Thurs.’s Devo - Jonah

Read: Johan 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27
Jonah was a Jew whose name means “dove” who was the son of Amittai whose name means “truth teller”. This tells us that he was probably the son of a prophet since that is what prophets do. He is the only recorded prophet who was sent to a heathen nation giving them the chance to repent. Israel refused to repent after many prophets and yet Nineveh repented after one. Nineveh was a forerunner of the Gentiles who would repent at the words of Jesus.
There are so many parallels to the life of Jesus in Jonah’s. There was a threatening storm and Jonah, who was asleep in the bottom of the boat was the only one who could calm it just as Jesus was asleep in the bottom of the boat and was the only one who could calm it. Jesus cursed the fig tree because it represented Israel who was not ready for his appearance just as Jonah’s vine represented the people of Nineveh who did welcome him. Jonah died in the belly of the fish to resurrect three days later and bring in a harvest of Gentile souls. Jesus resurrected after three days and brought in a harvest of 3,000 souls on Pentecost.
In Revelation we see God sitting on his throne with a scroll sealed with seven seals on it. An angel asked who was worthy to break the seals and open but no one could… not even God. One of the elders told John not to weep because, the Lion from the tribe of Judah had triumphed and he was able to open the scroll and its seven seals.
Instead of seeing Jesus in his glorified state, he saw him as a lamb, the symbol of the Old Testament. He had seven horns and seven eyes which were the seven spirits of God sent out to the earth. The seven spirits of God are found in Isaiah 11:2, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” These are the seven branches of the menorah with the Spirit of the Lord being the middle candlestick that is raised above the rest. They are grouped in pairs because the two go together. For example, wisdom allows you to gain understanding and vice-versa. Counsel from the Word allows you to act on it and produce might or power. Knowledge of our sin gives us a healthy fear of God.
Lord, help us to acknowledge your holiness and your sovereignty over the earth.