Lets jump back into our story and see what god teaches us next. Jan 21, 2018 originally titled jonah is a joke or whales dont eat people. How sad the contrast between gods feeling on the repentance of nineveh towards him, and jonah s feeling on the repentance of god towards nineveh. Actually the worm is important to the whole message of jonah, but lets just think about jonah for a minute. Definition of the worm has turned in the idioms dictionary.
Most children raised in the church are not presented with missiological truths until they reach middle school. That poem describes the plight of jonah and gods reaction to jonahs anger. When the call of god came to him, jonah could not see beyond his own selfish desire for god to punish the assyrians. Jonah showed more compassion towards the plant than a whole city of people. Jonah deliberately disobeyed god and went in the opposite direction he was supposed to go. Jun 11, 2012 this book of jonah is only four chapters long.
Find out from pastor clint in our final message from the book of jonah. Sep 27, 2017 what does a plant, a worm and wind have to teach us about the compassion of god. Oct 30, 2016 the lesson for jonah was to teach him to be less selfcentered and focus more on the common good, especially if it is an advancement for god. The lesson of this childrens narrative runs right with the message that is in the bibles account of jonah. Survey of jonah jonah is an unusual book because of its message and messenger. Jonah as a type of towla worm was swallowed by the devil sea monster or great fish. Jan 18, 2016 this is a summary on the biblical account of the jonah and the big fish. He reluctantly witnesses to the people in nineveh who repent and turn to god. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man.
What does a plant, a worm and wind have to teach us about the compassion of god. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. Study the bible online using commentary on jonah 4 and more. I was assigned to read several books including the book of jonah that i have read or heard so many times during the course of my life. Jonah 4 commentary commentary critical and explanatory on. Jeez, janice just totally humiliated her boss in front of. The little worm was used to make jonah uncomfortable. God called to jonah one day and told him to go preach to nineveh because the people were very wicked. This book is a fun, unpretentious take on a favorite old story. Jonah is the central character in the book of jonah, in which god. The great fish was used to save jonah from drowning. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author.
Consumed by your own wellbeing, your own desires, your own co. Sweet little janine is going to snap at you if you keep bugging herthe worm turns eventually. Jonah 4 commentary commentary critical and explanatory. Jonah holds to his conviction that ninevah should be wiped off the face of the earth, but god has relented from his wrath. For more sermon series and versebyverse expository preaching, please visit and click on the kcc audio archive. Highland park united methodist church jonah and the worm. Reading it to the family would work, as it has some good devotional themes and questions and prayers at the end of each chapter.
Perhaps creaturecomforts are continued to us, but are made bitter. Top 5 commentaries on the book of jonah ligonier ministries. The son of god was appointed to nullify the law and make a way for truth, just the worm eliminated the plant and provided a way for the protagonist to teach jonah a lesson. The stories in this fine, fine book by brian rosenberger are like that. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Just when jonah was getting comfortable under the plant, god sent a worm to destroy it.
As soon as jonah has settled gratefully into its shade, god sends a worm to chew the roots of the plant, killing it so that jonah is left exposed once again. The story emphasizes gods love for the ninevites as opposed to jonah s hatred. Jonah dovenotice what noah sent out of the ark and christ at his baptism jonah appears to represent the whole new testament in one book and is mentioned by christ sign of jonah in the gosples. I would recommend this book to parents, children, and to anyone else interested in understanding what it means to be obedient to god. Jonah puts up his beach umbrella, breaks out his lawnchair recliner, fixes himself a cold drink, and stretches out for what remains of the 40 days to see the fireworks start over nineveh. As to the whale swallowing jonah, nowhere in the scriptures does it say anything about a whale it does speak about a great fish, but the idea that some have proposed. A cute kids book retelling the story of jonah from the life of little worm. The book called by the modernists of today a fairy tale. Jonah turns from aquanaut, to prophet to spectator. The book of jonah is about a prophet in 8th century b. These simple and memorable crafts are based on the biblical story. God could have allowed jonah to go to tarshish and live the rest of his life there. Jonah and the worm makes these truths accessible to children of almost any age. It is chiefly a book about a prophet instead of being a collection of oracles of the prophet.
It is interesting that nineveh responded better to the preaching of jonah than israel and judah ever responded to any of their prophets. Almost everyone has heard the story of the huge sea creature that swallowed jonah, and about jonahs pitiful prayer for deliverance while inside its stomach ch. Jonah and the worm sermon by robert leroe, habakkuk 3. And the lord god prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over jonah, that it. Sep 02, 2010 what can you remember from our study from the book of jonah. Despite his death wish, jonah is relieved to have the plants protection. God instructed jonah, a prophet, to give a warning message of. If anyone had received undeserved kindness it was jonah. Jonah gets mad at god childrens sunday school lesson. Joel gregory professor of preaching and evangelism george w. May 18, 2004 jonah dovenotice what noah sent out of the ark and christ at his baptism jonah appears to represent the whole new testament in one book and is mentioned by christ sign of jonah in the gosples. God teaches jonah a lesson, but he doesnt do it verbally.
This discomfort was meant to save jonahs spiritual life. The book of jonah is different from the other minor prophets, for it is the personal experience of the prophet himself. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. Sep 05, 2014 jonah is mad at the lord, so the lord tried to teach him. You can read more indepth bible verses from the scripture below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning behind this teachable event in the bible. Bring the beauty and truth of the bible into everyday life. The next day he sent in a worm which destroyed the gourd leaving jonah open to the elements.
Ministry to helps you tell kids about jesus by providing ageappropriate bible study material and sunday school curriculum all 100% free online we believe that god is the loving father of all kids. Verses 12 this book is a story about god and jonah. Jonah and the whale and the worm hardcover september 22, 2004. More than any other old testament book, jonah reveals the universal concern of yahweh for all men. Im ambivalent about the dialogue style where a characters speech is just next to the picture of the character without jonah said, etc. Read jonah 4 commentary using commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible. When jonah adds that to his list of complaints the lord uses it as a teaching moment.
It includes several details often left out, including the vine and the worm. The theme of jonah is the gods divine mercy is applied without favoritism to jews and gentiles. For the past three weeks, we have been looking at the old testament book of jonah and what we can learn from jonah s experience about god and our relationship with him. This series of messages is a verse by verse exposition of the book of jonah by jim osman, a pastor at kootenai community church. These are used to expose jonah s sinful rebellion, his misguided heart attitude, and his wrongsideup value system. The lord provided a gourd or plant that protected jonah. Secondly, although the book repeatedly portrays gods sovereignty over sea, fish, plant, worm, wind, a sovereignty that can engender responsiveness among sailors and ninevites and accommodate it accordingly, there is no exercise of this sovereignty upon jonah in such a way as to compel his response. But the plant wasnt an act of divine mercy it was part of a divine lesson. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. With the youversion bible app, you can read, watch, listen, and share on your smartphone or tablet, and online at. Originally titled jonah is a joke or whales dont eat people. Technically, the book of jonah is anonymous, however jewish tradition holds that the author is jonah himself. He is told to preach to nineveh but runs and boards a ship. Jonah was the only old testament prophet sent directly to the gentiles.
In her book tramp for the lord 1974, she tells the story of how, after she had been teaching in a church in. Secondly, the protagonist wanted the worm to eat the plant because it provides an example of a miracle. But, jonah and the worm, who knew there was even a worm in the book of jonah. Just like god gave jonah a tree to cool him from the sun, he took it away when the worm destroyed the plant. Jul 05, 2019 if you think the story of jonah is just about being swallowed by a big fish, then youre missing some incredible truths. Jonah knew the character of god, that he was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and keep in mind, jonah is criticizing god for having these attributes. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of god during the reign of king jeroboam ii of israel 2 kings 14. Jonah is mad at the lord, so the lord tried to teach him.
If jonah so pities a plant which cost him no toil to rear. For the past three weeks, we have been looking at the old testament book of jonah and what we can learn from jonahs experience about god and our relationship with him. Resolutely, he perched himself on a hilltop nearby, eagerly. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. It is his divine will that young people come to faith in jesus christ and find salvation through the gospel and the work of the holy spirit to bring them. The book of jonah, on the other hand, is a biographical prose narrative focusing almost exclusively on the prophet himself. But, in like manner jonah, when jesus was swallowed by the devil, jesus destroyed the devil at the cross and after three days the devil had to let loose of jesus and of jonah. Through all of jonahs narrative, his reluctance and sheer defiance to gods instruction gets him into some trouble with the protagonist along the way. Mar 01, 2010 just like god gave jonah a tree to cool him from the sun, he took it away when the worm destroyed the plant. In more recent years it has come to be believed that the book is about jonah rather than by him. But he could not understand how god could love even foreign nations who did bad things. The book begins with god telling jonah to go to the great city of nineveh.
Reading it, i feel like a novice boxer in the ring with a master who keeps punching me in the face before i can recover. I believe jonah represents christ in the first part. Jonah, gods objectionable mercy, and the way of wisdom. The predominantly narrative style of the book has more in common with the historical narratives about elijah and elisha than it does with the other prophetic books. In a year that seems to present new challenges for us at every turn, julia alvarezs latest novel, afterlife, has arrived at the perfect time. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries.
What lesson did god want to teach jonah in the story of the. In our final chapter, we see jonah as a pouting prophet. The mysterious secret of how a worm preached the gospel. If you think the story of jonah is just about being swallowed by a big fish, then youre missing some incredible truths.
Briscoe ministry this is a story of gods heart for that nations. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they actually occurred. Since i have written two posts dealing with jonah, nineveh, and the assyrians click here and here, i have. Oct 19, 2003 jonah knew the character of god, that he was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and keep in mind, jonah is criticizing god for having these attributes. How can i apply narrative criticism on the book of jonah. The book of jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. Jul 20, 2010 as the worm turns, is a fascinating book. Later, god causes a worm to bite the plants root and it withers.
God delivers a practical object lesson consisting of a plant, a worm, and a wind. Tiny octopuses in the margins also comment on the tale, foreshadowing events and prompting page turns. Feb 28, 2009 the book of jonah, on the other hand, is a biographical prose narrative focusing almost exclusively on the prophet himself. Elohim turns aside from his intention to destroy nineveh, that great city.
The forgotten nation in prophecy, john booko quotes a poem by rev. Jesus also as a towla worm was swallowed by the devil at the cross. And you know the story, weve gone through the story in. Though the book contains no direct prophecy, the experience of jonah is itself a reflection of the message of god. Aug 07, 2009 when the worm turns series contributed by paul green. The story is presented much like that of elijah and elisha. What lesson did god want to teach jonah in the story of. After finishing the book, children and maybe even first year seminary students may.
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