WHO WAS JONAH?
WEEK 11
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."
Jonah 3:1-2
I'm sure this is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Jonah. You might remember hearing about him and a big fish in the bible.
While a big fish is a part of Jonah's story, it's not the main point! You see, Jonah was a prophet of God and he loved the Lord. He would listen to God and tell the people what God said to him: like a messenger. His story, found in the Old Testament, teaches us that:
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You cannot run or hide from God: Jonah tried to run away from God because he was afraid. Yet, he was mistaken to think that he could hide from the Lord.
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We must obey God's word and listen to Him: We show our love for God by obeying His commandments. The opposite of this statement is also true: When we disobey God, we are showing that we do not love him. Sometimes, our disobedience can also have very bad consequences, but when we listen to God's word, we can be sure that we are set on the right path.
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God has compassion and love for his people
Have you ever done something wrong and tried to cover it up or hide and hope that your mom and dad wouldn’t get upset when they found out?
When you are scared about something, instead of running away and hiding, God wants you to come to him and ask him for strength to face your fears. And when you do something wrong, instead of running or trying to hide it- He wants you to tell him about it, and to ask him for forgiveness. The bible tells us that if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every mistake.
(1John 1:9)
LET'S SEE HOW THIS COMPARES TO JONAH
Scripture is found in the book of Jonah, chapters 1-4
How many of us can relate to this story? I can, not by being inside of a fish but by the act of not listening sometimes to God- just as God had something for Jonah to do, he has a plan for you and me. Jonah tried unsuccessfully to run away from God. We can never run away from God- God is everywhere! Even when Jonah did not obey God the first time, God was patient and compassionate with him. God gave him a chance to repent and God forgave him. When God tells us to do something, we must do it and believe that God is in control.
