The Story of Jonah

Transcript:

Many generations after the prophet David’s time, there lived a man named Jonah. One day God ordered Jonah to go to a faraway city to tell the people that God sees the evil they are doing. And for that, he will destroy them all. But Jonah did not do as God ordered. On the contrary, he got on a ship traveling to a city far from the one God sent him to, thinking that he could run away from God.

As he was on the ship, and by an order from God, a storm arose. The sea became wild and the waves almost capsized the ship which would cause everyone in it to drown. The sailors got scared and were terrified, so, each one started praying to the god he worshiped to save him. They began throwing the cargo overboard, in an attempt to lighten the ship so it would not sink. While it was total chaos on the deck, Jonah was below, at the bottom of the ship, in deep sleep.

The captain of the ship asked him, “How could you be sleeping? Wake up and pray to your god and beg him. Maybe he can save us from this storm.” Then, the sailors decided to draw lots to see who was causing this storm. The lot fell on Jonah. So, he told them his whole story. They realized, then, that Jonah was running away from God. So, they got very scared and asked him, “What should we do to calm the sea because the storm is intensifying.”

Jonah answered them, “Throw me into the sea, it would calm down, for I am sure that I’m the reason for the storm.” The sailors tried their best to get ashore without throwing Jonah into the sea, but they couldn't. So they were forced to reluctantly throw him overboard, so that they wouldn’t all drown because of his disobedience to God. Instantly, the sea became calm, and the waves died down, as if nothing happened.

The people on the ship understood that Jonah's God was the real God. They feared him, offered him a sacrifice and promised to worship him. As for Jonah, after he was thrown into the sea, God sent him a big fish that swallowed him, and he stayed in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. At that time, he repented and prayed to God. He worshipped and asked Him to save him. So God ordered the fish to expel Jonah on the beach.

When he came out, he obeyed God and went to the city and told the people that God was about to destroy them because he saw the evil they were doing. And indeed, all the people of the city repented and turned away from their evil ways. That's how God forgave them. He had mercy on them and didn’t destroy them.

Jonah refused to take God’s message to the far away city. How did God deal with his disobedience? When did God command the fish to throw up Jonah? How do we see God’s mercy towards Jonah? And toward the disobedient people? This story shows us how God uses a fish to make Jonah aware of his disobedience and give him a second chance to obey him. Are you aware that God would use anything or any method to give you a second chance to know and follow him? How?