photo: media.sharefaith.com
2-15-2026
Don’t Be A Jonah
The bible tells us in the book of Jonah about a man who ran away from the Lord (YHWH) after being called to go to and preach against Nineveh because they were very wicked. It’s not that Jonah didn’t love the Lord (YHWH) with all of his heart, but he really wanted the Lord (YHWH) to destroy them because they were very wicked.
Instead Jonah decided to head for Tarshish, going first to Joppa where he found a ship bound for Tarshish. Jonah paid the fare, went aboard and the ship set sail for Tarshish as he fled from the Lord (YHWH).
As Jonah had gone below deck and fell fast asleep he did not know that the Lord (YHWH) had sent a great storm that threatened to break the ship apart. The crew began pitching cargo overboard in order to save the ship. It was to no avail, the storm grew worse.
The ship’s captain woke Jonah and told him to call out to his God so the ship and the lives of the crew would be saved. The crew wanted to know who Jonah was, where he came from, what country and people? Why did you bring this trouble upon us? What shall we do to make the sea calm down for us?
Jonah told them he was a Hebrew and he worshipped the Lord (YHWH), the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and into the sea and it will become calm because it is my fault this great storm has come upon them.
Instead the men tried rowing back to land, but the sea grew even stronger. Then they cried out to the Lord (YHWH). They begged the Lord (YHWH) not to hold them accountable for taking an innocent man’s life, for you Lord (YHWH) have done as you pleased. Then they threw Jonah overboard and the sea grew calm. Then these men greatly feared the Lord (YHWH) and offered a sacrifice to the Lord (YHWH) and made vows to him.
The Lord (YHWH) sent a large fish that swallowed up Jonah.
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord (YHWH) repenting of his sinful actions and acknowledging the Lord (YHWH) hearing and answering his prayers.
The Lord (YHWH) caused the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land.
A second time the Lord (YHWH) told Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim his message.
Jonah did as the Lord (YHWH) commanded and publicly proclaimed that Nineveh was fall in forty days. The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed and everyone put on sackcloth. The king took off his royal robes, covered himself in sackcloth and sat down in the dust, He then issued a decree that neither people nor animals were to taste anything, not eat or drink. Everyone was to call urgently on God, give up their evil ways and their violence, so that maybe God will relent and have compassion to turn his fierce anger away so we will not perish.
God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
So all was well in the city, right?
Wrong, Jonah became very angry at God for not destroying the people of Nineveh and pleaded for God to take his life instead.
Jonah had gone out from the city, built a shelter and waited to see what God would do. God provided a leafy plant to grow up over Jonah and give him relief from the sun and make Jonah happy. The next day God sent a worm to eat at the plant and it withered. When the sun and wind came up again Jonah again wanted to die.
God said that just as Jonah had no control over the plant, yet God was concerned for the city of Nineveh, the people and the animals.
What Jonah thought God should do was very different than what God had decided to do before he sent Jonah to Nineveh.
Today when God calls us to do his will, it is not for us to try to understand or justify ourselves for doing what we think is right.
When God calls us we should simply obey and leave the details to him. After all God did create everything into existence without any help from us. – RTM
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