[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ
𝟙:𝟞
"So
the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up,
call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will
not perish.’"
Do
you notice how many times the word "down" is mentioned
there?
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.
Ravi
Zacharias humorously commented that when you flee from God your life is all
down, down, down, down, and down sleeping in sin.
He
seemed to be relaxing in sin secretly and silently. Somebody had to wake him
up! And it was embarrassing for Jonah. He wanted to die and asked them to kill
him.
If
we are relaxing and sleeping in sin, God might have to wake us up. And what
shame will that be, yes, suicide will look sweet. But even in that shame, if we
repent and not rebel God can bring bigger and greater works through us as He
did in Nineveh through Jonah.
𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ
𝟚:𝟙,𝟙𝟘
"Then
Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish"
A
very unlikely place to pray, huh!? If somebody can pray from the stomach of
fish, we can pray anywhere and at all times, huh!? 🙂 Let's pray without ceasing as Paul had commanded us.
v10.
"Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry
land."
Again,
I will quote Ravi Zacharias, because I grew up listening to Ravi Zacharias, and
at least, what I have heard his teaching on Jonah is good, excellent! 👌Unless you are offended... Ravi commented humorously
that the disobedient prophet even made the fish sick and spat out! 😂
In
a horror movie, we kind of enjoy watching a villain swallowed by a gigantic
animal or snake, huh? In this case, even the fish didn't want to eat Jonah.
Some
people said to others, "Even hell is not a place for you, you are so
dumb!" 😂😂
BTW,
God was not finished with Jonah yet. He granted Jonah repentance, and
commitment to be faithful again. God gave him another chance. This is our God.
He's also not finished with me yet! 😇🙏
𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ
𝟛:𝟞
"When
the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his
robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes."
Led
by the king, the people repented. This is a heathen nation, a heathen people, a
heathen king, yet they chose to humble themselves before Yahweh, the God of
Israel.
What
a contrast we see in the book of Amos we read just last week! The king of
Israel sought to banish the prophet of Yahweh!
Indeed,
God calls everyone to repent and be saved! I am also not of the branch of
Israel, a Gentile, but God has reached out to me and my community! Praises be
to God! 🙏
𝕁𝕆ℕ𝔸ℍ
𝟜:𝟛
"Therefore
now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than
to live!”
One
of the revealing natures of man (Jonah) is Hatred. Jonah wants Ninevites to be
destroyed. God is totally the opposite. His nature is Love. He wants Ninevites
to be saved. Jonah knew that. So, he decided to disobey God so that Ninevites
will keep on sinning and be destroyed. So, he preferred to die than to see
Ninevites being alive!
All
his attitude from the beginning till the end was basically, "I'd rather
die than to see them be saved!" Yes, even after a journey to the stomach
of a fish. In simple: Jonah is saying, "I want to die." Next time,
when you hear people say, like that, call them, "Jonah" 😂
Do
you know how did this book end again? It ended in v11, with God questioning.
And where's the answer? How can a book end with a question? 😬🙄
You
know what? Jonah answered God, "I want to die!"😎😂😂
This
guy really wanted to die! 😂