Jonah is often called the most missional book in the Old Testament. In it, God calls Jonah, the prophet, to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, and preach a message of judgment. However, he initially rebels as the Assyrians were Israel’s enemies and greatest threat. Jonah’s reluctance to share God’s message was a reflection of Israel as a nation. They were called by God to be his chosen people. They were to be stewards of God’s temple and his Word, and one day his Son, the messiah, would come from them to die for the sins of the world. The Israelites were blessed so they could be a blessing to the world by drawing others to worship the true God (cf. Gen 12:3, 22:18, Isaiah 42:6, 60:1-3). However, they became prideful instead of humble, exclusive instead of inclusive, concerned with themselves instead of others, and therefore, failed to be God’s missionaries to the nations. We, as the church, are no different. Like Jonah and the Israelites, God has called us to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20), but it’s easy to neglect and rebel against that call—leaving many unreached and hopeless. As we study Jonah, may it convict and change our hearts to make us more missional so we can complete the great commission our Lord Jesus gave us! Let’s study Jonah together with the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
"The Bible Teacher’s Guide … will help any teacher study and get a better background for his/her Bible lessons. In addition, it will give direction and scope to teaching of the Word of God. Praise God for this contemporary introduction to the Word of God."
—Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-founder of Liberty University
This book is also available for purchase here on Amazon.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:2 (NET)
Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. The church needs teachers who clearly and fearlessly teach the Word of God. With this in mind, The Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series was created. This series includes both expositional and topical studies, with resources to help teachers lead small groups, pastors prepare sermons, and individuals increase their knowledge of God’s Word.
Each lesson is based around the hermeneutical principle that the original authors wrote in a similar manner as we do today—with the intention of being understood. Each paragraph and chapter of Scripture centers around one main thought, often called the Big Idea. After finding the Big Idea for each passage studied, students will discuss the Big Question, which will lead the small group (if applicable) through the entire text. Alongside the Big Question, note the added Observation, Interpretation, and Application Questions. The Observation Questions point out pivotal aspects of the text. The Interpretation Questions facilitate understanding through use of the context and other Scripture. The Application Questions lead to life principles coming out of the text. Not all questions will be used, but they have been given to help guide the teacher in preparing the lesson.
As the purpose of this guide is to make preparation easier for the teacher and study easier for the individual, many commentaries and sermons have been accessed in the development of each lesson. After meditating on the Scripture text and the lesson, the small group leader may wish to follow the suggested teaching outline:
On the other hand, the leader may prefer to teach the lesson in part or in whole, and then give the Application Questions. He may also choose to use a “study group” method, where each member prepares beforehand and shares teaching responsibility (see Appendices 1 and 2). Some leaders may find it most effective to first read the main section of the lesson corporately, then to follow with a brief discussion of the topic and an Application Question.
Again, The Bible Teacher’s Guide can be used as a manual to follow in teaching, a resource to use in preparation for teaching or preaching, or simply as an expositional devotional to enrich your own study. I pray that the Lord may bless your study, preparation, and teaching, and that in all of it you will find the fruit of the Holy Spirit abounding in your own life and in the lives of those you instruct.
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
The book of Jonah is anonymous in that the authorship is never explicitly stated. The majority of the book is written in third-person (he, him, his); however, in Chapter 2, Jonah’s personal Psalm, first-person pronouns are used (I, me, my). Because of the personal pronouns and all the intimate autobiographical information about Jonah within the book, traditionally he is believed to be the author. Even though the book is primarily written in third-person, this is not uncommon with biblical writers. For instance, Moses wrote the Pentateuch in third-person, though he was the author.
Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-758 BC).1 According to 2 Kings, Jonah was from Gath-Hepher, a city in Galilee2, and he prophesied that God would expand the Northern Kingdom during Jeroboam’s reign. Second Kings 14:23-26 describes this:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath in the north to the sea of the rift valley in the south, just as in the message from the Lord God of Israel that he had announced through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.
During Jonah’s ministry, Assyria was Israel’s chief enemy. The Israelites feared them and paid tribute to their kings (2 Kgs 17:3, cf. 1 Kgs 18:14-16).3 The Assyrians were known for their brutality and violence, including “cutting off their enemies’ ears and other body parts, skinning people alive, and impaling them outside the gates of their own cities as a sign of Assyrian might and power.”4 They were also known for their witchcraft, sorcery, alcoholism, and illicit sexuality, including prostitution.5 Therefore, it must have shocked Jonah when God called for him to leave Israel and call Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, to repentance. Consequently, Jonah ran from God’s call. Instead of going east towards Nineveh, he went to Joppa and got on a ship towards Tarshish (in Spain), which was the furthest point west of Israel in the known world at that time.6 He went in the opposite direction of God’s call. In response, God brought a storm on the sea which threatened to destroy the boat and the lives on board. After figuring out that Jonah was the cause of the storm and because of Jonah’s advice, the sailors threw him into the sea. While sinking, Jonah cried out to God, and God saved him by allowing him to be swallowed by a large fish. After being in the fish for three days, Jonah repented of his rebellion, and God had the fish spit Jonah onto dry land. Soon after, God again called Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn them of God’s coming judgment. Shockingly, in response to the preaching, from the least to the greatest, everyone in Nineveh repented, and God chose not to send judgment. In response to God’s mercy, Jonah became angry and accused God of, essentially, being too gracious. Jonah even declared that he wanted to die because of it. After this, Jonah left the city and created a fort to sit at and watch to see if God would change his mind and bring judgment on the Ninevites. God instead began to work on Jonah’s rebellious heart. God allowed a plant to grow, which provided shade for Jonah’s head against the harsh sun. But, then God also appointed a worm to eat the plant, which allowed the hot wind and sun to beat against Jonah’s head. Again, Jonah became angry and declared that he wanted to die because of his misery. In response, God challenged him. If Jonah was concerned about a plant that he did not cultivate or develop, how much more should God be concerned about all the people and animals in the city whom he created, loved, and sustained? The story ends on a cliff-hanger, in that it never reveals if Jonah himself repented of his wrong attitude. With that said, since Jonah is the most likely author of the book, it’s implied that he did repent at some point.
Though the book of Jonah tells us a great deal about God and how he specifically deals with sinful people like Jonah and the Ninevites, many readers have focused exclusively on the most surprising event in the story—Jonah being swallowed by a large fish and surviving three days inside it. In fact, because of that event, some believe that the story of Jonah is a fictional parable—meant to teach us spiritual truths—instead of a historical account. However, Jesus spoke about Jonah as a historical person in Matthew 12:39-41 and that his being swallowed by a large fish reflected Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. He said:
… An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them—and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
If this account was not real, it couldn’t have truly reflected Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, which historically happened. Therefore, Jonah being swallowed by a large fish and surviving was either a miracle—which is when God suspends his natural laws to do something supernatural—or naturally possible.
In considering the credibility of a man being swallowed by a large fish and surviving, some research and historical events support this as naturally possible. For example, some studies of sperm whales demonstrate that a man can be swallowed alive, live for a few days in the whale, and subsequently, be vomited up.7 A sperm whale’s mouth is typically 20 feet long, 15 feet high, and 9 feet wide, which is larger than most rooms in an average house.8 Furthermore, sperm whales feed on squid, which is often much larger than a human. Whalers have found a whole squid in a dead whale’s stomach, which supports the fact that one could swallow a human whole.9 There is also the biography of a man named James Bartley who claimed to be swallowed by a whale in 1891 and survived for at least a day. James Boice shared this story in his Jonah commentary. He said:
One case concerns a voyage of the whaling ship Star of the East, which in February 1891, spotted a large sperm whale in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands. Two boats were launched, and in a short while one of the harpooners was able to spear the whale. Those in the second boat attempted to attach a second harpoon, but the boat capsized in the process and one man was drowned. A second sailor, James Bartley, disappeared and could not be found. In time the whale was killed and drawn to the side of the ship where it was made fast and the blubber removed. The next day the stomach was hoisted on deck. When it was opened, the missing sailor was found inside. He was unconscious but alive. Eventually he was revived by sea water and after a time resumed his duties on board the whaling vessel.10
Furthermore, there have also been rare modern incidents of people being swallowed at least briefly by whales and then spit out. For instance, a lobster diver in Cape Cod, Massachusetts was swallowed by a humpback whale for a brief period and then spit out in June 2021.11
In addition to people struggling with the spectacular event of Jonah being swallowed and regurgitated by a large fish, others have struggled with the plausibility of the Ninevites repenting at the preaching of a Jewish prophet. The Assyrians worshipped different gods from the Jews, and they were the Jews’ enemies. Why would they repent at a Jewish prophet’s preaching? Of course, all repentance is a supernatural work of God (cf. Phil 1:29, Eph 2:8-9), but God also apparently used natural events to prepare their hearts. Jonah Mackay said this:
If Jonah’s mission is dated between 780 and 755 bc, then few records have survived from that troubled period of Assyrian history. Those that have reveal many internal problems. For instance, each year from 765–759 bc has a note of an outbreak of plague, or of a revolt in some city of the land, or—and this would probably have seemed worst to the superstitious Assyrian mind—an eclipse of the sun. Throughout the first half of the eighth century bc Assyria was threatened by powerful tribes from the north, particularly by the kingdom of Urartu, near the Caspian Sea, and her zone of influence contracted considerably… It may be that the upheavals and sense of impending catastrophe were influential in predisposing the Ninevites to accept Jonah’s message when it was brought to them.12
Tim Keller said something similar:
Historians have pointed out that about the time of Jonah’s mission, Assyria had experienced a series of famines, plagues, revolts, and eclipses, all of which were seen as omens of far worse things to come. Some have argued that this was God’s way of preparing the ground for Jonah. “This state of affairs would have made both rulers and subjects unusually attuned to the message of a visiting prophet.” So there was some sociological explanation for this response.13
As mentioned, every year there was some major revolt, outbreak, or catastrophe. Through trials and the consequences of their sin, God prepared the Ninevites to receive him. He shook their financial security, sense of safety, family and civic life, and their false religion to prepare them to receive the true God.
Furthermore, Jonah being swallowed and regurgitated by a large fish may have contributed to their repentance as well. The Assyrians worshipped the fish-god, Dagon. If witnesses saw Jonah vomited from a large fish, which represented the Ninevites’ deity, and shared it, his preaching would indeed be a “sign” to them (Matt 12:39-41). The bleaching of Jonah’s skin from the fish’s stomach acid would have only confirmed any potential witness reports. Therefore, God may have used sociological events, Jonah’s surviving in the belly of a large fish, and the simple hearing of God’s Word to supernaturally change their hearts.
Though the Ninevites repented in 760 BC, it only lasted for a generation. Eventually, the Assyrians conquered and exiled the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC (2 Kgs 17).14 Therefore, Jonah’s preaching to Nineveh not only resulted in their repentance (temporary as it was), but it also resulted in the destruction of his own country, which was probably one of his fears that led him to rebel against God. He wanted to protect Israel by having Nineveh judged. Eventually, Nineveh was destroyed by the Medes in 612 BC, almost 150 years after the events in the book of Jonah.15
What are the major themes of Jonah? There are several that all focus on elements of God’s character and plan: (1) Jonah’s story teaches God’s gracious and merciful character in dealing with sinners. It is reflected in Jonah’s quote about God’s character in Jonah 4:2. He said, “you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment” (cf. Ex 34:6). Though Jonah meant it as a slight to God, since he had forgiven the Ninevites, its truths are reflected throughout Jonah’s story. God was gracious to Jonah when he rebelled against his prophetic call by fleeing to Tarshish. However, instead of allowing Jonah to stay in rebellion, God went after him, using a storm, a raging sea, and a great fish to secure Jonah’s initial repentance. Then, though Jonah preached to the Ninevites, he did it with a wrong heart—desiring that God would destroy them instead. Even then, God used a plant, the heat, and wind to teach Jonah about his wrong attitude towards those God loved. In fact, God’s merciful and gracious character is vividly seen in contrast with Jonah’s character. While Jonah was mean-spirited and unforgiving, God was slow to anger and forgiving. Twice God asked Jonah if it was right for him to be so angry (4:4, 9). God’s gracious and merciful character is the major theme of the book. (2) Secondly, Jonah’s story strongly teaches God’s sovereignty over the events of life. When Jonah tried to flee on the sea, “the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea” (1:4). When Jonah was thrown into the sea, “the Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah” (1:17). After Jonah prayed and repented while in the large fish, “the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land” (2:10). When Jonah was hot while sitting under the sun, “the Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery” (4:6). Then, to teach Jonah a lesson, God sent a worm to destroy the plant and a hot wind to beat down on Jonah’s head (4:7-8). God was in control of a powerful wind on the sea, a large fish, a plant, a worm, and a hot east wind on dry land. The author essentially teaches throughout the narrative that God is in control of everything and that he uses his power for good, which the rest of Scripture teaches as well. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Ephesian 1:11 says God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.” He hardens hearts and softens them (cf. Rom 9:18, Ex 9:12, Acts 11:18, Phil 1:29). He holds the king’s heart in his hand like a watercourse, guiding it as he desires (Prov 21:1). Even chance events like the rolling of dice are under his control, and significant events like calamities are as well (Prov 16:33 NLT, Amos 3:6). God is sovereign, and Jonah’s story demonstrates this throughout. (3) Finally, the story of Jonah also teaches God’s universal, evangelistic plan to save all people and not just the Israelites. For this reason, the story would have been a rebuke to the Israelites reading it because most had hearts like Jonah’s. They had started to hate their enemies instead of loving them (cf. Matt 5:43-44), and they believed that God planned to save the Jew and not the Gentile. When in fact, God’s original plan was for Jews to be lights to the world—spreading the fame of God’s name to every person, tribe, and nation (cf. Gen 12:3, 22:18, Isaiah 42:6, 60:1-3). May God use the lessons in Jonah’s story to convict and change our hearts to make us more gracious, merciful, and missional like Yahweh himself (cf. Matt 5:45)!
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
1 Weaver, Paul. Introducing the Old Testament Books: A Thorough but Concise Introduction for Proper Interpretation (Biblical Studies Book 1) (Kindle Locations 3248-3251). Kindle Edition.
2 William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1126.
3 Weaver, Paul. Introducing the Old Testament Books: A Thorough but Concise Introduction for Proper Interpretation (Biblical Studies Book 1) (Kindle Locations 3244-3246). Kindle Edition.
4 Yarbrough, Mark. Jonah (p. 13). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
5 Yarbrough, Mark. Jonah (p. 13). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
6 Longman III, Tremper; Longman III, Tremper. Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message. Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
7 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 283.
8 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 283.
9 Bible.org Electronic Edition Note: This footnote was originally empty, but perhaps referred to a link such as this one, accessed 5/30/2024: https://armstronginstitute.org/315-what-was-the-great-fish-that-swallowed-jonah
10 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 284.
11 Accessed 6/21/2022 from https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2021/06/11/humpback-whale-catches-michael-packard-lobster-driver-mouth-proviencetown-cape-cod/7653838002/
12 John L. MacKay, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 53–54.
13 Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal Prophet (p. 85). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
14 Weaver, Paul. Introducing the Old Testament Books: A Thorough but Concise Introduction for Proper Interpretation (Biblical Studies Book 1) (Kindle Locations 3263-3265). Kindle Edition.
15 Accessed 8/19/2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Nineveh-destroyed.html
The Lord’s message came to Jonah son of Amittai, “Go immediately to Nineveh, that large capital city, and announce judgment against its people because their wickedness has come to my attention.” Instead, Jonah immediately headed off to Tarshish to escape from the commission of the Lord. He traveled to Joppa and found a merchant ship heading to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard it to go with them to Tarshish far away from the Lord. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up! The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep. The ship’s captain approached him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!” The sailors said to one another, “Come on, let’s cast lots to find out whose fault it is that this disaster has overtaken us.” So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out. They said to him, “Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? What’s your occupation? Where do you come from? What’s your country? And who are your people?” He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, And I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Hearing this, the men became even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” (The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had previously told them.) Because the storm was growing worse and worse, they said to him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that the sea will calm down for you, because I know it’s my fault you are in this severe storm.” Instead, they tried to row back to land, but they were not able to do so because the storm kept growing worse and worse. So they cried out to the Lord, “Oh, please, Lord, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.” So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord. The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1 (NET)
What are the consequences of prodigal living—rebelling against God’s will?
In the story of Jonah, Scripture shatters our preconceptions. Jonah was a prophet from Galilee who prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, an ungodly king over the northern tribes of Israel from 793-758 BC (cf. 2 Kgs 14:25).1 When the Word of the Lord came to Jonah, instead of obeying it and sharing it with others, he ran away from God. Throughout Scripture, when God’s Word came to a prophet, he typically obeyed it. But that’s not true with Jonah. It’s one thing to read the story about the prodigal son’s rebellion (Lk 15:11-32). Christians go astray, back-slide, and return to God all the time, but a prophet? Or, to use our contemporary terminology, a pastor? Certainly, we see this throughout Scripture in various ways. The heroes of the Bible are both saints and sinners. Abraham lied about his wife being his sister and married a second wife. David committed adultery and murdered the husband of his mistress. Solomon married hundreds of wives and turned away from God for a season. Samson visited prostitutes (Jdg 16:1), broke the rules for a Nazirite (cf. Jdg 13:5, Num 6:6, Jdg 14:9), and married a Philistine (Num 14). Unfortunately, in Scripture, our heroes are not perfect. They are sinners who are being sanctified, growing into the image of Christ. Certainly, their failures remind us to put our ultimate hope in Christ and not in his followers, even the most spiritually mature ones (cf. Heb 12:2-3).
With all that said, the first chapter of Jonah reminds us that there are consequences for rebelling against God. Just as Genesis 3 details Adam’s and Eve’s sin and the consequences they experienced, Jonah 1 details the consequences of Jonah’s rebellion. For the most part, Jonah is an example of what not to do. Even when he finally obeys God at the end of the story, he does it with a wrong heart, as he complains about God’s mercy on his enemies, the Ninevites (Jonah 4:2).
As we consider Jonah, we will learn about the consequences of prodigal living—rebelling against God’s revealed will for our lives. Jonah’s story is a warning for us, which we must heed well lest we experience the consequences of his failure in our lives, families, and communities.
Big Question: As demonstrated in Jonah 1, what are the consequences of prodigal living for believers, as they rebel against God’s revealed will for their lives?
The Lord’s message came to Jonah son of Amittai, “Go immediately to Nineveh, that large capital city, and announce judgment against its people because their wickedness has come to my attention.”
Jonah 1:1-2
God saw the great wickedness in Nineveh. They were known for being cruel and violent, especially to their enemies. In many ways, God’s declared judgment was similar to that on the pre-flood world of Noah. Genesis 6:5-7 says this:
But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”
This reminds us that sin is not only individual but communal, national, and global. Communities and nations have common cultures and also common sins which will bring them under God’s judgment. With Sodom and Gomorrah, God was not judging the nation because a group of men tried to gang-rape two angels who appeared as men; that incident was just a sample of their communal sins. The cities were full of sexual perversion and violence, which brought God’s judgment on them. Likewise, in Genesis 6, violence and sexual sin characterized the nations of the earth, and therefore, God wiped all of them out.
In this, we see a consequence of prodigal living. If Jonah did not obey God by interceding for Nineveh and warning them of judgment, sin would have continued to increase, leading to God’s judgment. Certainly, this happens all the time. Ezekiel 22:30-31 says,
I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Ezekiel 22 is talking about Israel. They were rebellious, and none among them would challenge people to repent and pray for the land; therefore, God destroyed it. Certainly, there were many religious people; however, temple worship had become just a cultural distinctive for them in order to receive prosperity from God and protection from judgment. But none were truly about God’s work which led to increasing sin and therefore God’s judgment.
No doubt, this is happening in many cities around the world—Seoul, New York, Paris, Moscow, and others. There are Christian communities within them, but are they (or rather are we) being Christian witnesses and intercessors? Is our faith simply internal and comfortable, or is it external and risky? If we don’t witness with both our lives and mouths, then our communities (and nations) will become increasingly rebellious and incur God’s judgment.
Often, we look at Jonah with disbelief. “How could he run from God’s call?” we ask. However, Jonah is us. His story was a reflection of the nation of Israel at that time which was called to be a blessing to the nations and yet became exclusively internal-focused—consumed with their righteousness and prosperity and neglecting their mission to reach those outside of Israel. Jonah is us, and Israel is us. We have the same commission. Matthew 28:19-20 says:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Jonah could have probably come up with many good excuses to not go to Nineveh, just like we often do: (1) It was going to be a long journey, some 500 miles (804 kilometers) northeast of Israel. (2) Assyrians were the enemies of the Jews. (3) Most likely, they would reject the message, and some would probably even become violent in response. There were many reasons to not go or say anything, and many of these are our reasons. We don’t want people to be upset at us and potentially become violent. We know most, if not all, will reject the message. It’s easier to just be silent. However, that leaves many unreached with no hope of salvation. This would have been a grave consequence of Jonah failing to go, even just initially. For all we know, during his brief rebellion (however long that lasted), some might have died without hearing his message of repentance and therefore had no chance of receiving grace. Certainly, the same is true with our quietness. A consequence of prodigal living is unrestrained sin, unreached people, and God’s judgment. As we consider Jonah, we must ask ourselves, “Will we go and share the message, and what’s been holding us back?”
Application Question: In what ways is unrestrained sin growing in our community, nation, and the world? How should the church respond to this reality? Why do many people refuse God’s call to make disciples of all people groups? What are your major hindrances to sharing God’s Word with others locally or abroad, and how is God calling you to overcome those hindrances?
Instead, Jonah immediately headed off to Tarshish to escape from the commission of the Lord. He traveled to Joppa and found a merchant ship heading to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard it to go with them to Tarshish far away from the Lord.
Jonah 1:3
After hearing God’s call to go to Nineveh and preach to the enemies of the Jews, Jonah ran in the opposite direction. As mentioned, Nineveh was 500 miles (804 km) northeast of Israel; however, Jonah started traveling southwest to Tarshish, which was on the west coast of Spain. He went in the exact opposite direction of where God called him to go. At that time, with all the port stops, the journey might have taken almost a year.2 He wanted nothing to do with God’s call. The primary reason he rebelled seems to be because he hated the Assyrians, the Jews’ chief enemy, and he did not want to participate in God’s saving them if they repented (cf. Jonah 4:2, Jer 18:7-8). Jonah was OK with obeying God as long as he agreed with the command—as long as it was something he wanted to do. But when it was something he didn’t like, he was willing to run. No doubt, many Christians are like this as well. They practice obedience only when it’s easy and comfortable; otherwise, they complain against God and at times rebel against him.
Jonah 1:3 says that when Jonah was traveling to Tarshish, he was trying to “escape from the commission of the Lord” or “the presence of the Lord” (ESV). Since Jonah later says God is the creator of the sea and dry land (v. 9), it is unlikely that he believed he could escape God’s presence. In Jonah 2, his prayer in the belly of a fish shows his knowledge of the Psalms. He would have been familiar with Psalm 139:7-8 (ESV) where David says, “Where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” There was nowhere Jonah could run from God. Therefore, when the NET translates it “to escape from the commission of the Lord” (v. 3), it’s probably a correct interpretation. Jonah didn’t believe he could run from God. He was running from God’s mission. Apparently, he was quitting the ministry—turning in his prophetic mantle. To support this, when God brings a violent storm on the sea when he was traveling on a ship to Tarshish, the sailors prayed to false gods for deliverance and even to Yahweh (v. 5, 14), but we never see Jonah pray, even though the captain of the ship told him to (v. 6). Jonah had turned away from God and his calling.
Likewise, prodigal living, whether through compromising with our words, entertainment, relationships, integrity, or simply disobeying God’s clear plan for our lives, is just a further step along the path of leaving God altogether. In Psalm 1:1, David describes this downward path into depravity. He says, “How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers.” Falling away from God starts with simply listening to the wrong people (advice), then doing what they say (the path), and then becoming a scoffer (one who mocks holy things). We’ve seen this happen with many who were raised in the church. First, they compromised with their music and TV watching for entertainment purposes, or they joyfully sat in the classroom of a liberal professor to eventually seek financial success in their career. These compromises eventually eroded the way they thought and viewed morality. Then, they started accepting and practicing various sins they previously condemned. Finally, they became scoffers—those who mock the biblical values they once believed about sex, marriage, creation, or even gender. It all started with who they were listening to; it was a small compromise.
With Jonah, maybe he continually listened to the national and political rhetoric in Israel about the greatness of the nation and how other nations deserved God’s judgment, especially the Assyrians. Instead of loving the foreigner and his enemy, he began to despise them instead. He probably would sit in groups with other Jews and mock the Gentile dogs and spew curses at them. When God wanted to be gracious to them, he had heard enough. In his heart, he mocked God’s mercy and gentleness to them. Surely, his pathway towards rebellion started with little compromises, as he took in the antagonistic, political rhetoric towards those unlike him.
As mentioned, this happens all the time in the church today. Sin always leads us first away from God’s presence and then God’s calling. All unconfessed sin negatively affects our relationship with God. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had harbored sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Also, Christ said this about unforgiveness in Matthew 6:15, “But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.” In addition, 2 Corinthians 6:14 and 17-18 say this about our relationship with the world (ungodly people, institutions, and ways):
Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? …Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the All-Powerful Lord.
What does God mean by his promise to welcome the Corinthians and be a father to them if they separated from the world? As Christians, wasn’t God already their father? Paul was describing intimacy with God. Sin separates us from God’s presence. It hinders our walk with him. It’s possible to be married to a person and yet be very distant from them. The legal standing of the relationship remains the same, but intimacy is not there because of various unconfessed sins. God never sins against us, but we sin against him all the time. And apart from continual repentance and drawing near him in worship, study of his Word, prayer, and general obedience, we will be distant. Our continual compromise leads us further and further away from him and his call on our lives. Eventually, sin may lead us away from God altogether.
A classic example of forfeiting one’s call is in the story of Saul. Saul was called to lead Israel; however, because of his continual rebellion, God rejected him as king and sought someone else to lead Israel. The kingship was eventually stripped from Saul and his family. With Jonah, his calling was only forfeited temporarily until he repented. Eventually, Jonah 3:1 says, “the Lord’s message came to Jonah a second time.” God certainly is the God of the second, third, fourth, and fifth chances. However, his grace, in the sense of a specific call, will not last forever. We all have limited time on this earth to serve the Lord, and certain works we’re called to can only be completed during a specific time-period. It is possible to forfeit aspects of God’s call on our lives because of sin. Israel was kept out of the promised land because of unbelief, and Moses was kept out because of anger. Certainly, with God, there is unlimited forgiveness and grace, but not all opportunities will remain open to us. Prodigal living always leads to forfeiting intimacy with God and opportunities to serve, even if only temporarily. That’s what we see with Jonah’s rebellion.
Application Question: In what ways does unrepentant sin hinder our relationship with God and his people and our fulfillment of his call? In what ways have you seen this with others or experienced it in your own life?
But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up!
Jonah 1:4
After Jonah ran from God’s presence and his assignment, he went to Joppa and got on a merchant ship to Tarshish. When he got on the ship and they started traveling, God hurled a powerful wind on the sea which threatened to destroy the ship. Though this was a supernatural work of God to turn Jonah from his ways, it is also a common consequence of sin throughout Biblical history. Humanity’s sins and righteousness affect creation, either negatively or positively. This theme is repeated from early on in Scripture. When Adam sinned, God did not curse Adam. He cursed the land (Gen 3:17). From that point on, it would grow thorns and thistles, as well as experience natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and famines. Then, when Adam’s son, Cain, killed his brother, God did the same. He declared that wherever Cain went, the land wouldn’t produce fruit (Gen 4:12). As a farmer, this would make him a wanderer always seeking food. Likewise, Noah’s generation was destroyed by the flood because of their sins (Gen 7). In addition, before Israel replaced the inhabitants of Canaan, God said it was because of the Canaanite’s sins that the land vomited them up. Leviticus 18:24-25 (ESV) says,
Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
In the context, it was because of the sexual sins of the Canaanites (homosexuality, incest, and bestiality), that God cursed the land and the land vomited out its inhabitants. The land vomiting out its inhabitants no doubt refers to natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis, drought, famine, and probably also disease from various animals. God also promised the Israelites that if they committed the same sins, the land would do the same to them (Lev 18:26-28).
We certainly see a clear example of the land negatively reacting while Israel ruled Canaan during David’s reign. Second Samuel 21:1 says,
During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
To stop the famine, David had to make restitution with the Gibeonites by allowing seven of Saul’s descendants to be executed (2 Sam 21:5-6, 14). No doubt, various lands throughout the world are stained and negatively affected by injustices that have happened on them sometime in history.
In line with all these stories, God cursed the sea because of Jonah’s sin. As God punished the land for the sins of Adam and Cain, the sins of Noah’s generation and that of the Canaanites and the Israelites, God punished the sea because of Jonah’s rebellion. He hurled a powerful wind on the sea which almost destroyed the boat and all in it.
Certainly, we must be aware of this reality. God made humans to rule the earth (Gen 1:28). They were supposed to rule it benevolently and cultivate the land for good. However, when humanity sinned, creation was subjected to bondage and decay (Rom 8:20-22), and it is still affected either positively or negatively based on our sin or righteousness. Therefore, as we get closer to Christ’s coming and sin increases as Scripture foretells, so will natural disasters on the earth. In Matthew 24:7-8, Christ described some of the signs of his coming: “For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.” Famines and earthquakes—various natural disasters—will happen and grow in intensity like birth pains before Christ comes. The book of Revelation describes these as well. Revelation 6:7-8 describes how one-fourth of the earth would be killed by war, famine, disease, and animals. Throughout the book, in God’s sovereignty, creation will respond to the great sin and rebellion happening on the earth as a form of God’s judgment. Then, when God reestablishes righteousness, the earth will be remade, and there will be peace and prosperity again on the earth.
Therefore, as we consider Jonah’s sin, we must soberly realize that these negative effects on creation do not just happen based on the sins of a community, nation, or nations, they also happen because of individual sins, even as was true with Adam, Cain, and in this context, Jonah.
Certainly, this reality should affect our voting as we consider things like the LGBT agenda, abortion, and how we treat the poor. As our nations become more ungodly, it will not only affect the morality of the community but also order and peace in creation. We should not be surprised as natural disasters, famine, and disease become more common—negatively affecting both the national and global economies. Rebellion against God negatively affects creation. This is a sober warning for us as individuals, communities, and nations.
Application Question: In what ways do we see humanity’s sins negatively affecting creation throughout the Bible? Why is there such a clear link between creation and humanity (cf. Rom 8:20-23)? How should this reality affect Christians in both how they live and with issues like voting?
But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up!
Jonah 1:4
Though Jonah had effectively resigned from his prophetic office, God did not accept it. God’s cursing of the sea, leading to him being thrown into the sea, was a means of discipline for Jonah, meant to turn him back to righteousness. The writer of Hebrews says this is how God treats every one of his children. As a good father, God disciplines his children to lead them into more holiness. Hebrews 12:7-8 and 11 say this:
Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons … Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.
Since God uses discipline to train us, we might ask ourselves, “How do we know if a specific trial is from God, meant to train us and make us holy?” The writer of Hebrews does not distinguish between trials caused by Satan, us, God, or some natural means. He just says, “endure suffering as discipline” from God. It’s not that he is denying various causes; the author just sees God in control of all of them and using them for our training—to bear fruits of peace and righteousness in our lives. James said the same thing in James 1:2-4:
My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything
When he says, “all sorts of trials,” that refers to trials that happen because of our sin, Satan’s attacks, accidents, etc. James, like the author of Hebrews, saw God in control of all and using them to create endurance and maturity in our lives.
With that said, though God is in control of all trials and uses them for our holiness, certainly, he brings specific disciplines as a result of his kids’ outright rebellion. In 1 Corinthians 11 when the church members were mistaking the Lord’s Supper by getting drunk and dishonoring the poor, he directly disciplined some by allowing them to get sick, depressed, or die (1 Cor 11:30). In considering this reality, Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 11:32, “But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.” Believers experience discipline on this earth from their heavenly Father; however, they will never experience eternal condemnation like the world will. Here on this earth, God allows storms in our lives to turn us away from various sins and to develop certain virtues in us like perseverance, patience, faith, and love. Apart from these trials, we would never develop these virtues. This is the lot of believers on this earth, and it is proof that God is their Father. Again, the author of Hebrews said, “But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons” (Heb 12:8).
Therefore, prodigal living for God’s children always leads to pain and suffering, meant to turn them away from sin and back to God. With the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable, leaving the father’s house, spending all his money on luxury, and indulging in prostitutes led him to poverty and eating pig’s food (Lk 15:11-32). It was while eating pig’s food that he came to his right mind and decided to return to the father’s house. Those sufferings represented God’s discipline, meant to turn his child back to the right path. In line with this, sometimes, God’s discipline is simply him allowing us to go our own way and experience the natural consequences of our sins. Romans 1:28-31 describes this reality in how God dealt with the pagan, ancient world:
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.
Sometimes, God’s discipline is just handing us over to our own evil thoughts and desires and allowing us to reap the consequences in the hope that they’ll lead us to repentance. With that said, God does not just allow Jonah to go his own way and reap the natural consequences of it. God supernaturally intervened by sending a storm to bring repentance in Jonah’s life and turn him to the right path.
As we consider this reality, we must ask ourselves:
Are there any ways we are experiencing God’s storm in our lives to turn us back to him? What lessons is God trying to teach us through various storms? What virtues is he developing in our lives as his children? If we’re living in rebellion and there are no storms (no discipline), what does that tell us about our status as children (cf. Heb 12:8)?
A consequence of prodigal living is experiencing various disciplines from God to turn us away from sin and help us grow in holiness.
Application Question: In what ways does God use discipline to train his children in holiness (cf. Heb 12:5-6, 11)? In what ways has God used storms in your life to lead you in a certain direction, set you free from a specific sin, or develop various virtues? In what ways has he trained you by simply allowing you to go your own way and reap the consequences of that path (cf. Lk 15:11-24, Rom 1:28-31)? Why does God stop some from going down the wrong path (like Jonah) and allow others to go down the path to reap the full consequences (like the Prodigal Son)?
The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep. The ship’s captain approached him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!” The sailors said to one another, “Come on, let’s cast lots to find out whose fault it is that this disaster has overtaken us.” So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out.
Jonah 1:5-7
As the storm raged, sailors became afraid, and each began to cry out to their god for deliverance. As professional sailors, they began to lighten the boat to help it stay afloat in the difficult storm (v. 5). During this time, Jonah was below the deck sleeping. Most likely, this was the sleep of depression instead of peace. There is no internal peace when running away from God and sinning against his will for our lives (cf. Ps 32:3-4). The captain of the ship approached him, woke him up, and told him to cry out to his God for help (v. 6). Finally, when their pleas to the gods did not help, they decided to cast lots to see whose fault the storm was (v. 7). It was clear that this was no normal storm. Therefore, they figured that a god was angry at one of them. After casting lots (possibly some combination of colored stones)3 and reading them, they determined that it was Jonah’s fault.
Jonah’s rebellion could have potentially cost the lives of “innocent” men who were in the boat with him. Apparently, they were men of character because when Jonah later suggested that they throw him in the sea to make it calm down, they instead tried to row to land, not wanting the guilt of killing someone (v. 13). Though men of integrity, their association with a prodigal prophet brought trouble into their lives.
Likewise, a consequence of prodigal living is the fact that our sins don’t just negatively affect us; they always negatively affect others as well, even if they’re not public sins. Proverbs 13:20 says, “The one who associates with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” In biblical wisdom literature (like Proverbs and Psalms), wisdom and foolishness have nothing to do with intelligence. It’s referring to morality and obedience to God (or lack thereof). Proverbs 9:10 says, “The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord.” Also, Psalm 14:1 says, “Fools say to themselves, ‘There is no God.’ They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.” When we are partnering with people who fear God and serve him, it helps us do the same. Similarly, partnering with those who are disobedient to God always leads to our spiritual harm. Sometimes that harm is simply us starting to model their spiritual or moral compromise, possibly in overindulging in alcohol, becoming consumed with worldly things such as wealth, prestige, and beauty, or beginning to lack integrity, amongst other things. Prodigal living always negatively affects others. Sometimes the negative effects are the worry and heartache that happen to those who love us and pray for us. At times, the consequences can be drastic as in the situation with Jonah.
We see this at other times in Scripture. When Achan disobeyed God’s command to devote Jericho to destruction by instead stealing money and clothes, it led to Israel’s defeat in a war against Ai where thirty-six men died (Josh 7). Sometimes prodigal living can have drastic consequences. First Corinthians 5:6 says, “a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough.” Sin tends to spread and bring consequences to a community. These potential consequences should be a deterrent towards falling into sin—considering the consequences on our family, friends, co-workers, our community, nations, or even the nations. Certainly, Jonah had counted the cost of rebellion when considering the Ninevites. Jonah considered their destruction just, which showed how hardened his heart was towards them. But, maybe, he didn’t consider the destruction of innocent Gentiles who were unwittingly trying to help him run from God. Prodigal living always brings consequences to others.
Even worse than the potential death of innocents, prodigal living commonly pushes people away from God, which has eternal consequences. When a professed follower of the Lord lives in rebellion, it makes people think the church is corrupt, full of hypocrites, and lacks any real power to change lives. In Matthew 18:6-7, Christ says this about the consequences of causing young, immature believers to stumble:
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.
Prodigal living always negatively affects others and has drastic consequences. Certainly, this should make us run away from sin and aim to stay on the right path.
Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced how rebellion often negatively affects others, including innocents? In what ways does religious hypocrisy commonly push people away from Christ? In what ways does thinking about sin’s consequences on others serve as a deterrent to falling into sin?
They said to him, “Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? What’s your occupation? Where do you come from? What’s your country? And who are your people?” He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, And I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Hearing this, the men became even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” (The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had previously told them.) Because the storm was growing worse and worse, they said to him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that the sea will calm down for you, because I know it’s my fault you are in this severe storm.” Instead, they tried to row back to land, but they were not able to do so because the storm kept growing worse and worse. So they cried out to the Lord, “Oh, please, Lord, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.” So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging.
Jonah 1:8-15
Even as God brought discipline for Jonah’s rebellion, the sailors were also forced to participate in that discipline as they threw Jonah off the ship into the raging sea. Initially, they tried not to. As mentioned, they vigorously sought to row back to land, but it was impossible because the storm kept growing worse (v. 13). So they cried out to the Lord to not be held liable for killing Jonah and then threw him out of the ship. After they did so, the sea stopped raging (v. 15). Likewise, after Israel lost a battle because of Achan’s sin, Joshua had to bring justice by executing Achan and those who participated in his sin. Only after this did God allow Israel to conquer Ai (Josh 7).
As mentioned, our sins never affect just us, they also affect our community and even our nation at times. For this reason, God calls parents to discipline their children and raise them in the admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Proverbs 13:24 says, “The one who spares his rod hates his child, but the one who loves his child is diligent in disciplining him.” Governments are called to practice discipline through the justice system. Scripture says government officials do not bear the sword in vain (Rom 13:1-7). Also, God calls the church to practice discipline by challenging and at times removing members (Matt 18:15-17). Even as Jonah eventually had to be thrown out of the ship, Scripture, at times, calls us to remove people from the church. This only happens after repeated calls for repentance, as noted in Matthew 18:15-17: first through a private one-on-one conversation, then with two or three others, and finally with the church. After these repeated loving challenges, without any repentance in response, Christ says this in Matthew 18:17, “… If he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector.” Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Paul said this:
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you.
Certainly, this happens at the church level, but it also may happen amongst friends, co-workers, and family members. At times, we may need to separate from a rebellious person both to warn them and protect ourselves and others. Proverbs 22:10 says, “Drive out the scorner and contention will leave; strife and insults will cease.” As with the sailors, is God calling us to separate from someone to protect us and others from temptation and experiencing God’s discipline? Who do we need to throw off the ship?
Application Question: Why is church discipline so uncommon in churches today? What types of sins should the church discipline over (cf. 1 Cor 5:9-13)? In what ways have you seen or experienced church discipline? How have you experienced the need to separate from a friend, co-worker, or family member who was living in sin to have peace and righteousness in your life? Why is this so hard to do?
They said to him, “Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? What’s your occupation? Where do you come from? What’s your country? And who are your people?” He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, And I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Hearing this, the men became even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” (The men said this because they knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had previously told them.) … So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord. The Lord sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:8-10, 15-17
Though there are great consequences for Jonah’s rebellion throughout this narrative, there is also God’s abounding grace. Romans 5:20 says, “... but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
Observation Question: In what ways do we see God’s grace abound throughout this narrative, and God using things for good?
1. Though sin abounded, God’s grace abounded in that the sailors heard about God from Jonah and experienced God’s saving grace.
There is a bit of irony in this narrative. Jonah ran because he didn’t want to witness to Gentiles about God; however, because the storm almost killed him and the sailors, he was forced to witness to Gentiles. In Jonah 1:9, when questioned by the sailors, Jonah responded, “I am a Hebrew, And I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” In response, the sailors became “even more afraid” (v. 10). They may or may not have heard of Yahweh, but it was clear he was a powerful God. In fact, after they threw Jonah into the sea and it calmed, it says, “The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord” (v. 16). It’s quite possible that Yahweh just became another one of their many gods, but it’s also possible that they stopped worshipping other gods, as they became followers of Yahweh. He was the creator God, the one in control of the land and sea. Therefore, many believe these sailors became true believers. Again, this is the irony and a thread of God’s grace in the narrative; the one who didn’t want to partake in God’s saving work of Gentiles, through discipline, participated in witnessing to Gentiles who became saved. Romans 8:28 is expansive and has no limitations. God works “all things” for the good of those who love the Lord, which includes our rebellion. It’s a mystery. Certainly, we can see how God uses our sin for the good in that it leads to discipline so that we repent and become more like Christ. We also often learn how to conquer our sins and other weaknesses so we can be used to help others do the same (cf. Matt 5:29-30). In addition, at times, our rebellion may even lead to severe discipline where God takes us home early, but even then, the ultimate result is eternal salvation and being like Christ in heaven, though potentially without any rewards to show for our life on earth (cf. 1 Cor 3:15-16). God’s grace abounds even through our failures.
2. Though sin abounded, grace abounded in that God would not let Jonah go his own way.
Like God searching for Adam and Eve after they rebelled against his will and hid (Gen 3), God did not let Jonah go his own way. God chased him and hurled a dangerous storm in his path to keep him from fully working out his plan of apostasy and experiencing further consequences from it. God kept him from going to Tarshish and permanently relinquishing his prophetic ministry. Likewise, if we are truly born again, God will not let us go. We are his children. In John 10:28-30, Christ said this about his sheep:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.
He keeps his children in his hand, and no one can snatch them out of it. When they rebel against him, he pursues them. In the Parable of the Hundred Sheep, when one leaves, the good shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to get the one (Lk 15:4). Likewise, God does the same with us. If we can leave God without experiencing his pursuing discipline, then we never were his kids. Again, that’s what Hebrews 12:8 says, “But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons.” Every true child experiences discipline; God is a good father who will not let his children ultimately go their own way, even if that means taking them home prematurely, as with Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-10) or the people in Corinth abusing the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:30).
3. Though sin abounded, God’s grace abounded in that he delivered Jonah from death.
It doesn’t seem like Jonah repented of his rebellion in this narrative. When asked to pray by the ship’s captain (v. 6), the narrative never says that he prayed. The sailors prayed to God (v. 14), but not Jonah. When Jonah challenged the sailors to throw him into the sea (v. 12), that seems to be him continuing unwaveringly in rebellion. He would rather die than go and preach to the Ninevites. He does the same thing after God has mercy on the Ninevites in Chapter 4; he prays for God to just kill him because he would rather die than see them saved (4:3). If Jonah really wanted to save the sailors, he could have repented on the ship when asked to pray or thrown himself into the sea without telling them to do so. Jonah being swallowed by a large fish seems to be God’s grace on Jonah who was still rebellious. In Jonah 2:1, it seems that while in the fish he truly repented, which led to him being vomited up onto dry land (2:10). Sometimes, God in his grace and mercy does not give us the full punishment we deserve. In his anger, he remembers mercy. No doubt, many times he has been merciful to us by, at times, holding back the consequences or his full justice for our sins. In his discipline, he has remembered mercy.
4. Though sin abounded, God’s grace abounded by demonstrating Christ’s death and resurrection through Jonah.
God chose that Jonah’s rebellion would lead to a picture of Christ in the Old Testament. In Matthew 12:39-41, Christ said this:
An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them—and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
Jonah was a prodigal prophet who ran from God’s will for his life. He didn’t love his enemies and therefore wouldn’t share God’s Word with them. In the midst of his running from God, he was saved from drowning by being swallowed by a large fish and spending three days and nights in its belly before being vomited up to preach repentance to the Ninevites. However, God would one day send THE Prophet who would not rebel against God’s command. He would speak God’s Word to both Israel and Gentiles, his friends and his enemies, and he would be put to death on a cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. He bore God’s wrath for our sins on that cross. He was buried for three days and three nights, even as Jonah was in the large fish for the same duration. After that, Jesus rose from the dead as proof that God had accepted his sacrifice for the sins of the world, even as Jonah was vomited from the fish onto dry land. Figuratively, Jonah went from death to life so he could save many people.
God took Jonah’s rebellion and made it a type of Christ—a picture of Christ in the Old Testament. Surely, our God is the one who can take the sins of people and somehow use them for something good. In fact, he took the worst thing in the world, the murder of his Son, and made it the best thing in the world, as it leads to the eternal salvation of many.
Surely, God can take our rebellion and failures and somehow use them for the good (Rom 8:28). With that said, this is no excuse to remain in sin. Certainly, some have at times used God’s abounding grace as an excuse for wrongdoing. In Romans 6:1-2, Paul rebuked such foolish arguments. He said, “What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Far from being an excuse for continuing in sin, God’s abounding grace should be a motivation for repentance and righteousness. Romans 2:4 says, “Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”
Certainly, God’s grace over Jonah’s rebellion reminds us that we have never gone too far for God’s grace to save us, forgive us, and restore us to productive service. It also reminds us that nobody is too far gone for God to save with his amazing grace. His grace over our failures should draw us to him and not away from him. Thank you, Lord!
Application Question: How have you seen or experienced God’s abounding grace over your failures and others’? How has God used what the enemy meant for bad for good (cf. Gen 50:20)?
Certainly, as we consider this narrative, we must ask ourselves a few questions:
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
To faithfully obey God especially when his will is difficult or uncomfortable, we must remember the consequences of prodigal living, as demonstrated in Jonah’s life:
Application Question: What consequence of prodigal living stood out most and why?
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
1 Weaver, Paul. Introducing the Old Testament Books: A Thorough but Concise Introduction for Proper Interpretation (Biblical Studies Book 1) (Kindle Locations 3248-3251). Kindle Edition.
2 Lloyd J. Ogilvie and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, vol. 22, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1990), 422.
3 Eric Redmond, William Curtis, and Ken Fentress, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), 17.
Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish and said, “I called out to the Lord from my distress, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried out for help, and you heard my prayer. You threw me into the deep waters, into the middle of the sea; the ocean current engulfed me; all the mighty waves you sent swept over me. I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple! Water engulfed me up to my neck; the deep ocean surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever, but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God. When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord, and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs. But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” Then the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.
Jonah 2 (NET)
How should we respond to distress which comes from various trials? In the story of Jonah, God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach a coming judgment with the hope that the Ninevites might repent. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, and since the Assyrians were the chief enemy of the Jews at that time, Jonah essentially said, “No.” Instead of traveling northeast towards Nineveh, he went south to Joppa to get on a boat to head to Tarshish, which was in Spain. While traveling from Joppa, God brought a terrible storm that almost destroyed the boat and all the sailors in it. Since Jonah was identified as the reason God sent the storm, the sailors tossed him off the boat into the raging sea. While Jonah was drowning in the sea, he prays, and God saves him from death by allowing him to be swallowed by a big fish.
In Jonah Chapter 2, Jonah recounts his deliverance from the sea and demonstrates hope for a future deliverance, as he prays to God from within the fish. From this narrative, we learn principles about how we should respond to distress. It’s commonly been said that we are either in a trial or headed into one shortly. Trials are a part of life, and they can either build us up and make us stronger spiritually or harm us—pushing us farther from God and others. Therefore, it behooves us to learn from Jonah’s narrative how to respond to distress.
With that said, before we discern principles from Jonah’s prayer, we must address the clear difficulties in this text. Can a large fish, including a whale, swallow a person whole, and can that person survive temporarily in its belly? Some have considered this book a parable with spiritual principles instead of a historical account because of difficulty accepting the fish story. In considering this claim, first, it must be said that Scripture speaks about Jonah as a historical person. Second Kings 14:25 mentions a prophet named Jonah prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam II. Most believe this is the same Jonah. In addition, Christ spoke about Jonah as a historical person. Christ said that Jonah being in the belly of a fish for three days and nights was a typology of his future death, burial, and resurrection. In Matthew 12:39-41, Christ said this:
… An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them—and now, something greater than Jonah is here!
Christ spoke of Jonah being a real person, him being swallowed by a large fish as an actual event, and his ministry in Nineveh as being real. If it was not real, it couldn’t have truly reflected Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, which historically happened. Scripture teaches that the book of Jonah is a true story, including his being swallowed by a fish.
With that said, it’s worth asking, “Is Jonah being swallowed by a fish and being preserved alive possible?” For those who believe in a God who does miracles and who is the author of the Bible, this is not a hard reality to accept. It is either physically possible, or it was a miracle where God suspended his natural laws for a greater purpose. However, many believe there is good evidence that this event could have happened apart from God’s miraculous intervention. For example, some studies of sperm whales demonstrate that a man can be swallowed alive, live for a few days in the whale, and subsequently be vomited up.1 A sperm whale’s mouth is typically 20 feet long, 15 feet high, and 9 feet wide, which is larger than most rooms in an average house.2 In addition, sperm whales feed on squid which is often much larger than a human. Whalers have found a whole sized squid in a dead whale’s stomach, which supports the fact that one could swallow a human whole.3 There is also the biography of a man named James Bartley who claimed to be swallowed by a whale in 1891 and survived for at least a day in the whale’s belly. James Boice shared this story in his Minor Prophets commentary. He said:
One case concerns a voyage of the whaling ship Star of the East, which in February 1891, spotted a large sperm whale in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands. Two boats were launched, and in a short while one of the harpooners was able to spear the whale. Those in the second boat attempted to attach a second harpoon, but the boat capsized in the process and one man was drowned. A second sailor, James Bartley, disappeared and could not be found. In time the whale was killed and drawn to the side of the ship where it was made fast and the blubber removed. The next day the stomach was hoisted on deck. When it was opened, the missing sailor was found inside. He was unconscious but alive. Eventually he was revived by sea water and after a time resumed his duties on board the whaling vessel.4
Furthermore, there have also been rare modern incidents of people being swallowed at least briefly by whales and then spit out. For instance, a lobster diver in Cape Cod, Massachusetts was swallowed by a humpback whale for a brief period and then spit out in June 2021.5
Finally, some believe that Jonah being vomited out by a large fish is supported by Nineveh’s repentance. Many have questioned why the Ninevites repented at the preaching of a Jewish prophet. The Ninevites didn’t even worship Yahweh. However, they did worship the fish-god Dagon. If witnesses saw Jonah vomited up from a large fish, which represented the Ninevites’ deity, and shared it, his preaching would indeed be a “sign” to them (Matt 12:39-41). The bleaching of Jonah’s skin from the fish’s stomach acid would have only confirmed any potential witness reports. Therefore, there is certainly evidence within the text and outside of it for the possibility of a person being swallowed by a large fish—possibly a whale—and surviving.
With that said, the text spends little time focusing on the event of Jonah being swallowed by a large fish and surviving because the author, probably Jonah, expected his Jewish audience to believe in miracles since God had historically done them on their behalf. The focus in Chapter 2 is Jonah’s prayer in the whale which teaches us principles about how we should respond to distress, especially when circumstances seem hopeless. Though in much of Jonah’s narrative he is an example of what not to do, in Jonah 2, he demonstrates many aspects that should be modeled.
Big Question: In Jonah 2, what principles can be discerned about responding well to distress?
Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish and said, “I called out to the Lord from my distress, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried out for help, and you heard my prayer.
Jonah 2:1-2
Though Jonah had been in rebellion, while drowning in the sea, he cried out to God for help, and God saved him through a large fish. Then, while in the fish, he prayed again. Likewise, whether we are dealing with a family, health, or financial crisis, we should cry out to the Lord continually because he cares for us. Many Scriptures teach this reality: First Peter 5:7 (NIV) says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” James 5:13 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.” Pray is in the present tense, meaning we need to continually pray, even as Jonah did. Likewise, in the context of trials, James 1:5 says, “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” God promises to give us wisdom for our trials if we, in faith, cry out to him. The word “ask” is also in the present tense, having the sense of continually asking God for wisdom and persevering in prayer. Sometimes, one prayer is not enough. When Peter was sinking in the sea after walking on water, he only had to cry out to Jesus once to be delivered (Matt 14:22-33). Likewise, Elijah only prayed once for God to send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice (1 Kgs 18). However, in many situations, God calls us to pray often and repeatedly for deliverance. We need to persevere in prayer not because God needs our prayers to act, but because God’s first priority in our trials is for us to know him and be changed by him. Jonah had been running from God; however, the trial made him give up his self-dependence and pride and cry out to God. God wants the same for us. Prayers not only commonly change our circumstances, but they also change our hearts as we draw near God and start to trust his will for our lives.
To some, it might seem unnecessary to emphasize the need to pray when in distress. They might question, “Doesn’t everybody pray in trials?” Certainly, we are more prone to it than when experiencing prosperity. However, it often isn’t our first response, nor is it our continual practice. Often, the first thing we do in distress is worry, get frustrated, or even get angry. Then, we quickly try to fix the problem without prayer. We commonly go to the medical doctor before crying out to the great physician. We go to the counselor before going to THE Counselor. Again, James says, “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.” He says that because we often neglect prayer or don’t pray enough.
When Jonah was thrown off the boat into the raging water, while waves were crashing over him and it was hard to breathe, he cried out to God in prayer, and God heard him. God delivered him from death through a great fish. He also continued to pray while in the fish. Are we crying out to God in prayer? Are we asking him for wisdom, strength, open doors, grace to persevere, and relief? No matter how daunting our circumstances, we must constantly run to God in prayer and not give up hope. Prayer will either change the circumstance or change us, which is most important to God.
Application Question: Why is persevering in prayer during trials so important? Why is this at times hard to do? What are other things that people commonly do when in distress, instead of praying? In what ways have you seen God provide grace during trials when consistently crying out in prayer (both individually and corporately)?
and said, “I called out to the Lord from my distress, and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried out for help, and you heard my prayer. You threw me into the deep waters, into the middle of the sea; the ocean current engulfed me; all the mighty waves you sent swept over me. I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple! Water engulfed me up to my neck; the deep ocean surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head…
Jonah 2:2-9
As we consider Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish, it must stand out that this prayer contained various parts of the Psalms. Mark Yarbrough, the President of Dallas Theological Seminary, said this about Jonah’s prayer: “Every word in the text of Jonah 2—some paraphrased, some summarized, some verbatim—was taken from the Psalms, Jonah’s hymnbook of faith.” 6 This is clear in many ways. For example, Jonah 2:2 reflects Psalm 18:6, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried out to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.” Jonah 2:3 reflects Psalm 42:7, “One deep stream calls out to another at the sound of your waterfalls; all your billows and waves overwhelm me.” Jonah 2:4 reflects Psalm 32:22, “I jumped to conclusions and said, ‘I am cut off from your presence!’ But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.” Jonah 2:8 reflects Psalm 31:6, “I hate those who serve worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.” Again, each sentence in Jonah 2 is either a paraphrase, summary, or the exact words of a Psalm (cf. Jonah 2:2 and Ps 120:1, Jonah 2:3 and Ps 69:1–2, Jonah 2:4 and Ps 5:7, Jonah 2:5 and Ps 69:1–2, Jonah 2:8 and Ps 31:6, Jonah 2:9 and Ps 3:8).7 It’s clear that Jonah had the Word of God hidden in his heart since there were obviously no Bible scrolls in the large fish, and he certainly didn’t have a candle.
Likewise, if we’re going to respond well to distress, we must also consistently meditate on God’s Word. We must read it daily, study it, sing it, and hide it in our hearts so we can respond to difficulty at work, with family and friends, or nationally in a way that honors the Lord. In Psalm 119:105, David said this: “Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path.” If we are going to be able to see in dark times and walk in the right direction, we must turn on the light of God’s Word. David also said in Psalm 1:2-3 that the person who meditates on God’s Word day and night bears fruit in season and his leaf does not wither. In waiting seasons, by God’s grace, the meditator bears the fruit of patience. In depressing seasons, God gives him the ability to have joy in Christ. In confusing seasons, God gives him wisdom. Whatever fruit he needs, God produces in the person as he abides in the Word. If we do not abide in his Word, we spiritually impoverish ourselves and hinder God’s purposes for our lives.
Are we abiding in God’s Word? Are we reading it, memorizing it, studying it, singing it, and praying it, even as Jonah prayed it in the belly of the fish? Lord, draw us to your Word and bear much fruit in us and through us!
Application Question: Why is abiding in God’s Word so important in trials? In what ways have you experienced special grace by abiding in God’s Word during distressful seasons? How is God calling you to more faithfully draw near his Word in this season?
You threw me into the deep waters, into the middle of the sea; the ocean current engulfed me; all the mighty waves you sent swept over me.
Jonah 2:3
God’s sovereignty is one of the major themes of the book of Jonah. In Jonah 1:4, God sent a storm when Jonah rebelled against God. When Jonah was thrown off the ship into the sea, God appointed a fish (1:17). In Jonah 4:6, when it was hot outside, God appointed a plant that provided shade for Jonah. Then, God caused a worm to attack the plant, and it shriveled up (4:7). After, God caused a hot wind to beat against Jonah’s head (4:8). Jonah, the author of this book, clearly saw God in control of all circumstances. That’s also true as he prays this prayer. In verse 3, Jonah said, “You threw me into the deep waters … all the mighty waves you sent swept over me.” The sailors were not in control and nor were natural events that might cause a storm. God was. This is an important reality for us to accept if we are going to respond well to trials.
We see this reality throughout Scripture. When Moses asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites go and Pharaoh said, “No,” Moses taught two seemingly conflicting truths in the book of Exodus about Pharaoh’s response. He said Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex 8:32), but he also said God hardened his heart (Ex 9:12). Only focusing on Pharaoh might have made Moses angry, frustrated, anxious, or even made him quit the mission. However, understanding that God was in control of Pharaoh and that God had a good plan, no doubt, gave Moses more peace and perseverance in the trial. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants.” God is in control of kings, the ocean, dry land, and the storms that come upon them all.
With Job, even though Scripture says that Satan caused all of Job’s trials, Job saw God as in control of them. In Job 1:21, Job said this in considering his losses, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!” Likewise, in Job 13:15, he said this about God, “Even if he slays me, I will hope in him.” Though there is an aspect of mystery in considering God’s sovereignty, the free will of humans, Satan and demons, and events in the natural world, the mystery is in our minds, not God’s. Ephesians 1:11 says God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.” There is not one thing on this earth that is not conforming to God’s sovereign will. This may be confusing for us or even frightening, especially when considering evil in the world, but if we despise this truth that Scripture teaches, we neglect one of our greatest comforts in trials. Satan is not in control; terrorists are not in control; our boss is not in control, and neither are we. God is, and God uses his sovereignty over events to work them all for the good of those who love the Lord (Rom 8:28). It’s our promise that we must always cling to when in distress, when confused, angry, and feeling like giving up. While Jonah was drowning, he prayed because he believed God was in control of the wind that caused the storm, the men who threw him overboard, and the waves that were drowning him. Therefore, since he trusted God’s character, he had hope.
If we don’t see God as in control of all circumstances, we will spend a lot of our time mad at the government, our boss, spouse, or children, instead of seeing God using them for a purpose. That doesn’t mean people or demons are free from responsibility. They are not; however, even with their evil works or failings, God is in control, orchestrating them for a greater purpose. Therefore, we must trust him. This reality will enable us to respond to our trials well and be built up through them instead of destroyed by them.
Another classic example of God’s sovereignty over the evil works of people is seen in Joseph’s story. His brothers sold him into slavery. As a slave in Egypt, his master’s wife falsely accused him of sexual assault; therefore, he was imprisoned. However, in the prison cell, God used him to minister to Pharaoh’s former cupbearer. After the cupbearer was restored to his position, he eventually told Pharaoh about Joseph’s wisdom and ability to interpret dreams. This led to Joseph becoming second in command over Egypt and being able to save his family and many nations during a global famine. At the end of the story when his brothers begged for forgiveness, in Genesis 50:20-21, Joseph said this: “As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Instead of seeking vengeance, he cared for their families. Recognizing God’s sovereignty over their evil enabled him to forgive, instead of returning evil for evil.
If we do not recognize God’s sovereignty over our trials, we will constantly struggle with anxiety, anger, depression, and even unforgiveness towards others. We’ll respond negatively instead of positively because we don’t see the evil done to us as working for our good.
In addition, it must be noticed that when God saved Jonah through a fish, Jonah saw the fish as appointed by God (1:17). If we don’t recognize God’s sovereignty over the bad (in the context, the sailors throwing Jonah in the water and the waves drowning him), we often won’t recognize it over the good (in the context, the fish saving him). Consequently, we’ll be prone to take credit for the good or give credit to someone else other than God.
Are we recognizing God’s sovereignty over our trials and stressors (and our successes and blessings)? Again, Jonah saw the wind causing the storm, the sailors throwing him over the boat, and the waves drowning him as under God’s control—so much so, he could essentially pray, “God you allowed this, please help me!”
Application Question: Why is it so hard to accept the fact of God’s sovereignty over evil events and trials? Why is it important to accept God’s sovereignty over all things, especially evil things, and how does Scripture teach this truth? In what ways has God’s sovereignty over difficulties been a comfort to you?
I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple!
Jonah 2:4
When Jonah said, “I thought I had been banished from your sight, that I would never again see your holy temple,” it could be that Jonah was simply saying that he thought was going to die, which was a very real possibility. But it also could represent a very negative view of God, including his judgment and plan. Before the storm, Jonah was already upset with God’s desire to warn Nineveh and potentially save them, so it makes sense that his thought of God banishing him came from a wrong heart as well. This is not uncommon when people rebel against God or make some unwise decision that leads them into a trial. Though they made the unwise decision, they commonly get mad at God. I heard the story of a Christian who married an unbeliever even though she knew Scripture taught otherwise. After her marriage ended in divorce, she became angry at God and turned away from the church for a period of time because she blamed God for letting it all happen. This might have been how Jonah was thinking. His rebellion led to judgment, and now he is blaming God for banishing him in the sense of allowing him to die. As a Jew, he knew very well that God was just, and that sin deserved death. That was the point of the Jewish sacrificial system. It was only because of God’s mercy that he chose to judge a substitute, represented by an innocent sacrificial lamb, instead of the original offender. The sacrifice prefigured Christ eventually being judged for our sins. God is a just God, and sin deserves discipline, which God brought for Jonah’s rebellion.
Likewise, one of the temptations we must be very careful of when going through trials is the temptation to become angry at God or think irrational, negative thoughts about ourselves or others. When Satan was allowed in God’s sovereignty to bring trials in Job’s life, his purpose was for Job to eventually curse God and turn away from him (Job 1:11, 2:5). This happens all the time in the church. A pastor makes an immoral decision, church members have conflict, and soon after those hurt by these events are now mad at the church and God. We must understand that this is the very temptation that Satan brings in trials. He wants us to doubt God’s goodness, become angry at him, and turn away from him. And if he can’t get us mad at God, he wants us to get mad at ourselves or others. He’ll take what he can get.
After some type of failure or trial, it’s common for people to accept the devil’s lies and specifically condemn themselves. They say to themselves, “I’m not good enough. God can never use me. Maybe, I’m not even a real Christian.” Or, they spend all their time condemning and blaming others. Some, unfortunately, start thinking, “Life’s not worth living. Maybe, I should end it!” None of these are right responses.
The title “devil” simply means “accuser.” In trials, including our moral failures, Satan will come to our ears to accuse God, us, or others. As mentioned, he does all the above to push us away from God and his people and to gain a stronghold in our lives. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.” Satan wants a foothold in our lives through our wrong responses to trials, so he can attack us and others.
Therefore, when going through trials, we must earnestly guard our hearts against wrong thoughts and emotions, including accusing and condemning ones. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” In considering spiritual warfare, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” Also, Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.” The Philippians were being persecuted for their faith (Phil 1:29) and going through various communal difficulties (Phil 3:2, 4:2). No doubt, there were many temptations to be anxious, but instead of worrying and entertaining irrational, negative thoughts, they should pray to God with thanksgiving. In addition, Paul said this to them in Philippians 4:8-9:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
To protect their minds from anxiety and wrong thinking, they needed to not only pray but also choose to think about godly things, like God’s Word and how God could use the evil against them for good. Because of commonly entertaining wrong thoughts during trials, we are more tempted to fall into lust, lie, or hurt someone including ourselves and our family. Thoughts always eventually lead to actions. Instead of thinking and acting negatively, Paul says, we must choose to not be anxious by praying, choosing to think about godly things, and practicing righteousness which brings God’s blessing.
Are we protecting our thoughts during trials, or are we entertaining negative thoughts about God—that he doesn’t love us or have good plans for us—and also entertaining negative thoughts about ourselves and others? Again, when Jonah said he thought God had banished him (v. 4), this may have reflected a negative, accusing view of God and/or himself, which we are all prone to during trials. Therefore, to respond well to our trials, we must guard our hearts against irrational and evil thinking, including any accusations of the devil against us, others, and God. We must learn to take our thoughts and emotions captive and make them obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5).
Application Question: Why is it so important to protect our thoughts and emotions during trials? What types of irrational and evil thinking are you prone to in trials? How do you overcome them?
Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs. But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Jonah 2:9
When Jonah says, “Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs,” he does not only seem to be referring to a general truth. This referred to his disobeying God. This is why he promised to offer sacrifices and fulfill his promises after saying it. Though Jonah did not worship physical idols like pagans, he did place his nationalism as an Israelite and dislike for the Ninevites before God (cf. Col 3:5). Through God’s discipline, Jonah saw his sin and repented, at least partially. We know he repented because, in Chapter 3, Jonah indeed went to the Ninevites and preached to them. However, in Chapter 4, we see that it was only partial because he still held unforgiveness and hate in his heart towards them and was angry when God forgave them. Nevertheless, there was indeed some aspect of recognizing his sin and idolatry, which is what led him to preach to them after initially refusing. Repentance is a continual process for all of us. God reveals a sin, we repent, and at times, fall back into that sin, only to be rebuked by God again, and Lord willing, repent. We all have idols God wants to get rid of in our lives and also virtues he wants to develop in us. This is part of the reason God brings various trials.
In Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV), God said this about the Israelites in the wilderness:
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
God led the Israelites into the wilderness to show them that they still had pride in their hearts, lust, idolatry, and unbelief. He brought them through difficulties to show them their sin and help them repent. Likewise, God does the same with us. Trials often show our pride, unforgiveness, lack of trust for God, lust, anger, idols, and many other sins which tend to show up when under distress.
For this reason, in James 1:2-4, James said:
My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.
Our trials are tests of our faith. Tests demonstrate both our strengths and weaknesses. They also help us grow. James says as we faithfully endure our trials, we become more mature in the faith. That’s what the word “perfect” refers to. God does not want us to stay immature children who fall into sin, unbelief, and discord every time a trial comes. He wants us to develop and mature through trials so he can use us more.
For that reason, when going through trials, we must ask ourselves:
What is God teaching us? Are there certain sinful tendencies he is revealing in our hearts, like impatience, complaining, anger, bitterness, or unbelief? Are there certain virtues he is trying to develop in us, like love for our enemies (which Jonah was supposed to learn), perseverance (not complaining or wanting to always quit during hard times), and faith (trust in God regardless of our situation)?
This is probably in part what James 1:5 means by challenging us to pray for wisdom in our trials. We need wisdom to pass the tests that trials present and to grow through them.
While praying in the belly of the whale, it seems that Jonah recognized some aspect of the idolatry in his heart. His nationalism and hate for his enemies kept him from obeying God’s command to preach to the Ninevites. He will indeed fulfill his promises by obeying God in the next chapter, but not according to the heart. God still had more work to do on his heart through trials, just as he has to do with us (cf. Phil 1:6, Jonah 4:7-8).
Application Question: How do we find out what God is aiming to teach us in our trials? What sinful tendencies are you prone to during trials? What type of virtues has God been developing in you through recent trials?
I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever, but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God… But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Jonah 2:6, 9
As Jonah prayed in the belly of the fish, he described how God heard his prayer while drowning and saved him from death. He said, “you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God” (v. 6). However, while in the belly of the large fish, Jonah was still going through a trial. It was probably hard to breathe in there, it stunk, and he was surrounded by stomach tissue and acid that was bleaching his skin and clothes. However, he was happy just to be alive and had faith that God would deliver him again. This is clear because he declares: “I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise; I will surely do what I have promised. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” (v. 9). He believed God would deliver him again so that he could offer sacrifices at the temple and fulfill his vows of being a prophet for the Lord.
Interpretation Question: Why did Jonah believe that God would eventually deliver him from the belly of the fish?
Jonah’s hope was not unfounded wishful thinking. (1) It was based on God’s past faithfulness in delivering Jonah from drowning, but (2) no doubt, it also was based on God’s character. He declared, “Salvation belongs to the Lord”—meaning that God is merciful and gracious and therefore often saves us from our sins and distress.
Likewise, part of the reason God allows us to go through trials is to develop our hope in him. In Romans 5:3-4, Paul says, “Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.” God allows us to go through trials not to discourage us but to increase our hope in God. Even when considering those who had lost relatives to death, Paul said this to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:13, “Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.” Even death, including the loss of loved ones, should not be a hopeless state for believers because of their trust in God. We grieve, but we grieve in hope because of God’s character and promises.
(1.) Therefore, like Jonah when going through trials, we must hope in God because we remember God’s past faithfulness. Has he previously delivered us from a difficult situation? Did he heal our hearts when we went through a difficult relationship? Did he open a door when there was no door? Did he make some horrible situation an indispensable growth experience? If we are going to hope in God like Jonah did while in the belly of a fish, we must remember God’s past faithfulness. (2.) However, we must also know God’s character. He is the God of salvation (v. 9). He does not simply let us die in our sins. He sent his Son to die for us so we could be saved. He takes bad situations and uses them for our good (Rom 8:28). He is a God of mercy and grace; therefore, we can hope when there is no hope. Even death is no obstacle for him, he can even use that for the good.
Jonah’s belief that God would set him free from the belly of the fish to make sacrifices to God is reminiscent of Daniel’s friends’ declaration to Nebuchadnezzar when they wouldn’t bow down and worship his statue. In Daniel 3:17-18, they replied to the king:
If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”
In the face of death, they believed God would rescue them. This no doubt came from their past experiences with God, as he delivered them previously when they wouldn’t eat the king’s meat (Dan 1). It also came from their understanding of his character. It also may have come from their deep and abiding relationship with God. As they prayed, worshiped, and lived in his Word, faith and hope arose in their spirits. However, they also recognized that even if God didn’t deliver them, they would trust God. Similarly, the same thing happened to Paul while facing a death sentence in a Roman prison. While talking to the Philippians, he recognized the possibilities of dying, which was a gain, or continuing to live and serve God. In Philippians 1:23-25, he said this:
I feel torn between the two because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body. And since I am sure of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for the sake of your progress and joy in the faith,
Because of Paul’s biblical reasoning that it was more vital for him to live and bless the Philippians and possibly because God gave him a settled peace in his spirit that he would live, Paul had a sure hope that God would deliver him from death.
Likewise, when encountering trials, we must also have hope. Again, even in death, we can have hope if we take a biblical mindset. Paul believed death was better by far because it brought him into Christ’s presence. No doubt, he believed that if God took him, God would provide for those left behind. However, his faith ultimately led him to believe that God would preserve his life so he could bless others.
Either way, in trials, God’s desire is for us to increase our hope in him. As Paul said, trials create perseverance in us, develop our character, and create hope in our hearts (Rom 5:3-4). More than hoping in temporary things like wealth and health, trials help us hope in God and his eternal promises.
Are your trials causing you to doubt God’s goodness and wise plans? Or, are trials making you put your hope in the only one who can deliver you and whose plans are eternal—covering more than our short time on earth? To respond well in trials, we must hope in God’s mercy and grace. Like Daniel’s friends, we must say, “God can deliver us, and he will. But even if he doesn’t, we will still trust him!” Like Jonah in a trial, we can declare, “Surely I will meet with God and offer sacrifices to him at the temple.” We must trust that God’s plans are good, both for our time on earth and in the coming kingdom. God is faithful. Are we hoping in him?
Application Question: Why is hope in God so important when encountering trials? How can we increase our hope and help others do the same?
Then the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.
Jonah 2:10
Eventually, after three days and nights in the belly of the fish, God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah on dry land. Again, this demonstrates God’s sovereignty over trials. God used the fish to deliver Jonah from drowning, however, being stuck in a fish’s belly was still a trial. Possibly, it took the whole three days for Jonah to repent while in the fish. It seems that right after he prayed, God delivered him (v. 9-10). It took not only Jonah almost dying in the storm and then drowning in the sea but it also took him being confined for three days to give God thanks for saving him and at least partially repent for his rebellion.
With that said, this teaches us another truth we must remember if we are going to respond well while under distress: trials are temporary. They don’t last forever. They are short because God is teaching us something through them. If we learn the lesson, often they are removed. Sometimes, when we don’t repent, they get extended. Because of the unbelief of the Israelites, they had to return to the wilderness for forty years. Sin can extend our time in a trial. Also, trials are always temporary when compared to eternity. Either way, to respond well in trials, we must remember their temporary nature. In 1 Peter 5:10, Peter said this to believers suffering persecution in the Roman Empire: “And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
The trials they were suffering through were “for a little while,” and then God would restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish them. For most, this would probably happen through the sanctification process of the trial, as they repented and trusted in God. He would develop perseverance, character, and hope in them. He would also get rid of various sins in the process. For others, God by his grace would glorify them as he took them home through those trials, especially as the Roman Christians were suffering for their faith. As Paul said, for believers, death is ultimately a gain as we will be made into the image of Christ and have perfect communion with him and other saints (cf. Phil 1:21, 2 Cor 5:8).
As we go through trials, we must remember that they only last for a little while. They are temporary experiences that God uses to make us more into his image by creating his character in us. Even death for believers is just a passageway into eternity where they will fully know and worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen!
Application Question: Why is it important to remember that our trials are temporary and not eternal (1 Pet 1:6, 5:10)? How can we remember this reality while going through trials that seem to have no expiration date?
Then the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.
Jonah 2:10
As mentioned previously, in Matthew 12:39-40, Christ taught that Jonah being swallowed by a fish for three days and then being vomited up on the land was an Old Testament picture of Christ who would die, be buried, and rise again for the sins of the world. Though Jonah was unaware of it, God was using his failure and subsequent trial to present a picture of Christ to those around him and to us, as we read the Old Testament book.
Likewise, to respond well to distress, we must seek to be like Christ in them. First Peter 2:21-23 says this to suffering saints:
For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly.
Christ gave us an example of how to suffer. Are we being tempted in our suffering to fall away from God, be angry with him, or enjoy the pleasures of sin? Like Christ, we must not commit any sins, nor lie with our mouths. Have we been hurt by those we love? Like Christ, we must pray for our enemies and ask God to forgive them. Are we being accused and lied about as the Pharisees and Sadducees did with Christ? Like Christ, most times we should not defend ourselves but leave our defense in God’s hands. Are we struggling in a waiting season for God to open a door or use us in a different capacity? Like Christ, we must wait patiently, even if the Lord only opens the door after thirty years to serve him in a greater capacity with our last three. Are we struggling with the cross the Lord has called us to carry in our family, workplace, or physical body? Then, like Christ, let us plead for God to remove the cup of suffering but, at the same time, declare, “Yet not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). We must at all times and in all ways seek to picture Christ when going through our trials. He is our example. Isaiah 53:3 says this about Christ, “He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him.” Because he was a man of suffering, he understands, can relate to and empower us to be like him as we suffer. Hebrews 4:15-16 says,
For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.
As Jonah pictured Christ while confined in the large fish for three days, we must always aim to demonstrate Christ in our trials. May others see Christ through our obedience, prayer, faith, perseverance, trust in God, and service to others in our trials. Lord, let it be so, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application Question: Apart from the cross, what are other ways Christ suffered and therefore can model for us how to suffer well? How can you better model Christ specifically amid sufferings?
As we consider Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish after God saved him from drowning, we can discern general principles about responding well to distress. When the storm initially came, Jonah did not respond well. He didn’t pray to God and was even willing to die rather than obey God’s call to go to Nineveh. However, as he was drowning, his heart changed and continued to change while in the belly of the fish. Though Jonah, in general, is an example of what not to do, in Jonah 2, he responds well to distress and is an example for us in seeking to do the same.
Application Question: Which principle(s) about responding well to distress stood out most and why?
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
1 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 283.
2 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 283.
3 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 283.
4 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 284.
5 Accessed 6/21/2022 from https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2021/06/11/humpback-whale-catches-michael-packard-lobster-driver-mouth-proviencetown-cape-cod/7653838002/
The Lord’s message came to Jonah a second time, “Go immediately to Nineveh, that large city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah went immediately to Nineveh, in keeping with the Lord’s message. Now Nineveh was an enormous city—it required three days to walk through it! Jonah began to enter the city by going one day’s walk, announcing, “At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes. He issued a proclamation and said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water. Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do. Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.” When God saw their actions—they turned from their evil way of living!—God relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and did not destroy them.
Jonah 3 (NET)
How can we experience revival in our communities, cities, and nations?
In Jonah 3, we see possibly the greatest revival to ever happen. After initially rebelling against God’s call to go to Nineveh to preach repentance, Jonah obeys. He preaches a simple message saying, “At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” (v. 4). Though he doesn’t call the nation to repentance, it is implied. Jeremiah 18:7-8 says:
There are times, Jeremiah, when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and destroy a nation or kingdom. But if that nation I threatened stops doing wrong, I will cancel the destruction I intended to do to it.
God warned the Ninevites of judgment so they would repent, and they did. In fact, verse 5 says “the greatest to the least of them” believed God and declared a fast in seeking God’s mercy. After the populist repented, it apparently moved the king to repent. He took off his robe, which was a symbol of humility. When nations were defeated in war, the kings were stripped of their robes, representing their submission to the new authority.1 The Ninevite king saw himself as defeated before God and in need of his mercy. From the poor to the rich the whole nation repented, and God had mercy. As mentioned, this was quite possibly the greatest revival ever.
Certainly, it’s possible that this revival did not lead to the true salvation of the Ninevites. The Ninevites were polytheistic, like most people in the ancient world—believing in many gods. It’s possible that they simply recognized Yahweh as a very powerful god amongst their pantheon of gods, instead of worshipping him as the only true God, as the Jews did. However, Christ used the Ninevites’ repentance as a warning to the Jews of his day who rejected him. In Matthew 12:41, he said: “The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them—and now, something greater than Jonah is here!” So, it’s clear that their repentance was genuine to some extent. Surely, not all were truly saved in the sense of worshipping Yahweh only, but that is true of every revival. In revivals, there is a great move of God, but for many, their repentance is only temporary, as they eventually go back to their sinful lives.
With the Ninevites, this was a genuine move of God that apparently lasted at least a generation. Jonah’s mission is dated somewhere between 780-755 BC.2 The Assyrians did return to their sin and eventually destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. However, God’s grace preserved Nineveh from destruction for around 150 years after the great revival.3 In 612 BC, the Babylonians destroyed the city in the “Battle of Nineveh.” From that time on, the Assyrians never again rose to prominence.4
Again, this was one of the greatest revivals ever, as it affected potentially the most prominent nation of that time and an extremely degenerate one at that. They were known for their extreme violence (v. 8). Tim Keller in his book, The Prodigal Prophet, said this about them:
… the Assyrians were known far and wide for their violence, showing no mercy to their enemies. They impaled live victims on sharp poles, leaving them to roast to death in the desert sun; they beheaded people by the thousands and stacked their skulls up in piles by the city gates; and they even skinned people alive. They respected neither age nor sex and followed a policy of killing babies and young children so they wouldn’t have to care for them (Nahum 3:10).5
As we consider this great revival, we must ask ourselves, “How can we also experience revival in our families, churches, communities, cities, and nations?” Our nations continually grow in violence and general disregard for God’s Word. If they do not repent, they will, likewise, experience God’s judgment. No doubt, as salt and light, God is calling us to not only retard decay but aid in significant change and revival in our communities. May the God of Israel and Nineveh bring great revival in our communities, cities, and nations as well!
Big Question: From Jonah 3, what principles about experiencing revival can be discerned from Nineveh’s great revival?
Jonah began to enter the city by going one day’s walk, announcing, “At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” … “Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do.”
Jonah 3:4, 8
As we consider the revival in the city, it might at first seem confusing. Why did the Ninevites repent and believe in the Jewish God? They out of nowhere submitted to the God and prophet of their enemy, the Jews. Therefore, it seems clear that God had already been doing some type of preparatory work in their hearts before Jonah preached repentance to them. This is clear from both the biblical text and the historical context of that time. In Jonah 3:8, the king said, “… everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do.” From the king’s decree, we can tell that the city was excessively evil. They were living in evil and violence. No doubt, this evil included great sexual deviance, as was common in pagan religions. The practice of homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and casual sex outside of marriage was common in pagan cultures, as it was a way to please their gods (cf. Lev 18). We can rightly assume the violence the king referred to was being demonstrated amongst the various classes of people—the rich enslaved the poor, the poor struck back through crime, and the middle class cheated each other (cf. Jam 5:1-6).6 In Romans 1:18, Paul said this about the pagan world which rejected God during his time: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness.” However, in that context, God’s wrath was not demonstrated in the way we might think. It was not seen in the destruction of societies through famine, flood, or drought, but in God simply handing people over to the evil desires of their hearts and them receiving the consequences of their sins. Romans 1:24 says, “Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.” Romans 1:26 says, “For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.” Romans 1:28 says, “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.” Throughout the rest of the chapter (v. 18-32), Paul described how idolatry, sexual immorality, violence, disobedience to parents, and every other type of evil manifested amongst the pagan world because they rejected God. No doubt, all this was happening in Nineveh as well, since they likewise had rejected God. When we’re in rebellion, often as a judgment, God allows us to experience the consequences of our sin to help us turn back to righteousness, even as the good father did with his rebellious son in the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15).
With that said, historians give us further evidence of how God’s wrath manifested in Nineveh—which, no doubt, was used to prepare their hearts to repent and turn to God. Jonah Mackay said this:
If Jonah’s mission is dated between 780 and 755 bc, then few records have survived from that troubled period of Assyrian history. Those that have reveal many internal problems. For instance, each year from 765–759 bc has a note of an outbreak of plague, or of a revolt in some city of the land, or—and this would probably have seemed worst to the superstitious Assyrian mind—an eclipse of the sun. Throughout the first half of the eighth century bc Assyria was threatened by powerful tribes from the north, particularly by the kingdom of Urartu, near the Caspian Sea, and her zone of influence contracted considerably… It may be that the upheavals and sense of impending catastrophe were influential in predisposing the Ninevites to accept Jonah’s message when it was brought to them.7
Tim Keller said something similar:
Historians have pointed out that about the time of Jonah’s mission, Assyria had experienced a series of famines, plagues, revolts, and eclipses, all of which were seen as omens of far worse things to come. Some have argued that this was God’s way of preparing the ground for Jonah. “This state of affairs would have made both rulers and subjects unusually attuned to the message of a visiting prophet.” So there was some sociological explanation for this response.8
As mentioned, every year there was some major revolt, outbreak, or catastrophe. Through trials and the consequences of their sin, God was preparing the Ninevites to receive his message. He shook their financial security, sense of safety, family and civic life, and their false religion to prepare them to receive the true God. Matthew 5:3 says this, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Often, poverty of spirit comes through trial, as we realize that wealth, relationships, career, health, and everything else can’t satisfy us. Those realizations turn us into spiritual beggars who recognize their need for God and take us to the door of the kingdom.
Surely, God was doing this in Nineveh through the various trials, including the extreme violence they were experiencing. They could either stay on the path of destruction or repent and find salvation through God. Often, God does the same in our lives through trials. It wasn’t until the Prodigal Son was poor and eating pig slop because of his sin that he decided to turn back to the father. It was when Jacob had the threat of his uncle Laban behind him and his brother Esau in front of him that Jacob wrestled with God and received a blessing. And earlier in this story, it was only after Jonah ran away from God and almost died in the sea that he was willing to obey God and preach in Nineveh. Often trials and difficulties precipitate some form of revival individually and communally. For this reason, James 1:2-4 says:
My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.
Also, Hebrews 12:7 and 11 says:
Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? … Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.
This has been true for many unbelievers and believers. Trials prepared their hearts to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, or trials led them to become serious about God after salvation. But, this has also been true historically with revivals in communities, cities, and nations. This also seemed to be true in Nineveh.
Certainly, this reminds us to not give up hope when going through trials in our lives or families. God is the redeemer of trials, and he doesn’t waste them. He uses them for greater purposes. It also reminds us to not give up hope when our cities and nations continually rebel against God and experience the consequences of it, including great acts of violence. Like with Nineveh, God, in his grace, may use those terrible consequences to point them to God. In fact, we should see trials others experience as strategic opportunities for us to serve them, pray for them, and share the gospel and God’s Word with them. Often, God softens hardened hearts through difficult circumstances. In Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV), Paul said it this way: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” The word “time” is not from the Greek word chronos, which refers to chronological time (i.e. seconds, minutes, or hours). It is from the Greek word kairos, referring to seasons. In ministering to others wisely, we must recognize the seasons. In some seasons, their hearts will be hardened towards God’s Word, and as we discern those seasons, we must patiently, prayerfully, and lovingly wait. In the waiting season, we must not give up hope. We must remember God is able to break the hardest hearts. He blinded Paul who was persecuting Christians to help prepare him to become an apostle to the Gentiles. He used all types of difficulties, conflicts, violence, and even natural disasters to prepare the Ninevites, the enemies of the Jews, to repent and accept Yahweh. Often, it will be during some trial or season of trials that people’s hearts will become soft ground for God’s Word. Therefore, like good farmers, we must discern those seasons and strategically and gently sow God’s seed. God prepares hearts, we sow seeds, and he makes them grow. In all ministry, we must clearly discern God’s role and ours, lest we find ourselves frustrated at the lack of apparent fruit or the slow process of bearing fruit.
To experience revival, God sovereignly prepares hearts, often through trials, as he did with the Ninevites. We must work and pray while, at the same time, trusting him.
Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced how God used trials to bring revival in your life, with others, or in a community? How does God’s preparatory trials in Nineveh incline you to think about the events happening in your own community, city, nation, or the world? Since God often uses trials to prepare people’s hearts for revival, how should we respond when going through a trial or when others are going through them (cf. Col 4:5-6)?
the Lord’s message came to Jonah a second time, “Go immediately to Nineveh, that large city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah went immediately to Nineveh, in keeping with the Lord’s message…
Jonah 3:1-3a
After understanding the historical context in Nineveh, how God was preparing their hearts, we must remember the context of the book of Jonah. When God initially approached Jonah to go to Nineveh, he ran in the opposite direction towards Tarshish, which was in Spain. While Jonah was disobedient, revival in Nineveh tarried. Likewise, Christ taught that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Lk 10:2). The implication of Christ’s saying that the “harvest is plentiful” is that there are many throughout the world, perhaps in some of the most antagonistic nations (like Nineveh), who would repent and accept Christ if only someone might share the gospel with them. Therefore, one of the reasons revival tarries is simply because many believers tarry by choosing not to go. Some don’t go for fear of rejection. Some might not go because they are comfortable in their own country, like Jonah was, and are not really that interested in the salvation of others. Some don’t go because of love for sin or rebellion towards God’s call. Some don’t go because of concern for family. This was probably initially true with Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-3, God called Abraham while he was living in Haran to leave his family and go to Canaan, and God promised to make him a blessing to all nations. According to Genesis 12, Abraham obeyed God and left. If we only had that text, we would think that Abraham immediately obeyed. However, in Acts 7, Stephen tells us that Abraham was originally called in Mesopotamia before he moved to Haran. Initially, Abraham obeyed God but only partially. When he left Mesopotamia, he brought his family with him, both his father and his nephew, Lot, in disobedience to God’s call, which is probably why he tarried in Haran (cf. Gen 11:31-32). Acts 7:4 tells us that Abraham didn’t leave Haran for Canaan until his father died. The implication is that he stayed in Haran because of his father. Acts 7:2-4 describes this account:
So he replied, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live.
While Abraham delayed in Haran, there were polytheistic Canaanites who lacked a witness of the one true God. However, like Jonah, God’s message eventually came again to Abraham (probably after his father’s death), and then, he fully obeyed (Gen 12:1-4). Likewise, revival tarries throughout the world, not because of a lack of Christians but a lack of revival amongst Christians. Many are too concerned with their career, too afraid of leaving their home country, too content with their creature comforts, too afraid of rejection or trials, or simply rebellious in other ways which keep them from doing God’s mission. Therefore, they don’t go wherever God has called them, or they remain quiet where God has placed them, and consequently, revival tarries.
With that said, the great thing about God is that though we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. He continues to work in the hearts of his children through various circumstances, including discipline, until they’re ready to obey. God brought a storm to turn Jonah back to the mission. God took Abraham’s father home to get Abraham to the land of promise. And as our hearts let go of our idols and turn back to God, he often renews his call. One of the sweetest Scriptures is, in fact, Jonah 3:1, “The Lord’s message came again to Jonah.” Though Jonah was unfaithful, God was faithful. He worked in Jonah’s circumstances and heart to prepare him to obey God’s call. James Boice said this about how God continually recalls his children to service:
The Lord comes a second time to all who are his true children. Have we never, like Abraham, stopped at our Harans? Of course, we have. We are sent on errands, but some sin or preoccupation detains us. Have we never, like Moses, taken matters into our own hands and formulated our own plans? Of course, we have. Like Peter, we have even denied our Lord on occasions when we should have spoken for him. We have disobeyed him. We have run away from him. Some of us, like Jonah, have run very far indeed. Does God cast us off? Does he disown us? No! He disciplines us, it is true. But, having done that and having brought us to the place of repentance, he returns the second time to recommission us to service. Moreover, he comes a third, a fourth, a hundredth, a thousandth time, if necessary, as it often is. None of us would be where we are now in our Christian lives if God had not dealt thus with us. Oh, the greatness of the unmerited grace of God! We deserve nothing. Yet we receive everything, even when we foolishly turn from it.9
With that said, it must be remembered that our opportunities to serve God do not last forever. We all have limited time on this earth and therefore limited time to obey God. And while we live in disobedience, people go without the comfort and instruction we can give them; some go without ever hearing the gospel. Revivals have always started like it began in Nineveh—they began when the heart of a Christian or Christians became revived. They turned away from their Tarshish, their Haran, their love of comfort and sin, and at times, even family to obey God and minister to others.
Are we allowing God to revive our hearts, so we can be a blessing to those around us and those we have not yet met? Revival first starts with believers being revived. One pastor always said, “Give God one person on fire, and he will do more with the one than a thousand who have simply been saved by the Spirit.” Will we let God revive our hearts and use us to bring revival in people’s lives?
Application Question: In what ways have you experienced seasons of Tarshish or Haran where you rebelled against God or delayed full obedience? What were the opportunity costs of those seasons—opportunities lost to better serve and build God’s kingdom? How is God calling you to be revived now so you can better serve the Lord (cf. John 15:5, Phil 3:12-13)? Where and whom do you feel God is calling you to go serve or better serve?
Now Nineveh was an enormous city—it required three days to walk through it!
Jonah 3:3b
Jonah 3:3 says Nineveh was an “enormous city” or “great city” (ESV). It was great in history. It was founded by Nimrod, a great-grandson of Noah, sometime after the Genesis flood (Gen 10:8-10). It was great in size. Including the suburbs, it was about sixty miles (or ninety-seven kilometers) in circumference.10 As verse 3 says, the city itself took three days to walk through—probably referring to Jonah’s ability to walk through its major locations to preach. However, the phrase “enormous city” or “great city” can literally be translated “great city to God.”11 Of course, it was great to the surrounding culture because of its size, power, and influence; however, it was also great to God—probably referring to his love for the city. God re-emphasized this in sharing with Jonah in Chapter 4 about how he cared for the city. He said, “Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals” (4:11). When God mentions 120,000 people who do not know right from wrong, many believe God was referring to small children. If so, Nineveh probably had over 600,000 people.12 Though Jonah did not care for the people, God did, and throughout the narrative, God was trying to help Jonah care for them as well.
Likewise, if we are going to be used to help others experience revival, we must grow in our love and concern for them as well. Jonah initially did not go to Nineveh because of his hate and lack of concern for the Ninevites; however, he went because God disciplined him to go, and through ministry to them, God sought to change Jonah’s heart. Similarly, often we don’t share the gospel with others or carry others’ burdens in general simply because we don’t have God’s heart for them—we don’t love them as we should. As with Jonah, it can be very difficult for us to care for people who have hurt us personally or with ethnic groups or nations who have been historically antagonistic to our ethnic group or nation. Nevertheless, God loves them, and so must we.
Application Question: How can we develop a greater love and concern for others so that we will faithfully minister to them as God wants us to?
1. As mentioned, to grow in loving others, we must understand God’s great love for them.
Certainly, that is something Jonah was learning through both experience and God’s Word. God disciplined Jonah through a great storm, in part, because he loved the Nineveh and wanted them to repent. God saved Jonah from drowning through a great fish so Jonah could speak to them. In Chapter 4, God will grow a plant, destroy it, and cause a hot wind and the sun to beat across Jonah’s head to make him faint and teach him how much God cared for the Ninevites. God also verbally told him about the many children and animals in the city whom he cared for. Likewise, as we study God’s Word, spend time with him, and consider his sovereign acts around us, we will learn about God’s love for others (including ourselves), which will help us grow in our love as well.
2. To grow in loving others, we must minister to them.
Even before Jonah cared for these people, God sent him to preach to them. God did not wait for his heart to change before sending him. No doubt, part of God’s desire in Jonah ministering to these people was to give Jonah a heart for them. Often, by touching the leper, ministering to someone in a different culture, or even serving our enemy, we start to value them and care for them as well. As long as we stay away from them, our hearts will remain detached from theirs or even angry with them. Personally, I experienced this when applying to be a house parent for people with developmental needs while in seminary. Theologically, I knew that as a Christian I should care for the most vulnerable and love them (cf. Jam 1:27); however, because I had little experience with that population, I had a fear of actually living with them and ministering to them. They were so different from me. However, after I started working, I quickly fell in love with them. God removed my fear and gave me a heart for them. They became some of my best friends. That’s often how God works in the hearts of others as well. As they go on a mission trip to a specific country or start serving at a nonprofit, caring for vulnerable groups, God gives them a heart and call to minister to them long term. Often to grow in love for others, we must go out of our way to listen to them, care for them, and serve them.
3. To grow in loving others, we must pray for them.
We don’t see Jonah ever pray for the Ninevites. In fact, he did the opposite in the final chapter as he complained to God about his sparing them. However, since God has mercy on the Ninevites, we can assume someone was praying. With Sodom and Gomorrah, it was only because of Abraham’s prayers that he considered not destroying them (Gen 18). Also, Ezekiel 22:30-31 says this about God:
I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Often, God spares a city or judges a city based on the intercession of saints or the lack of it (cf. Is 62:6). Maybe, there were some Ninevite God-fearers who worshiped Yahweh and continually prayed for their country, and/or maybe there was a faithful remnant of Jews who not only prayed for their country but also their enemies and the nations in general (cf. Prov 25:21-22). Since God commonly saves people and nations based on prayer, we can assume someone was praying.
With that said, as mentioned, Jonah was not praying for them. If he would have prayed for them, no doubt that would have aided in changing his heart towards them. Christ, who in some way Jonah typifies (cf. Matt 12:38-41), taught his followers to pray for their enemies and to bless them (Matt 5:44). He also modeled this on the cross, as he prayed for his enemies, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). As we pray for our family, church, nation, and the nations of the world, often God gives us his heart for them. God not only ministers to others through our intercession, but he also ministers to us, as he gives us his heart (cf. Rom 12:21).
If we’re going to help bring revival, we must grow in loving others as God does. Jonah, who most likely wrote this book bearing his name, said that Nineveh was a “great city to God” (v. 3). Do we realize how much God truly loves our neighbor, community, city, and nation? Do we know how much he loves our enemy—those who might hate or mistreat us? As we grow in loving others like him, we become consumed with their salvation and/or spiritual growth and therefore aid in bringing revival.
Application Question: Why is loving others so important for ministry? How have you experienced God increasing your love for others, including your enemies, through praying for them and serving them (cf. Matt 5:44, Rom 12:17-21)? What should we do to increase our love for others and our willingness to do ministry in general?
“Go immediately to Nineveh, that large city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” … Jonah began to enter the city by going one day’s walk, announcing, “At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
Jonah 1:2, 4
Another thing we must notice about this revival is that Jonah was called to “proclaim” the message that God would tell him (v. 2). This means Jonah wasn’t free to speak about anything he wanted. In fact, God gave him a harsh message to share. In forty days, Nineveh would be overthrown by God (v. 4). This is a staple of revivals that have happened throughout history. God called people to faithfully proclaim his Word, and people responded. With the revival in Nehemiah 8, Ezra and the Levites led Israel in the reading and teaching of God’s Word for six hours of the day while people were standing and listening (Neh 8:3-9). As they listened, they were struck with conviction and began to weep because they had not obeyed God’s Word (Neh 8:9). Soon after, the Israelites restored the practice of religious festivals in the Mosaic law and renewed their covenant with God. Likewise, in Acts 2, when the Spirit fell on the disciples, Peter proclaimed the Word of God to the Israelites celebrating Passover—that they had crucified the Son of God, that in God’s sovereignty Christ died for their sins, rose again, and ascended to heaven, and that people needed to repent to be saved and receive the Holy Spirit. In response, three thousand repented that day and were baptized, and the first church was born (Acts 2:41). The bold preaching of God’s Word has always been a staple of revivals.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons revival tarries in our churches, communities, cities, and nations is because God’s Word is not faithfully proclaimed. In 2 Timothy 4:1-3 (ESV), Paul said this to Timothy:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
Part of the reason Timothy was called to preach the Word was because faithful preaching would be in short supply. There would be many teachers, but most of them itched people’s ears—telling them what they wanted to hear instead of what they needed to hear. The time that Paul described has come and been here for a long time. Most pulpits are full of stories meant to stir one’s emotions instead of the clear exposition of God’s Word. Other pulpits are full of politics, sports, psychology, or self-help. Everything but God’s Word is proclaimed from the pulpit. And sadly, as Paul said, this is what most believers want. Again, in 2 Timothy 4:3, Paul said, “having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” People get the teachers they want. Unfortunately, our desires are often led by our flesh and not God and therefore hinder God’s work.
With that said, this is not just a message for preachers and teachers, this is a message for all believers. We all have a role in sharing God’s Word and promoting it. We should share it with our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We should share it at church and on the mission field. Jonah’s call to go to Nineveh and preach God’s Word is our call in the Great Commission—to go and make disciples of all nations by teaching Christ’s Words (Matt 28:19-20).
In considering our call, we must remember part of teaching God’s Word is not just sharing the good news of God’s love but also the bad news of his judgment. There is no good news without the bad. Jonah was called to proclaim the bad so the Ninevites could experience the good. We are not called to proclaim half-gospels that make people feel more comfortable by only considering God’s love and salvation. We must also proclaim God’s holiness, wrath over sin, and how his wrath was poured out on Christ for us (cf. Is 53:4-5, 10, 1 John 2:2). This message may not make us feel good, but it is the message we have been called to proclaim, and it’s necessary for others to experience salvation and revival.
Donald Whitney said this about our need to initiate opportunities to share God’s Word and specifically the gospel with others. He said:
They [referring to opportunities] won’t just happen. You’ll have to discipline yourself to ask your neighbors how you can pray for them or when you can share a meal with them. You’ll have to discipline yourself to get with your coworkers during off-hours. Many such opportunities for evangelism will never take place if you wait for them to occur spontaneously. The World, the flesh, and the Devil will do their best to see to that. You, however, backed by [the] invincible power of the Holy Spirit, can make sure that these enemies of the gospel do not win. (Spiritual Disciplines, 131–32)13
Are we faithfully sharing God’s Word with others to help them know Christ and be saved? Also, are we contributing to raising up teachers who faithfully proclaim God’s Word, the full counsel of it? Or are we contributing to raising up teachers who simply itch ears—just sharing the parts of the Bible we want to hear or not sharing the Bible at all? Paul said the lean teaching in the pulpit would largely be because of the hard-hearted people in the pew (2 Tim 4:3). We all have a responsibility in making sure God’s message is proclaimed so people may be saved.
Will we diligently study God’s message so we can share it with others? Or will we neglect it and therefore have no message to share with others—leading to God’s judgment on them instead of his mercy and revival?
Application Question: Why is the preaching of God’s Word so unpopular in churches throughout the world? In what ways have you seen or experienced how faithful teaching of God’s Word is being replaced in pulpits around the world by everything other than God’s Word? How can we aid in the restoration of God’s Word to his church and therefore the world?
The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes. He issued a proclamation and said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they must not eat and they must not drink water. Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do. Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.”
Jonah 3:5-9
After the Assyrians heard God’s Word through Jonah, they humbled themselves before God, from the greatest to the least (v. 5)—meaning all classes of people. They humbled themselves by putting on sackcloth, which was dark, rough, uncomfortable clothing often made from goat’s hair and worn by the poor or those mourning the dead. They adopted a humble outward posture to represent their inward grieving. The Ninevites not only put on sackcloth but also declared an absolute fast—meaning no one ate or drank. In fact, they even made their animals fast. Without water and food, some of the animals might die. It was basically like them saying, “Who cares about our business interests and food!? We are in trouble with God. If we don’t fix our relationship with God, our money and food won’t matter because we will perish.” Even the king humbled himself before God. He rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat down in ashes (v. 6). By humbling himself, he was declaring that God was the true sovereign, that they were sinners deserving of judgment, but that they desired God’s mercy.
This is important to consider because the fact that the Assyrians immediately humbled themselves instead of trying to justify themselves proved that they knew they were wretched sinners deserving of judgment and that they could only be saved by mercy. Likewise, there can be no salvation or revival as long as people pridefully cling to their self-righteousness. In Luke 5:32, Christ said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This means, there can be no revival (and salvation for that matter) if people think they are righteous or that they will be spared because of their “so-called” good deeds. In revival, people recognize that they are sinners deserving of judgment and repent before God in hope of his mercy. This is important because most people think they are overall good people (especially in comparison to others) and therefore don’t deserve God’s wrath or hell. However, Christ came to save sinners, not the righteous. Without this humble recognition of our sin and how we deserve wrath, no one can be saved.
Therefore, Jonah 3:5 says the Ninevites “believed in God”—they believed they were sinners deserving of his judgment, they committed to turn from their wicked ways, including their violence, and they put their hope in God’s mercy (v. 8). They believed God and repented. In response, God graciously and mercifully turned from his wrath and did not judge them for their sins. He withheld justice and instead gave mercy.
In Scripture, repentance and faith are requirements for salvation both in the Old Testament and the New. Luke 4:46-47 says,
Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Even Abraham and other Old Testament saints had to believe in God to be saved. They were never saved by works but by grace through faith. Genesis 15:6 says, “Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.” Repentance and faith (or belief) are both taught as necessary for salvation.
In Scripture, sometimes faith is only mentioned as needed for salvation (cf. John 3:16, Eph 2:8-9), and sometimes repentance is only mentioned (cf. Lk 13:3, Acts 2:38). When one is mentioned and not the other, the other is implied. At other times, they are mentioned together as necessary for salvation. In Acts 20:21, Paul said he testified “to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.” To be saved, we must recognize we are under judgment for our sins, turn from our sins, and put our faith in Jesus.
Repentance and faith have often been called two sides of the same coin. To put our faith in Christ, we must repent. To repent means to turn from. We must turn from seeking to be saved by works, putting our faith in other gods for salvation, being lord of our lives, and from sin in general to God. We can’t just believe in Christ to be saved and continue to live a life of sin. We must turn from a self-driven, idol-driven life to a God-centered life. Christ must be our Lord and not just our Savior. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We must recognize and follow him as our Lord, and not just believe he is Lord. According to James, that’s simply demonic faith, since demons believe in God but don’t follow him (Jam 2:19).
It might be helpful to think of salvation like a marriage. In marriage, one not only commits to his spouse forever but also, in one sense, turns away from all potential spouses. There is both repentance (turning away) and faith (turning towards). Likewise, there can be no revival apart from repentance and faith. Those who are not saved need to respond to God in repentance and faith to be saved. And, those who are saved must renew their repentance of sin and faith in God to be revived. In fact, continual repentance and faith are proofs of true salvation. True believers are still repenting of sin instead of clinging to it, and they are still believing in Christ as their Lord and Savior—committed to his Lordship. They may at times deny him, but like Peter, they always repent and come back.
Are we still repenting of sins like laziness, materialism, pride, anger, unforgiveness, and anything else hindering our relationship with God? Are we still trusting in and committing to Christ as our Lord and Savior? These are proofs of salvation and necessary for our continual spiritual renewal. Also, are we still calling others to repent and put their faith in Christ? It’s necessary for the salvation of the lost and to transform our societies. There can be no revival in us or others without repentance and faith.
Application Question: What is saving repentance and faith in Scripture and what is it not (cf. Jam 2:19, Matt 7:21-23, 2 Cor 13:5)? Why is false repentance and faith, and therefore false salvation, so common in the church (cf. Lk 14:25-33)? How did you initially come to repent and put your faith in Christ? Briefly share your salvation story. How is God calling you to practice repentance and faith in this season of life?
Application Question: What are some general applications we must take and remember from this great revival?
1. Remember that God does not need many people to bring a revival—one obedient person can be enough.
Jonah was alone in the city and possibly the only follower of Yahweh. Yet, God used him to bring a great and improbable revival. All people, from the greatest to the least, believed in God and repented of their sins in one of the most prominent and evil cities in the ancient world at that time. Often as Christians, we will be a minority in our family, workplace, city, or country. God does not need a multitude. He delights to work through just a few (cf. Gideon’s army, Judges 7). Will we allow ourselves to be one of those few? God may choose to use us alone, even as he did with Jonah.
2. Remember that we don’t have to be perfect to be used by God.
Certainly, our lack of righteousness can hinder how much God uses us (cf. 2 Tim 2:21, 3:16-17), but God often uses frail, vulnerable people to do his work. Jonah was obedient to preach, but it was only partial obedience. As we’ll see in Chapter 4, his heart was not right with God. He preached to the Ninevites, but while doing so, he didn’t even want them to be saved. And yet God used him. Likewise, Abraham lied and committed polygamy. David committed adultery and murder. Peter denied Christ. God does not need perfect people, but he does need people who are willing to repent and obey. That’s what Jonah did, even though imperfectly, and yet God still used him to bring a revival. Are we still repenting of our sins and obeying God, even if we fall at times?
3. Remember the need to share both the bad news and the good news.
We may be quick to share that God loves people and wants to save them, but are we also willing to share that God is holy and just and will judge people eternally for just one sin in a real hell? Often, we only give partial truths out of fear of offending or making people angry. With the Ninevites, it was hearing the bad news that led to their salvation. To accept the gospel—the good news—people first need to hear the bad—that they are sinners under the judgment of the holy God. However, this holy God is also merciful and gracious. Therefore, he sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins and raised him from the dead, so that we can put our faith in him to be saved (cf. John 3:16, Rom 10:9-10). Are we telling both the good news and the bad news? Or are we living in fear, holding back the message God called us to share? Certainly, God is calling us to share the gospel with unbelievers, but he also will, at times, call us to challenge believers who are in sin, so they can repent and experience refreshment from God. Are we willing to share both the good news and bad news with others?
4. Remember God may call us to leave the comforts of home to go to a foreign land to be his mouthpiece.
Jonah was a reluctant missionary. He was only consumed with the revival of his own people—the Israelites. However, God was not just concerned about Israel but also the nations, including Israel’s enemies. And God is not just concerned about Korea, America, or countries in Europe or Africa. He is concerned about the whole world. Therefore, like Jonah, we must be willing to go to foreign lands to share his message. Are our hearts open to that?
Oftentimes, people are more open to receiving God’s message from foreign missionaries than indigenous ones. In Mark 6:4, Christ said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own house.” Often a foreigner stands out and ignites curiosity and a listening ear amongst locals that might not be there with an indigenous witness. Are we willing to go when and where God calls?
5. Remember to pray for our families, communities, cities, and nations because God is merciful and mighty.
Though prayer is not mentioned in this passage, we can be sure it happened somewhere in the background. It is through prayer that God brings his kingdom on the earth (Matt 6:10). And it is because of a lack of prayer that God often holds back revival and brings judgment instead. Ezekiel 22:30-31 describes how God judged the land of Israel because of a lack of intercession for it. God said:
I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.
As mentioned previously, maybe, with Nineveh, there was a faithful Israelite somewhere who had often prayed for his enemies, the Assyrians. Or maybe there was a family of Assyrian God-fearers somewhere who worshipped Yahweh and prayed for their nation. We can only speculate. But since God sent Jonah to preach to the Assyrians, against Jonah’s desires, and God saved them when they repented, we can assume somebody was praying. Likewise, it’s because of the prayers of believers that God saves a family, heals a church, and revives a nation. Therefore, we must pray.
Are we willing to petition for the revival of our city and nation and also foreign ones?
Application Question: What other applications did you take from this great revival in Nineveh?
As we consider the greatest revival possibly in history, we must recognize and apply principles from it in hopes that we might experience revival in our families, churches, communities, cities, and nations.
Application Question: Which principle about revival stood out most and why?
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
1 Yarbrough, Mark. Jonah (pp. 118-119). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2 John L. MacKay, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 53–54.
3 Thrasher William D., “Jonah,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1366.
4 Accessed 7/5/2022 from https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Nineveh
5 Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Amazed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 86.
6 Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal Prophet (p. 89). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
7 John L. MacKay, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 53–54.
8 Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal Prophet (p. 85). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
9 James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 294.
10 Thrasher William D., “Jonah,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1365.
11 Thrasher William D., “Jonah,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1365.
This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish!—because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!” The Lord said, “Are you really so very angry?” Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city. The Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery. Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant. So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, “I would rather die than live!” God said to Jonah, “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” And he said, “I am as angry as I could possibly be!” The Lord said, “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you did not work, nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals.”
Jonah 4 (NET)
What are hindrances to faithful ministry—serving God and others with our whole hearts? In this story, God commissioned Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, who were an ungodly nation about to experience God’s judgment. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah initially rebelled against God and went in the opposite direction towards Tarshish (in Spain). It seems that the primary reason Jonah disobeyed God was because the Ninevites were a ruthless, terrorist state and the Jews’ enemies. The national interests of Israel, possibly racism, and a perverted view of justice without mercy ruled in Jonah’s heart more than simple obedience to God’s Word. While he was running from God, he entered a ship headed toward Tarshish, and God allowed a storm that threatened to destroy the ship and the lives on it. To save their lives, the sailors threw Jonah off the ship into the sea and the storm subsided. While Jonah was sinking to his death, God saved his life by allowing him to be swallowed by a large fish. While in the fish for three days, Jonah repented and then was vomited onto dry land. Soon after, God commissioned Jonah again to preach judgment to the Ninevites—declaring that in forty days God would judge the nation. Jonah preached to them, but not with the right heart. When the Ninevites repented and God relented from sending disaster, he became very upset with God because of his graciousness.
This is where we find Jonah in Chapter 4. After accusing God of being too gracious, he left the city and built a fort to watch from afar to see if God would change his mind and destroy them. Though Jonah had completed the letter of God’s command to preach judgment to the Ninevites, he had not completed the spirit of God’s command. Jonah declared judgment with no desire to help the Ninevites repent and come to a saving knowledge of Yahweh. Instead of being angry at their repentance, he should have been discipling the Ninevites and helping them mature in following the Lord. Instead, he rebuked the Lord for his mercy and asked God to take his life. Jonah was an immature prophet—double-minded in all his ways.
Jonah’s attitude and actions in this narrative were meant to warn Israel against the same (and us with them). At the beginning of Israel’s history, God promised to bless Abraham and that he and his descendants would be a blessing to the world. Israel’s job was to proclaim Yahweh to the nations. It was not to simply be an isolated worshiping community in the world. Therefore, when the Jews read the book of Jonah, and Jonah 4 specifically, it was meant to rebuke them. Not only had Jonah become self-centered and self-focused to the neglect of his commission, but so had the Israelites. Likewise, this commonly happens with the church who Christ has commissioned to be a blessing to the world (Matt 28:18-20). Instead of loving and witnessing to the world, often the church simply isolates itself, sits in judgment of the world, and/or is apathetic towards it. We lack the mercy—the compassion in action—that God has towards unbelievers. Consequently, as we consider Jonah, we can discern common hindrances to faithful ministry to the Lord and others.
Big Question: As found in Jonah 4, what are common hindrances to faithful ministry both to God and others?
This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry... So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!” … When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, “I would rather die than live!”
Jonah 4:1, 3, 8
When the text says that Jonah became “very angry” (v. 1), it literally has the sense of burning like a fire. Jonah was enraged that the Ninevites repented and that God forgave them. He even asked for the Lord to kill him because of it (v. 3). With Moses, he prayed to die because of the difficulty in ministering to unrepentant Israelites (Num 11:15). Elijah prayed to die for the same reason (1 Kgs 19:4). The Israelites were killing prophets and tried to kill him. However, in contrast, Jonah prayed to die because the Ninevites repented, which doesn’t make sense. Later in the narrative when God removed a plant that was providing him with shade from the sun, he declared that he wanted to die again (v. 8).
Here we see one of Jonah’s major hindrances to ministry and ours as well, uncontrolled negative emotions. He was angry at God because he didn’t agree with what God was doing. He was so angry he wanted to die—quit ministry and life. But Jonah also had a lot of self-pity. When the weather was extremely hot, he despaired of his life (v. 8). He was hopeless. Jonah’s emotions were unbalanced and out of control. They hindered his ability to faithfully serve God and others.
This is a common hindrance to any good work. God has given us emotions, as he is an emotional being. God is loving and at times angry. He gets grieved and even jealous. However, God’s emotions are always perfect—they are righteous and appropriate. We were made in his image, and therefore have emotions like him. However, our emotions are infected by sin and therefore are commonly self-focused, instead of God-focused and others-focused. That’s why the greatest commandments are to love God and others (Matt 22:36-40). God commands these because they are not natural to our sinful nature. We naturally love ourselves more than God and others (2 Tim 3:1-2). This is why we get mad at God if we don’t get our way or things don’t work out the way we would prefer. In addition, we get mad at others when they get in the way of our happiness or what we think is wise or best.
When things don’t happen the way we think they should, like Jonah, we often struggle with negative emotions, sometimes out-of-control emotions towards God, others, or ourselves. These negative emotions hinder ministry, as they are often self-focused. This is, in part, why Scripture commonly commands us to control our emotions. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” Mark 6:31 says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.” We are called to control our emotions, as it’s a mark of spiritual maturity, even as uncontrolled emotions are a mark of immaturity. Anxiety and anger will lead us into sin if unchecked. Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city that is broken down and without a wall, so is a person who cannot control his temper.” Uncontrolled emotions don’t only lead to an ineffective and unfaithful ministry but also to destruction, personally and corporately.
With Jonah, his uncontrolled emotions were fueled by his wrong views about God and people. Therefore, God aimed to help him control his emotions and thoughts by asking him pointed questions like, “Are you really so very angry?” (v. 4), “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” (v. 9), and “Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city?” (v. 11). Sometimes, the best thing we can do when a person is struggling with uncontrolled emotions is to calmly ask them questions and allow them to think about their out of balance responses. God also helped Jonah control his emotions by allowing him to go through a purposefully, manufactured trial to teach him about God’s love for creation, including children and animals, and show Jonah how unreasonable he was being.
Are we controlling our emotions? Or are anxiety, worry, anger, unforgiveness, and other negative emotions controlling us? Unchecked negative emotions will make us unstable and unsuitable for ministry (cf. 1 Tim 3:3, Tit 1:8). We see this throughout Jonah’s narrative. One moment Jonah was asking to be killed by being thrown into the ocean (Jonah 1); the next he was praying for God to save him from drowning (Jonah 2). Then he praised God for salvation and recommitted to him while in the fish (Jonah 2). One moment he was preaching to the Ninevites (Jonah 3); the next he was pouting and asking to die because God saved them (Jonah 4). One moment he was happy about a new plant that provided him with shade (Jonah 4); the next he was sad because it shriveled up and wanted to die again (Jonah 4). Jonah was a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (Jam 1:8). Many Christians are like this and, therefore, ineffective and unfaithful in serving God and others. Their emotions, and therefore their faith, are out of control and unpredictable.
We may get a sense of the importance of guarding our hearts in Paul’s command to the Ephesians to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Many believe that it is, at least in part, a command to protect our thoughts and emotions (Eph 6:14). The breastplate protected the heart, lungs, loins, and other vital organs. Symbolically, these were commonly used to refer to one’s thoughts and emotions. The heart often referred to the mind, will, and emotions. The stomach is where a person gets butterflies when they are really excited. It’s a place affected by our emotions and therefore was commonly used symbolically to refer to them (cf. Phil 1:8 KJV). If Satan can get our emotions all over the place, he can distract us from God and his will and sometimes even destroy us and others. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.” Our family, work, church relationships, and everything else are affected by our mind, will, and emotions.
Application Question: How should we control our negative emotions?
1. To control our negative emotions, we must bring them honestly before the Lord in prayer.
As seen with Jonah, God can handle our wrong emotions and help us work through them. We should never condemn God or become angry at him (cf. Job 1:22), but we should be honest with him about our struggles. This commonly happens in the Psalms, as the Psalmist pours out his fears, worries, negative circumstances, and wrong thoughts before the Lord and yet hopes in God’s saving grace.
2. To control our negative emotions, we must evaluate them biblically, often with the help of others.
We do this by considering them against Scripture’s teachings. We are all called to not be anxious, prideful, jealous, selfishly angry, or vengeful. We also evaluate our emotions by having honest conversations with people. Again, when God asked Jonah questions, it was meant to help him evaluate his thoughts and emotions (cf. Gen 3:9, 11, 4:6). Were they justified, righteous, and like God’s thoughts and emotions? Sometimes, it helps to have conversations with godly, wise believers and allow them to challenge and encourage us biblically.
3. To control our negative emotions, we should act in line with Scripture regardless of how we feel.
We should love an enemy by acting in a loving way towards them, even though we struggle with despising them in our hearts (Rom 12:18-21). We should pray and give thanks when we’re anxious, asking for peace and God’s sovereignty over a situation (Phil 4:6-7). Often when acting in accordance with righteousness instead of our negative emotions, our emotions soon follow. For example, when reading God’s Word, praying, or going to church, though we don’t feel like it, we soon find that doing so was good for us and we feel better. Likewise, by acting in a loving manner towards someone we previously despised or cared nothing about, we may soon find ourselves truly loving that person.
4. To control our negative emotions, we must live in the Spirit by practicing spiritual disciplines.
According to Galatians 5:22-23, “self-control” (including that of our thoughts and emotions) is a fruit of the Spirit grown through living “in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” The works of the flesh are anger, jealousy, fits of rage, etc. (cf. Gal 5:19-20). However, when we live in the Spirit through prayer, worship, Bible study, obedience, and service, God will birth self-control in us. The problem is most of us visit the Spirit instead of making him our home. We are tourists or temporary residents at best, instead of citizens who live there. As we grow in spiritual disciplines, the Spirit of God empowers us to control our negative emotions and thoughts that hinder our ministry to God and others, as it did with Jonah. Paul said this to Timothy who apparently was timid and considering leaving the ministry, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7). Certainly, this is true for us as well. God has given us a Spirit to empower us to do ministry and control our thoughts and emotions that might be hindering us. In fact, “self-control” in 2 Timothy 1:7 can also be translated as “sound mind” (KJV) or “sound judgment” (HCSB). Through God’s Spirit, we can have a sound mind to serve him and not live in fear, anger, depression, or anxiety.
By practicing all these things, we are not denying our emotions, but we are not letting them rule over us and hinder our worship and obedience to God. As mentioned, when we act in obedience to God, our emotions will often follow.
In this narrative, Jonah’s emotions were ruling him instead of God. He was double-minded and unstable in all his ways. His example of unfaithfulness was documented as a warning for Israel and us.
Application Question: How can negative emotions hinder our ministry to God and others? Why is it so important to always evaluate our emotions and thoughts biblically and submit them to God’s will? What negative emotions do you commonly struggle with, and how do you seek to control them biblically (2 Cor 10:4-5)?
He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish!—because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment.
Jonah 4:2
In verse 2, Jonah rebuked God for his kindness, as though he never brought justice. He paraphrased a familiar theological statement about God seen throughout the Old Testament. The first time it is mentioned is in Exodus 34:6-7, when God revealed his glory to Moses. It says,
The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”
As one can see, Jonah only mentioned the section about God’s compassion and grace in verse 6, while leaving off the last part about God’s justice in verse 7. It says, “But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished.” Essentially, Jonah was saying, “I ran from your command because you’re so gracious and forgiving that you never hold anybody accountable!” What’s so ridiculous about Jonah’s accusation is that God had both judged him and forgiven him not too long ago. For running from God’s command, God sent a storm that almost killed Jonah and a group of innocent sailors. It was while Jonah was sinking into the sea that he prayed, and God saved him through a large fish. And it wasn’t until Jonah repented while in the fish that God had him spewed onto dry land (Jonah 2:9-10). The fish was both in a sense his lifeboat and his jail until he repented. It’s not that Jonah disliked God’s graciousness on sinners; it’s that he selfishly didn’t feel others should experience it, especially the enemies of the Jews and maybe Gentiles in general.
As we consider God being both just and merciful at the same time, we must recognize that this has always been perplexing for believers. Old Testament saints would often cry out, “Why do the wicked prosper, while the righteous suffer?” (Jer 12:1-2, Job 21:7, Ps 72:3, 13). This is perplexing when looking at the world. However, the confusion is somewhat taken away when we understand God’s patience—him being slow to anger. Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God waits to bring justice, sometimes for an entire lifetime or several generations, because he is patient and desires that none will perish. Consequently, when looking at the world now, it will often be confusing. Why do the wicked prosper? Why do they get their own TV shows, have nice houses, and get away with so many crimes while the righteous often struggle? It’s because God is patient. He is patient with us and patient with others. In fact, we see God’s patience not only with the Ninevites in this narrative but also with Jonah. Initially, when Jonah ran, God’s justice and mercy came after him, seeking to change him more into God’s image. Then, in this narrative, Jonah selfishly complains, but God graciously and patiently teaches him. Because of God’s patience, there will at times be great and prolonged injustice in the world; and yet, because of his patience (and mercy), there will also be great salvation and revivals.
With that said, the major hindrance to worship and service that we see in this text is Jonah’s twisting of Scripture. His sinful misunderstanding of God caused him to falsely accuse God and perpetuated Jonah’s own anger. As mentioned, he selectively left off God’s justice from the same passage to focus only on God’s compassion and grace. We saw Satan do something similar when tempting Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4). He misused Scripture to tempt Christ to disobey God. Likewise, a selective, twisted view of Scripture is a common hindrance to ministry. For some, God is a God that prospers and blesses but who does not judge. He is a God who heals but does not bring or allow sickness, as he did with Pharaoh and the Egyptians during the Exodus or with the Corinthians when they mistook the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11 (as some were sick, weak, and some even died). If we have a selective view of Scripture instead of a balanced view, we will worship a caricature of God (an unhealthy exaggeration of him)—a God of blessing but not a God of wrath, or a God of wrath and not a God of blessing. He is both. Those who only see a God of blessing are often undisciplined Christians with no fear of God’s discipline. They often get mad at God, like Jonah did, because he doesn’t do what they want. On the other hand, those who only see a God of wrath or justice, often have an unhealthy fear of God and tend to struggle with depression every time they fall into sin. They feel like God doesn’t love them and won’t forgive them. Satan can easily harm them with condemnation when they fall, which pushes them away from God and his people. In contrast, the Holy Spirit only brings conviction, which turns us away from sin and back to God and his people.
If we are going to be faithful ministers to God and others, we must have a balanced view of Scripture instead of a selective, twisted view. A wrong view will hurt us and others, as we share it with them. Satan is the one who twists Scripture to lead us away from God and his people to sin. We must be especially careful of becoming one of his mouthpieces, even if only into our own ears.
Application Question: How should we respond to the danger of a selective, twisted view of Scripture?
1. Because of the dangers of a selective, twisted view of Scripture, we must diligently study God’s Word because God will hold us accountable for our lack of knowledge and our acting upon it.
Second Timothy 2:15 (ESV) says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Also, in Matthew 5:19, Christ said:
So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
2. Because of the dangers of a selective, twisted view of Scripture, ministers must teach the whole counsel of God and not just choose their favorite passages or doctrines.
In Acts 20:26-27, Paul said: “Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of you all. For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.” Those who sit under half-truths of God’s Word are prone to deception and idolatry, as they can’t discern error mixed with truth. They will make caricatures of God that do not fit Scripture’s full counsel. By teaching the full counsel of Scripture, ministers raise up mature Christians who will be less vulnerable to deception and more able to minister to others (cf. Eph 4:11-15).
Jonah had a selective, twisted view of Scripture which hindered his ministry to the Ninevites and God. It will do the same for us.
How do we view God? Does it match what Scripture says, or is it a perversion that will hinder our worship of God and ministry to others? Is God overly harsh, overly merciful, or even apathetic? The God of Scripture is perfect, and we must know him correctly to properly worship and serve him.
Application Question: Why is a selective, twisted view of Scripture such a hindrance to worship and service? How do you view God? Do you tend more towards his grace or justice, and what are the consequences of your view of him? Have you seen church members with selective, twisted views of Scripture and how should it be remedied?
The Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery. Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant. So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life, and said, “I would rather die than live!” God said to Jonah, “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” And he said, “I am as angry as I could possibly be!” The Lord said, “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you did not work, nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals.”
Jonah 4:6-11
While Jonah was outside the city waiting for God to judge it, God began to work on Jonah’s attitude and misplaced priorities. God called for a plant to quickly spring up and provide shade for Jonah’s head. This delighted Jonah since it was a hot and sunny day. Then, surprisingly, God sent a worm to destroy the plant and a hot east wind to blow. The sun and hot wind beat down on Jonah’s head, and he despaired of life, saying that he would rather die than live (v. 8). God used the gift of the plant and its removal to teach Jonah a lesson. God often does the same with us. He gives us a friend who is a tremendous comfort and encouragement, and then out of nowhere, he moves, or the relationship ends. He provides a job that meets all of our needs but then takes it away. With these blessings and the removal of them, God encourages us for a season but also reveals sinful attitudes in our hearts or idols that God would like to remove. This is how God uses all trials in our lives. They challenge us and test our faith, and if we submit to God in them, he reveals our weaknesses, helps us get rid of them, and equips us for more ministry (Jam 1:2-4).
After the plant dies and Jonah is in despair because of it, God asked him, “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” (v. 9). Jonah confirms his desperation. It’s not so much that Jonah cared about the plant. It was more the loss of comfort the plant provided. Then, God demonstrated the folly of Jonah’s anger. He said if Jonah was angry over the loss of comfort from a random plant that died, should not God be more concerned about 120,000 people who don’t know right and wrong and the many animals in Nineveh as well? When God referred to the 120,000 people who didn’t know right from wrong, some believe he was referring to children. If so, Nineveh probably had around 600,000 people altogether in the city (and possibly its metro area). If this is correct, the logic behind the question was though the parents deserved judgment, how about their innocent children? Shouldn’t God have mercy on them? Others believe God is simply referring to people who lack spiritual discernment. In their culture, what was wrong was right, and what was right was wrong. Everything was backwards, as it is in many cultures today (cf. Rom 1:32). When God referred to the animals, he was probably demonstrating how even they had more value than the plants, as they were beings. The implication was, “Shouldn’t Jonah be more concerned about the potential destruction of innocent children and animals than the loss of comfort from a shriveled plant?”
This is a hindrance for many believers: God has given us all the Great Commission to go and preach the gospel to all nations (Matt 28:18-20). However, for many, their greatest hindrance is their comfort. It’s uncomfortable being around people who speak a different language and have different cultural expectations. It’s hard to buy food and clothes, eat, and navigate society. Consequently, they feel no compulsion to go to these places, and if they are already there, they want to leave quickly. But the souls of those people are more important than our comforts. Many can’t do ministry to the needy because they can’t leave the comforts of home, family, and country. Though Jonah seems tone-deaf and hardened in this narrative, he represents much of the evangelical church. Comfort and materialism are more important to us than souls and God’s mission.
Likewise, there was a man in Luke 9:57 who approached Christ and said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” The parallel passage in Matthew 8:19 tells us he was a scribe (or teacher of the law). He was a devoted follower of Yahweh who meticulously copied Scripture and taught at the synagogues. In many ways, he was the ideal potential disciple; however, he had a major flaw. In response to the man, Christ, who knew his heart, simply said, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (v. 58). Christ knew comfort and luxury were this man’s idols, which would hinder his desire to do the ministry. Essentially, Christ said to him, “Foxes have better homes than I do, and birds are more comfortable than me. Are you sure you want to be my disciple?” Likewise, we must recognize that the desire for comfort and luxuries can be a major hindrance to our ministry as well. It can keep us from doing God’s will, loving others, and serving them. When Abraham was called, he had no guarantee things would be more comfortable in Canaan after leaving his home in Mesopotamia. In fact, it wasn’t. There was a famine right when he got to the land (Gen 12). This caused him to leave the promised land and head to Egypt where he almost lost his wife to Pharaoh. His life in Mesopotamia and Egypt was more comfortable, but that wasn’t where God wanted Abraham to be. Canaan was. Likewise, we must be careful of our desires for comfort and luxuries. They are often hindrances to the work of ministry. In Luke 14:26-27, Christ said if we were going to be his disciples, we must hate our father, mother, wife, children, brother, sister, and even our own lives. We must be willing to take up our crosses—bearing all types of pain and discomfort—to be his disciples and do the ministries God calls us to.
Even though as disciples, we have all committed to take up our cross and offer our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord (Rom 12:1), including at times being inconvenienced and uncomfortable, we often jump off the cross and the altar. We are often shocked when following him leads us into a famine or removes our comfort. Like Abraham, we at times flee to Egypt, get mad at God, or doggedly cling to our comforts, rather than submit to God’s will. Often, God needs to rebuke us like Jonah and say, “Does your comfort matter more than the souls of all these people?”
We are not told how Jonah responded. The author leaves us with a cliff-hanger, which is probably meant to not only make us wonder about Jonah’s response but also look at our hearts. Do our comforts matter more to us than lost souls? Will we leave home, family, job, and comfort to reach people if God calls us to?
The good thing about this cliff-hanger is that if Jonah’s the author, which most believe, that implies he repented of his nationalistic pride which caused him to despise the Ninevites. He repented of his love of comfort more than the restoration of God’s creation. He repented, and so can we. God’s kingdom must be more important than our comfort and luxuries.
Application Question: Why are comfort and luxuries such hindrances to faithful ministry? How do you struggle with this temptation? How should we overcome it in order to fulfill God’s call on our lives?
The story of Jonah was meant to challenge the nation of Israel. They were called to be lights to the Gentiles, including those who hated and mistreated them as the Assyrians did. They were not called to simply have a holy huddle where they cared for themselves and looked down on others. They were called to reach out to the nations, so they could know Yahweh as well.
The church has the same mission, as it was given by Christ before he ascended into heaven. As mentioned, in Matthew 28:18-20, Christ said:
…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Will we complete our mission? What are our hindrances to faithfully completing it? Jonah ministered to the Ninevites, but he was not faithful. He might be called effective because of the great revival, but he was not faithful. He preached but didn’t even desire for them to repent. When they started changing, he didn’t stay to disciple them. He became mad at God for forgiving them and hoped that God would change his mind and judge them. His ministry was effective, but it was not faithful. It was not pleasing to God, and certainly, God couldn’t use Jonah as much as he would have liked until he got rid of the hindrances in his heart like pride, selfishness, anger, love of comfort, and nationalism.
What are hindrances to faithful ministry that we must be careful of?
Application Question: What hindrance to faithful ministry stood out most and why? What are other hindrances to ministry? What hindrance (or hindrances) do you struggle with most and how is God calling you to work on them?
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Leading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.
The strength of the study group is that the members are required to prepare their responses before the meeting, allowing for easier discussion. Another is that each member has the opportunity to further develop his ministry skills through teaching. These are distinct advantages.
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
Writing is one of the best ways to learn. In class, we take notes and write papers, and all these methods are used to help us learn and retain the material. The same is true with the Word of God. Obviously, all of the authors of Scripture were writers. This helped them better learn the Scriptures and also enabled them to more effectively teach it. In studying God’s Word with the Bible Teacher’s Guide, take time to write so you can similarly grow both in your learning and teaching.
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.
How can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?
Paul said this to Timothy:
You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it nobody can know how to be saved.
Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.
How can we be saved? What steps must we take?
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is looking like God. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.
Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as: lying, stealing, or cheating. Again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.
What’s the next step?
Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches God is not only a loving God, but he is a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death.”
A wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.
Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.
How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.
Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.
Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”
Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.
How do we receive this free gift?
If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.
Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.
Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God saw Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.
If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?
Romans 10:9-10 says,
Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.
Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “…Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” (James 2:19), but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.
Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.
How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of them; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.
If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.
Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.
Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).
Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!
Copyright © 2023 Gregory Brown
Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.
BTG Publishing all rights reserved.