Posts that reference the book of Jonah

Abundance

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:41

You’re probably familiar with the story. Israel had endured three and a half years with no rain. Elijah met the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and God demonstrated the He alone was God. Then Elijah says, “There is the sound of abundance of rain.”

The dictionary defines abundance as plenty, having an ample amount. Theologically, I think it goes beyond that. The abundance of rain meant that not only were the immediate needs in Israel met, but they didn’t have to worry about the future. They could plant crops. The livestock would survive. The pressure was off.

Rain isn’t all that is abundant.

‘The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.’ Numbers 14:18a
God’s mercy is abundant. That means not only does He forgive our sins, but we don’t have to live in fear

He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. Job 37:23b
He is abundant in justice. We don’t despair at unfairness and inequity. Wrongs will be made right.

In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more. Psalm 72:7
God brings peace not only in our hearts and relationship, but we are no longer His enemies through Christ. We don’t have to question where we stand with Him.

O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. Psalm 130:7
We are redeemed from sin, but God continues to work turning our failures into something He can use for His glory. We don’t have to worry.

Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. Jeremiah 33:6
His truth is vast in scope and relevance. It does not expire.

I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Jonah 4:2b
Lovingkindness is God’s covenant love. He doesn’t rescind it because of what we do. It is steadfast and secure.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
We receive an abundance of grace through the work of Christ. That grace covers–completely covers–our sins and shortcomings. It doesn’t run out. There is no fine print.

To recap:

Mercy, justice, peace, redemption, truth, lovingkindness, and grace. Not just to meet today’s needs, but tomorrow’s, the next day’s, and so on. We don’t have to wonder if that one thing we did can be forgiven. We don’t have to be concerned about whether the promises still apply. God has dealt, currently deals, and will continue to deal with us out of His abundance.

How some pagan sailors may have been on the right track

By Paula Wiseman

Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.” Jonah 1:14

You remember the story of Jonah. The commission, the flight to Tarshish, the fish, the revival in Nineveh. It’s one of the best-known stories in Scripture. But there are some nameless guys in the story who can actually teach us several important lessons. Which guys? The sailors on the boat to Tarshish.

With just a quick read, you get the impression that these are decent guys. They knew Jonah’s background so that seems to indicate they had talked with him. They do everything they can to keep from throwing Jonah overboard like the prophet wanted. They dump cargo. They try hard to row to shore. But they were more than just decent guys. Here are some reasons why.

They were willing to change their ideas about who God was. In Jonah 1:5, when the tempest began, every man prayed to his god. Apparently, they came from different backgrounds and all had different religious traditions. By verse 14, they had come to understand that Jonah’s God, Yahweh, was not like their gods. I suppose you could argue that it was just expedience, that Yahweh was just one of the gods they prayed to. But they used God’s covenant name, not “the God of Jonah” or “the God of the Israelites.” That seems to suggest a little deeper realization. We have ideas about God and how He operates. But when He obviously clearly reveals Himself, do we cling to our ideas?

They understood God holds us accountable for sin. The core of their prayer was– do not let us perish for Jonah and do not charge us innocent blood. This is a radical idea in our culture that shies away from any sort of accountability. It is also important that we as believers don’t lose sight of this. We are accountable. However, because of Christ’s death on the cross, He took that accountability onto Himself.

They recognized God’s sovereignty. “You have done as it pleased You,” they said. The call of Jonah, the storm, even pitching the prophet overboard were all part of a divine plan God was working out. They didn’t necessarily grasp how it all fit together or where God was headed, but they acknowledged He was at work. We all go through seasons when things around are completely out of control and make no sense. It’s important to remember those things are never out of God’s control.

Granted, pagans aren’t necessarily ones to hold up as examples of how to follow and honor God, but in this case, these guys were headed the right direction. Maybe one day we’ll find out if they ever arrived at genuine faith in Yahweh.

The Second Time

By Paula Wiseman

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time … Jonah 3:1

The second time.

We can ignore God’s call.

We can refuse to listen. We can rebel and run.

We can suffer the consequences of that heard-headed, hard-heartedness.

And we will discover God still has a work for us.

And He will bless that work.

His grace is amazing.

One of the ways He reveals His grace is giving second chances.

And third … and fourth …

Study Tip: Jonah and Nahum

By Paula Wiseman

The Minor Prophets are so named not because their messages were any less important or inspired but because their writings were shorter. Often God called them to deliver one specific message and then they went back to their vocation. We're in the process of looking at what makes these short books relevant and worth a closer look.

Jonah – My first tip for studying Jonah is forget the fish. Our familiarity with that part of the story can cloud our ability to see a sobering, convicting story of a believer who had unilaterally decided some people were beyond the reach of God's mercy.

Study Jonah's words and his prayers. What do they reveal about the condition of his heart? Do we ever get frustrated with God's decision to extend mercy to those who don't seem to deserve it?

Study the response of the pagans – the sailors and the Ninevites – to the truth Jonah relayed. Contrast it to Jonah's response to God's command. What do you think made the difference? Does our familiarity with God cause us to lose some of our awe for Him?

Trace the word "prepared". What does this demonstrate about Gods' sovereignty? What else do you learn about God's character?

Study the last object lesson with the plant and the worm. What was God trying to show Jonah? What is God trying to teach us with the abrupt end of the book?

BONUS: Can you see any similarities between the attitude of the Pharisees in Jesus' day and Jonah's attitude toward the people of Nineveh? Are there any people or groups that some in the church are reluctant to carry the gospel to? How do the lessons of Jonah apply?

Nahum tells the "rest of the story" for Nineveh. It picks up a hundred years after Jonah and his amazing revival, and contains a message of judgment against the city, for their abandonment of God and His law.

What does Nahum say about Nineveh? What have they done to bring God's judgment upon themselves?
What do you learn about God and His anger?
Is there any message of hope or restoration?
What lessons does Nahum have for God's people in the prophet's day? In ours?

I didn't forget Micah. We'll look at his prophecy next week.

Study Tip: Amos and Obadiah

By Paula Wiseman

The Minor Prophets are so named not because their messages were any less important or inspired but because their writings were shorter. Often God called them to deliver one specific message and then they went back to their vocation. Some are very familiar like Jonah. Others like Nahum or Zephaniah are not so well known. Over the next several study tips, we'll look at these short books and point out what makes them relevant and worth a closer look.

Amos was a farmer who was tapped to bring a message to Israel- don't be fooled into thinking that just because economic times were good, it's a sign of God's favor. We can date his message pretty reliably from 1:1 where he says "two years before the earthquake". A major earthquake occurred in 760BC during King Uzziah's reign. This makes Amos a contemporary with Isaiah.

What to look for-

Amos starts with a series of messages to the neighboring nations. Who are they? What sins are mentioned? What judgment is promised?
Then he turns his attention to Israel. What are her major sins? What means has God used try to get Israel's attention so far? Has it worked?
Finally, Amos sees a series of visions in which Gods uses everyday objects to help illustrate the point. Two visions are positive. Three are negative. What are the objects and the messages?

(BONUS: Did you notice the locusts? How do they compare with Joel's locusts? Are they positive or negative?)

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, a one chapter quick hit for the nation of Edom. The people of Edom were the descendents of Esau and there were generations of bitter, bad blood between Edom and Israel.

How is Edom characterized? What are the people like? What have they done?
How does/will God respond? What is the final outcome for Israel and for Edom?
Notice the repeated word "day". How is it described? What will happen on that day?
What does Obadiah tell you about the fate of the enemies of God's people?

I love that even after difficult messages of warning and judgment, God finishes with a clear word of hope and restoration. Thankfully, with God, the bad news is never the last word.

Next week: Jonah and Nahum