Jonah~ The reluctant prophet

The next picture we see is that of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Let us take a closer look at him and see how God can use people who drag their feet and even build their faith.

Jonah was the son of Amitai. Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh in Assyria, and preach to them. For faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. but how can you hear without a preacher (Rom. 10:17).  But Jonah didn't want to go,so he ran from God, to keep from having to listen to what God had to say to him (Jonah 1:2-3).  But one cannot hide from God no matter where they run to ( Ps. 139:7-12). Jonah found that our when he took a boat ride thinking that it would take him away from God. While Jonah was on the boat, God caused a real bad storm on the seas. This storm was so bad, that the seamen were that the boat would break up and all the souls on board would did, so they started to cry to their different gods for help. But their gods didn't hear them. When they found Jonah in his bunk sleeping, they woke him up and told him to cry out to his God for help. I don't believe that Jonah did so, because the Bible doesn't say that he did. The seas continued to be bad. So the men cast lots to see who the gods where made at, for they believed that a storm like this had to be the punishment of an angry god. The lot fell on Jonah, so they woke him up and asked him who he was and what he had done to make his God mad. He told them the whole truth including the fact that he had disobeyed and ran from his God. They asked Jonah what they would have to do to appease God. Jonah told them to throw him over board and the storm would cease. At first the men did not throw Jonah over board. Maybe they were afraid that God would be angry at them if they did. Instead they tried to row to land, but it did not work. When they realized that they had no other choice, they threw Jonah over board, while asking God not to be angry at them for doing so. Then they made a sacrifice to God for they feared Jonah's God (Jonah 1:1-16).

God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah whole. Jonah was in the belly of that great fish for three days and three nights. I believe that God did this to give Jonah time to think about what He had asked him to do. You see, Jonah ran from God without hearing Him out. During that time, Jonah's faith grew. At the end of the three days and three nights, Jonah prayed a prayer of faith. God heard Jonah and had the great fish spit him out at just the right place to go to Nineveh (Jonah 2).

Once Jonah was on land, God again told Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach to the many souls there. This time, Jonah obeyed God and did as God told him to do. He preached a powerful sermon to the city telling them that if they did not repent and turn from their wicked ways that God was going to have the city overthrown in forty days. The people believed in Jonah's God and all of Ninevah held a fast and put on sackcloths. This was to show God that they were sorry and ask for forgiveness. God saw this and forgave them of their sin, saving the city (Jonah 3). So Jonah's obedience saved a very large city full of many souls.

After Jonah had preached to Ninevah, he went out and sat on the east side of the city to watch the destruction of it. But when God changed His mind and didn't destroy it, Jonah became angry. In His anger, he told God how he felt about the whole situation. God answered Jonah and gave him a lesson on taking pity on the souls of Ninevah (Jonah 4).

Sometimes, God's people are asked to do things that they are not comfortable with to help them grow in their faith. That is what God did with Jonah. God also does that with us.