Nahum 3:12-19

v. 12-19 "All your fortresses are like fig trees
with their first ripe fruit;
when they are shaken,
the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
Look at your troops-
they are all women!
The gates of your land
are wide open to your enemies;
fire has consumed their bars.

Draw water for the siege,
strengthen your defenses!
Work the clay,
tread the mortar,
repair the brickwork!
There the fire will devour you;
the sword will cut you down 
and, like grasshoppers, consume you.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
multiply like locusts!
You have increased the number of your merchants 
till they are more than the stars of the sky,
but like locusts they strip the land
and then fly away.
Your guards are like locusts,
your officials like swarms of locusts
that settle in the walls on a cold day-
but when the sun appears they fly away,
and no one knows where.
O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber,
your nobles lie down to rest.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with no one to gather them.
Nothing can heal your wound;
your injury is fatal.
Everyone who hears the news about you 
claps his hands at your fall,
for who has not felt
your endless cruelty?"

Nahum must have known that this would challenge the pride of King Ashurbanipal.  To think you are a great king and be insulted in this way could drive someone crazy and be seething with anger.  God is showing that their defenses are insignificant.  Even calling his troops women.  Back in ancient times women were not fighters, they were wives, mothers, caregivers, they had no power during this time.

For them to fortify their defenses was useless.  Not only did they get insulted as women, but they were compared to locusts.  When the heat turns up they flee and will not stay and fight.  Their injury is fatal.  Nineveh was conquered around 50 years after this prophecy.  The Iraq Christians who lived in Mosul have been driven to the east in the last year or so, to the Nineveh Plain.    That is where the city of Nineveh was found around 1845.

The Bible is full of stories that we can learn from.  I heard someone call the Bible a library.  It's more than just a book, it spans a large amount of time with different writers and many different types of writing, all for the glory of God.

All nations hated Assyria and their cruel treatment of others so they probably were happy when the city fell.  Although there always seems to be another country just as evil that takes it's place.  Assyria in now Syria.  I think how this parallels current day events.  A dictator is in charge who has been killing his own people, there is no excuse for this cruel treatment of men, women and children.  I pray for those who have lost loved ones and for protection for the civilian population.

How you treat your poor, powerless and those who don't agree with you shows your true character.

Nahum 3:7-11

v 7-11 "All who see you will flee from you and say,
'Nineveh is in ruins-who will mourn for her?'
Where can I find anyone to comfort you?

Are you better than Thebes,
situated on the Nile,
with water around her?
The river was her defense,
the waters her wall.
Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;
Put and Libya were among her allies.
Yet she was taken captive
and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed to pieces
at the head of every street.
Lots were cast for her nobles,
and all her great men were put in chains.
You too will become drunk;
you will go into hiding
and seek refuge from the enemy."

Thebes was a well fortified and wealthy city that was destroyed by Nineveh's king Ashurbanipal around 667 BC.  When Nahum spoke about this the people of Nineveh would have understood what that meant.  I would think that Nahum saying that Nineveh would see the same fate as Thebes would have infuriated the king.  Although he must have thought Nineveh was untouchable, his pride seemed to have no limits.  After conquering city after city Assyria must have been hated by all the surrounding lands.  Assyria was the powerhouse empire of the day which was being watched by other countries who must have been waiting for a time when they could conquer.  

Both cities had the following in common;

• strong natural defenses
• influential foreign alliances
• vast amounts of wealth
• great military forces

Most importantly, they had a false sense of security which God took away from them both.

The part about the infants is hard to imagine.  I think this shows that the insatiable violence of Nineveh was going to be repaid to them in full.  

Many have justified evil when they are the ones wielding it, yet suffer greatly when they are controlled by it.

Nahum 3:1-6

v. 1-6 "Woe to the city of blood,
full of lies,
full of plunder,
never without victims!
The crack of whips,
the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
and jolting chariots!
Charging cavalry,
flashing swords
and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
piles of dead,
bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses-
all because of the wanton lust of a harlot,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
and peoples by her witchcraft.

'I am against you,' declares the Lord Almighty.
'I will lift your skirts over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness
and the kingdoms your shame.
I will pelt you with filth,
I will treat you with contempt
and make you a spectacle.'"

OK, I have been away from this for awhile.  I guess doing Jonah and Nahum back to back made me burned out on the evil of it all.  

The city of blood seems to be a fitting name.  This is a war bulletin from the Assyrians which was during this time frame.

"I destroyed, I demolished, I burned.  I took their warriors prisoner and impaled them on stakes before their cities. ...flayed the nobles, as many as had rebelled, and spread their skins out on the piles [of dead corpses] ... many of the captives I burned in a fire.  Many I took alive; from some I cut off their hands to the write, from other I cut off their noses, ears and fingers; I put out the eyes of many of the soldiers."

"I slew two hundred and sixty fighting men; I cut off their heads and made pyramids thereof.  I slew one of every two.  I built a wall before the great gates of the city; I flayed the chief men of the rebels, and I covered the wall with their skins.  Some of them were enclosed alive in the bricks of the wall, some of them were crucified on stakes along the wall; I caused a great multitude of them to be flayed in my presence, and I covered the wall with their skins.  I gathered together the heads in the form of  crowns, and their pierced bodies in the form of garlands."  (TimeFrame 1500-600 BC by Time Life Books) Assyrian War Bulletin

The "bodies without number" is hard to imagine.  The closest that I can think of would be all the people killed in World War II.  The National WW II Museum in New Orleans, LA estimates that 50 million people died during the war from 40 different countries.  It is extremely difficult to grasp the enormity of what happened.

OK, right now I would like to be working on one of those cute DIY, cooking or crafting blogs.  Although this is what I do, so back to the solemn task at hand.

Several times sin is represented as female in the Bible, this does not mean that God hates women.  Wisdom is represented as a woman (Proverbs 1:20-21).  I can't imagine how many times in history that women have been labeled as wicked sinners and held to a different standard than men and suffered greatly because of it.  I think that the lure of Nineveh was great to other countries, they were very powerful and wealthy.  Seduction is usually referenced as female, this shows that there must have been a strong pull towards Nineveh.  Strong's Concordance says that "your skirts" is a masculine noun.  Remember everyone wore robes back then.  This would have targeted their honor and pride.

"Beautiful and impressive on the outside, Nineveh was vicious and deceitful on the inside.  Beneath attractive facades sometimes lie seduction and death."  NIV notes

Nahum 2:8-13

v. 8-13 "Nineveh is like a pool,
and its water is draining away.
'Stop! Stop!' they cry,
but no one turns back.
Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
the wealth from all its treasures!
She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
Hearts melt, knees give way,
bodies tremble, every face grows pale.

Where now is the lions' den,
the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
The lion killed enough for his cubs 
and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs with the kill
and his dens with the prey.

'I am against you,'
declares the LORD Almighty.
I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
and the sword will devour your young lions.
I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
will no longer be heard."

The water is draining away, Nineveh was a lush garden filled area so when the water goes the area can only dry up.  It is interesting how many exclamation marks there are.  I think this is suppose to grab our attention as if it was highlighted or underlined.  Exclamation marks, woe, repeated words or names, red words, etc.  We should pay attention to all scripture, but there is emphasis on certain words or sentences that we are to really see.  All the wealth that was taken from their captives, would be taken from them.



On the relief's taken from the Assyrian palace are pictures of lion hunts.  This seemed to be a popular past time of kings in the region.  Kings would capture lions for their "hunts" or breed them in captivity.  They would release the lion from a cage (probably weak from captivity) and kill it as if that proved how great a king they were.  This practice still goes on today and it is a disgrace.  Caged hunts do not prove manhood, only the inhumanity of one's soul.  The bible verses that speak of the lions seem to taunt the king.  On one of the reliefs found in the palace it says this, "I, Ashurbanipal, king of the universe, king of Assyria, in my lordly sport, they let a fierce lion of the plain out of the cage and on foot... I stabbed him later with my iron girdle dagger and he died."  This king had a major pride issue, king of the universe, seriously?  It proves no matter what we think of ourselves God is happy to knock us off the pedestal if it gets too high.

God said he was against them.  The last few sentences are powerful.

Their chariots would be burned up - a nod to the defeat of their army
The sword will devour their lions - the people will be destroyed
I will leave you no prey on earth - they would no longer be able to destroy their neighbors
Your messengers will be silenced - the voices will be wiped out completely

Nahum 2:1-7

v. 1-7 "An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
Guard the fortress,
watch the road,
brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!

The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.

The shields of his soldiers are red;
the warriors are clad in scarlet.
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day they are made ready;
the spears of pine are brandished.
The chariots storm through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
they dart about like lightning.

He summons his picked troops,
yet they stumble on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
the protective shield is put in place.
The river gates are thrown open 
and the palace collapses.
It is decreed that the city 
be exiled and carried away.
Its slave girls moan like doves
and beat upon their breasts."

It seems like God is taunting Nineveh in verse 1.  I think God's anger was so great against these people that He did not hold back and this would have struck the pride of the king of Nineveh.  They must have thought they were invincible.  As if they could have done anything to stop God's will.

This references the destruction of Nineveh later in 612 BC.  The Babylonians and Medes destroyed Nineveh.  There seems to be some new information from an Oxford University researcher that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were actually in Nineveh, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  This was a highly sophisticated city with the ability to create gardens that were possibly up in the air on columns or on terraces with aqueducts bringing water up from the rivers.  There is even writing that King Sennacherib had used a bronze water raising screw to irrigate the gardens.  This screw is similar to Archimedes' Screw, which was "invented" by Archimedes four hundred years later!  Sorry, I am very fascinated with ancient technology and do get sidetracked occasionally.

Every time they invaded other countries they acquired more treasure.  With what seemed like unlimited funds the kings build massive palaces, created a well fortified city and an impressive military.  Even with all their success they did not have favor with God and time was running out for the people of Nineveh.

In 722 BC Nineveh had taken the northern kingdom (Israel) and forced the southern kingdom (Judah) to pay tribute.  In verse 2 God says that he will restore Jacob, restore His people.  When we feel like we are at the end, that nothing could ever restore us, we can be restored by God alone.  He is our comforter, He can pick up the pieces of our lives and restore us to the point of seeming to have not fallen in the first place.  No matter what we do, God can heal our hearts, minds and souls.  This can only happen IF we let Him, IF we invite Him into our lives.

In v. 3 it mentions red and scarlet, these colors represent war, bloodshed, sacrifice, all throughout the Bible we see those colors weaved into the fabric of the pages.  I believe the enemy was coming for destruction, even more than for a conquest.  Just like our enemy tries to destroy us.  Nineveh had earlier attacked Babylon.  Babylon might have been tired of Nineveh trying to take over their territory.

The higher we get the harder the fall to the ground when we are humbled.

Nahum 1:12-15

v. 12-15 "This is what the Lord says:
Although they have allies and are numerous, 
they will be cut off and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, O Judah,
I will afflict you no more.
Now I will break their yoke from your neck
and tear your shackles away.

The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
You will have no descendants to bear your name.
I will destroy the carved images and cast idols
that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,
for you are vile.

Look, there on the mountains, 
the feet of one who brings good news,
who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;
they will be completely destroyed."

Depending what side of the fence you are on will determine how you see God.  If you are following His decrees then you are under His protection, grace will abound and you see a loving God.  If you are consumed by anger, hatred and unforgiveness then you will see a mean God.  We have a choice to make, a decision that will determine our destiny.  This message was to give hope to Judah who had been under attack from Nineveh.

God begins this section with the observation that the enemy has many on their side and sounds invincible, but they will still be cut down.  God does not do this to brag about His powers.  This is for for our benefit.  When we see the odds are overwhelmingly against us then we have to remember that God is more, He is greater than anything else.

Here is says that God afflicted Judah.  He didn't ignore them or walk away from them.  God took action against people who walked away from Him.   To be afflicted means: to distress with mental or bodily pain; trouble greatly or grievously, to overthrown, defeat or humble.  Why did God afflict Judah?  After Solomon died the kingdom was split into two different lands.  The northern kingdom was Israel and the southern kingdom was Judah.  Does anyone else know what happens when a land splits up?  Your power, military, wealth, etc. is weakened by the division.  You are prone to attacks from other countries.  Many of the kings of both lands (Israel and Judah) were evil and corrupt and some killed the prior king to gain power.  Is anyone wondering why God would let His people be captured when they kept turning away from Him?

God broke the yoke from the people.  A yoke was a device for joining two animals together to control them so that a farmer could plow a field.  Yoke also means something that binds together, a bond or a tie.  A weight is lifted from their spirit, soul and maybe a physically feeling of being set free.

The thought of God preparing graves is one of those verses that just stick out to me.  I don't think this is one of those scriptures that is hard to decipher.  God was not messing around here, He meant business. Wow.

God made those nameless that had in turn made their captives destroy the bones of their ancestors which took away their history and family names.  God knows justice.

We see that it is not all bad news, for the people of Judah they are to celebrate their festivals again, but they are also suppose to fulfill their vows.  We can not just celebrate and have a party when we become a Christian.  When we come to the Father we have to repent for our sins.  While they were captives they could not celebrate or pursue their religion.  When God sets us free we are to celebrate Him, celebrate life and honor God in all that we do.

Nahum 1:6-11

v. 6-11 "Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him.

The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
he will pursue his foes into darkness.

Whatever they plot against the Lord 
he will bring to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
They will be entangled among thorns
and drunk from their wine;
they will be consumed like dry stubble.
From you, O Nineveh, has one come forth
who plots evil against the Lord 
and counsels wickedness."

I hope all my sweet friends, that would be you, are having a wonderful day today.  Where I am it is raining and very cold.  Not a fun day to be out so I am glad that I am inside where it is warm and I can be away from the elements.  God is the covering over our head, like my house that keeps me warm in the winter.  God is protective by nature, yet you can clearly see that He will act against evil like the authoritative power that He is.

The word indignation means: strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting; a righteous anger.  This wonderful book is a warning and a blessing to all of us.  We should make good decisions and try to stay away from harmful choices.  The verse that says "trouble will not come a second time" is one of those that just jumps out at me.  There is a finality here that doesn't seem to be in the book of Jonah.  They have had long enough to turn from their evil ways and now it is time to make things right.  The book of Jonah is so focused on Jonah's story that there isn't much said about Nineveh, here the prophet does not hold back.

Warning: If you are enjoying your cup of coffee and looking forward to a peaceful post, this is not that day.

Does it seem like God is being mean here?  Let me tell why I think He was justified in His anger, which He always is.  Looking into the history of the kings of Nineveh is overwhelming.  King Ashurbanipal was from a long line of rulers that were extremely brutal.

Some of the things that the kings of Nineveh did are:

• beheaded enemies
• disemboweled, probably while alive
• skinned people alive
• hung naked enemies or their heads on poles
• took captives by chains on their feet and/or noses 
• cut out tongues
• made their captives grind the bones of their ancestors

What does this list all have in common?  Nineveh ran on fear and complete submission to the king.  Skinning people alive is just one of those things that are really hard to comprehend.  The last thing about grinding bones was a mentally and emotionally abusive torture tactic.  Many people from that time period held the belief that their ancestors bones were sacred.  Grinding the bones would have been unthinkable.  It erases their family line, takes away their ancestral voice.  Just like the Jews in WWII where given numbers or the slaves in America were not named on the census inventory for a plantation owner.  Truly a cruel act to erase people's identity.

I'm not trying to ruin your day, but I am not one to ignore history.  This research is not what I would call fun.  Although, it is necessary to see why God had a justified right to His anger towards Nineveh.  There is a famous quote about if we ignore our history we are doomed to repeat it.  When we go along as if nothing is happening or has ever happened bad then we deceive ourselves.  I do not want a re-branding of our history to only show the good things we have done.  We NEED to look at the history of all people to learn lessons from wicked leaders and to see hope in the people that decided to take a stand for what is right.

Just reading about the way these kings conducted their kingdom is appalling.  The British Museum has many of the reliefs that had been found in Nineveh.  The pictures were meant to boast about their rulers and probably scare people visiting the kingdom.  One would think that Nahum heard about the drawings of death that were on the palace walls.  Unfortunately, this moment in history is not unusual or more violent than many others.  It's sad to think evil with power has gone on for most of human history and in some parts of the world is going on right now.  

The one who has come forth to plot evil against the Lord seems to be talking about just one person.  During Nahum's life Ashurbanipal was king.  I think that in a long line of evil rulers, this "one" refers to the legacy of many cruel leaders.

Nahum 1:1-5

You may wonder why it has taken me so long to start my next book in the Bible.  I just found my study Bible after many months of not knowing where it was.  I am very disorganized, even before the move, this is a problem area for me that I am trying to work on.  I have been feeling a bit strange lately.  I just feel that I'm off balance.  I know that the time I have been spending with God has grown smaller over these last few months.  I am not to the point of Nineveh yet sometimes when we are slightly off then it doesn't seem like a big deal.  That is when it can be the biggest deal, even small sin is disobedience and can look like nothing compared to the "big" sins.  Not putting God first can change the dynamic of your life.  So I am happy to focus on getting back to where I am in a peaceful place with God.

v. 1-5 "An oracle concerning Nineveh.  The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.  
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
and maintains his wrath against his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power;
the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
The mountains quake before him
and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
the world and all who live in it."

We are here again in this painfully familiar place.  Making the same choice and continuing down the same path that we know will only lead to discipline.  Some will never make better choices, others will slowly start to make better choices so that their lives will have a vastly different outcome.

Nahum is another prophet who spoke of the problems in Nineveh.  This was nearly one hundred years after Jonah's time.  After an entire city turn to God they eventually started back to their old ways and are now in the same position they were when Jonah came to town.  The newness wore off, the light got pushed out by bad habits and old ways.  Maybe each new generation heard a little less about what God had done in the lives of their families and town until nothing was said about Him at all.  There was great suffering in Judah because of the invasion by Assyria.  This book is a warning to turn from sin and repent, it also gave hope to the Israelites who had been crushed by these people.

An oracle is a message from God that was given to the prophets to let the people know what the word of God was.  v. 2 says that God takes vengeance and He is filled with wrath.  People turn away because they see a mean God and hypocrites in His churches.  Yet in every instance I can think of in the Bible, God becomes this way only after wrong choices are made by mankind.  He gives free choice to all people and only after bad decisions are made does He reacts to those choices.  God's vengeance and jealously are not within our understanding.  When we react in the same way it is with different motives in our hearts, we get jealous out of envy, pride or selfishness.  God punishes those that misbehave just as a good parent will discipline their children.  These people were an enemy to God.  I think a reason why this section starts off with showing God's vengeance is to grab our attention so we can focus on not making those same mistakes as the people of Nineveh and it shows His power and authority.

"When people wonder why God doesn't punish evil immediately, help them remember that if he did, none of us would be here."  NIV Notes

v. 3-5 shows the nature of God.  He is slow to anger and He gives us so much time yet there comes a point when He intervenes.  This also shows He is great in power so much so that when He chooses to act there are physical disturbances in the earth.  That is some kind of power!   God is patient and gives us time to repent, but judgement will come.  Bashan, Carmel and Lebanon were known to be extremely fertile lands so this gives people a picture of what God's power could do if He could make those places wither to nothing.  Willful disobedience is rebellion against God and if the Holy Spirit is inside of you then it is rebellion against the very core of you being.

Jonah Recap

This extremely short book has been stretched out since the fall due to several interventions and interruptions in my life, but I am happy to be at the end.  After really diving into this study I can see myself as Jonah, probably along with many of you.  This book tests our ability to follow God without reservation.  Here are some lessons I learned or relearned from Jonah.

When Jonah was praying in the fish he spoke words that mirrored those found in the Psalms.  This is why we are to read the Bible daily.  We should have at all times words to help in any situation we are going through.  Jonah 2:2 suggests Jonah "cried out", instead of whimpered.  "The Hebrew word (cried out) implies intensity of action that was reserved only for the most heartfelt prayers.  This word is only used 22 times in the Bible and the majority of those times it is used autobiographically-as Jonah used it-to denote one who recognized his own prayer as fervent."   R. Laird Harris

God choose an impossibly stubborn man to do something he despised and he never gave his entire heart over to God.  God is trying to mold our hearts.  Why did He choose this sequence of events?  In this entire book God was calm, caring and patient.  God was trying to change Jonah's thinking from traditional religion to an amazing personal relationship.

Jonah was the only prophet who ran from God.
God has chosen YOU for a task, PAY ATTENTION!
Let God's will be done, not mine.
Don't take ownership of my life, just manage it.
God's ways are beyond our comprehension.
Don't be afraid of change.
Speak God's words back to Him.
Celebrate God never turning away.
God does not allow shortcuts.
Spread the gospel.
Keep humble.
Don't think we have all the answers.

"Cookie Cutter Christianity-we want our calling to look like everyone else's.  We look at other's we envy, but we don't know what God has asked them to walk through."  Priscilla Shirer

When you are in a downward spiral of disobedience you step down from you position as a Christian, you put up an out of office sign.  You continue to sink to the depths, Jonah kept going down in his disobedience.  Down to Joppa, down into the ship and down into the dark sea.  Only when he accepted his fate did he rise up.

"Whatever you are holding on to in this life, hold it loosely so it won't hurt when the Lord has to pry your fingers open to take it away."  from Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted

"He is the master of taking the mess you've made and turning it into the biggest miracle you have ever seen in your entire life.  We are the world's leftovers in the hands of a master."  Priscilla Shirer

Many times God has other plans that we could never see, never dare to hope for or something that we would never want to do.

There are two different kinds of interruptions: the distractions from this world and Godly interventions.  We choose which ones we will follow every day.

I believe our attitude will hinder our growth if we continue to choose our feelings over God's will. 

This book is a great look at our hearts and how when God calls us, we choose to act, either in disobedience or complete and utter allegiance.

To be interrupted questions our priorities and the value we place on them.  When held up to the light of God our value system is faulty.

"God often sends us into the hopeless place because it's in the hopeless place that we can see the hope of God."  Priscilla Shirer

Our plans for our life are many times uprooted by God so that He can work wonders through us.

It is hard to fathom that God would want to partner with us, those who sin continually.  We should see interventions as a privilege and not a burden.

Once strong men will wither to their knees to seek a God who can help them out of misery.

The problem with a man made god is that they don't have eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to feel or power to act.

Our justifications for sin does not justify sin, it's our minds way of reasoning the unreasonable.

Do we think that when God asks something from us that He will not equip us with the means to achieve it?  It is amazing how in our mind we can alter reality and truth to fit our thoughts and actions.

 We think that whatever we do is not noticed, everything we do and say goes on record in a heavenly court that will later serve as our place of judgment.

When the plans we make clash with God's intent for us, there will always be a storm that we have to go through.

Believing we have the correct view changes when God shines His light upon it so that nothing is hidden in the darkness and only then can we truly see how twisted our view really is.  

We are Jonah when we choose to deny God's will for our lives, our Nineveh is a person, place or group that for many reasons we dislike or think unworthy of God's grace.  The storm is the mechanism that propels a final decision, being thrown into the sea is obedience at any price no matter the outcome.  God is full of mercy and grace, yet can we see it for all the judgments that we are continually putting out into the world.

God controlled the sea and the fish, not to be harsh, but to guide Jonah to the task he had been given.  The men tried to row back to land and the storm increased.  When we are fighting God the obstacles get bigger and bigger until we finally see that it's not worth it to go up against the God who created everything.  The men thought that if Jonah was thrown overboard that he would surely die in such a violent storm, they could not conceive the thoughts of God or imagine the great thing that was about to happen.

They believed in the same God that Jonah was working for, yet excelled at something that Jonah found so difficult to do.

We often get ourselves into trouble, then when God gives us a way out we complain about what He has given us and we don't even thank Him for helping us in the first place.  This story has been taught to many people around the world, but I think the huge meaning gets lost in the sea and everyone focuses on the big fish.  God can do so many great things, we need to pay attention to what He has done for us or we will stop being humble and start to be proud.  The way out of a self inflicted situation may seem worse than the situation itself, but if we let God lead us out He can show us that there is light coming out of the darkness.

When we come to God with the faith of a child, we are to believe and not question, we are to have faith and not doubt and we are to hope in the God who can do anything.

It is never too late to turn towards God, but a life lived only turning to God in our misery means we will be missing out on so many things in this life.

Think of speeches throughout history that have inspired us to do better or those propelled by hatred to start a war. They wield the same weapon, just used to get different results. Jonah thanked God for who He was and what He had done.  It is important to take responsibility for our actions and acknowledge them before God.  When we realized how far we have come, only then can we put into perspective the depths we sank to and the heights that God cares for us in.  Jonah had an issue with pride that had to be dealt with in a severe way.

God does not have to use any of us, He wants to use cracked pots so that His light can shine through the cracks so the world can see that it is not us, but Him.

You are never so deep down in darkness that God couldn't pull you out.  Light can crush through any amount of darkness.

Pride, from beginning to the end of this book pride held Jonah in a twisted grip that wouldn't let go.

This book is a reminder to us all to follow God even if what we are asked to do does not make sense, does not appeal to us, is embarrassing or is the last thing in the world we would ever want to do.

Sometimes we get hung up on the notion that we are too far gone to be of any use to God.  His love covers all insecurity, if only we would let Him.  If you give God all your mistakes and ask for forgiveness, He completely wipes it ALL away, never to be see again.  That is unless you continue to dig it up because in some strange sense it is like a security blanket that we feel we can never part with.

It will cost us far more than we would ever want to pay to keep in our comfort zone and not follow God.

He wanted to go back to Jerusalem to make a thanksgiving offering, but God told him to go to Nineveh.  This shows that our obedience is more important than the sacrifices that we make.

The enemy is extremely happy for us to stand still in a spiritual coma.

There is no limit on the number of times we are given another chance, although I believe God would like that number to be as small as possible.   

He is constantly stretching out our borders so we can have a greater affect on those around us.

The four steps to reconciliation:

• admit our sins (that means ALL of them)
• accept responsibility for your actions, no matter what others do to you
• ask for forgiveness
• accept the tasks you are given by God, be obedient no matter what you feel like

We are a collection of mismatched pieces, when we let God move us, then we can all fit together to make a beautiful picture.

So Jonah appears to be like a child.  Going off of what he wants to do instead of what the Father has asked him to do.  He pulled off a massive fit and his lesson was a massive fish.

God will ask things of us that will be difficult, but He will give us the grace to complete the task.

Disobedience comes with a price.

God is a caring Father, yet even children must be disciplined if they do not obey.

Sackcloth was probably very uncomfortable to wear, sin should not be a comfortable fit. 

God has been at work in the situation long before we are scheduled to arrive, and He is preparing the way for our obedience to make a difference.     Pricilla Shirer

It's an interesting sight to see when we help other people in that process God can help and heal us. 

We think people can't change, but God does not hold to our logic nor is He bound by our rules.

Christians should read this book at least once a year to check our hearts for any Jonah qualities that need to be uprooted and restored back to being obedient to God.

God does not need our approval to do His will, He is perfectly capable of handling a situation without our opinion on the matter.

Are you having a tantrum now because:

• you didn't get what you think you deserve
• or someone else got what you think they didn't deserve 

Pride rules tantrums and only with humility will pride diminish.

Jonah was thankful that God saved him from the fish, yet he could not be thankful that God could save Nineveh.

When we wish other's to receive God's wrath we are only pushing ourselves closer to the flames.

 I think the Bible shows us that it is OK to show our emotions to God, even if we are angry with Him, but we need to be careful that we don't stay that way.

So instead of having a Godly anger towards the devil we take that anger and direct it towards the only One who loves us most in this world.

Why does God ask a question when He already knows the answer?  He is waiting for us to be accountable, to take responsibility for our actions.

We often will have no problem pulling up a seat and being comfortable in someone else's discomfort or destruction. 

When we become Christians we say, God I want your will for my life.  What happens when our plans get derailed?  What happens when we don't like; what God is asking us to do, what He is asking us to say, where He is asking us to go, what or who He is asking us to give up.  This is where due to the pressure, we will show our faith and put it into practice or we will fall away and say I can't do this.  These moments will define our life now and in the future and direct our path until our last day on earth.

Let's all try to stay on level ground even when all round us there are steep mountains and treacherous craters.

Jonah went through a painful realignment, which could have been avoided if he made better choices.

When we let the enemy in he often will not mess with the outer layers of our soul, he will go to the roots, down deep because he knows that if he can get us away from God, going to the source of our belief is his best chance. 

Our perception of reality is sometimes an illusion brought on by a reflection in a warped mirror to make everything appear in our favor, even if we are sorely mistaken.

God freely gives us a wonderful gift and in return we are to give that gift away to other people.

Our human brain can't comprehend all that God knows so we have to acknowledge that our opinions are given without knowing all the facts.

"The story of Jonah testifies to the power of our willingness to yield to divine interruptions and leads us to consider two things: the effect the Word has on unbelievers and the effect our simple obedience has in our personal circumstances."  Priscilla Shirer

This is a book of action, do not waste it by just reading it to get it checked off your Bible reading list.  Our thoughts and beliefs will turn into the actions we want to show the world.  What will yours be?

So now what?
Will you and I be changed by this book?
Will we make decisions based on God's divine interventions or blow them off as annoying interruptions?
Will we run away or follow the path we were meant to walk on?
Will we turn to someone we don't care for and extend grace to them as God gives it to us?

We are in Jonah's shoes and we have a decision to make.

What is your divine intervention right now?  What is God asking of you that seems too difficult to even comprehend?  Will you heed the call and follow God or run away like Jonah?

Even though it seems like you are all alone in this world right now with a massive decision to make, you are not alone.  You have fellow travelers on the same road and the brightest light ever created to lead your way.

Jonah 4:10-11

v. 10-11 "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?'"

We have no control over the things God makes and takes care of, yet we are quick to criticize when things are not going our way.  How often do we get angry at things that we have no control over?  Again, God is trying to get Jonah to see how his thinking was wrong.  He was so worried about his own problems that he still did not care if over a hundred thousand people died.  Our human brain can't comprehend all that God knows so we have to acknowledge that our opinions are given without knowing all the facts.  Have you refocused your outlook to what God has brought to your life?  We should look at interruptions as an opportunity instead of a distraction.  God may be trying to get our attention to do something great in His kingdom.  Will we really see what it is or just get mad and complain.  Incorporating this into our lives will be a difficult task.

"The story of Jonah testifies to the power of our willingness to yield to divine interruptions and leads us to consider two things: the effect the Word has on unbelievers and the effect our simple obedience has in our personal circumstances."  Priscilla Shirer

Three times in this book God calls Nineveh great.  Nineveh was a very important city in the region, but I keep thinking that God is calling Nineveh great for some other reasons.  God sees all of us as His creation and the people in Nineveh were also His people even though they did not claim God until Jonah came to town.  This shows that those we think are not worthy are so because of who God is.  How quickly we look at another person and size them up in a matter of minutes, when we really have no idea who they are or what they have gone through.  God see the greatness in us, even when we fail to recognize it.  Why are we great?  God made us and if you follow Him then the Holy Spirit is inside of us, it's that simple.  God sees our hearts, unlike those around us, He knows who we are.  Another reason I think God kept calling Nineveh great is because Jonah could never see them as great as long as he held onto his anger.

Jonah knew such a powerful kingdom could destroy his home.  "In 722 B.C., approximately thirty-eight years after Jonah preached to Nineveh, the army of Assyria pillaged the kingdom of Northern Israel, laid siege to Samaria, and dragged every last citizen into captivity.  Assyria's assimilation strategy was to intermix their conquered people in order to erase each one's former national identity."  Priscilla Shirer

Assyria's plan sounded terrible, to erase one's identity is such a vicious thing to do.  Many countries have done this in varying degrees.  The United States had done things similar to this on a massive scale several times.  All but destroying the native people in this country and in bringing slaves here they made them property.  They took away their dignity, denied their history so that many forgot where they came from and they were unable to pass down traditions and knowledge from their homeland.  In Jonah's time the people handed down stories and traditions so the younger generations would know where they came from.  History was very important to the Jewish people so taking that away was one of the worst things that you could do to them.

Jonah still did not see what God was trying to show him.  How often do we get upset when a beloved pet dies or if a special keepsake from our children's youth is damaged.  Yet do we go around daily sad at the fact that those around us don't know God?  Sometimes I will be overwhelmed with the amount of people who do not know God and that makes me cry.  Yet, is it daily?  No, far from it.  Many things from my daily life seem to block out those moments.

"Considering things from God's vantage point give us a filter to view the tangled web of earth's realities, thereby allowing us the divine momentum we need to move forward toward His goals in our lives."  Priscilla Shirer

Unlike other books in the Bible, this one ends abruptly without knowing what happens next.  We don't know if Jonah finally gave in to God.  Whether he went back home or did he die right on that hill?  This abrupt ending makes me think that he never turned his heart over fully to God, this might have been the last thing that God ever asked him to do.  I also think what happened to Jonah after this was not important.  What is important is that after we read this story where will we be in our relationship with God.  As long as we focus on what we can see in this book and not worry about what we can't see, then it should be enough to keep our attention on the things that need to change in our hearts.  We are in Jonah's shoes and we have a decision to make.

"Knowing whether Jonah responded at the end isn't the question, it's whether or not we will respond."
Priscilla Shirer

God answered the sailors when they prayed, Jonah when he prayed in the fish, the people of Nineveh were saved because they turned towards God.  God is waiting for us to call upon His name.

So now what?
Will you and I be changed by this book?
Will we make decisions based on God's divine interventions or blow them off as annoying interruptions?
Will we run away or follow the path we were meant to walk on?
Will we turn to someone we don't care for and extend grace to them as God gives it to us?

This is a book of action, do not waste it by just reading it to get it checked off your Bible reading list.  Our thoughts and beliefs will turn into the actions we want to show the world.  What will yours be?

Jonah 4:7-9

v. 7-9  "But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.  When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.  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.'"

We are so happy when we get what we want.  God provides for our needs, yet He can take something away from us at any moment.  I think that when we push God away He has no obligation to keep blessing us.  It is not that He doesn't want to help us, He doesn't want to encourage bad or sinful behavior.  Jonah went through a painful realignment, which could have been avoided if he made better choices.

The worm that God sent might have started at the base of the plant.  When we let the enemy in he often will not mess with the outer layers of our soul, he will go to the roots, down deep because he knows that if he can get us away from God, going to the source of our belief is his best chance.  Did Jonah know the reason the plant withered at first?  I don't know, but he must have been so frustrated that again he was in a miserable situation.  All the while he was focusing on outward issues when he should have been working on his heart and mind.  Our perception of reality is sometimes an illusion brought on by a reflection in a warped mirror to make everything appear in our favor, even if we are sorely mistaken.

Priscilla Shirer talks about how God used a specific plant that would be large enough that it would provide shade, God kept animals from harming Jonah and the wind came from the east which meant that he could not have been protected from the city walls.  She also said that God was strategic with the details that He used to carry out His divine purpose.

The worm, the sun and the wind all came one after the other.  Many times in life when one bad thing happens there is a landslide of other things that come charging at us and we feel like we won't make it through this moment.  This is where we are tested.  Yes, God does test us, but He will not tempt us.  So between God's testing, attacks from the enemy, the choices we make and the actions of others we often feel that we will not make it through to the other side.

God again showed grace to Jonah and again Jonah was unable to give grace to Nineveh.  He had plenty of opportunities, yet he could not let go of his anger.  We will be held back when we keep things from God and do not turn them over to Him.  He is more than capable to take care of the anger, sadness and pain in our lives.  God's grace is given to you, will you extend that grace to others?  Not one of us deserves grace, not one of us can even come close.  God freely gives us a wonderful gift and in return we are to give that gift away to other people.

When I wrote a post about Jonah 2:10, where God made the fish spit Jonah out onto land.  I received an interesting comment that said that I made God sound like an abuser and that this person would cut out someone from their life if they were treated this way.  I can see how some view God in this light.  Many preachers have preached the fire and brimstone theory, where you will never be good enough and you are probably going to hell.  The only thing right about this is that we are not good enough, that is where God's grace comes in and covers us.  If this person has been hurt by some one who says they are a Christian then that just reinforces the view that God is mean.  Do I get mad when I receive a comment like that?  No, I think that we should see past the actions of others and see their hearts.  This person doesn't sound like they believe, yet they were brought to my blog for a reason.  My goal is to share God's word and share my Bible study notes, not misrepresent Him.  If no one else needed this then I definitely do because I am in need daily of His word.  I thought it was very interesting that this person saw a mean God and not a disobedient person who received an action for defiance.  The enemy likes to try to disguise discipline from God as if it were punishment so that God looks like He is mean instead of a caring Father.

Everyone looks at the Bible a little differently due to our life experiences, views from our family growing up and where we are at in our walk with God.  Yes, God can be angry and discipline us when we are not in His will.  The ENTIRE Bible shows that He is waiting for us to turn to Him.  His love has no limit and He is happy to bless us, if only we will turn towards Him.  I wonder if this person who sees God in such an unfavorable light can see throughout the Bible how many times the people turned from Him.  If there were not such disobedience then the Bible might be a whole lot shorter, but then we wouldn't see ourselves in the colorful characters that are spread out among the pages of this book.

Again Jonah wanted to die, when he doesn't get his way he either runs away or wants to die.  This makes for a very unhappy spiritual life.  He is our example of what not to do, we should not let our feelings rule us.  Again God asked if Jonah had a right to be angry about his circumstances.  We may never be in Jonah's exact situation, but how many times a day do we get mad because people are being slow, traffic is backed up, someone unleashed an emotional mess in our direction or our kids are having a meltdown when we are trying to leave the house.  Friends, this is a heart check.

Are you mad right now at someone or something that happened to you that you can not give to God?  I pray that we all will turn everything over to God and that nothing will get in the way of our relationship with Him.

Jonah 4:6

v. 6 "Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine."

Many of us rely on the comfort of our surroundings, if there is a massive change then our emotions will be on a roller coaster until we adjust to our new situation.  Where ever you go you will hear people complain that it's too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, too desolate or too crowded, too boring or too busy.  I know that these are general topics that people talk about, but when we become affected by them and it rules us then it goes beyond polite conversation.  I am guilty of being an emotional roller coaster rider.  Feelings have too much of an influence on how I behave.  This is one of the many things I need to work on.  In one moment we can be so happy and it only takes a phone call to devastate our hearts.  Let's all try to stay on level ground even when all round us there are steep mountains and treacherous craters.

"The Hebrew noun translated "calamity" in 4:2 is the same word translated "discomfort" in 4:6."  Priscilla Shirer  God might have allowed Jonah to experience some of the distress that He withheld from Nineveh.  Jonah is one of the most interesting characters in the Bible.  At first he ran away then when he did obey, he was just going through the motions.  Think of the miracle of being swallowed by a fish for a few days then being spit up on land.  This man was a man of God and he was a rule follower so when God asked him something that was outside his rule book he resisted even though he knew he should follow what God had commanded him to do.

We should be comfortable in God, not what is going on all around us.

Jonah 4:5

v. 5 "Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city.  There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city."

I can picture this man, stomping out of the city and muttering to himself how he had been wronged by this mission from God.  Thinking that God didn't understand why he was so angry.  Jonah went to the east of the city.  In many situations in the Bible it wasn't such a good idea to go to the east.  Cain went to live east of Eden after killing his brother and the people moved east to build the Tower of Babel.  When the Bible was written it would have been in Hebrew, which reads right to left (east to west).  The sun rises from the east and sets in the west so maybe that is how they saw time.  So going to the east could represent going to the past or away from your present situation.  For us this could mean that when we continue to dwell in the past, in our sinful nature, we give up everything God wants to give us.  When we are facing the past what is in the rear view mirror will never show the future, but when we face ahead everything in the rear view mirror will start to get smaller and smaller until we can't see our old nature any more.

Instead of going home since his mission was over, Jonah decided to stake out a spot in the distance and wait.  Jonah was still in defiance of God here.  Do you think he was waiting to tell God, I told you so?  Maybe, he seemed determined to see these people destroyed while he watched with eagerness.  I know what it is to be Jonah.  I have been stubborn against things that God has asked me to do or I wanted to do them in my timing, not His.  When we don't get our way, we often will sit right down and have ourselves a temper tantrum.  Just like a child who will sit down in the middle of a store and cry, we dig our heels in the dirt and refuse to move.

I think Jonah made a shelter while he waited so he could see Nineveh be destroyed.  We often will have no problem pulling up a seat and being comfortable in someone else's discomfort or destruction.  This book shows us that God is gracious to those we think are unworthy and to check our heart's for any unwillingness to fully turn everything over to Him.  It does not matter if we agree with what God is asking us to do, He wants our obedience and to give ourselves over completely to Him.

When we become Christians we say, God I want your will for my life.  We don't have a clue what we are asking Him to do at first.  Do we really mean it?  What happens when our plans get derailed?  What happens when we don't like; what God is asking us to do, what He is asking us to say, where He is asking us to go, what or who He is asking us to give up.  This is where due to the pressure, we will show our faith and put it into practice or we will fall away and say I can't do this.  These moments will define our life now and in the future and direct our path until out last day on earth.

Jonah 4:4

v. 4 "But the Lord replied, 'Have you any right to be angry?"

The word right means: in accordance with what is good or just, in conformity with fact or truth, correct in principle, judgement or action; most convenient, desirable or favorable.  Just because the world would agree with our anger does not make it right in God's kingdom.  Many times we go with our feelings instead of His truth.

God showed compassion to Jonah when asking if he had a right to be angry.  God could have showed great anger towards Jonah, but didn't.  I think the Bible shows us that it is OK to show our emotions to God, even if we are angry with Him, but we need to be careful that we don't stay that way.  It is good to vent, then move on, many get stuck with anger against God and will never move forward.  He asked Jonah like we would ask a child if they had a right to be mad if they didn't get their way.

"Knowing that the holy, completely powerful God could be angry and yet is slow to yield to it should cause us to reconsider the anger we feel when betrayed, belittled, or just ignored.  It should also cause us to question any anger we feel toward God.  Knowing He could and should be angry at us and yet chooses not to be should cause us to rethink our position."  Priscilla Shirer

Have you any right to be angry?  This is one of the most profound questions in the entire Bible.  I know this will strike a nerve with some who read this.  There are things that you may have never turned over to God or refuse to repent for your feelings due to the actions of others.  I can only express that His love covers ALL of our sin, anger and pain.  There are many things that happen in life that are terrible, but that doesn't mean that we should have anger towards God.  Remember that there is a prince in this world who has a goal of separating you from God in pure destruction.  Jesus said in John 12:31 "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out."  A prince has limited power, but the King has no limits to His power.

So instead of having a Godly anger towards the devil we take that anger and direct it towards the only One who loves us most in this world.  This is another deception from the enemy, to direct our hate to God instead of himself.  Those who take a step in the direction of Grace will be healed from all the pain in their hearts.  They will be able to see what the enemy has been trying to do to them for decades and will finally be free from that wicked grip of darkness.  It feels unnatural to let go, but once you do you will see God's love wash over you and that is beyond compare.

Why does God ask a question when He already knows the answer?  He is waiting for us to be accountable, to take responsibility for our actions.  God wants us to bring things to the surface that we are trying to forget or hide.  Problems will never be fixed by burying them, only when we can bring them to the light can we deal with them and be set free of their power.

"God does not compromise His nature to help with our sin.  He doesn't excuse us."  Priscilla Shirer

Jonah 4:1-3

v. 1-3 "But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.  He prayed to the Lord, 'O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home?  That is why I was so quick to flee 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.  Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.'"

God does not need our approval to do His will, He is perfectly capable of handling a situation without our opinion on the matter.

Jonah was acting like a child who didn't get what he wanted, but this example is not for our amusement.  The Bible is showing that we often follow the desires of our heart, instead of following God's will for our lives.  We may think that we would never do what Jonah did, but I think may of us have been in his shoes.  When someone betrays us and later receives God's mercy are we happy for them?  Do we wish they would get what they deserve?  Or think they are not as Christian as us?  We don't deserve His grace either, yet he gives it freely to us.  This is why this book is so powerful and often overlooked.  We should never wish ill will towards others because then we are just like Jonah.  God is not a genie or a puppet on strings.  We can not put Him in a box or conform Him to what we want Him to be, He is I AM.

Are you having a tantrum now because:

• you didn't get what you think you deserve
• or someone else got what you think they didn't deserve 

Both of these show our heart attitude.  Pride rules tantrums and only with humility will pride diminish.

Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because he did not think these people deserved God's compassion and he was determined that he would have no part in the people having any favor with God.  Jonah knowing that God would show compassion on those that turn to Him must have inflicted Jonah with such anguish that the people would receive the same mercy that the people of Israel receive when they return to God.  When we hate others there is often a sense of pride involved, but wanting others to suffer and not receive the grace of God when they repent is selfish, prideful, cruel and arrogant.  I know this is a strong statement, but it's true.

Jonah was so despondent that he was ready to die.  God choose Jonah for a reason, he was able to follow God's command, eventually, but his heart was never in it.  This is such a profound moment in the Bible.  Jonah had finished the mission, yet he never fully gave all of himself over to God.  Jonah was thankful that God saved him from the fish, yet he could not be thankful that God could save Nineveh.  I think many of us walk through life with half-hearted faith.  Not only do we not have our hearts fully in it, but this means we won't experience the full blessings of God.  For many years this is what I did, but as I learn more I hope that I am growing more like Jesus every year.  Genesis 22:18 says "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."  The Jewish nation was to be a light for the rest of the world, yet they continued to turn away from God.  They did not want Gentiles to know God and many Christians are like this today unfortunately.

We may go to church, but neglect spending time with God at home on a daily basis.  We pick and choose the things we want out of the bible and ignore the things that are too hard or the things we don't agree with.  Following God is a difficult journey.  He asks things of us that will be hard to do: forgiveness to those who hurt us, don't give in to anger, don't gossip, tithe money back to God (many will never do this), to believe in something you can't see, to pray for things that may never happen while here on earth and to know that you will be attacked for the rest of your life by an enemy that wants nothing more than to destroy you.  Does this sound fun?  Yet when you experience God's love, you will gladly walk through this world battling every day because you know there is nothing better than to have God by your side.

When we wish other's to receive God's wrath we are only pushing ourselves closer to the flames.

Jonah 3:9-10

v. 9-10 "'Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.'  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened."

I LOVE THIS!  People who the world considers "especially wicked" turning to God with hope and faith and because of this they were saved from being destroyed.  I can imagine during this time period that many thought there was no hope for the people of Assyria, yet they came to know God.
 
The king's hope (I love looking up the meaning of words to gain knowledge of what I'm studying):

Who - of what character, origin, position, importance
knows - to perceive fact or truth, to establish or fix in memory, be acquainted with by sight or experience
yet - at the present time or particular time, in the time remaining
relent - soften in feeling, compassionate, forgiving
compassion - deep sympathy, feeling to alleviate suffering
turn - move on an axis, reverse position, to bring lower layers to the surface (as in plowing)

In 1956 five missionaries were killed by some men in a jungle tribe in Ecuador.  Later these same men who had killed the missionaries became Christians.  When they heard about what happened in Columbine, CO in the United States, where two teens killed many people at their school their response was "We use to be savages like that too before we came to know Jesus."  We think people can't change, but God does not hold to our logic nor is He bound by our rules.

"You've not outrun the grasp of His grace or overstepped the boundaries of His mercy."  Priscilla Shirer

The king said that maybe God would have compassion on them, such amazing insight for someone who didn't even know God, yet could still hope for a loving God to show compassion on his people.  When you give control over to God, He can do mighty things in your life.  Jonah's message was scary, but there was also an element of hope mixed in.  God was giving the people forty days to repent, plenty of time for the word to spread to the entire city and the outlying villages.  For many of us God has gone past the forty day mark, waiting for us to make a move back to Him.

"The people of Israel had heard many messages from the prophets, but they had refused to repent.  The people of Nineveh only needed to hear God's message once.  Jesus said that at the judgement, the men of Nineveh will stand up to condemn the Israelites for their failure to repent (Matthew 12:39-41).  It is not our hearing God's word that pleases him, but our responding obediently to it."  NIV notes

Some believe that God changed His mind as if He were wrong.  Jeremiah 18:7-8 says "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned."  He has already written the end so how could He not know what happens up to that time?  He knows when we will turn from Him, when we will come back and those who will never come to Him at all.  Some think that God was repenting, but He does not sin so this would not apply to what He did.  A word used for God in this case is nacham which means 'to be moved to pity'.  So to say that God was mistaken does not make sense to me.  God knows the outcome of every event that unfolds before us.  God is never caught off guard for even one moment.  The Bible is our instruction manual for our lives so I think this shows His vast compassion for those the world thinks of as lost forever.

God didn't change, it was the people in Nineveh who changed.  In Hebrew a word frequently used for repentance is shub which means 'to turn' from sin to God.  It is God's nature to extend love and compassion to us, although we often don't accept it.  The book of Jonah is read by Jewish Rabbi's every year during Yom Kippur to show no one is beyond God's reach and to show His unending mercy for us so that even after we mess up He is willing to forgive us.

Christians should read this book at least once a year to check our hearts for any Jonah qualities that need to be uprooted and restored back to being obedient to God.

Jonah 3:5-8

v. 5-8 "The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.  When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.  Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

'By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth.  Let everyone call urgently on God.  Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.'"  

Jonah was going about the city proclaiming the coming destruction if they did not turn from their ways and immediately the people believed in a God they did not know.  This must have been some sight for Jonah, while he was walking by their must have been such commotion from the people who heard these words, the people stopped what they were doing and changed into sackcloth.  The king and all of the people put on sackcloth and did not eat or drink anything.  Sackcloth was probably very uncomfortable to wear, sin should not be a comfortable fit.  One of the reasons to wear sackcloth was to show repentance for sin, either personally or nationally.  Even the animals did not eat or drink, this was showing that every being was submitting to God.  Jonah was walking around this city, he would have had the attention of everyone due to the words he spoke and the possible harsh state of his body.

This message was for all the people, not just a select few.  All of the people were now equal in their repentance, the king did not say that only the greatest should put on sackcloth.  This king could have kicked Jonah out of the city, but he enforced Jonah's words.  This man also saw the truth and was trying to ensure that his people would all be saved.  A leader should care about the welfare of their people and do the right thing, unfortunately we have many in power around the world now that are not God loving God fearing leaders.  I think that many countries would benefit by having female leaders, there may be less wars and I think that the welfare of the needy would be on the heart of any woman who ran a country.  I pray daily for God to take those out of power who do not know Him and are cruel to their people.  A true leader should serve in the best interest of their country, not to see how they can inflict their power on the weak.

"Forgiveness of past sin qualifies us for present service."  Priscilla Shirer

Many commentators believe this was the greatest revival in history.  Looking back to see what happened during this time period will help us understand why these people didn't hesitate.  There were two plagues in 765 and 759 B.C. even though they were protected by the city walls this would have been devastating probably killing thousands of people and on June 15, 763 B.C. there was a total eclipse of the sun.  The plagues showed that there were things that they could not control, their well defended city was brought to it's knees.  The eclipse must have been scary to the people who probably didn't know what it was at the time.  This takes nothing away from God when Jonah preached to the people.  I believe God uses situations to soften the hearts of the people so that when He sends someone on a mission, the people receiving the words are willing to accept Him.  He has done this from the beginning and He still does it today.

When we are up against a task that appears too grand for us to undertake, we must remember:

• We are right.  It most likely is too big for us to handle.
• If God is calling us to it, He will equip us for it.
• God has been at work in the situation long before we are scheduled to arrive, and He is preparing the way for our obedience to make a difference.     Pricilla Shirer

God's word is for everyone, anytime, no matter what we have done or how long our sin has gone on.  

I don't think that we need to put on sackcloth and ashes on our forehead, but we can do this in spirit.  We can mourn those lost by death, those who choose to turn from God, cruel leaders that continue to still be in power wielding their weapons of hate.  Many things people did in the Bible we can do in spirit today to show God obedience.  

Many times God may give us a task that seems small, insignificant or something we don't want to do.  What we don't see is the ripple effect from our obedience, it may spread through one person to their family, friends and possibly their children and grandchildren.  It's an interesting sight to see when we help other people in that process God can help and heal us.  

We can't truly repent if we intend to keep our sin.  Repentance is accepting that we need God and asking for Him to forgive us.  His offer is hard to comprehend, He gives us love and mercy if we turn from sin.  This deal is unlike any other and if you take it you will reap rewards that will astonish you for decades to come.

Jonah 3:4

v. 4 "On the first day, Jonah started into the city.  He proclaimed: 'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.'"

I had never thought of Jonah's condition after his release from his watery cell.  Priscilla Shirer spoke about a man in 1926 who had been swallowed whole by a shark.  This man was recovered after two days and of course he was dead, but the description was vivid.  All his hair was gone, he had patches of yellow and brown all over his body, there was a terrible stench from the body starting to break down.  Just imagine Jonah walking into the city, he would have stood out among the inhabitants.  He preached a warning to the people and I think his physically appearance must have had a great impact on the them.  Now when you think of Jonah try to think of this man who is physically scarred, someone who is forever changed on the outside.  Disobedience comes with a price.  His physical appearance may have been changed for the rest of his life, a continual reminder of his defiance.  If we see someone and assume they are filthy and hopeless just remember Jonah.  This man of God went through a massive change so those we may look down upon may have been in Jonah's shoes and have a story to tell.

"God's plans for us are so overwhelmingly beyond anything that we could ever imagine that our feelings or ability to reason His directives cannot be the determining factor for choosing obedience.  Making sense of what God has asked or feeling compelled to cooperate cannot be the prerequisite for choosing obedience.  His Word must be enough."  Priscilla Shirer

Jonah is finally there in the city of Nineveh, ready to preach.  Priscilla Shirer said that God gave Jonah only five words (in Hebrew) and nothing else to say to the people.  We get glued to the words when we hear a perfectly crafted speech.  Jonah did not have an elaborate lengthy speech to move the hearts of the people, these words had power in them because they came from God.  He had five words that changed their lives.  Sometimes simple is better.

The inner wall of Nineveh was about 8 miles to walk, a large city for that time period.  Jonah walked along the streets of the city proclaiming the coming destruction if they did not repent.  God did not outright destroy these people, He gave them a time frame to change their ways.  He could have decimated them, but then there would have been no reason for God to send Jonah.  God is a caring Father, yet even children must be disciplined if they do not obey.

Jonah 3:3

v. 3 "Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.  Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days."

When Jonah was in the fish he said, "What I have vowed I will make good."  The word vow implies a gift of sacrifice.  He wanted to go back to Jerusalem to make a thanksgiving offering, but God told him to go to Nineveh.  This shows that our obedience is more important than the sacrifices that we make.  This probably didn't make sense to Jonah, they were so steeped in the ritual of making sacrifices to God that obedience didn't seem to be the focus in their lives.

Many in Jonah's position at this moment would still choose to ignore God.  After all Jonah had gone through he still did not want to go, but he obeyed God's call.  Sometimes a wake up call does not rouse us to movement or we freeze in place and can't make the first step in obedience.  The enemy is extremely happy for us to stand still in a spiritual coma.  If you are in a moment of rebellion against God, I pray that you will study this important book of the Bible.  Learn from Jonah, so you don't have to be swallowed up by the world into darkness.

Are you amazed that God would choose to use Jonah even after he ran away and his heart still was not in this task he was given, I know I am.  There is no limit on the number of times we are given another chance, although I believe God would like that number to be as small as possible.   

"Oftentimes the greatest hindrance of a new move of God in your life is the last move of God."  Priscilla Shirer

God has His own timing which does not go by our calendar.  Sometimes we are called to an area then when He asks us to move on we don't want to go.  He is constantly stretching out our borders so we can have a greater affect on those around us.  Jonah was a reluctant missionary, he was called to go to a foreign land to speak with those that did not know God.  Sharing God with others should be an underlining mission as a part of our life, not just something we do to get it off of our to do list.

The four steps to reconciliation:

• admit our sins (that means ALL of them)
• accept responsibility for your actions, no matter what others do to you
• ask for forgiveness
• accept the tasks you are given by God, be obedient no matter what you feel like

In doing this you will be ready for what the world has to throw at you because you are not alone, you have a Father who loves you dearly, you have brothers and sisters around the world who are often in your same situation.  We are a collection of mismatched pieces, when we let God move us, then we can all fit together to make a beautiful picture.  

"When God speaks or allows you to see his hand, giving you the opportunity to participate in His purposes, you don't have an array of options to choose from on how you will respond.  It's clear-cut, plain and simple...black and white.  You can either choose to obey or disobey.  No neutral ground."  Priscilla Shirer

This time after being humbled, Jonah obeyed God's command.  This would be funny if he wasn't outright defiant to God.  Just thinking of my kids when I ask them to do something, they resist at first, then after a consequence they have found that they can do what I ask of them, stomping and whining the entire time.  They still have to do what is right, even though they don't want to.  They will learn that if they do it from the start then there will be no consequence.  Life is so much easier this way.  When God puts us in a "time out" we should think about what we did wrong, how it affected those around us and what we could have done differently.  So Jonah appears to be like a child.  Going off of what he wants to do instead of what the Father has asked him to do.  He pulled off a massive fit and his lesson was a massive fish.  I think this is a good example for parents to make the punishment fit the crime.  We are so hard headed that we often pick and choose what we want to do, instead of following the task that has been appointed to us.

Nineveh was 500 miles northeast of Joppa.  If Jonah sold his possessions to pay for his passage to Tarshish then maybe he was without any money for his journey to Nineveh.  I don't know if this is the case, but I'm thinking that Jonah didn't take anything with him when he was thrown overboard.  He may have had to rely on God and the kindness of strangers to make it to Nineveh.  It must have been a difficult trip, looking on the map it shows mountains and desert.  He might have stuck to the coast with it's mountains or went across a massive desert, either way it was not an easy journey.  God will ask things of us that will be difficult, but He will give us the grace to complete the task.

Nineveh was a city of around 600,000 people, an extremely large city for this time period.  Outside the city were towns that were influenced by Nineveh.  It was powerful, wealthy and a very important city.  This city was full of brutality and violence and outsiders avoided it.  Jonah was walking straight into this even though he felt like going the opposite direction.

"A way to determine where our allegiance lies is to consider how we respond to a divine intervention."  Priscilla Shirer

Jonah 3:1-2

v. 1-2 "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.'"  

Some scholars believe God commanded the fish to spit out Jonah at Joppa, the piece of land that Jonah had left to run away from God.  Looking at the map of the area the fish could have spit Jonah out up near Turkey so his journey wouldn't have to be as long, but why would God give us a boost if we are in defiance?  Back to square one,  this seems to be a good position for us to reevaluate our decisions so that our path will start to seem clear.  Obedience has to trump our feelings.

"You were created with specific intention and recreated at the moment of your salvation with specific attention to detail so that you would be equipped to walk in the plans God mapped out for you long ago.  You can not reach complete satisfaction in life apart from your decision to engage in His predetermined plans.  For Jonah and for us, this means giving Him the position of prominence in our lives and restructuring our plans so that we can partner with Him."  Priscilla Shirer

God repeated His commission to Jonah, although He said it in two different ways.

First - "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me"

preach against (to make known, to deliver, give earnest advice, in opposition, hostile to, resistance, defense)

Second - "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."

proclaim (to announce, to declare, to praise publicly)

Both times God said that Nineveh was great.  I think that Jonah hearing that a second time might have stung his pride a bit more than the first time.  Nineveh was a large city that was very powerful and influential in the area.  Then the wording changed.  First, Jonah was told to preach against them because they were brought before God.  Second, God told Jonah to proclaim the message He would give him.  The second one seems to me to be a message to someone who has been humbled and is ready to follow God's plan.  God's power shows up clearly in this passage.

"We run mentally when we detach our thought life from our tasks and go through the motions.  We run emotionally by building up a callousness displayed by the attitude we show to others.  We can even run spiritually, going through the motions while having no fellowship with Him.  We can be on the run from God's directives even while we are engrossed in them."  Priscilla Shirer

When things are repeated in the Bible that should be a wake up call to all of us.  We should study the reasons why things need repeating in the first place, then we can hopefully let the message sink in so that God does not need to repeat Himself to us.  Even after running away, God still used Jonah.  Sometimes we get hung up on the notion that we are too far gone to be of any use to God.  His love covers all insecurity, if only we would let Him.  If you give God all your mistakes and ask for forgiveness, He completely wipes it ALL away, never to be see again.  That is unless you continue to dig it up because in some strange sense it is like a security blanket that we feel we can never part with.  "Serving God is not an earned position-no one qualifies for God's service.  But God still asks us to carry out his work."  NIV notes

Looking back, Jonah could have gone to another city or just stayed where he was to avoid going to Nineveh.  At God's calling many of us stay put, we do not want to make any changes, especially when we are comfortable where we are.  It will cost us far more than we would ever want to pay to keep in our comfort zone and not follow God.

"When we flee from God's presence, we do a most unusual thing.  We put ourselves in the very spot of punishment.  We find the people who are most subject to bad consequences, and we join them in their negative results."  Priscilla Shirer

Is God calling you to something that you keep ignoring, thinking it will go away?  Don't waste another moment, heed the call from a loving Father who wants to use you to do great things in this world.

"Jonah was involved in ministry as a prophet to Israel and yet, when divinely interrupted, chose to run from God's manifest presence.  He claimed loyalty to God and yet desired no intimate relationship with Him."  Priscilla Shirer