Day 188 (Jonah 1-4)

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FROM TODAY’S PODCAST:
- Video: Jonah Overview
• Book of Jonah Summary:...
- Map: Jonah's Journey
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[@DonZimmerman52]

Jesus says that He proves Who He is by fulfilling the Sign of Jonah (Matt 12:39-41). What did Jesus do to fulfill and perfect what Jonah was meant to do? He pursued those who reject Him. His will is relentless; we can’t hide from Him because, as a godly man told me years ago-the father of a dear family friend-when I needed most to be turned back to the Lord-he looked at me intently and said, “God wants you to know: He will not let you go! He will not let you go!” That’s Who our God is. He is “merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love” (Jonah 4:2), even, or especially, when I have needed to be brought back to Him. God’s sign of Jonah for me is that “He will not let me go!”

[@SOManne18]

Thank you - this gives me renewed hope for our “prodigal” daughter. God won’t let her go!✝️🙏

[@fratboytrey8675]

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Seeing God’s extreme mercy and compassion, even in the Old Testament is something that makes me feel so much more drawn to him as we really are misguided children in this world, and all God wants to do is what is best for us, which is bring us closer to him.

[@sherrylee1072]

My prayer for myself,my family, my church, my town, my state NC, USA, the world is Jonah 3:7! Turn,Turn back to The Lord! So He can heal and save, Amen

[@marywalsh1374]

"Salvation belongs to the Lord" - He determines who will be saved. Not me. Lord, forgive me for judging others and thinking they are beyond Your salvation.

[@justsimply09]

Yes and amen

[@terryriley7490]

You might want to read John 3:16, 14:6, Acts 16:31, Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:9-13, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4... Remember we're under Grace, not law!

[@kidnumberfive]

So true!

[@phyllisburen8226]

This was a GREAT REMINDER for us there are people that GOD wants us to reach out to and we act like Jonah, I"m I the only one who feels this? Thank GOD HE is where the JOY is!!

[@terriblue9792]

God is kind to the ungrateful and to the evil! He relents from disaster at the first sign of repentance! How much more for His children🙌🏽👏🏽👏🏽 He loves us and wants to keep us close. He shows us kindness that we’re not even aware of or even think about. Like that breath I just took or the beating of my heart. The pains that I feel in my body sometimes, it’s a sign that something isn’t quite right. Without it we wouldn’t have the warning signs that could literally signal us to get help! We are fearfully and wonderfully made! Thank You Lord for being an all consuming, loving, kind, all knowing, just and sovereign, One and ONLY true and living GOD! Matchless in all Your ways!! I bless Your Holy name! You are SO good to us! Forgives us when we don’t recognize Your goodness and thoughtful care of us oh gracious God! Help us to keep our eyes open for every goodness You’ve shown us. Help us to also show it to the ones who’s attitudes we see as evil. Help us to be kind and gracious like You Lord, because apart from You we can do NOTHING. In Jesus name🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@liap1293]

Amen!

[@robertacoward2858]

Amen 🙏

[@antoinettehereford8180]

Amen!

[@diorocksmetalon5993]

Amen Sister!!!!!!

[@debbienash3040]

Yes 🙌🙏

[@karenevans6035]

Day 188 Today we finish our 18th book of the Bible-Jonah He lives around 750 BC The main point in this book is that God shows mercy and love to many of His enemies. God commissions Jonah to rebuke the Ninevites for the wicked ways. Jonah does not want to do this because he knows that the Lord will forgive them if they repent. He hates the Ninevites. ( Is there anyone in my life that I feel that way towards? ) We are not to have an us like them mentality towards any person or nationality. God’s love is spread out to all the nations. Jonah gets on a ship to Tarshish- probably Spain. Ninevah was in the opposite direction. A storm hits and threatens to sink the ship. Jonah confesses to the sailors that it is his fault. It appears that the pagan sailors have a higher regard for following God than Jonah does. They throw cargo and other things overboard before finally throwing Jonah overboard at his insistence. The sailors pray for mercy and forgiveness to God before they do this. We never sin in a vacuum. Jonah’s sin impacted all the people around him. Once Jonah is thrown out of the boat, the storm calms. The sailors are in fear and awe of God. God appoints a big fish to swallow Jonah and rescue him from death. Jonah stays in the fish for 3 days and 3 nights. Jesus will actually reference this in Matthew paralleling His time in the grave. In the darkness and stench of the fish’s stomach,Jonah prays a prayer of thanksgiving to God. But interestingly, not a prayer of repentance. After this prayer, God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah up onto dry land. This part makes my imagination go wild. Was the fish trying to hold it back while swimming as fast as he could to the shore 😂 God repeats the call to Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent. Jonah goes unrepentant himself to tell others to repent. Jonah rebukes the people and tells them to repent. The people and the king repent, even going as far as sackcloth and ashes and fasting. The people of Ninevah repent more than Jonah himself. God relents and gives His forgiveness to the people of Ninevah. God is always eager to forgive. Oh the great love of God! God used Jonah, reluctant, and bitter to help accomplish this. Personally, I believe that God chose Jonah because of this very reason. Jonah needed a wake up call to view his self focused bitter heart. Jonah is angry and asks God to kill him. He makes a tent within the view of the city, possibly hoping to see the destruction of the town. Even in Jonah’s bitterness, God comforts him with a plant that makes shade. Jonah wants God‘s mercy for himself, but not for anyone else. The shade plant dies, and Jonah gets angry. God confronts Jonah that he is more concerned over a shade plant than he is the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and animals. God references the people as those who do not know the right hand from their left hand, possibly meaning children. Look also how God mentions the animals too. He cares about them as well. I love His heart! Jonah 2:8-Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. Chasing after fleeting joys leave us empty. But when we engage with the one true living God we are met with His steadfast love. He patiently waits for us to notice His great love. He alone is trustworthy and worthy of our love.

[@jeffandvikipendergrass]

God is a universal God who has an interest in all nations and wants salvation proclaimed to everyone (Jonah 1:2); He is a gracious God, who does not treat us as our sins deserve, but offers forgiveness freely to all (Jonah 3:10); and He is a compassionate God who responds to our suffering with a heart bursting with deep love, with a compassion that moves Him to step into our lives (Jonah 4:2).❤️

[@RM-ck6ov]

Thank you God!❤

[@bobbiebland6826]

Aloha and praise the Lord BR family. Even though Jonah was angry with God, he said I know that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love. He is where the JOY is!!!

[@catherinescourtis]

Good morning! I love the story of Jonah. It has helped me in situations with "wicked" people - being able to pray for them, to know there would be ripple effects and I would be better off clinging to God and being obedient and yes, noticing when I didn't want so much for them to have His mercy and blessing because I didn't feel they deserved it. I know I am a sinner, too, who doesn't deserve His grace any more than they do. I am relieved of bitterness and full of joy when I look to and follow the One True God. His steadfast love is endless and unconditional for all who turn to Him.

[@beechannel27]

This was so good. Sometimes we can be bitter, but God's way is always better.

[@amyince8234]

Like Tara Leigh, I had trouble narrowing my God shot today also. I really love this book. I noticed this reading a repeat of the phrase, "God appointed". God appointed a fish. God appointed a tree. God appointed a worm (a little worm destroyed a whole tree overnight!). God appointed an East wind. God kept pursuing Jonah's hard and stubborn heart! And He used His animals, plants and forces of nature to do so. It was just like Jesus's parable of the Shepherd looking for that lost sheep. The Shepherd had just gained a whole city of sheep, but He still pursued the one who had strayed! I'm so glad He pursues me too, and is pursuing all of us and those around us.

[@christinahoffman9831]

Did anyone else see the parallels between the story of Jonah and how the Israelites and pharasies felt when Jesus preached to the gentilies?

[@keianachoyce364]

Thus book is a great reminder to me that God is able to handle my emotions. I can come to Him angry and upset and He will never leave me. He wants a relationship with me, at all costs. He wants a relationship with us all. There is nothing we can do that will separate us from Him. It dorsnt matter what people say, God has the final word. Thank you TLC for helping us understand the word better each day!

[@RM-ck6ov]

Amen!

[@blazerbobcat]

Here's the irony in the Book of Jonah: It's ironic that that an unrepentant prophet like Jonah urges a group like the Ninevites to repent, yet he himself won't repent of those similar sins. Any questions?

[@fratboytrey8675]

God Bless🤝

[@susanepperson2957]

My God shot is how I saw God mentioned 38 times in this short book. He is the main character in this book, not Jonah nor the great fish. We need to see and remember the greatness of God; the discipline of Our Father, and the Mercy He shows to us…the sinners, like the city of Nineveh!

[@steveandgailpeachey6833]

God, your wisdom and forgiveness know no bounds 🙌🏼 Yes Lord!

[@karlacastillo780]

Thank you Father that you are eager to forgive. You wait for your children to be repentant and shower us with forgiveness and your steadfast love. Glory Glory Glory!!!

[@mariatripp]

Amen and Hallelujah! Thank you Lord 🙏

[@antoinettehereford8180]

Jonah knew the character of God in his head. He knew that God was gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and willing to relent in bringing disaster on Nineveh (Jonah 4:2). That is how He is with all of us. We were all God's enemies until we repented and received forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. Jonah didn't receive this truth in his heart, and so he was angry. God is so patient that He doesn't want anyone to perish. God wants repentance (2 Peter 3: 9). "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17 ESV). Praises be to our God that He shows no favoritism in whom He shows mercy!

[@diorocksmetalon5993]

Amen TLC!

[@DonZimmerman52]

God’s nature is to be merciful, but He may show His mercy by doing the exact opposite of what we want.

[@AnchoredinHIM]

Oye. The way she wraps it up made me reflect... How often have I been like Jonah? How many times have I ran from His direction only for Him to show up and rescue me, again and again? How many times have I prayed thankfulness for His blessings but without a repentant heart? How many times, daily, do I chase after fleeting joys to fill me up and satisfy me only to leave me feeling empty? His love is steadfast. It's there. It's always been there. He's right there with me, always. He's patiently waiting for me to notice. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. Lord, be with me. Change my heart and see that all I desire is you, even when I can't seem to get it right. Forgive me, God. I am nothing more than a sinner who doesn't deserve Your love. I'm greatly astonished by Your mercy for me. Clothe me today in Your tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, patience, forgiveness, and love, treating all those who I engage with today in Your love. We are ALL made in your image, regardless of anything else. Let me show Your love to others. Even those who drive me bananas. :) (Especially those who drive me bananas!) In Jesus name, Amen. Have a blessed day Bible Readin' Family!

[@diorocksmetalon5993]

Amen and beautiful prayer!

[@tamararussell-czwartacky7105]

Thank you for releasing these an hour earlier! Really helps those of us in Europe who like to start the day with these videos and our reading. 💕

[@kathyjohnson1627]

This quote is from my side note in my Bible, Jonah would rather have died than to see pagan Ninevah saved. He thought they too far gone, but none of us are. He thought it did not seem "fair" for God to forgive such a pagan nation. BUT God had forgiven Jonah for his disobedience. For Jonah to wish to die when he had just been so thankful for his own deliverance from death was ironic. Human logic questions fairness when evil is forgiven. But in so doing, it fails to see that if evil were not graciously forgiven, everyone would be destroyed."

[@jeffandvikipendergrass]

God is a gracious and compassionate God. He is slow to anger and abounding in love. He relents from sending calamity. Jonah 4:2b

[@Bigtill1999]

“Then God saw their actions - that they had turned from their evil ways - so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ God is kind and just and I can’t fathom how many times God staved off disaster of my own making because of my sin. But repentance (change of ways) opens His mercy. He is kind and loving. That’s my God-shot.

[@MaryellenHassett-ek7su]

Love, Joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you father in heaven, for giving us the fruit of the Holy Spirit to live our lives by. Blessed be the God of all creation. Amen!

[@mariatripp]

Amen 🙏 Thank you Lord 🙏

[@diorocksmetalon5993]

Hey Bible Readers!

[@melindahier-goetz1836]

I loved reading through this again and reading the full text at once. His prayer in Ch. 2 is so relevant and I was also able to share it with a friend who needed. I am so grateful for a loving God who is willing to seek out and share salvation with the unbelieving world. He sent His prophet, a Hebrew (v.9), to share a message with sinful Nineveh (aka, non-Hebrew). That is good news for me, a non-Jew. He sought me out and rescued me and made me His own. As always, God is good. HE is where the JOY is!!

[@chariswhaley8798]

Lord helps us not to be so self righteous, that we consider ourselves better than others.

[@mariatripp]

🙏🙏🙏

[@valeriewhite2576]

❤❤❤ Thank God for His unconditional Love!! Lord help and mold us to be more like you!! Good afternoon bible readers Family ❤❤❤ Hope you have had a blessed day in His Presence 🙏🤗❤️

[@paulinagalindo9433]

Amen 🙏 God bless you Valerie. We are one family "The family of God"

[@linacarmelasardo8458]

We cannot hide from God. Amen ❤

[@brucestrange3289]

I think my book summary would be this. The book of Jonah, where God prods a slick but false prophet to reluctantly rescue the enemy of the prophet’s people. With the context of 2 Kings we know that Israel is an evil nation at this time, no better than the people of Ninevah. They know God, but have rejected them. The Ninevites, and the fisherman for that matter, do not know God and yet repent.

[@CotishaMcNair]

Jonah was saved from the belly of a fish. God no matter what wants us to forgive others no matter what like he does he doesn’t give his love to certain people. It’s all people. Thank you Father 🙌🏽

[@laurievarney2668]

I don't know about y'all, but I am not ever running from God!

[@detola7870]

😂 At the risk of becoming a fish din-dins

[@linacarmelasardo8458]

Engage with the Lord always. He is where the Joy is🙌

[@hbrown5068]

Praise God for His mercy and steadfast love. He loves, period. A question we should reflect upon every day, throughout the day, as needed: “And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”” ‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[@brucestrange3289]

Despite the reluctance of His chosen prophet God is able to use him to soften the hearts of the Ninevites.

[@linacarmelasardo8458]

He is always eager to forgive🙏❣️

[@sharonrosewilcox5552]

Ok I've been doing this study since Jan 1, 2024. I have had some fairly minor quibbles with some of the commentary, but something was said today that took me aback. When she said, You might think Jonah is allegory or literal, but it gives great insight into God... I choose to believe that the Bible is God's inspired word and is unshakeable. Where does it end? If I draw a line saying this is allegory and this is literal, does that mean everyone gets to draw a line (of course they would NEVER be the same!). It has never occurred to me to consider Jonah & the Ninevites as other than real persons! If the North Star moved around the sky, how would we ever get from here to there? We need to be very careful in these days. Our enemy is cunning & crafty, seeking whom he may devour. As for me & my house, we will cling to the Lord God Almighty! Blessings!! @ShannonClifford

[@puritymuhoro8859]

This! I totally agree with you. This irked and bothered me so much too! It's treading on very dangerous grounds. Why would she hold out the possibility that the events in the book of Jonah are anything other than factual history? From where does one draw that conclusion. Based on what? Does anything in the text indicate that? No. Just opinion therefore. Jesus himself referenced Jonah. Why would Jesus reference an allegory as historical fact? That was not right for TLC to say.

[@marykayk1626]

3 days and 3 nights and 40 days are referenced in this story. I found that Jonah finally did what he was sent to do but he didn't think they would turn from their pagan ways. So he wanted to see the demise when they sinned again. Smug. Poor Jonah. I sure better not look down on Jonah.

[@abigailpiper2620]

Wow Jonah is such a quick book, but there’s so much in it. Thank you for all you do; so admire how you are clearly using Gods gift given to you to teach and share biblical wisdom with us. It has changed my life.

[@davidrice6266]

7 ?’s are asked of Jonah. They’re worth meditating on.

[@atypicalmom]

My firstborn is named Jonah ❤

[@KBlue728]

thank you so much for linking that map visual!! it made me laugh and really put into perspective how far and how much Jonah wanted to get away💙

[@linacarmelasardo8458]

Love this book. Amen

[@ivanronald]

God is gracious and kind, his plan all along is redeem the nations. Do we want to stay in partnership with God or have an attitude like Jonah?

[@wkmacs4738]

How could anyone think Jonah in the great fish is an allegory? Jesus refers to this event as real history and even likens it to His resurrection. Saying it's simply allegorical is blasphemous.

[@andrealmoseley6575]

I'm surpised the wickedness of Ninevah wasn't mentioned.

[@driverdave1298]

Modern day Mosul, Iraq is Nineveh

[@unobarry]

Had to put on the veggie tales after today's reading😂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fprcd4VtpNCIoMUfeature=shared

[@lindawilson4117]

God cares for His creation. ‭Jonah 4:11 ESV‬ [11] "And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 PERSONS who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much CATTLE?” ‭Psalm 36:6 ESV‬ [6] "Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; MAN AND BEAST you save, O LORD." (emphasis mine)

[@robertdickson5689]

Can someone point me to the verse where Jonah tells the people to repent?

[@kathyn5337]

Jonah 3:4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” . They repented in verse 5

[@lindagilpin5415]

Even though Jonah did not specifically tell them to repent in so many words, God touched their hearts through Jonah's message and these wicked people DID repent. Jonah was a very reluctant prophet indeed, yet his message came through loud and clear with very, very few words.

[@robertdickson5689]

@@lindagilpin5415 Thank you. That is my point. Jonah was terrible at delivering God’s message and he didn’t actually tell the people to repent. God worked through him despite his failings and the people repented.

[@thatMimosaGrove]

​@@robertdickson5689 You're right. As far as we know, Jonah only told them the part of the message he liked: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”

[@michelepascoe6068]

I think you judge Jonah harshly and ungraciously, Tara. I believe that his repentance is proved by his being quick to obey after being thrown up by the fish onto the beach. I think he repented honestly on the ship, realising his disobedience merited death. And then, he wrote his story so that other should not make the mistake of grudging anyone, however evil, of the forgiveness of God, who is just. His book humbly reveals his struggle of forgiving those who have harmed one's loved ones (Nineveh had committed war crimes against Israel), and acknowledges his error. Clearly, God forgives those who don't deserve it, if we only repent. He doesn't play down his own sin in any way. Interesting, according to Jewish tradition, Jonah is the boy of 1 Kings 17, whom Elisha raised to life and whose mother had the miracle of the flour and oil not running out during famine.

[@TheSteveBOliver]

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left-and also many animals?” Jonah 4:1‭-‬2‭, ‬4‭, ‬9‭-‬11 NIV bible.com/bible/111/jon.4.1-11.NIV

[@diorocksmetalon5993]

Hey Bible Readers!