JONAH 2-3
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own
mercy.
https://youtu.be/h8Zs8XGd93c Jonah 2-3
ON VIDEO-
.Oil change
.Wasted day’s n wasted nights?
.Repent from what?
.Publish and proclaim
NEW- The entire book of Jonah is only 48 verses- of which 8
are in the category of poetry.
Which of course leaves 40 verses as historical narrative [meaning-
it actually happened].
Some scholars argue that Jonah is sort of like a parable- or
‘myth’.
Myth in a religious sense- meaning a story that is intended
to convey a spiritual/moral lesson.
They argue for this because we do have the 8 verses of
poetry [chapter 2- verses 2-9]. And in the study of the bible- there are indeed
portions that are poetic- and they are not meant to be taken as history [the verse
in Psalms where the Psalmist says the ‘hills clapped their hands’-
David was not ‘actually’ saying the hills have hands- yet he
was using symbolic language to convey a spiritual truth- that all creation glorifies
God].
But- Jesus himself talked about Jonah in the gospels [verses
below] and when he taught- Jesus spoke of Jonah as an actual historical figure-
who was really swallowed by the whale.
I take the historical view-
Ok- in chapter 2 Jonah spends the 3 days and nights on the
voyage- being inside the belly of the fish- and having no real options- but to
pray.
God often puts us in places like that.
Where your ‘hands are tied’ and you simply need to pray.
After the whale spits Jonah out- in chapter 3 he preaches to
the people of Nineveh- and lo and behold- they repent!
It’s interesting to note that Jonah had no supernatural
signs along with his preaching [minus the fact that a whale swallowed him].
Yet- the people of Nineveh heard him.
Word got to the king- and even he proclaimed and published
the things Jonah was preaching.
I believe his words had great effect- simply because he was
on a mission from God.
God tells the prophets to ‘speak what I tell you to speak’.
And ‘go where I tell you to go’.
In ministry- it’s not about how eloquent we are- or even how
smart we are.
It’s about obedience.
God tells the prophets of old ‘and don’t be afraid to say
it’.
The messages they carried brought persecution- and yet they
needed to be brave- and speak it.
The words of Jonah had a great impact- the whole city
repented [even the animals had sack cloth and ashes on them!]
And God ‘repented’ too- meaning he did not destroy the city-
because the end result was the people repented.
What did they repent from?
Their evil ways- and their ‘violence’.
We often do not see violence- whether it be from individuals-
or nations- as a thing to repent from.
Yet God does not want murder- killing- or even war.
As a society- at times we engage in war- but it should only
be a last resort.
Many of our wars over the past 15 years have been over
issues that in no way merit the violent response that we have taken.
Even though our intentions might have been good- violence
rarely [ever?] can promote peace and Democracy- when that violence comes from a
foreign land [i.e.- we will intervene in your country and establish a Democracy].
So the people had to repent from their wrong thinking as
well- the thinking that says violence is the answer.
Jonah spent 3 days and nights in the great fish.
That is the exact same time it took to walk thru the city
and finish the mission.
Was the 3 days in the whale- wasted time?
I don’t think so- because we read about Jonah today- many
kids remember the story from Sunday school.
There are even cartoons about Jonah.
Why?
Because the people repented?
No- everyone likes a good fish story.
And yes- the 3 days in the whale- make Jonah famous- today.
PAST LINKS [verses below]
JONAH [links included]
I quoted Corinthians on today’s video- here’s my study
VERSES-
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the
fish's belly,
Jonah 2:2 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 2:3 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.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look
again toward thy holy temple.
Jonah 2:5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the
depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
Jonah 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth
with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from
corruption, O LORD my God.
Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD:
and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own
mercy.
Jonah 2:9 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 2:10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out
Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second
time, saying,
Jonah 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto
it the preaching that I bid thee.
Jonah 3:3 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 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.
Jonah 3:5 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.
Jonah 3:6 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.
Jonah 3:7 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 any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
Jonah 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry
mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the
violence that is in their hands.
Jonah 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away
from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
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.
Matthew
12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying,
Master, we would see a sign from thee.Matthew 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
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.
Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Psalm 18:4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Psalm 18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
26 And he
that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations:
27 And he
shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be
broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev.
4 For while
one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then
is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the
Lord gave to every man?
6 I have
planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then
neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that
giveth the increase.
8 Now he
that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own
reward according to his own labour.
9 For we
are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Cor.
Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts-
re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. I deal with
issues at times that it would be beneficial for some of you to download and
save the file from the Word Press link. This creates a permanent record. The
on-line videos are only good if sites are not hacked- which has happened in the
past. Thanks- John.#
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