Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation :1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27
Jonah was from a town three miles from Nazareth. God asked him to go to an Assyrian capital to preach repentance to it. The Assyrians had been brutal enemies of Israel and Jonah understood a little about God’s nature. He knew that he was merciful and that if he was sending him to preach to the city of Nineveh it must be because they were going to listen. He probably had a strong opinion about the Assyrians and had no desire to see them prosper or repent so he chose to run from God.
God chased him down and had him killed in the belly of a whale. Then God resurrected a more repentive and obedient Jonah who finally agreed to preach to Nineveh. Just as Jonah feared, Nineveh repented and God relented on his judgment making Jonah look like a false prophet.
From Nineveh’s perspective, Jonah looked like their god, Dagon, come to life. Dagon was half fish, half God so when Jonah was vomited up on the shore from the body of the whale, the people who saw it were awed thinking their god had come to visit them. This got their attention and they were ready to hear anything Jonah had to say.
Jonah got mad at God, so God used a vine and a worm to teach Jonah that a hundred and twenty thousand unlearned people were more important to him than Jonah’s reputation or opinion.
In Revelation, John saw God on the throne with a sealed scroll that no one in heaven was worthy of opening. In much glory, Jesus stepped forward and took the scroll because he was worthy to open its seals. The elders and the four creatures worshipped the lamb singing and offering the incense made of our prayers.
It is amazing how linked the earth is to heaven and vice versa. The things we do on earth help operate heaven and the things they do in heaven influence earth. Our prayers are so important to keeping the incense of heaven burning. We are totally dependent on what happens in heaven and they are affected by our response.
Lord, may our praise and worship fuel your ministry in heaven and on earth.
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