Jonah 1-4
Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah’s Prayer
2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
6 at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The People of Nineveh Repent
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Jonah’s Anger and the Lord’s Compassion
4 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Your Word teaches us to listen to you and follow your commands. When we do your will it is pleasing to you and our lives flow easier. Please help us to trust and obey. Amen.
Gracias padre amado por tus escrituras cada día más nos enseñas a ser obediente a tu palabra ayúdanos a crecer en ella aprender a discernir y a no dudar nunca de tu misericordia mi Dios de salvación.
Well said. Praise the Lord on High.🙏🏻✝🙏🏻✝💜💜
Every time I read the book of Jonah it reminds me that we CAN NOT hide from God. We should be obedient when He gives us an assignment and TRUST that He knows best!!
God is Just, He is wise, He saves Whom He Saves, Blessed be the name of the Lord.
God loves everyone and wants all to come to know Him, no matter what they have done. Who are we to judge this?
God is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…
What a compassionate God we have. We have only to heed his word, repent our wrongs and love him with our whole hearts. Thank you for loving us so Heavenly Father.
The book shows me we can run from God but can never get away. When in despair run to the Lord. If we turn from our sin, God will turn from His anger.
How much better for us – not to resist God , but submit and obey our all powerful , gracious loving Lord Who, does not desire any to perish. Even our enemies. A great revival happened in Nineveh as they recognized they were under judgment and repented and believed God’s message. Our Lord Jesus said Jonah in the belly of the great fish 3 days and nights was a sign to an evil adulterous generation ; and the men of Nineveh who repented at Jonah’s preaching would rise up at the judgment and condemn this generation who heard Someone greater preaching and would not repent and believe. The Lord desires us to know Him as Lord and Savior. But a person must believe Him , repenting and committing to Him. He doesn’t force anyone . And one day it will be the last , and God’s judgment is appointed.
This story about Jonah has the recurring theme of Jonah trying to run away from God and His directions. As I have read it over the years, I wondered when Jonah was finally going to learn his lesson and do what God said to do. God opened my eyes to see that I am not so much different than Jonah!
When we claim to love God with all our heart mind and soul, He gives us an assignment that reveals just how much we do love Him or not. “Lord, I love you, but I hate them.” My prayer is, Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me that I may be obedient to your will. I have discovered that my purpose in life is to share life with others. And the Life is Jesus!
Even in Jonah’s rebellion, God used him to bring salvation to the sailors (the hard way).
Thank you Lord for your Great Love and Mercy! Help me to see people as You do and help me to be obedient to join You in Your activity. In Jesus Name. Amen.
I love this story as it reminds me of sharing this with my three granddaughters the Jonah Veggie Tale Movie and Song that God is a God of Second Chances song by this group called Anointed. I am sharing the link. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/YeOnADmkD74
God is merciful and He is the God of second chances.
He loves ALL people and desires that ALL come to know Him and that none shall parish.
1) You can run from God and His Presence, but you can’t hide
2) Delayed obedience is disobedience
3) There are treasures in the midst of trials. Don’t miss them.
And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Love how Jonah was bold in telling the sailors who he was and to whom he belonged to. Later we learn that the sailors “feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.” Praise God!! Also, God showed compassion and mercy not only towards Jonah by not allowing the seas to take his life; he was safe and protected in the belly of the whale (or big fish), but also on the people of Nineveh after they repented and sought the Lord through prayer and fasting and turned from their sinful, wicked ways. I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT) “ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.“ Not behavior modification but heart transformations. Standing on this for our nation today. Amen!
4) Matthew 12: 39-41 (NLT) “…. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights…..” Another beautiful foretelling of the Savior to come and His death, burial, and resurrection. Glory to God!
We must always “Trust and Obey” for there’s no other way! Dear Lord, Thank you for loving your children!
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
Well, at least we compromise the amount of blessing we experience. Luckily God is merciful and at any give time we are experiencing blessings. EVEN in the midst of struggles.
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Jonah 3:7-10
God hears and answers prayers! 🙌
JESUS — always with me
A reminder to me that when the Lord is directing me to do something or say something for His glory, I need to obey. So many times I don’t act upon what I know. Forgive me, Lord.
Thank you that no matter where I go, You are with me!
Amen.
Wow! I’ve read this Book many times but this is the first time I realized that Jonah is me. Jonah says that he was a Hebrew, & worships the LORD, the GOD of heaven, WHO made the sea & the Land. My name means “woman of the LORD.” Jonah chose to disobey GOD because he knew that if these wicked evil people would repent GOD would forgive them (John 3:16). The Assyrian Empire was very powerful & they hated Israel. I”m feeling his pain. But I’m not where he was at that time in History. I’m looking back & I’m so thankful that the LORD added this BOOK in the Canon. This Book is to teach all of us GOD’s gracious purpose. Jonah was a Prophet but also a missionary to lead non-Israelites to repentance. The heathen city of Nineveh proved that non believers are capable of salvation. As a woman of the LORD shouldn’t this story stir up humility & gratitude that GOD would love HIS enemies & also put up w/the Jonah in me? This story is a message of Good News about the vastness of GOD’s mercy & love that ought to challenge all of us to the core. We too should tell the world what GOD told us to tell ( GOD is no respector of persons).
Heavenly FATHER, I’m still thanking YOU for YOUR amazing Grace.
I believe this message is to the saints todsy also. Giving an example of how God feels about sinners and others that need to know him and how we should be bold enough to stznd for Jesus Christ in the midst of our own rebellion.
Amen. Our God is a forgiving God who shows us mercy and grace. Thankful am I that I serve such an awesome creator 🙏