Jonah’s Disobedience
Now The Word of The Lord (God Almighty) came to Jonah, the
son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that Great City, and cry out
against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me (God Almighty).” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish, from The
Presence of The Lord (God
Almighty). He (Jonah) went down to
Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he (Jonah) paid the fare, and
went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, from The Presence of The Lord (God Almighty).
The Storm At Sea
But The Lord (God Almighty) sent out a Great Wind on the Sea, and
there was a Mighty Tempest on the Sea, so that the ship was about to be broken
up. Then the Mariners were afraid; and
every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo, that was in the ship, into the Sea, to
lighten the load. But Jonah had gone
down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the Captain came to him (Jonah), and said
to him (Jonah), “What do YOU mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God (God Almighty);
perhaps your God (God Almighty) will consider us, so that we may NOT perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us
cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him (Jonah), “Please tell
us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do YOU come from? What is your country? And of what people are YOU?” So he (Jonah) said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear The Lord, The God of Heaven, who made the Sea
and the dry land.”
Jonah Thrown Into The Sea
Then the men were exceedingly afraid,
and said to him (Jonah), “Why have YOU done this?” for the men knew that he (Jonah)
fled, from The Presence of The Lord (God
Almighty), because he (Jonah) had told them.
Then they said to him (Jonah), “What shall we do to YOU, that the Sea
may be calm for us?” For the Sea was
growing more tempestuous. And he (Jonah)
said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the Sea; then the Sea will become calm
for YOU, for I know that this Great Tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless
the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could NOT, for the Sea continued
to grow more tempestuous against them.
Therefore they cried out to The Lord
(God Almighty) and said, “We pray, O Lord,
please do NOT let us perish for this Man’s (Jonah’s) Life, and do NOT charge us
with innocent blood; for YOU, O Lord,
have done as it pleased YOU.” So they
picked up Jonah and threw him into the Sea, and the Sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared The Lord (God Almighty) exceedingly, and
offered a sacrifice to The Lord (God
Almighty) and took vows.
Jonah’s Prayer And Deliverance
Now The Lord (God Almighty) had prepared a Great Fish to swallow
Jonah. And Jonah was in The Belly of The
Fish, Three Days and Three Nights. Then
Jonah prayed to The Lord, His God, from The Fish’s Belly. And he (Jonah)
said:
“I cried out to The Lord (God
Almighty) because of my affliction, and He (God Almighty) answered
me (Jonah). “Out of The Belly of Sheol I (Jonah) cried, and YOU (God Almighty) heard my voice. For YOU (God Almighty) cast me (Jonah) into the deep, into the heart of the Seas, and the floods surrounded
me (Jonah); all Your (God
Almighty’s) billows and Your (God Almighty’s) waves passed
over me (Jonah). Then I (Jonah) said, ‘I have been cast out of Your (God Almighty’s) Sight; yet I (Jonah) will look again
toward Your (God Almighty’s) Holy
Temple.’ The waters surrounded me (Jonah), even
to My Soul;
the deep closed around me (Jonah); weeds were
wrapped around my (Jonah’s) head. I went down to the moorings
of the mountains; the Earth with its bars closed behind me (Jonah) Forever; yet YOU (God
Almighty) have brought up My (Jonah’s) Life from The Pit, O Lord, My God (God
Almighty). “When My (Jonah’s) Soul fainted within me, I remembered The Lord (God Almighty); and my prayer went up
to YOU, into Your (God
Almighty’s) Holy Temple. “Those
who regard worthless idols forsake their own
Mercy. But I (Jonah) will sacrifice to YOU (God Almighty) with the voice of
thanksgiving; I (Jonah)
will
pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of The Lord (God Almighty).” So The Lord (God
Almighty) spoke to The Fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah Preaches at Nineveh
Now The Word of The Lord (God Almighty) came to Jonah the
second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that Great City, and Preach to it
The Message that I tell YOU.” So Jonah
arose and went to Nineveh, according to The Word of The Lord (God
Almighty). Now Nineveh
was an exceedingly Great City, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the City (Nineveh) on the
first day’s walk. Then he (Jonah)
cried out and said, “Yet Forty Days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!”
The People of Nineveh Believe
So the people of Nineveh Believed God (God Almighty), proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the King of Nineveh; and he
arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the
decree of the King and his Nobles, saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor
flock, taste anything; do NOT let them eat, or drink
water. But let man and beast be covered
with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God (God Almighty);
yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his
hands. Who can tell if God (God Almighty) will turn and relent, and turn away from His (God Almighty’s)
Fierce Anger, so that we may NOT
perish? Then God (God Almighty) saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God (God
Almighty) relented from the disaster that He (God
Almighty) had said He (God Almighty) would
bring upon them, and He (God Almighty) did NOT do it.
Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became
angry. So he (Jonah) prayed to The Lord (God Almighty), and said, “Ah, Lord, was NOT this what I (Jonah) said, when I
was still in my country? Therefore I (Jonah)
fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that YOU (God Almighty) are a Gracious and
Merciful God (God Almighty), slow to anger and abundant
in Loving-kindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take My (Jonah’s) Life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then The Lord (God
Almighty) said, “Is
it right for YOU (Jonah) to be angry?”
So Jonah went out of the City (Nineveh) and sat on the east side of the
City (Nineveh). There he (Jonah) made
himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would
become of the City (Nineveh). And The Lord God (God Almighty) prepared a plant and
made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his (Jonah’s) head to
deliver him from his misery. So Jonah
was very grateful for the plant. But as
morning dawned the next day God (God Almighty) prepared
a worm, and it so damaged the
plant that it withered. And it happened,
when the Sun arose, that God (God Almighty) prepared a
Vehement East Wind; and the Sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew
faint. Then he (Jonah) wished death for
himself, and said, “It is
better for me (Jonah) to die than to live.”
Then God (God Almighty) said to Jonah, “Is it right for YOU (Jonah) to be
angry about the plant?” And he (Jonah) said,
“It is right for me to be
angry, even to death!” But The Lord (God Almighty) said, “YOU (Jonah) have had
pity on the plant for which YOU have NOT labored, nor
made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I (God Almighty) NOT pity Nineveh, that Great City, in which are more than One Hundred
and Twenty Thousand (120,000) persons, who cannot discern, between their right
hand and their left, and much livestock?”
Two Lessons
There are actually two lessons, We can learn from Jonah’s
Story. First, “The Sign of Jonah”, Jonah
was in The Belly of a Great Fish,
Three Days and Three Nights. Our Lord
Jesus Christ told the People, look for “The Sign of Jonah”,
meaning Jesus, after His Crucifixion and burial, He would be Risen from the
grave (His Resurrection), on The Third Day, by God Almighty, Himself. Second, when God Almighty tells YOU to do
something, YOU better do it, because YOU do NOT want to
be put into The Belly of a Great Fish, do YOU?
YOU see, as Believers (Children of God Almighty), God
creates a specific path (God’s Path) for each of Us to walk. This also includes places He wants Us to go, things
He wants Us to do and yes, Good Works for Us, to perform. God Almighty can and will, Speak to YOU, at
any given moment, remember this! He may
ask YOU, to speak to a specific person, or a specific group of people. He may send YOU, out of your city, or out of your
county, or out of your State, even out of your own Country, probably out of
your “Comfort Zone”, so be prepared for this, at All times! All of Us, Believers, are to be prepared, to
Preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ, to everyone, everywhere, at any given
moment! We, Believers, are to have Our
“Spiritual Bags” packed, ready to go, wherever God Almighty Calls Us to go, at a
moment’s notice!
We, Believers, are to be Jesus Christ’s Light upon the
World, which means sharing with people, about God’s Amazing Saving Grace,
through God’s Free Gift of Salvation!
Preaching The Gospel of Jesus Christ, to everyone! Believers, as Children of God Almighty, We
know the surety, the guarantee, of Everlasting Life, which comes ONLY through Our Lord Jesus Christ! We know for certain, We will be in God’s
Immediate Presence, with Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Angels, and
the rest of The Children of God Almighty, Forever, for Eternity! We should each feel, ready to “Spiritually
Burst”, trying to restrain Our enthusiasm of wanting to share this Wonderful News,
with each and every single person We encounter!
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