It
is necessary to understand Jonah as a historical book. Jesus saw it as
historical (Matthew 12:39-40). There is
no reason to limit God's power and to claim that the events described in this book
could not have taken place.
There are several good lessons
taught in Jonah.
1. God
cares about the souls of all men.
God instructed Jonah to go and to
preach to Nineveh. Nineveh was not a
Jewish city. Its inhabitants were not
Jewish. But God still cared about the
people and their
wickedness still came before him. Today’s God
cares about the souls of all men, regardless of where they live.
2. God
controls nature.
God sent a storm upon the sea. God sent calm after Jonah had been cast from
the ship. God provided a great fish to
swallow Jonah. Jonah described Yahweh as
the God who “made the sea and the dry land” (1:9). When Jesus was on the earth, he exercised
control over nature. No, God probably doesn’t use nature to punish people (as
he did with Jonah), but God still controls nature.
3. God
listens to his children’s prayers.
While in the belly of the great
fish, Jonah poured out his heart to God.
He recalled his distress. He
prayed for forgiveness. He promised to
sacrifice. God heard his prayer. After Jonah prayed, God commanded the fish to
spew Jonah on the land. God heard
Jonah’s prayer. God hears our prayers
today.
4. God’s
word is powerful.
Jonah went into Nineveh and
declared, “Forth days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (3:4) . Then, “the people of Nineveh believed God:
they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth''
(3:5). God’s Word is powerful. Jonah preached a simple message, yet the
people of Nineveh repented. Even the
king repented and commanded fasting and
the wearing of sackcloth (3:6-9) . The
Word of God acted upon their hearts. The
Word of God still acts on the hearts of men.
5. God
accepts genuine repentance.
“When God saw what they did, how
they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that
he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it” (3:10). When God saw their repentance, he relented
his anger against the people of Nineveh; he accepted their repentance. When people today turn from their sin, God
accepts their repentance and forgives their sins.