonah up, and once again
he found himself surrounded by water. It consumed him, but
he could still see a light above him. He swam
towards it. His bones were sore and his body was weak,
but he swam with all his might. Then Jonah emerged
out of the water. He gasped for air. The sun
(12:29):
was shining brightly, and Jonah could see the soft sand
only a few yards away. He clawed his way to
shore and basted in freedom. A tired laughter came across
Jonah as he allowed the gentle breeze to tickle his face.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Again.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
He was spared for a purpose, a purpose he was
still reluctant to accept.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Today's scripture is a very familiar story to so many people.
It is God's work about a prophet by the name
of Jonah. We discovered very quickly that not all prophet
were as obedience or quick to obey as great men
like Nathan or Elijah or Elisha, who spoke God's truth
to people powerfully, knowing very well that it could even
(13:17):
cost them their lives. These were faithful men from the start,
but Jonah was nothing like these men. So when God
called him to go to a gentile land, a very
violent and wicked city called Nineveh, and to call the
people there to repent and to revival, what did he do?
Did he object or ask God why, or share his
(13:38):
fears or frustrations with God? No? He ran. He was
a runaway, would be prophet? Now, before we judge him
too quickly. How many times have some of us run
from the will of God in our lives? How many
times have we refused to obey God? But Jonah wasn't
acting just out of self preservation calling this man to
(14:01):
go to the gentiles. They were enemies, very violent enemies
of Israel. Surely they deserve whatever judgment and devastation was
coming their way. Why would God want to save the
wicked Ninevites anyway? So instead of obeying God, Jonah headed
to the nearest port and caught a ship in the
(14:21):
opposite direction of Nineveh, a boat headed to Tarshis. It,
of course, was a very feutile attempt to run from God,
because it is impossible to run from God, and it
wasn't long before the Lord came after him. His boat
ride away from God's will soon hit rough seas. The
vessel was tossed about in a storm in the waves,
(14:43):
terrifying the sailors, who began praying to their false gods.
They woke up Jonah, who somehow managed to sleep through
the terra and urged him to pray to his own
god lest they all die. But pray as they might,
the seas just got rougher and rougher. Desperate, the sailors
decided to cast lots to decide who was responsible for
their situations, someone to blame, and of course, by that time,
(15:07):
Jonah most certainly knew it was all his fault. He
was the runaway and he was the problem. And when
they cast lots, this was confirmed. So Jonah confessed. He
came clean and said that he served the Hebrew God,
the creator of the sea and the dry land, and
he was fleeing from him. Jonah knew that there was
only one solution. He was to be thrown overboard to
(15:30):
save the men and satisfy God's judgment. The sailors at
first resisted this suggestion, doing all they could do to
row the boat to safety and calm, but all of
their efforts were in vain. Finally, they gave in, and
they threw Jonah into the sea. Immediately the waters were still,
all was calm. Even in this moment, God had shown
(15:54):
these pagan sailors that he was indeed God of heaven
and earth, of the land, and the seas, of the soul,
and the storms. They fell before God, offering sacrifices and
vows to this one God who could calm the raging seas.
One day the disciples of Jesus would witness this same
God in the person of Jesus Christ, calming the seas
(16:16):
and stilling the storm when he said peace be still. Jonah,
of course, would have been lost, drowned in the deep waters,
had God not mercifully provided a rescue. Jonah one point
seventeen says this, And the Lord appointed a great fish
to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly
(16:36):
of the fish three days and three nights. You might
think that being swallowed by a giant fish was God's punishment,
when in reality it was God's rescue plan. Was it terrifying,
of course, was it very unpleasant, yes, without a doubt.
But what was the alternative for Jonah being swallowed by
(16:57):
the deep, dying alone and never having fulfilled his purpose
in life or to find in God a rescue plan.
The fish was a second chance for Jonah, and as
he awoke in the belly of the fish, he sang
a song of praise and adoration to God. Just like
the Ninevites, Jonah did not deserve to be spared his
gruesome fate, and yet as he worshiped God, he sang
(17:20):
to the Lord, Salvation belongs to the Lord. And that
is a great truth that we always must remember, that
salvation always comes from God. At God's command, the fish
through Jonah up on the shore. Perhaps now this reluctant
prophet was ready to announce to the people of Nineveh
that they also could repent and find salvation in God.
(17:44):
That's what we'll find out in tomorrow's reading. Dear God,
we thank you that you are always the God of
the second chance and as many chances as we need
when we truly confess our sins and come to you.
We thank you for the Cross and the promise of salvation.
We know that salvation comes from you, and you only
thank you for your son Jesus Christ, who died, who
(18:07):
was buried and on the third day rose again, so
that this good news message could be delivered to the
whole world. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible
in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
Download thepray dot com app and make Bible study and
prayer the priority of your life. And if you enjoyed
(18:28):
this podcast, share it with someone you love because by
sharing the Word of God, you can make a huge
difference in someone's life. And let me encourage you to
go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot
org to find multiple resources, many resources for your Christian
walk and life. God bless you and have a great day.
Let us pray arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
and cry against it for their wickedness is come up
before me Jonah one two, My God. When I hear
the whisper of your voice like a cool breeze, I
(00:21):
will heed your commands and come into alignment with your
heart's desire. I will not take the position of Jonah
in my life by looking out for myself and ignoring
the plans you have for me. Through my obedience, I
am securing myself from being thrown overboard in the storm
(00:42):
of life and from causing others to suffer as a
result of my disobedience. No matter how reluctant I might feel,
through my faithfulness to you, no fish will be needed
to get me to the place You've called me to go.
Instead of being thrown up, I will grow up and
(01:04):
acknowledge that you are in control of my life, and
as I submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow.
Instead of being thrown up, I will grow up and
acknowledge that you are in control of my life, and
as I submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow.
(01:30):
In Jesus' name, Amen, thanks for making prayer a priority
in your life to hear the Bible come to life.
Stay tuned for the Bible in a Year, brought to
you by Bible in a Year.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Dot Com Jonah and the Fish.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
In our last story, we said goodbye to the Elisha
along with the prophet. Was the end of the era
of kings. The nations of Judah and Israel continued to
wrestle with God. Their hearts were in a continual state
of drawing near and far from Him. Soon a great
(02:17):
threat would arise to take Israel captive. This was a
threat they were not prepared for. Now we learn about
the prophet Jonah. Unlike the prophets before him and after him,
Jonah was a prophet that actively ran away from the
Lord's calling on his life. Soon Jonah would be consumed
(02:39):
by his own disobedience and learn the true meaning of
closeness to God in the belly of a giant fish.
Inspired by the Book of Jonah.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year. In yesterday's scripture, we heard of
the downward spiral of Israel, who, under King Jehoahs and
later his son Jehoash, continued to turn to foreign gods.
Facing defeat after defeat from outside enemies, Israel would soon
face a great fall like they had never seen before,
(03:13):
as God judged them for their stubbornness and sinful behavior.
Today we'll hear about an unwilling prophet by the name
of Jonah who was sent to a wicked people to
call them to repentance. God's call for Jonah to preach
in Nineveh will highlight just how merciful our God is,
not only to the Jewish people, but to everyone. Let's
(03:35):
listen now to the reading of God's word.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Jonah watched as the gentle tide rolled in from the sea.
The morning breeze was cool on his face and filled
his lungs with fresh air. He watched the water rise
and fall to the rhythm of the tide. Jonah was
a man who valued his peace. Although he was a
prophet of God, he was not like Elijah or Elisha.
(04:02):
Jonah valued harmony above all. During the crisis of King Jeroboam,
Jonah prophesied that he would win all of his battles
and bring victory to his kingdom. He did this because
he did not want to tell the king something he
did not want to hear. Jonah saved his own reputation
and safety. The prophet Amos eventually rebuked him and told
(04:26):
the king that he would certainly lose his battle and
his kingdom. Jonah was not ashamed of these things. He
knew that he must look out for his own peace
and his own comfort first. So Jonah sat staring out
at the sea, enjoying his blissful mourning without quarrel or stress.
(04:48):
Jonah closed his eyes and allowed the morning sun to
shine on his face. He could hear the waves slowly
crashing on the shore and the sound of birds chirping
in the air. With his eyes still closed, Jonah could
hear another peculiar sound. A whisper came in with the breeze.
The voice was gentle, but clear and strong. Jonah could
(05:13):
sense the presence of God drawing closer. Arise, God said.
Jonah's forehead began to wrinkle as he listened to the words,
go inland to the great city of Nineveh. They have
fallen into a great deal of wickedness. Go and point
out their evil so they can repent. Then the voice
(05:36):
of the Lord trailed off with the breeze. Jonah opened
his eyes and stood to his feet. No Jonah thought
to himself, absolutely not. Jonah would not help the wicked
people of Nineveh. Jonah had a deep seated hatred for them.
Pain and contempt harbored in his heart like an old
(05:57):
ship without a sail. He would not preach the word
of God to them. He would not help them. He
would not allow them to be spared. Jonah knew they
deserved to die, and he wanted no part in whatever
redemptive plan he had in store. So Jonah boarded a
ship to Joppa that was setting sail for Tarshish. He
(06:20):
paid the fare and ventured off with a crew of
gentile sailors. Tarshis was the furthest city from Nineph. There
he would seek safety from the uncomfortable and dangerous call
of God. Jonah watched Israel become smaller and smaller as
they sailed away. Jonah sighed and decided to go down
(06:40):
and sleep. As Jonah slumbered, clouds were rolling in from
the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The waves began to
chop at the side of the boat. The clouds grew darker,
and thunder echoed across the waters. Lightning struck dangerously close
to the ship, and the wind began to howl with
great fools. Jonah could not outrun God. The sailors tugged
(07:05):
at the ropes, trying to keep the sails from tearing
to shreds. The boat was taking on water and the
waves were threatening to destroy the entire vessel. Each sailor
grew more and more fearful. They had never experienced such
a storm. Each man prayed to his own God, desperately
asking for mercy. As the frightened mariners prayed for their lives.
(07:30):
Jonah was fast asleep in the brig, content in his
disobedience to God. The captain burst open the doors and
awoke Jonah. How could you be sleeping, the captain wailed,
Get up. You better be praying to your God as
we are praying to ours. Perhaps yours were actually answered.
Jonah rose from his cart and walked up to the deck.
(07:53):
He fell forward as the waves shook the boat. Jonah
looked up and saw a mighty tempest surrounding him. The
cold wind felt like a razor blade on his face,
and the rain drummed against the wood of the ship.
Jonah knew what was happening. God had found him. There
would be no escape. The crew gathered lots to see
(08:14):
who was responsible for the unprecedented story. They cast them
on to the deck, and the lot fell on Jonah.
They looked at him in disgust. Who are you, they shouted,
tell us why this evil has come upon us? Where
do you come from? And why are you here. Jonah's
lips quivered slightly. He looked at the men and said,
(08:36):
I am a Hebrew. You worship gods of water, wind
or land, But I worshiped the God who has made
the water, wind and land, and I am running from him.
The men were exceedingly afraid they were harboring a man
who was fleeing the almighty creator of the sea. Even they,
in their limited knowledge of God, knew that Jonah made
(08:59):
a big state. Joining then, what are we supposed to
do with you?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
They asked.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Jonah looked out at the vast sea raging. It was
growing more violent by the minute. These sailors would be
under water in less than an hour unless Jonah did something.
He took a deep breath and said, throw me in.
The men gasped for a moment. Pick me up and
hurl me into the sea. The storm should quiet after that,
(09:30):
Lord forgive us and do not hold this man's life
against us, the men cried out as they threw Jonah
into the water. Jonah was hurled into the air and
then surrounded by the raging sea. The men repented and
bowed before God. They worshiped him and made vows of
devotion to him. The gentile men had more repentant hearts
(09:52):
than Jonah himself. The waters continued to thrash in every direction.
Jonah swam to the best of his ability, but was
eventually consumed by the dark and vast ocean. He fell
deeper and deeper into the depths. Jonah closed his eyes,
embracing his inevitable demise. Even now surrounded by a storm,
(10:14):
Jonah was happy he wasn't in Nineveh. As Jonah was
ready to welcome death, a large shadow loomed over him.
He opened his eyes in terror. A gargantuan fish was
swimming towards him. Jonah screamed, but the sound was trapped
by the water surrounding him, and in an instant he
was consumed by the scaly gray. Jonah awoke in darkness.
(10:39):
He could barely move and could see nothing around him.
The stench of rotting fish and stomach acid filled his nostrils.
He could hear nothing but his own panicked breathing. For hours,
he lamented his own undoing. He tried to escape, with
no success. He was trapped in an underwater tomb. Hours passed,
(11:01):
then a day. Hunger and thirst consumed him, and he
could feel his joints beginning to cramp in place. Yet
there was this peace that Jonah felt. During the second day,
surrounded by darkness, Jonah began to feel the presence of God.
Joy welled up inside Jonah and he began to sing
to the Lord. I called to God in my time
(11:25):
of need, and he answered me. From the belly of
the grave, I cried, and he heard. You cast me
into the depths. O Lord, you threw me into the
heart of the seas, and your waves crashed over me.
I am driven away from you, but I will set
my eyes upon your temple. The waters have closed in
(11:45):
to kill me. The deep has surrounded me, the weeds
are wrapping around my neck. Yet I will praise and
give thanks to you, my God. On the third day,
as Jonah accepted his place with God and the sea,
he felt a surge come through the belly of the fish,
rumbling surrounded Jonah, and he looked up to see a
(12:07):
faint light. The fish threw Jonah up, and once again
he found himself surrounded by water. It consumed him, but
he could still see a light above him. He swam
towards it. His bones were sore and his body was weak,
but he swam with all his might. Then Jonah emerged
out of the water. He gasped for air. The sun
(12:29):
was shining brightly, and Jonah could see the soft sand
only a few yards away. He clawed his way to
shore and basted in freedom. A tired laughter came across
Jonah as he allowed the gentle breeze to tickle his face.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Again.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
He was spared for a purpose, a purpose he was
still reluctant to accept.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Today's scripture is a very familiar story to so many people.
It is God's work about a prophet by the name
of Jonah. We discovered very quickly that not all prophet
were as obedience or quick to obey as great men
like Nathan or Elijah or Elisha, who spoke God's truth
to people powerfully, knowing very well that it could even
(13:17):
cost them their lives. These were faithful men from the start,
but Jonah was nothing like these men. So when God
called him to go to a gentile land, a very
violent and wicked city called Nineveh, and to call the
people there to repent and to revival, what did he do?
Did he object or ask God why, or share his
(13:38):
fears or frustrations with God? No? He ran. He was
a runaway, would be prophet? Now, before we judge him
too quickly. How many times have some of us run
from the will of God in our lives? How many
times have we refused to obey God? But Jonah wasn't
acting just out of self preservation calling this man to
(14:01):
go to the gentiles. They were enemies, very violent enemies
of Israel. Surely they deserve whatever judgment and devastation was
coming their way. Why would God want to save the
wicked Ninevites anyway? So instead of obeying God, Jonah headed
to the nearest port and caught a ship in the
(14:21):
opposite direction of Nineveh, a boat headed to Tarshis. It,
of course, was a very feutile attempt to run from God,
because it is impossible to run from God, and it
wasn't long before the Lord came after him. His boat
ride away from God's will soon hit rough seas. The
vessel was tossed about in a storm in the waves,
(14:43):
terrifying the sailors, who began praying to their false gods.
They woke up Jonah, who somehow managed to sleep through
the terra and urged him to pray to his own
god lest they all die. But pray as they might,
the seas just got rougher and rougher. Desperate, the sailors
decided to cast lots to decide who was responsible for
their situations, someone to blame, and of course, by that time,
(15:07):
Jonah most certainly knew it was all his fault. He
was the runaway and he was the problem. And when
they cast lots, this was confirmed. So Jonah confessed. He
came clean and said that he served the Hebrew God,
the creator of the sea and the dry land, and
he was fleeing from him. Jonah knew that there was
only one solution. He was to be thrown overboard to
(15:30):
save the men and satisfy God's judgment. The sailors at
first resisted this suggestion, doing all they could do to
row the boat to safety and calm, but all of
their efforts were in vain. Finally, they gave in, and
they threw Jonah into the sea. Immediately the waters were still,
all was calm. Even in this moment, God had shown
(15:54):
these pagan sailors that he was indeed God of heaven
and earth, of the land, and the seas, of the soul,
and the storms. They fell before God, offering sacrifices and
vows to this one God who could calm the raging seas.
One day the disciples of Jesus would witness this same
God in the person of Jesus Christ, calming the seas
(16:16):
and stilling the storm when he said peace be still. Jonah,
of course, would have been lost, drowned in the deep waters,
had God not mercifully provided a rescue. Jonah one point
seventeen says this, And the Lord appointed a great fish
to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly
(16:36):
of the fish three days and three nights. You might
think that being swallowed by a giant fish was God's punishment,
when in reality it was God's rescue plan. Was it terrifying,
of course, was it very unpleasant, yes, without a doubt.
But what was the alternative for Jonah being swallowed by
(16:57):
the deep, dying alone and never having fulfilled his purpose
in life or to find in God a rescue plan.
The fish was a second chance for Jonah, and as
he awoke in the belly of the fish, he sang
a song of praise and adoration to God. Just like
the Ninevites, Jonah did not deserve to be spared his
gruesome fate, and yet as he worshiped God, he sang
(17:20):
to the Lord, Salvation belongs to the Lord. And that
is a great truth that we always must remember, that
salvation always comes from God. At God's command, the fish
through Jonah up on the shore. Perhaps now this reluctant
prophet was ready to announce to the people of Nineveh
that they also could repent and find salvation in God.
(17:44):
That's what we'll find out in tomorrow's reading. Dear God,
we thank you that you are always the God of
the second chance and as many chances as we need
when we truly confess our sins and come to you.
We thank you for the Cross and the promise of salvation.
We know that salvation comes from you, and you only
thank you for your son Jesus Christ, who died, who
(18:07):
was buried and on the third day rose again, so
that this good news message could be delivered to the
whole world. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible
in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
Download thepray dot com app and make Bible study and
prayer the priority of your life. And if you enjoyed
(18:28):
this podcast, share it with someone you love because by
sharing the Word of God, you can make a huge
difference in someone's life. And let me encourage you to
go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot
org to find multiple resources, many resources for your Christian
walk and life. God bless you and have a great day.
Host
Jack Graham
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