[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]The book of Jonah is a very interesting book. Jonah was one of the minor prophets who’s mission was not like the other prophets who where called to Israel, but rather called to go preach repentance to Israel’s enemies.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]He was called to go to the biggest city in the Asyrian empire called Nineveh. This is the equivalent of God telling someone from Jerusalem today to go to the capital of Iran and tell them to repent to the Hebrew God, the God of their enemies![/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Jonah did not like this idea one bit. Instead of being obedient to his calling he went into the opposite direction on a boat. The boat came into a storm that wouldn’t stop until he was thrown overboard. A great sea monster came and swallowed him up and when he repented he was spit up on shore. He then went to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s coming judgment and they repented.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Now there are a number of things we can learn from this man and his story and apply it to our own lives. Jonah was someone who had a relationship with God. He walked in his presence. When God told him to do something he really didn’t want to do he tried to flee from his presence. (1:3)[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]How many of us when God speaks to us about something, whether be it a big decision in life like move to Toronto when you are already on your way to Australia or a small one like give up something in our life that we love do – and we ignore it? We all know that we cannot hide from God, and if God really wants something done it will happen one way or another. But there is a point to make that we can find ourselves in a dry place without feeling his presence because of some disobedience to something he has asked to do. Often we can even forget and not realize why He seems far. If you find this is you, you might want to take a moment with Him and ask Him if there is anything that you have not done that He as asked you to do. You may need to repent and go be obedient and you will find his presence flood in.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]What did Jonah do when he got on the boat? He went down in the boat and slept. When people find themselves in that place, often a spirit of slumber and complacency will come about them and they ignore and forget the voice of the Lord. When the storm came and people started to draw lots you would think Jonah would speak up knowing he was the reason. Instead he waited till the lot fell on him and he was found out. It’s not a good idea to wait till you have been found out to repent![/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]When the crew found he was running from the Hebrew God they became very afraid. The Hebrew God had a reputation of not being someone you wanted to mess with. People knew about the destroying of Egypt’s armies in the desert, the conquering of the promise land and the rise of the Solomon the worlds most respected Kingdom. At this point Jonah could of repented and told them to take him back to shore, but instead he’d rather die than go to Nineveh! He told them to throw him over board, the storm did not stop until he was thrown over board. I believe if he had said “take me back” the storm would of also stopped.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]But none the less he ended up in the belly of a sea creature. At that point he had no choice but to repent. Jonah went to Nineveh and told them that God was going to bring destruction to them for their sin. He was hoping that Israels enemies would be destroyed, and when they repented he was very angry. He was so angry that he that he wanted to die. He had a mega bad attitude and did not want to go on living.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]This story is more a lesson on Repentance. God calls all people to repentance and salvation no matter where you come from, new testament and old.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]There are 5 aspects of repentance. We can see these aspects in Jonahs life and also later in Nineveh.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]1) Guilt- it is revealed to you that you are in the wrong some how. I chapter one Jonah is found out.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]2) Admittance- actually admitting you are wrong, “I’m in the wrong’. In chapter two in the fish’s stomach Jonah makes a prayer of admittance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]3) Action- doing something about the fact you are wrong. “I’m sorry”. You need to take some sort of action and show that you are sorry for being wrong.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]4) U-turn- you need to commit to not doing it again and show a full reversal.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]5) Change of Heart, this is key and somewhat is part of 4, that you need to keep a humble attitude of repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Nineveh had all 5 aspects, truly repented and was saved from Judgement. Jonah on the other hand only had partial repentance. Although he took action he did not have a change of heart, his attitude was still that of an unrepentant person. ” Ok God I will do what you want but I don’t like it.”[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Of course that is better than not doing what God wants but being fully repentant brings a full blessing and is where we should want to be with God. Many people today think that repentance is just saying I’m sorry every time we do something wrong. That is a complete lie. True repentance is all of the 5 steps together. It is a full admittance, apology and honest effort to cease from your sin. I only say this because sometimes people are in bondage to habitual sin and need to work through deliverance to be completely set free. But saying your sorry and than doing the same thing every week is not repentance, making excuses for what you don’t want to stop doing but being sorry is not repentance, ignoring what God has told you to do is not repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Everyday we need to keep with Repentance examine our hearts and commit to change when the Holy Spirit reveals.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]It is quite odd how the book ends so abruptly like it was never quit finished. Perhaps God told Jonah to write the book of his story but he still didn’t want to be obedient and did it grudgingly. Who knows if he ever made it to through all 5 steps of repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “ An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]There is a lot of speculation on what “the sign of Jonah” was, that it had reference to Jesus being in the tomb for 3 days and Jonah in the fish which could very well be true. But perhaps the sign of Jonah could also be repentance? That no matter what sign or wonder you are seeking without true repentance you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus saw their hearts and knew they were not feeling any conviction of the words he was saying and a “sign” from Heaven would not change their hearts, for Jesus had already a reputation for many sign.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]He was called to go to the biggest city in the Asyrian empire called Nineveh. This is the equivalent of God telling someone from Jerusalem today to go to the capital of Iran and tell them to repent to the Hebrew God, the God of their enemies![/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Jonah did not like this idea one bit. Instead of being obedient to his calling he went into the opposite direction on a boat. The boat came into a storm that wouldn’t stop until he was thrown overboard. A great sea monster came and swallowed him up and when he repented he was spit up on shore. He then went to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s coming judgment and they repented.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Now there are a number of things we can learn from this man and his story and apply it to our own lives. Jonah was someone who had a relationship with God. He walked in his presence. When God told him to do something he really didn’t want to do he tried to flee from his presence. (1:3)[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]How many of us when God speaks to us about something, whether be it a big decision in life like move to Toronto when you are already on your way to Australia or a small one like give up something in our life that we love do – and we ignore it? We all know that we cannot hide from God, and if God really wants something done it will happen one way or another. But there is a point to make that we can find ourselves in a dry place without feeling his presence because of some disobedience to something he has asked to do. Often we can even forget and not realize why He seems far. If you find this is you, you might want to take a moment with Him and ask Him if there is anything that you have not done that He as asked you to do. You may need to repent and go be obedient and you will find his presence flood in.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]What did Jonah do when he got on the boat? He went down in the boat and slept. When people find themselves in that place, often a spirit of slumber and complacency will come about them and they ignore and forget the voice of the Lord. When the storm came and people started to draw lots you would think Jonah would speak up knowing he was the reason. Instead he waited till the lot fell on him and he was found out. It’s not a good idea to wait till you have been found out to repent![/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]When the crew found he was running from the Hebrew God they became very afraid. The Hebrew God had a reputation of not being someone you wanted to mess with. People knew about the destroying of Egypt’s armies in the desert, the conquering of the promise land and the rise of the Solomon the worlds most respected Kingdom. At this point Jonah could of repented and told them to take him back to shore, but instead he’d rather die than go to Nineveh! He told them to throw him over board, the storm did not stop until he was thrown over board. I believe if he had said “take me back” the storm would of also stopped.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]But none the less he ended up in the belly of a sea creature. At that point he had no choice but to repent. Jonah went to Nineveh and told them that God was going to bring destruction to them for their sin. He was hoping that Israels enemies would be destroyed, and when they repented he was very angry. He was so angry that he that he wanted to die. He had a mega bad attitude and did not want to go on living.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]This story is more a lesson on Repentance. God calls all people to repentance and salvation no matter where you come from, new testament and old.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]There are 5 aspects of repentance. We can see these aspects in Jonahs life and also later in Nineveh.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]1) Guilt- it is revealed to you that you are in the wrong some how. I chapter one Jonah is found out.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]2) Admittance- actually admitting you are wrong, “I’m in the wrong’. In chapter two in the fish’s stomach Jonah makes a prayer of admittance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]3) Action- doing something about the fact you are wrong. “I’m sorry”. You need to take some sort of action and show that you are sorry for being wrong.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]4) U-turn- you need to commit to not doing it again and show a full reversal.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]5) Change of Heart, this is key and somewhat is part of 4, that you need to keep a humble attitude of repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Nineveh had all 5 aspects, truly repented and was saved from Judgement. Jonah on the other hand only had partial repentance. Although he took action he did not have a change of heart, his attitude was still that of an unrepentant person. ” Ok God I will do what you want but I don’t like it.”[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Of course that is better than not doing what God wants but being fully repentant brings a full blessing and is where we should want to be with God. Many people today think that repentance is just saying I’m sorry every time we do something wrong. That is a complete lie. True repentance is all of the 5 steps together. It is a full admittance, apology and honest effort to cease from your sin. I only say this because sometimes people are in bondage to habitual sin and need to work through deliverance to be completely set free. But saying your sorry and than doing the same thing every week is not repentance, making excuses for what you don’t want to stop doing but being sorry is not repentance, ignoring what God has told you to do is not repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Everyday we need to keep with Repentance examine our hearts and commit to change when the Holy Spirit reveals.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]It is quite odd how the book ends so abruptly like it was never quit finished. Perhaps God told Jonah to write the book of his story but he still didn’t want to be obedient and did it grudgingly. Who knows if he ever made it to through all 5 steps of repentance.[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “ An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;[/background]
[background=rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.701961)]There is a lot of speculation on what “the sign of Jonah” was, that it had reference to Jesus being in the tomb for 3 days and Jonah in the fish which could very well be true. But perhaps the sign of Jonah could also be repentance? That no matter what sign or wonder you are seeking without true repentance you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus saw their hearts and knew they were not feeling any conviction of the words he was saying and a “sign” from Heaven would not change their hearts, for Jesus had already a reputation for many sign.[/background]
