God’s will and a fish story

God’s will and a fish story

The book of Jonah

The book of Jonah is a great story of what happens when one tries to subvert God’s will.

The command:

JON 1:1-2 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,
"Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."

The Lord came to Jonah and commanded him to go to Nineveh to convict them for their wickedness.

Jonah was told by God to do 2 things, go to Nineveh and convict them to turn from their wicked ways and trust in the Lord.

 

The Rebellion

But Jonah had other ideas, all of the reasons for which we do not learn of until the last chapter.

JON 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria during the time of Jonah during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel
(793-746 B.C)

JON 3:3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk.
JON 3:4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown."

The fact that God relented and spared Nineveh demonstrates Gods mercy and desire that all people will repent and believe in Him.

shûb, shoob
A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again

It now becomes apparent why Jonah disobeyed the Lord and fled to Tarshish.
He did not want the Lord to spare Nineveh. Isn’t this an extremely selfish thought?

MAT 20:1-16. The parable of the denarius or workers in the vineyard.

1TI 2:3-6

God our Savior,
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The book of Jonah presents a beautiful type of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Jesus explains this in MAT 12:39-41.

MAT 16:4

LUK 11:29-32

God is sovereign over all.

All mankind is accountable to God.

God can exercise control over nature.


God can achieve His objectives despite the stubbornness of men’s rebellious will.

People can change their mind and turn to God. MAT 12:41, JON 3:5

That He can have mercy on sinners.

That He can forgive rebellious people.

God provided signs in the old testament of the death and resurrection of Christ.

God loves all people and wants them to come to repentance about the Lord Jesus Christ.

2TI 2:3-4