Dearest Peggy; I cannot answer for others dear and this is only my opinion. There are countless sermons from the book of Jonah dear. Jonah was commanded to go to Ninevah and refused. When I see the storm that shook the boat making rowing impossible I see the scripture one sinner destroyeth much good and how Israel was defeated because one man took a forbidden Babylonian garment. Jonah ran but the word says the footsteps of a righteous man are ordered by God. Even our precious brother Paul wrote that if he preached willingly there was a reward but if unwillingly, a dispensation of the gospel was committed (ordered) unto him. Our precious Jesus told dear brother Peter another would carry gird him and carry him wither he wouldest not go. Dear I see dear Jonah as an example that God's ways are not man's ways and that as he guides us he does it by his spirit and as he wants. If we choose wrong dear he can prepare an incredibly undelightful way to make us do his will. I can't help but think in Acts when the shipmaster didn't take heed to our precious brother Paul's warning the gentle breeze tuned into a euroclydon that could not be fought. Jonah was commanded to go to Ninevah because our precious Lord knew those people would repent. It's a shame that Jonah didn't want them to have that chance. He was even angered when our precious Lord spared them. That's how many are today dear. But these are only my opinions dear as I feel from the word of God. May God bless you dear. Love, Samantha.

Dearest Chad; Our precious Lord sure knows how to command us in the way everlasting if we'l listen dear and that way sure does lead to opposition from those which choose their own way. Dear, the spirit of man lusteth unto envy and will try find the easy way out due to the weakness of the flesh. In others it will cause them to try to hinder a blessed and peaceful walk with our precious Lord. Our precious Lord Jesus met opposition every step of the way. I thank God that as our pecious brother Paul wrote, our fathers chastened us for their pleasure but our precious heavenly Father chastens us for our good. Dear it blesses me to see that through the multitude of counsellors the chosen men of God had the most opposition, went through the worst times and were the meekest. Continue to trust our precious Lord in all that do and he will bless it. His grace truly is wonderful when we fall short, as we all will. May God bless you dear. Love, Samantha.

but just cause its not literal doesnt mean that it cant happen.. if i ran from god when he was telling me to do something, id watch my dang back for a whale.. a dinosaur.. a big bee..

shoooooot.. i think he got his point accross..

*watches back carefully*

are you asking why jonah?

nateblack wrote:

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no... like the point of the whole book. What is God's message to us? To the original jewish audience?

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The message to the story is that no matter how far we run away from God...

We can NEVER outrun from His loving arms that are bringing us back to Him and His mercy.

Jeffrey 2 B 4GVN (forgiven)

nateblack wrote:

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no... like the point of the whole book. What is God's message to us? To the original jewish audience?

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 My pastor just talked about this recently.  Let me see if I can summarize...

The story of Jonah is the story of a righteous man who God tells to go preach a message of deliverance to a sinful town.

Jonah was indignant.  He was trying to talk God into destroying them anyway.

Then when he started on his journey to presumably obey God, he got on a ship going the opposite direction.

He REALLY didn't want those people to be saved.

So God sends a storm and his shipmates figure out the Jonah is the reason for the storm... and they throw him overboard.  Sure enough, the storm stops.

God had a big fish waiting and swallowed Jonah for 3 days!  That's how long it took for Jonah to FINALLY agree to share a message of salvation with people he didn't think were worthy of it.

So he goes to the town to preach his message.  You would think he would go the city square and preach loudly so everyone would hear.

Not Jonah.  He goes along a few small roads and alleys and just mumbles God's declaration.

And then he goes outside the city to wait for it's destruction.

While he's waiting, one night God grows a big tree to give him shade from the hot sun.  Jonah was very happy & praising God.

The next night, God destorys the tree with a worm and Jonah grumbles and complains.  He was such a drama queen.

Jonah 4:9-11

"He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."

 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
      "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."  (I'm imagining Leslie Jordan's "Brother Boy" character from Sordid Lives playing Jonah.)

But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.  But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

Did you catch the message yet?  We don't get to choose whom God loves.  When God calls us to minister love & compassion to someone... we may not feel like doing it.

Just imagine having compassion on Jerry Falwell.  Doesn't sound like fun, does it?

But the message of Jonah is that us having compassion for others isn't really about them... it's about the change & the healing that God wants to do in our hearts.

-- Edited by nateblack at 18:12, 2006-03-23