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Posts tagged ‘Jonah’

A Timeline of Jonah

  • Father of Jonah or  (Jona’s)  in Matthew 12:40
    • Jonah the son of Amittai
      •  Jonah 1:1
        • Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

Name Meanings

  • The name Jonah is from the Hebrew name יוֹנָה (Yona) meaning “dove”.
  • Jonah Father’s name Amittai Means “my truth” in Hebrew, a possessive form of אֱמֶת (ʾemeṯ) meaning “truth”.

The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah arose and fled to Joppa. At Joppa he went to the docks to get on a ship going to Tarnish.

  • Jonah 1:3
    • But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord

You can’t run from God. He is the only one who can be everywhere, you can run but God will all aways catch up with you like Jonah. In the end you do what God called you for, like Jonah or you may die, and God, will pick someone else.

  • Lord catches up with Jonah and brings a windstorm that was likely to break the ship
    • Jonah 1: 4
      • But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
  • The seamen were afraid and cried every man unto his god.
    • Jonah 1:5-6
      •  Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
      • So, the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, what meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so, be that God will think upon us, that we perish not
  • Casting lots to see who brough the storm on them.
    • Jonah 1:7-9 
      • And they said everyone to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
        • Then said they unto him, tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comets thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
        • And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land
  • Jonah told them to cast him into the sea
    • Jonah 1:10-12
      •  Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
      • Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
      •  And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
  • Jonah was cast into the sea.
    • Jonah 1:13-15
      •  Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
      •  Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
      •  So, they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
  • Seamen made a sacrifice and made vows.
    • Jonah 1:16
      •  Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
  • Jonah was swallow by a whale.
    • Jonah 1:17
      •  Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
    • Matthew 12:-40
      •  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
  • Jonah prayed while in the belly of the whale.
    • Jonah 2:1-9
      •  Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
      • And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou headrest my voice.
      •  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
      • Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
      • The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
      • I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.
      • When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
      • They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
      • But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
  • Jonah was vomited out on dry land.
    • Jonah 2:10
      • And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land
  • The Lord told Jonah to go the great city of Ninevah.
    • Jonah 3:1-3
      •  And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
      • Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
      • So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
  • Jonah went to Nineveh to tell  them.
    • Jonah 3:4
      • And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown
  • The City of Nineveh repented.
    • Jonah 3:5-9
      •  So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
      •  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
      •  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water:
      •  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
      •  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
  • God forgive them.
    • Jonah 3: 10
      •  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
  • Jonah grew angry.
    • Jonah 4:3
      • Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
  • God ask why?
    • Jonah 4:4
      • Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?
  • Jonah waited to see what would happen to Nineveh. God caused a gourd to grow.
    • Jonah 4:5-6
      •  So, Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
      • And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So, Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
  • God sent a worm to eat the gourd.
    • Jonah 4:7-8
      • But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
      • And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
  • Jonah is sad that the gourd died.
    • Jonah 4:8
      •  And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
  • God ask why Jonah was sad about gourd but mad that the city was spared?
    • Jonah 4:9-11
      •  And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
      • Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
      • And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle

This is the end of Jonah and his story   No one knows what happen after that to Jonah. People have ideas but they are only ideas about what happened.

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God’s Mercy in Jonah: Lessons from Nineveh

Jonah 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Author

  • Jonah

Date

  • 760 BC

Theme

  • God’s compassion on an ungodly nation.

Content

  • Jonah flees from the Lord: Jonah 1:1-17
    • Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
    • Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
  • Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance: Jonah 2:1-10
    • Jonah 2:1-2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
  • Jonah goes to Nineveh: Jonah 3:1-10
    • Jonah 3:3-4 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
    • Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
  • Jonah’s displeasure in the Lord’s mercy: 4:1-11
    • Jonah 4:1-3 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
    • Jonah 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Christ in the Book of Jonah

  • Christ the Savior
    • Luke 19:10(NKJV) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
    • 1 Timothy 2:4(NKJV) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
  • The Sign of Jonah
    • Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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THE STORY OF JONAH AND THE WHALE

THE STORY OF JONAH AND THE WHALE

At this time another prophet, named Jonah, was giving the word of the Lord to the Israelites. To Jonah the Lord spoke, saying:

“Go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it; for its wickedness rises up before me.”

But Jonah did not wish to preach to the people of Nineveh; for they were the enemies of his land, the land of Israel. He wished Nineveh to die in its sins, and not to turn to God and live. So Jonah tried to go away from the city where God had sent him. He went down to Joppa and took a ship for Tarshish.

But the Lord saw Jonah on the ship; and the Lord sent a great storm upon the sea, so that the ship seemed as though it would go to pieces. The sailors threw overboard everything on the ship; and when they could do no more, every man prayed to his god to save the ship and themselves. Jonah was now lying fast asleep, and the ship’s captain came to him, and said:

“What do you mean by sleeping in such a time as this? Awake, rise up, and call upon your God. Perhaps He will hear you and save our lives.”

But the storm continued to rage around the ship; and they said:

“There is some man on this ship who has brought upon us this trouble. Let us cast lots and find who it is.”

Then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. They said to him, all at once:

“Tell us, who are you? From what country do you come? What is your business? To what people do you belong? Why have you brought all this trouble upon us?”

Then Jonah told them the whole story, how he came from the land of Israel, and that he had fled away from the presence of the Lord. And they said to him:

“What shall we do to you, that the storm may cease?”

Then said Jonah:

“Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the storm will cease and the waters will be calm; for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”

But the men were not willing to throw Jonah into the sea. They rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, but they could not. Then they cried unto the Lord, and said:

“We pray thee, O Lord, we pray thee, let us not die for this man’s life; for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.”

At last, when they could do nothing else to save themselves, they threw Jonah into the sea.

At once the storm ceased, and the waves became still. Then the men on the ship feared the Lord greatly. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made promises to serve him.

And the Lord caused a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was alive within the fish for three days and three nights. In the fish Jonah cried to the Lord; and the Lord caused the great fish to throw up Jonah upon the dry land.

Notice all through this story that, although Jonah was God’s servant, he was always thinking about himself. God protected Jonah and saved him, not because he was such a good man, but because he wanted to teach him a great lesson.

By this time Jonah had learned that some men who worshipped idols were kind in their hearts, and were dear to the Lord. This was the lesson that God meant Jonah to learn; and now the call of the Lord came to Jonah a second time:

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it what I command you.” So Jonah went to the city of Nineveh; and as he entered into it, he called out to the people:

“Within forty days shall Nineveh be destroyed.”

And he walked through the city all day crying out only this:

“Within forty days shall Nineveh be destroyed.”

And the people of Nineveh believed the word of the Lord as spoken by Jonah. They turned away from their sins and fasted and sought the Lord, from the greatest of them even to the least. The king of Nineveh arose from his throne, and laid aside his royal robes, and covered himself with sack-cloth and sat in ashes, as a sign of his sorrow. And the king sent out a command to his people that they should fast, and seek the Lord, and turn from sin.

To shade Jonah from the sun

And God saw that the people of Nineveh were sorry for their wickedness, and he forgave them, and did not destroy their city. But this made Jonah very angry. He did not wish to have Nineveh spared, because it was the enemy of his own land; and also he feared that men would call him a false prophet when his word did not come to pass. And Jonah said to the Lord:

“O Lord, I was sure that it would be thus, that thou wouldest spare the city; and for that reason I tried to flee away; for I know that thou wast a gracious God, full of pity, slow to anger, and rich in mercy. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

And Jonah went out of the city, and built a little hut on the east side of it, and sat under its roof, to see whether God would keep the word that he had spoken. Then the Lord caused a plant with thick leaves to grow up, and to shade Jonah from the sun; and Jonah was glad, and sat under its shadow. But a worm destroyed the plant; and the next day a hot wind blew, and Jonah suffered from the heat; and again Jonah wished that he might die. And the Lord said to Jonah:

“You were sorry to see the plant die, though you did not make it grow, and though it came up in a night and died in a night. And should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city, where are more than a hundred thousand little children, and also many cattle,—all helpless and knowing nothing?”

And Jonah learned that men, and women, and little children, are all precious in the sight of the Lord, even though they know not God.

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