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Showing posts with label Jonah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonah. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Short Reflection from Jonah 1-4

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[8:06 pm, 28/01/2022] S.R: 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.'"

It's possible that even a man of God could be sleeping in sin. That's why we need one another to help us wake up when we find ourselves snoring in sin!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land."

God can deliver us from the mess of our own doing!

 

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."

Hmm! We can't afford to think that Modiji or Yogi or Amit Shah doesn't need to hear the Gospel. Perhaps they will be like this king of Nineveh!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕙 𝟜:𝟙𝟙

"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

God is a compassionate God. That's the virtue I desire to see more in me!

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Bible Reading Reflection from Jonah 1-4

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕆𝔸 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.

 

𝕁𝕆𝔸 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! 😇🙏

 

𝕁𝕆𝔸 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! 🙏

 

𝕁𝕆𝔸 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! 😂