God Calls Jonah to Ninevah.
When God calls, He reveals a purpose. Jonah was to preach against the rising wickedness of that great city of Nineveh. God had a heart of compassion. He desired to give the people a chance to repent of their sins.
Jonah disobeyed God’s Call
When Jonah disobeyed God, he had his own will and purpose. He did not want the people in Nineveh to be pardoned. They were wicked and vile, and didn’t deserve God’s mercy. He wanted God’s judgement to fall on them. Jonah played God. He did not entertain the compassionate heart of God.
Jonah encountered the storm.
Jonah hopped on a boat to Tarshish in Spain. He thought God won’t be able to track him. He should have known better. He was a Hebrew who worshipped the living God who made heaven and earth. Jehovah God is an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. He tracked Jonah in the bottom deck. He caused a storm. The sailors panicked for fear of drowning. They prayed to their gods with no effect. Jonah testified to them that his living Jehovah God was judging him for fleeing. Jonah revealed to them that the answer to calming the storm was to toss him overboard. They made sacrifices and offering and vows to Jehovah before tossing Jonah overboard.
The sovereign God caused a big fish to swallow Jonah.
As God was in control of nature to serve his plan, he directed a big fish to swallow Jonah and preserved his life for 3 days and 3 nights. The big fish is not a myth. A blue bottom whale measuring 100 feet long, 12 feet wide mouth, 4 chambers with air in them, was discovered in 1930 off Cape Cod. Should we doubt God’s power in causing a miracle to preserve Jonah enroute to Ninevah? The Bible contains numerous truths that our God is a God of miracles. Jesus used the event of Jonah being 3 days and 3 nights in the whale to illustrate his death and burial for 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb before resurrection.
What is your response when God calls you?
The Wonder of Obedience : When we obey, we choose to love God ( Jn 3:16 ) and our yet to believe relatives and friends. Obedience is a distinct mark of love for Jesus ( Jn 14:23). We choose to honour both His commands and His heart for sinners. We draw close to God when we obey. When we disobey, we put our unwise desires above God’s love for unbelievers.
Let’s honour our Lord with “Take my life and let it be; consecrated Lord to Thee”
Amen.
Pastor Kim Bew Lim
