Sat.’s Devo - Jonah

Read: Jonah 1:1-4:11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27 God gave Jonah the message to go to the city of Nineveh and announce that God’s judgment was coming to it because of its wickedness. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians who were the greatest kingdom in the world at the time. They were known for their blood-thirstiness and idolatry. Even though this prophecy had to do with a nation other than Israel, it would be quoted by Jesus as being a nation that repented when it heard of the judgement coming where Israel did not. *** Jonah didn’t want to go and preach this to them so he went the other way and took a ship to Tarshish. God caused a storm to stop him and when the men in the ship found out it was his fault for bringing the storm, they threw him overboard. Immediately the storm stopped, causing the sailors to fear the Lord. *** Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and is believed to have died in the belly of the fish. He awoke to pray for help. God heard his cry and he was thrown up on the shore near Nineveh. God told him again to go to Nineveh and deliver his message. He walked to the city and for three days he walked its length shouting that in forty days from then Nineveh would be destroyed. The people listened and put on burlap. The king of Nineveh declared a fast for the people and their animals. They prayed that God would relent on his promise to destroy them and he did. This made Jonah very upset. Jonah told God this was why he had run. He knew God would be merciful and not do it. God asked Jonah if he was right to be mad about this. *** Jonah responded by leaving the city and finding shelter under a great vine. It shielded him from the hot sun. God sent a worm to eat the plant to expose Jonah’s anger in his heart. Jonah was angry when the sun rose and at noon he had no shelter from it’s heat. He said that surely death was better than this. *** God asked him if he was right to be angered that the plant died. Jonah said, “angry enough to die!” *** God told Jonah that he was sorry the plant died but Nineveh had more than 120,000 people who were on their way to experiencing the heat of hell, was it wrong for God to feel sorry for them? *** This story is a litmus test for us. Do we want the ruthless cabal that is trying to take over the world to repent ,and for God to show them mercy and not destroy them? That is a soul-searching question. Thank God we have the grace of God in our hearts to help us process this rightly. God loves justice but he loves mercy even more. *** In Revelation, John saw a scroll in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. The scroll was sealed with seven seals and an angel asked who was worthy to open the scroll and read it. No one was found worthy, which made John cry. One of the twenty-four elders told John to stop crying and look. The Lion of the tribe of Judah had won the victory and could open the scroll. *** Then he saw a Lamb who looked as if he had been slain who was standing between the throne and the four living creatures. He had seven horns and every eyes, which represented the severn fold Spirit of God. He stepped forward and took the scroll and when he did the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and held gold bowls filled with incense which are the prayers of God’s people. They sang a new song about the worthiness of the Lamb to break its seals and open the scroll. All the angels and creatures in heaven sang a song about the worthiness of the Lamb. Then all the creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth sang of the greatness of God. The living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. *** Lord, may we live in praise and worship of you!