April 1, 2025 • 21 mins
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Jonah's story reveals God's extraordinary mercy, not just for Israel but for people who didn't know Him at all, challenging our understanding of divine compassion.
• Jonah was a real historical prophet from the 8th century BC mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25
• Jesus directly links his death and resurrection to Jonah's three days in the fish (Matthew 12:38-41)
• The book of Jonah uniquely focuses on the prophet's personal story rather than his messages
• Nineveh was part of Assyria, one of Israel's most feared enemies, known for brutality
• Jonah ran from God not out of fear, but because he didn't want God to show mercy to Nineveh
• The entire city of Nineveh repented after hearing Jonah's brief message
• Jonah became angry at God's compassion, revealing his spiritual superiority
• God used a plant, worm, and hot sun as an object lesson about misplaced priorities
• God's mercy often challenges our sense of justice and reveals our own prejudices
• Four key messages: God's mercy can reach anyone, extends beyond borders, may offend our sense of justice, and requires us to share His heart
If you've appreciated this exploration of Jonah, join us next time as we step into Isaiah's powerful message of judgment, hope, and the coming Savior.
Sources:
- Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. (n.d.). Jonah [Sermon]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/8NFrejSeEQA?si=Y1phiIQncCQP3MxZ
- Elliot, B. R., Smith, C., & Weidemann, V. (1997). Book introductions (D. Lucas, Ed.). In Thompson Chain Treasure Study Bible. Kirkbride Bible Company.
- Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. (2002). How to read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour. Zondervan.
- Galan, B., & Curiel, J. (n.d.). Bible Overview .
- Garrett, D. A. (2013). Explore the Bible: Adult Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Jonah (Winter 2012–13): Revealing the Heart of God. LifeWay Christian Resources.
- Hays, J. D. (2010). The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament. Zondervan.
- MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2010). The MacArthur study Bible (Rev. ed.). Thomas Nelson.
- Nelson, T. (Ed.). (2011). The NIV, Open Bible: Complete Reference System. Thomas Nelson.
- Youngblood, K. J. (2015). Jonah (D. I. Block, Ed.). Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament (p. 37). Zondervan.
- Youngblood, K. J. (2019). Jonah: God’s Scandalous Mercy (2nd ed., D. I. Block, Ed.). Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament. Zondervan Academic.
- The Word in Life Study Bible. (1996). Thomas Nelson.
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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unles
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jacqui (00:12):
Greetings listeners.
Today we're unpacking one ofthe most well-known and most
misunderstood stories in theBible the story of Jonah.
Now, when most people hearJonah, they think big fish, but
there's so much more to thisbook than just a miraculous sea
(00:34):
rescue.
The book of Jonah is actually apowerful story about God's
mercy, not just for Jonah andnot just for Israel.
Not just for Jonah and not justfor Israel, but for people who
didn't know him at all.
So whether you've heard Jonah'sstory in Sunday school or this
(00:54):
is your first time, you're infor a fresh look at what this
runaway prophet reveals aboutthe heart of God.
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
(01:17):
Whether you're new to the Bibleor just trying to fill in some
foundational gaps, we're so gladyou're here.
Today we're walking through thebook of Jonah what happened,
why it mattered then and what itstill teaches us today.
Let me set the scene by readingsomething Jesus said.
(01:43):
He was speaking to a group ofreligious leaders who were
demanding a miraculous sign forhim to show he was really the
Son of God.
Listen or turn with me to the12th chapter of Matthew,
beginning at verse 38.
Then some of the Pharisees andteachers of the law said to him
(02:06):
Teacher, we want to see a signfrom you.
He answered A wicked andadulterous generation asked for
a sign, but none will be givenit, except the sign of the
prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was three days andthree nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the Son of manwill be there three days and
(02:31):
three nights in the heart of theearth.
The men of Nineveh will standup at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it, forthey repented at the preaching
of Jonah.
And now something greater thanJonah is here.
Unquote.
Jesus wasn't just telling aparable here.
(02:53):
He was pointing to a realprophet and a real moment in
history that was pointing aheadto what Jesus himself would soon
go through being buried forthree days and then rising again
.
So yes, jonah's story isdramatic A runaway prophet, a
raging storm, three days insidea great fish and a massive
(03:18):
revival in one of the mostwicked cities in the ancient
world.
But Jesus himself links hisstory to Jonah's.
That tells us somethingimportant.
This isn't just a Sunday schoolstory, it's part of the gospel
story.
So today we're jumping into thebook of Jonah, not just to
(03:42):
track Jonah's wild journey, butto discover what it reveals
about God's heart, his mercy andhow he pursues people we'd
never expect.
Now let's talk about Jonahhimself.
Jonah, or Yonah in Hebrew, meansdove.
(04:04):
He was a prophet, which meanshe received messages from God to
deliver to others.
But unlike prophets like Isaiahor Jeremiah, who spoke mainly
to the people of Israel or Judah, jonah was given a different
kind of assignment kind ofassignment.
(04:29):
God told him to go outside ofIsrael, to Nineveh, a major city
in Assyria, one of Israel'smost feared and hated enemies.
Jonah was the son of Amittai,from a town called Gath-Hefer in
the region of Zebulun.
He's actually mentioned in 2Kings 14.25, where he gives a
prophecy during the reign ofKing Jeroboam of Israel.
(04:52):
This places Jonah in the 8thcentury BC, during the time when
Assyria was growing in power.
That places Jonah in the samegeneral time period as Amos and
Hosea, prophets who were warningthe northern kingdom of Israel.
But unlike them, Jonah was sentbeyond Israel's borders to
(05:17):
preach to a foreign city,Nineveh.
So Jonah was very much a realhistorical figure.
But what's fascinating is thatthe book named after him doesn't
center on his sermons or hisvisions, like they do with other
prophets.
It tells a very personal storywhat happened to Jonah when he
(05:41):
said no to God?
Now let's look at the book.
The book of Jonah istechnically part of the
prophetic books, but it's notlike the others.
Most prophetic books focus onwhat the prophet says, god's
messages, visions or warnings.
(06:01):
But Jonah, this book, isdifferent.
This one's more of a story, anarrative about the prophet
himself, and not just hisfaithfulness or courage, but his
disobedience.
That alone makes it stand out.
Jonah is the only prophet inthe Bible who openly runs from
(06:23):
God's calling and writes aboutit.
No other prophet in scripturetries to sidestep God's will
like Jonah does.
The story itself is short justfour chapters, and it naturally
breaks into four clear parts.
First chapter one parts.
(06:49):
First chapter one Jonah runs.
God tells Jonah to go toNineveh and preach a message of
judgment, but Jonah doesn't wantto go, not because he's afraid,
but because he doesn't want Godto show mercy to people he
believes don't deserve it.
So instead of heading toNineveh, jonah boards a ship
going in the exact oppositedirection.
God sends a storm, the sailorspanic and Jonah ends up
(07:13):
overboard.
But he's not lost.
God rescues him in the mostunexpected way a giant fish.
Unexpected way, a giant fish.
Chapter two Jonah prays Insidethe fish.
Jonah doesn't beg to be rescued, he actually thanks God.
(07:35):
He prays a psalm of gratitudefor God's mercy and deliverance.
It's his turning point, or soit seems.
Chapter three Jonah obeys sortof God gives Jonah a second
chance and this time he goes toNineveh.
(07:55):
He delivers the message and,amazingly, the people actually
listen.
They repent and, just like Godpromised in Jeremiah chapter 18,
verse 7 and 8, when people turnfrom evil, he relents from
bringing disaster.
And the fourth chapter Jonahsulks.
(08:17):
Instead of celebratingNineveh's repentance, jonah gets
angry.
He tells God this is exactlywhy I didn't want to come,
because I knew you'd be graciousand merciful.
So God responds with an objectlesson involving a plant, a worm
and some very hot sun.
(08:39):
Then he ends with a questionShould I not have concern for
the great city of Nineveh?
That's chapter 4, verse 11.
And that's how the book endswith a question, not an answer.
It leaves us sitting with it,just like Jonah.
Now here are the four keymessages we discover in the book
(09:06):
of Jonah.
First message one God's mercycan reach anyone.
One of the most surprising partsof Jonah's story is how
responsive the people of Ninevehare.
In chapter three, God givesJonah a second chance and says
go to Nineveh.
This time Jonah goes.
(09:28):
He delivers a short, bluntmessage.
Quote 40 more days and Ninevehwill be overthrown Unquote.
And then something unexpectedhappens.
They actually listen, from theking down to the common people.
The entire city humbles itself.
(09:50):
They fast, they pray and theyrepent Quote the Ninevites
believed God.
A fast was proclaimed and allof them, from the greatest to
the least, put on sackclothunquote.
That's Jonah, chapter 3, verse5.
It's one of the greatestturnarounds in Scripture and it
(10:14):
stands in sharp contrast toIsrael and Judah, who often
ignored years of propheticwarnings years of prophetic
warnings.
So the takeaway even people wethink are far from God may be
more open than we expect oncethey actually hear the truth.
Now.
(10:35):
Message two God's compassionextends beyond our borders.
The book also highlights God'sconcern for all people,
including Gentiles, non-jews,through Jonah's mission to
Nineveh, an Assyrian city.
After Nineveh repents, jonahisn't happy, he's furious.
(10:59):
Is this not how we often reactin similar situations, when we
desire judgment for others butmercy for ourselves?
And he tells God exactly why hedidn't want to go in the first
place.
Quote isn't this what I said,lord, when I was still at home?
(11:22):
That is what I tried toforestall by fleeing to Tarshish
.
That's chapter 4, verse 2.
Jonah didn't want Nineveh to bespared.
(11:43):
He wanted them to be judged.
Why?
Because they were Assyrians,not Israelites.
They were enemies.
But God's response is powerful.
He provided a plant, to askedJonah.
That's chapter 4, verse 11.
(12:22):
God is saying my compassionisn't just for Israel, it's for
everyone I've made.
That truth was hard for Jonahto accept, and sometimes it
still is for us.
But God's love doesn't stop atthe lines we draw.
(12:43):
And here's the third messageGod's mercy can offend our sense
of justice.
Jonah wasn't just angry, he wasoffended.
How could a holy God spareAssyria, a violent, oppressive
empire known for its cruelty andits long history of attacking
(13:05):
Israel?
This wasn't an abstract concernfrom Jonah.
The Assyrians were real enemies.
In 2 Kings 17, verses 5 and 6,we read that the king of Assyria
laid siege to Samaria, Israel'scapital, for three years.
(13:25):
Eventually he conquered it andcarried the people away into
exile.
Assyria was also the powerbehind the forced tribute
demanded from Israel earlier in2 Kings 15.
Their brutality was widelyknown.
(13:46):
And if that's not vivid enough,the prophet Nahum later
described Nineveh as the city ofblood, full of lies, full of
plunder, never without victims.
That's Nahum, chapter 3, verse1.
So when Jonah sees Godrelenting, it feels wrong.
(14:09):
He doesn't want mercy forNineveh, he wants justice.
But here's the tension God'smercy often sits side by side
and sometimes his mercy feelsunfair, especially when it's
(14:31):
extended to people we thinkdon't deserve it.
But Jonah's reaction revealssomething deeper.
God had chosen Israel, yes, butthat election was always meant
to be a blessing to the nations.
That's in Genesis, chapter 12,verse 3, and it reads Jonah had
(15:00):
lost sight of that and now Godwas giving mercy to Nineveh, not
calling them to becomeIsraelites, but calling them to
turn from their evil.
And that was enough for him towithhold judgment.
It's a hard truth, but it's onewe need to wrestle with.
God's mercy isn't about whatpeople deserve, it's about who
(15:25):
he is.
And the final message four Godexpects his people to share his
heart.
Jonah obeyed technically, buthis heart wasn't in it.
He preached, the peoplerepented.
God relented and Jonah hepouted.
(15:46):
He was more emotionallyinvested in a plant than the
lives of an entire city.
That's what God confronts himabout in the final chapter.
Jonah goes from anger inchapter 4, verse 1, to despair
in verse 3, to joy in verse 6,and then back to frustration in
(16:08):
verse 8.
And through it all, Godpatiently teaches him my grace
isn't just for one group ofpeople.
Jonah's lack of compassionrevealed something deeper, that
his disobedience wasn't justabout fear.
It was about a sense ofspiritual superiority.
(16:31):
And if we're honest, that's adanger we can all fall into
thinking God's grace is for usbut not for them.
In a way, Jonah's stubbornnessbecomes more troubling than
Nineveh's sin, and we often aremore obsessed with the sins we
(16:53):
observe in others while failingto see or deal with our own deep
and real issues and real issues.
So now let's talk about how thebook of Jonah connects to Jesus
.
Jonah's story doesn't just standalone.
It points to something greater.
(17:14):
In Matthew, chapter 12, verse40 and 41, jesus himself
compared his mission to Jonah'sQuote.
For as Jonah was three days andthree nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the son of manwill be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
Unquote.
(17:34):
Just like Jonah was in the fish, Jesus would be in the grave.
And just like Jonah came outand preached a repentance to the
people of Nineveh, jesus roseagain so that the message of
grace and salvation could bepreached to the whole world.
The same mercy God showed toNineveh is now offered to all of
(17:59):
us through Christ.
Through Christ.
So you might be wondering okay,more specifically, what does
this story have to do with me?
The truth is a lot.
Jonah's story touches real lifeissues that we all wrestle with
, such as no one is too far gonefor God to reach Not Jonah, not
(18:26):
the Ninevites, not us.
And God doesn't give up when weresist him.
He sends storms, second chancesand sometimes even strange
object lessons to bring us back.
And God cares about the peoplewe avoid.
(18:47):
His compassion isn't limited topeople who look like us, think
like us or believe like us.
And, finally, god wants ourhearts hearts not just our
(19:11):
outward obedience.
So, in closing, the book ofJonah isn't just about a runaway
prophet.
It's about God's heart and it'sabout us.
It asks hard questions we allneed to consider.
Am I running from something Godasked me to do?
Do I believe God's grace is forthem as much as it is for me?
(19:35):
Do I care about the people Godcares about, even when I'd
rather not.
Jonah reminds us that God'smercy reaches further than we
think and that sometimes we'rethe ones who need to be changed,
not just the people we are sentto.
And through Jonah's story we'reinvited to reflect on our own
(19:58):
hearts.
Do we trust God's justice andhis mercy?
Do we trust God's justice andhis mercy?
Do we want others to experiencehis grace, even those we find
hard to love?
Are we willing to go where hesends us, even if it's
uncomfortable?
(20:18):
And this isn't the last timewe'll see God's mercy on display
.
Next time we'll be steppinginto the book of Isaiah, a
prophet with a very differentstory, but a powerful message
that echoes through the entireBible.
Isaiah speaks of judgment, yes,but also hope, healing and a
(20:38):
coming Savior.
So if you've ever wondered howthe Old Testament points to
Jesus, or you want to find hopein the middle of chaos, you
don't want to miss this.
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
Greetings listeners.
Today we're unpacking one ofthe most well-known and most
misunderstood stories in theBible the story of Jonah.
Now, when most people hearJonah, they think big fish, but
there's so much more to thisbook than just a miraculous sea
(00:34):
rescue.
The book of Jonah is actually apowerful story about God's
mercy, not just for Jonah andnot just for Israel.
Not just for Jonah and not justfor Israel, but for people who
didn't know him at all.
So whether you've heard Jonah'sstory in Sunday school or this
(00:54):
is your first time, you're infor a fresh look at what this
runaway prophet reveals aboutthe heart of God.
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
(01:17):
Whether you're new to the Bibleor just trying to fill in some
foundational gaps, we're so gladyou're here.
Today we're walking through thebook of Jonah what happened,
why it mattered then and what itstill teaches us today.
Let me set the scene by readingsomething Jesus said.
(01:43):
He was speaking to a group ofreligious leaders who were
demanding a miraculous sign forhim to show he was really the
Son of God.
Listen or turn with me to the12th chapter of Matthew,
beginning at verse 38.
Then some of the Pharisees andteachers of the law said to him
(02:06):
Teacher, we want to see a signfrom you.
He answered A wicked andadulterous generation asked for
a sign, but none will be givenit, except the sign of the
prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was three days andthree nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the Son of manwill be there three days and
(02:31):
three nights in the heart of theearth.
The men of Nineveh will standup at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it, forthey repented at the preaching
of Jonah.
And now something greater thanJonah is here.
Unquote.
Jesus wasn't just telling aparable here.
(02:53):
He was pointing to a realprophet and a real moment in
history that was pointing aheadto what Jesus himself would soon
go through being buried forthree days and then rising again
.
So yes, jonah's story isdramatic A runaway prophet, a
raging storm, three days insidea great fish and a massive
(03:18):
revival in one of the mostwicked cities in the ancient
world.
But Jesus himself links hisstory to Jonah's.
That tells us somethingimportant.
This isn't just a Sunday schoolstory, it's part of the gospel
story.
So today we're jumping into thebook of Jonah, not just to
(03:42):
track Jonah's wild journey, butto discover what it reveals
about God's heart, his mercy andhow he pursues people we'd
never expect.
Now let's talk about Jonahhimself.
Jonah, or Yonah in Hebrew, meansdove.
(04:04):
He was a prophet, which meanshe received messages from God to
deliver to others.
But unlike prophets like Isaiahor Jeremiah, who spoke mainly
to the people of Israel or Judah, jonah was given a different
kind of assignment kind ofassignment.
(04:29):
God told him to go outside ofIsrael, to Nineveh, a major city
in Assyria, one of Israel'smost feared and hated enemies.
Jonah was the son of Amittai,from a town called Gath-Hefer in
the region of Zebulun.
He's actually mentioned in 2Kings 14.25, where he gives a
prophecy during the reign ofKing Jeroboam of Israel.
(04:52):
This places Jonah in the 8thcentury BC, during the time when
Assyria was growing in power.
That places Jonah in the samegeneral time period as Amos and
Hosea, prophets who were warningthe northern kingdom of Israel.
But unlike them, Jonah was sentbeyond Israel's borders to
(05:17):
preach to a foreign city,Nineveh.
So Jonah was very much a realhistorical figure.
But what's fascinating is thatthe book named after him doesn't
center on his sermons or hisvisions, like they do with other
prophets.
It tells a very personal storywhat happened to Jonah when he
(05:41):
said no to God?
Now let's look at the book.
The book of Jonah istechnically part of the
prophetic books, but it's notlike the others.
Most prophetic books focus onwhat the prophet says, god's
messages, visions or warnings.
(06:01):
But Jonah, this book, isdifferent.
This one's more of a story, anarrative about the prophet
himself, and not just hisfaithfulness or courage, but his
disobedience.
That alone makes it stand out.
Jonah is the only prophet inthe Bible who openly runs from
(06:23):
God's calling and writes aboutit.
No other prophet in scripturetries to sidestep God's will
like Jonah does.
The story itself is short justfour chapters, and it naturally
breaks into four clear parts.
First chapter one parts.
(06:49):
First chapter one Jonah runs.
God tells Jonah to go toNineveh and preach a message of
judgment, but Jonah doesn't wantto go, not because he's afraid,
but because he doesn't want Godto show mercy to people he
believes don't deserve it.
So instead of heading toNineveh, jonah boards a ship
going in the exact oppositedirection.
God sends a storm, the sailorspanic and Jonah ends up
(07:13):
overboard.
But he's not lost.
God rescues him in the mostunexpected way a giant fish.
Unexpected way, a giant fish.
Chapter two Jonah prays Insidethe fish.
Jonah doesn't beg to be rescued, he actually thanks God.
(07:35):
He prays a psalm of gratitudefor God's mercy and deliverance.
It's his turning point, or soit seems.
Chapter three Jonah obeys sortof God gives Jonah a second
chance and this time he goes toNineveh.
(07:55):
He delivers the message and,amazingly, the people actually
listen.
They repent and, just like Godpromised in Jeremiah chapter 18,
verse 7 and 8, when people turnfrom evil, he relents from
bringing disaster.
And the fourth chapter Jonahsulks.
(08:17):
Instead of celebratingNineveh's repentance, jonah gets
angry.
He tells God this is exactlywhy I didn't want to come,
because I knew you'd be graciousand merciful.
So God responds with an objectlesson involving a plant, a worm
and some very hot sun.
(08:39):
Then he ends with a questionShould I not have concern for
the great city of Nineveh?
That's chapter 4, verse 11.
And that's how the book endswith a question, not an answer.
It leaves us sitting with it,just like Jonah.
Now here are the four keymessages we discover in the book
(09:06):
of Jonah.
First message one God's mercycan reach anyone.
One of the most surprising partsof Jonah's story is how
responsive the people of Ninevehare.
In chapter three, God givesJonah a second chance and says
go to Nineveh.
This time Jonah goes.
(09:28):
He delivers a short, bluntmessage.
Quote 40 more days and Ninevehwill be overthrown Unquote.
And then something unexpectedhappens.
They actually listen, from theking down to the common people.
The entire city humbles itself.
(09:50):
They fast, they pray and theyrepent Quote the Ninevites
believed God.
A fast was proclaimed and allof them, from the greatest to
the least, put on sackclothunquote.
That's Jonah, chapter 3, verse5.
It's one of the greatestturnarounds in Scripture and it
(10:14):
stands in sharp contrast toIsrael and Judah, who often
ignored years of propheticwarnings years of prophetic
warnings.
So the takeaway even people wethink are far from God may be
more open than we expect oncethey actually hear the truth.
Now.
(10:35):
Message two God's compassionextends beyond our borders.
The book also highlights God'sconcern for all people,
including Gentiles, non-jews,through Jonah's mission to
Nineveh, an Assyrian city.
After Nineveh repents, jonahisn't happy, he's furious.
(10:59):
Is this not how we often reactin similar situations, when we
desire judgment for others butmercy for ourselves?
And he tells God exactly why hedidn't want to go in the first
place.
Quote isn't this what I said,lord, when I was still at home?
(11:22):
That is what I tried toforestall by fleeing to Tarshish
.
That's chapter 4, verse 2.
Jonah didn't want Nineveh to bespared.
(11:43):
He wanted them to be judged.
Why?
Because they were Assyrians,not Israelites.
They were enemies.
But God's response is powerful.
He provided a plant, to askedJonah.
That's chapter 4, verse 11.
(12:22):
God is saying my compassionisn't just for Israel, it's for
everyone I've made.
That truth was hard for Jonahto accept, and sometimes it
still is for us.
But God's love doesn't stop atthe lines we draw.
(12:43):
And here's the third messageGod's mercy can offend our sense
of justice.
Jonah wasn't just angry, he wasoffended.
How could a holy God spareAssyria, a violent, oppressive
empire known for its cruelty andits long history of attacking
(13:05):
Israel?
This wasn't an abstract concernfrom Jonah.
The Assyrians were real enemies.
In 2 Kings 17, verses 5 and 6,we read that the king of Assyria
laid siege to Samaria, Israel'scapital, for three years.
(13:25):
Eventually he conquered it andcarried the people away into
exile.
Assyria was also the powerbehind the forced tribute
demanded from Israel earlier in2 Kings 15.
Their brutality was widelyknown.
(13:46):
And if that's not vivid enough,the prophet Nahum later
described Nineveh as the city ofblood, full of lies, full of
plunder, never without victims.
That's Nahum, chapter 3, verse1.
So when Jonah sees Godrelenting, it feels wrong.
(14:09):
He doesn't want mercy forNineveh, he wants justice.
But here's the tension God'smercy often sits side by side
and sometimes his mercy feelsunfair, especially when it's
(14:31):
extended to people we thinkdon't deserve it.
But Jonah's reaction revealssomething deeper.
God had chosen Israel, yes, butthat election was always meant
to be a blessing to the nations.
That's in Genesis, chapter 12,verse 3, and it reads Jonah had
(15:00):
lost sight of that and now Godwas giving mercy to Nineveh, not
calling them to becomeIsraelites, but calling them to
turn from their evil.
And that was enough for him towithhold judgment.
It's a hard truth, but it's onewe need to wrestle with.
God's mercy isn't about whatpeople deserve, it's about who
(15:25):
he is.
And the final message four Godexpects his people to share his
heart.
Jonah obeyed technically, buthis heart wasn't in it.
He preached, the peoplerepented.
God relented and Jonah hepouted.
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He was more emotionallyinvested in a plant than the
lives of an entire city.
That's what God confronts himabout in the final chapter.
Jonah goes from anger inchapter 4, verse 1, to despair
in verse 3, to joy in verse 6,and then back to frustration in
(16:08):
verse 8.
And through it all, Godpatiently teaches him my grace
isn't just for one group ofpeople.
Jonah's lack of compassionrevealed something deeper, that
his disobedience wasn't justabout fear.
It was about a sense ofspiritual superiority.
(16:31):
And if we're honest, that's adanger we can all fall into
thinking God's grace is for usbut not for them.
In a way, Jonah's stubbornnessbecomes more troubling than
Nineveh's sin, and we often aremore obsessed with the sins we
(16:53):
observe in others while failingto see or deal with our own deep
and real issues and real issues.
So now let's talk about how thebook of Jonah connects to Jesus
.
Jonah's story doesn't just standalone.
It points to something greater.
(17:14):
In Matthew, chapter 12, verse40 and 41, jesus himself
compared his mission to Jonah'sQuote.
For as Jonah was three days andthree nights in the belly of a
huge fish, so the son of manwill be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
Unquote.
(17:34):
Just like Jonah was in the fish, Jesus would be in the grave.
And just like Jonah came outand preached a repentance to the
people of Nineveh, jesus roseagain so that the message of
grace and salvation could bepreached to the whole world.
The same mercy God showed toNineveh is now offered to all of
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us through Christ.
Through Christ.
So you might be wondering okay,more specifically, what does
this story have to do with me?
The truth is a lot.
Jonah's story touches real lifeissues that we all wrestle with
, such as no one is too far gonefor God to reach Not Jonah, not
(18:26):
the Ninevites, not us.
And God doesn't give up when weresist him.
He sends storms, second chancesand sometimes even strange
object lessons to bring us back.
And God cares about the peoplewe avoid.
(18:47):
His compassion isn't limited topeople who look like us, think
like us or believe like us.
And, finally, god wants ourhearts hearts not just our
(19:11):
outward obedience.
So, in closing, the book ofJonah isn't just about a runaway
prophet.
It's about God's heart and it'sabout us.
It asks hard questions we allneed to consider.
Am I running from something Godasked me to do?
Do I believe God's grace is forthem as much as it is for me?
(19:35):
Do I care about the people Godcares about, even when I'd
rather not.
Jonah reminds us that God'smercy reaches further than we
think and that sometimes we'rethe ones who need to be changed,
not just the people we are sentto.
And through Jonah's story we'reinvited to reflect on our own
(19:58):
hearts.
Do we trust God's justice andhis mercy?
Do we trust God's justice andhis mercy?
Do we want others to experiencehis grace, even those we find
hard to love?
Are we willing to go where hesends us, even if it's
uncomfortable?
(20:18):
And this isn't the last timewe'll see God's mercy on display
.
Next time we'll be steppinginto the book of Isaiah, a
prophet with a very differentstory, but a powerful message
that echoes through the entireBible.
Isaiah speaks of judgment, yes,but also hope, healing and a
(20:38):
coming Savior.
So if you've ever wondered howthe Old Testament points to
Jesus, or you want to find hopein the middle of chaos, you
don't want to miss this.
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
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