DAY 30: GOD CHOSE JONAH

 THE RHEMA WORD FOR TODAY

(A DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM)

 

TOPIC: GOD CHOSE JONAH

DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER, 2020

BIBLE READING: JONAH 1

MEDITATION/MEMORY VERSE: JONAH 1:1 (NIV)

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai.

 

We come to the last Bible character of our theme- CHOSEN; “AND GOD CHOSE JONAH”. Who is he and why does God need him so badly?

One of the liveliest, most intriguing and enigmatic stories in the Bible, the book of Jonah is a favourite of millions. This book probably the best known yet least understood book in the Bible. From the world’s point of view, Jonah and the whale have become a part of literature, a part of mythical legendary history. Though the story has become a byword among people, the book is looked upon with ridicule and disbelief, and is laughed out of the Bible as being a kind of fable. It is not taken seriously, it is not taken historically. It is merely a great fish story.

It is also known for its reference to Jonah as a jinx or a bad luck charm. This is based on the time in the story when Jonah was on a boat on the way to Tarshish as he was fleeing from God, and a great storm arose. His companions asked what was causing the storm, and Jonah said, "It is I." So they threw him into the sea in order to get rid of the bad luck that was following the boat. The book is well-known because of that incident, and we sometimes call somebody who is a jinx a "Jonah."

All of this has obscured the true message of this book. Jonah was actually a historical character, and he is mentioned in other places in scripture. The book of 2 Kings refers to him as a historical prophet, a prophet ministering to Israel in the days of Jeroboam (14:25). He is referred to by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who said, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40 NKJV) With this kind of backing, there can be no doubt that the book of Jonah is historically accurate.

God chose Jonah to preach against the city of Nineveh. This all-knowing God knew that Jonah would balk to His call, He knew the reluctance of Jonah, but He chose him nonetheless because He is King. Why did Jonah who declared that he feared the Lord (Jon. 1:9) rebel against Him? Why did he initially refuse to go to Nineveh? The answer is that Jonah knew God too well and that was why he did not go to Nineveh.

Jonah 4:1-2 NKJV

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, One who relents from doing harm.

 

What kind of prophet of God that does not have a heart for lost souls? He wanted to see this great city of Nineveh destroyed. This was the great enemy of his people; Nineveh is a great city in Assyria. This nation, especially this city has a record in the ancient world for the bloodiest and most vicious kinds of cruelty. They found more incredibly ingenious ways to be cruel than any other nation that has ever lived. They were brutal and godless and sinful - and Jonah hated them. The one thing that he wanted more than anything else was to see Nineveh destroyed. Yet when God told him to go announce to Nineveh its destruction, he said, "I know you too well, O God. If anybody, by repenting, gives you half a chance to be merciful, you'll change your mind and won't carry out your sentence upon them." So he fled to Tarshish- the opposite direction.

The Assyrian communities today are in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. And Nineveh today is in Mosul, Iraq. Now posing a question, if God asked you or me as His chosen vessel to go to Iraq and preach to ISIS so they would repent and God would spare their leaders and fighters from judgment, won’t you act just like Jonah? But Jonah at the latter times, obeyed God. God knew this! He knew that Jonah would eventually obey. Many of us, God is calling us to our assignment, but we are busying ourselves on the opposite direction and God is really patient with us. One thing about God is that His calling is without repentance (Rom. 11:29). And when Jonah was ready to go, the message didn’t change (Jon. 3:2; cf. Jon. 1:2-3). Because God had said, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Mal. 3:6 NKJV). And yes! When the Ninevites repented God’s plan changed; but as a God that does not change, his purpose for their destruction still remained and was fulfilled in the days of Prophet Nahum about 140 years later. This was what Jonah declared of God ‘slow to anger’ (Jon. 4:2). He was quoting from the Law in Exodus 34:6-7.

 

Exodus 34:6-7 NIV

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord is compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

 

So the grace and the love of God never began from the New Testament, they began before the foundation of this world. Every act of God seen and demonstrated in scripture, Old Testament inclusive, is an act of His grace. The 30 day journey ends here!

In conclusion, when God calls us, we should always respond in faith. Because as far as He is calling you, He’s going to see you through. Also, let’s have the heart to love even our worst enemies.

 

1 John 4:20-21 NKJV

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

 

DECLARATION: LET YOUR LOVE, OH GOD, BE SHED ABROAD IN MY HEART BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST!

 

FURTHER STUDY: JONAH 3