The story of how the prophet Jonah was swallowed and vomited up by a fish points to the far greater truth of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Taking a fresh look at the prophet through whom God saved a city can lead people to the Prophet who can save their souls. The story of Jonah is also full of practical applications for daily living.
- The Importance of the Book of Jonah - Most people, when they hear the name Jonah, think of the prophet who was swallowed by a fish. Unfortunately, they do not understand the real significance of the story or how it reveals the quality or nature of their faith. In the West there are many who say that they believe in Jesus Christ to … Continue reading
- The Historical Background - The book of Jonah opens with these words: “Now the word of Yahweh [that is, God] came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of … Continue reading
- Results of Disobedience - It is often difficult for us to know whether God is leading us in a particular direction or whether we are merely following our own inclinations. Even when we know that God is leading, we sometimes have difficulty understanding just exactly what He is trying to say to us. Many times we seem to recognize … Continue reading
- Challenging God, Finding Him - Sometimes it is difficult for us to understand why God is allowing something to occur in our lives. One reason may be that in order for someone else to draw close to God, God has to change our circumstances. One of the messages of the book of Jonah is that we need to broaden our … Continue reading
- Fulfilling a Vow - Jonah chapter 2:1-10 says, “Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish’s belly. He said, “I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice. For you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The … Continue reading
- Responding to God’s Call - One of the amazing things in God’s character is that He does not force himself upon us. He calls, and then waits for our response. With every call we are faced with a decision. There are basically two choices before us. We can either harden our hearts so that we do not heed the call, … Continue reading
- An Acceptable Fast - The book of Jonah chapter three, verses three through five tells us that, “Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of Yahweh [that is, God]… Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” The people of Nineveh … Continue reading
- As Our Sins Deserve - In a previous program we saw how the people of Nineveh repented of their wickedness and how God relented from destroying them. Jonah chapter four, verses one through four says: “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. He prayed to Yahweh [that is, God], and said, “Please, Yahweh, wasn’t this what I said … Continue reading
- God’s Provision - One of the interesting things about the book of Jonah is that it discloses a different perspective than we normally have concerning God’s character. Jonah repeatedly uses the same Hebrew word to describe God’s actions. Chapter one verse seventeen says that, “Yahweh prepared a great fish…” In chapter four and verse six, “Yahweh God prepared … Continue reading