Friday, July 27 2012
Jonah 1
Verse of the Day: V17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
1. A Great City (V1-3)
V2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
Nineveh was a great city. The people of Nineveh were prosperous and wealthy, and they had all the material possessions, except they rejected God and His righteousness. Thus the righteous God found them guilty of wickedness, and commanded Prophet Jonah to preach to them to repent of their wickedness. However, Jonah disobeyed God, and bought a ticket to go to Tarshish instead of Nineveh. Jonah rationalised that God should punish the people of Nineveh instead of giving them the chance to repent of their wickedness.
V3 “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”
2. A Great Wind (V4-16)
V4 “But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”
Jonah fled from the presence of the LORD, but he could never hide from His presence. As soon as Jonah boarded the ship, the LORD sent a great wind that nearly destroyed the ship. The mariners on board the ship were so fearful for their lives that they prayed and cried to the LORD to deliver them out of this great tempest. Finally, out of desperation, they acceded Jonah’s request, and threw him into the raging sea: and the sea became calm.
V12 “And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”
3. A Great Fish (V17)
V17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”
Prophet Jonah could have been drown in the deep blue sea, but God prepared a great fish to swallow him up. Jonah survived in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The LORD is a great God, a God of second chance. Even though Jonah did not deserve God’s grace, God still forgave his sin, and saved him through the belly of the great fish.
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are great, the one and only great God.
