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Jonah and the Fish - The Book of Jonah · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
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  Speaker 1: and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up
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  Speaker 1: before me. Jonah 1-2 My God, when I hear the
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  Speaker 1: whisper of your voice like a cool breeze, I will
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  Speaker 1: heed your commands and come into alignment with your heart's desire.
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  Speaker 1: I will not take the position of Jonah in my life,
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  Speaker 1: by looking out for myself and ignoring the plans you
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  Speaker 1: have for me. Through my obedience, I am securing myself
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  Speaker 1: from being thrown overboard in the storm of life and
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  Speaker 1: from causing others to suffer as a result of my disobedience.
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  Speaker 1: No matter how reluctant I might feel, through my faithfulness
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  Speaker 1: to you, no fish will be needed to get me
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  Speaker 1: to the place you've called me to go. Instead of
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  Speaker 1: being thrown up, I will grow up and acknowledge that
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  Speaker 1: you are in control of my life. And as I
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  Speaker 1: submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow. Instead
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  Speaker 1: of being thrown up, I will grow up and acknowledge
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  Speaker 1: that you are in control of my life. And as
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  Speaker 1: I submit to your ways, deliverance and purpose will follow.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
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  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
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  Speaker 1: stay tuned for The Bible in a Year, brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by Bibleinayear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah and the Fish In our last story, we said
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  Speaker 2: goodbye to the prophet Elisha. Along with the prophet was
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  Speaker 2: the end of the era of kings. The nations of
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  Speaker 2: Judah and Israel continued to wrestle with God. Their hearts
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  Speaker 2: were in a continual state of drawing near and far
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  Speaker 2: from him. Soon a great threat would arise to take
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  Speaker 2: Israel captive. This was a threat they were not prepared for.
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  Speaker 2: Now we learn about the prophet Jonah Unlike the prophets
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  Speaker 2: before him and after him, Jonah was a prophet that
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  Speaker 2: actively ran away from the Lord's calling on his life.
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  Speaker 2: Soon Jonah would be consumed by his own disobedience and
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  Speaker 2: learn the true meaning of closeness to God in the
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  Speaker 2: belly of a giant fish, inspired by the book of Jonah.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of The
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year. In yesterday's scripture, we heard of
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  Speaker 3: the downward spiral of Israel, who under King Jehoaz, and
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  Speaker 3: later his son Jehoash, continued to turn to foreign gods,
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  Speaker 3: facing defeat after defeat from outside enemies. Israel would soon
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  Speaker 3: face a great fall like they had never seen before
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  Speaker 3: as God judged them for their stubbornness and sinful behavior. Today,
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  Speaker 3: we'll hear about an unwilling prophet by the name of Jonah,
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  Speaker 3: who was sent to a wicked people to call them
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  Speaker 3: to repentance. God's call for Jonah to preach in Nineveh
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  Speaker 3: will highlight just how merciful our God is, not only
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  Speaker 3: to the Jewish people, but to everyone. Let's listen now
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  Speaker 3: to the reading of God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah watched as the gentle tide rolled in from the sea.
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  Speaker 2: The morning breeze was cool on his face and filled
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  Speaker 2: his lungs with fresh air. He watched the water rise
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  Speaker 2: and fall to the rhythm of the tide. Jonah was
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  Speaker 2: a man who valued his peace. Although he was a
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  Speaker 2: prophet of God, he was not like Elijah or Elisha.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah valued harmony above all. During the crisis of King Jeroboam,
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  Speaker 2: Jonah prophesied that he would win all of his battles
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  Speaker 2: and bring victory to his kingdom. He did this because
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  Speaker 2: he did not want to tell the king something he
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  Speaker 2: did not want to hear. Jonah saved his own reputation
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  Speaker 2: and safety. The prophet Amos eventually rebuked him and told
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  Speaker 2: the king that he would certainly lose his battle and
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  Speaker 2: his kingdom. Jonah was not ashamed of these things. He
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  Speaker 2: knew that he must look out for his own peace
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  Speaker 2: and his own comfort first. So Jonah sat, staring out
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  Speaker 2: at the sea, enjoying his blissful morning without quarrel or stress.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah closed his eyes and allowed the morning sun to
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  Speaker 2: shine on his face. He could hear the waves slowly
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  Speaker 2: crashing on the shore and the sound of birds chirping
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  Speaker 2: in the air. With his eyes still closed, Jonah could
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  Speaker 2: hear another peculiar sound. A whisper came in with the breeze.
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  Speaker 2: The voice was gentle but clear and strong. Jonah could
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  Speaker 2: sense the presence of God drawing closer.' Arise,' God said.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah's forehead began to wrinkle as he listened to the words.
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  Speaker 2: Go inland to the great city of Nineveh. They have
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  Speaker 2: fallen into a great deal of wickedness. Go and point
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  Speaker 2: out their evil so they can repent. Then the voice
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  Speaker 2: of the Lord trailed off with the breeze. Jonah opened
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  Speaker 2: his eyes and stood to his feet. No, Jonah thought
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  Speaker 2: to himself, absolutely not. Jonah would not help the wicked
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  Speaker 2: people of Nineveh. Jonah had a deep-seated hatred for them.
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  Speaker 2: Pain and contempt harbored in his heart like an old
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  Speaker 2: ship without a sail. He would not preach the word
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  Speaker 2: of God to them. He would not help them. He
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  Speaker 2: would not allow them to be spared. Jonah knew they
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  Speaker 2: deserved to die, and he wanted no part in whatever
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  Speaker 2: redemptive plan he had in store. So Jonah boarded a
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  Speaker 2: ship to Joppa that was setting sail for Tarshish. He
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  Speaker 2: paid the fare and ventured off with a crew of
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  Speaker 2: Gentile sailors. Tarshish was the furthest city from Nineveh. There
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  Speaker 2: he would seek safety from the uncomfortable and dangerous call
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  Speaker 2: of God. Jonah watched Israel become smaller and smaller as
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  Speaker 2: they sailed away. Jonah sighed and decided to go down
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  Speaker 2: and sleep. As Jonah slumbered, clouds were rolling in from
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  Speaker 2: the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The waves began to
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  Speaker 2: chop at the side of the boat. The clouds grew darker,
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  Speaker 2: and thunder echoed across the waters. Lightning struck dangerously close
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  Speaker 2: to the ship, and the wind began to howl with gratefulness.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah could not outrun God. The sailors tugged at the ropes,
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  Speaker 2: trying to keep the sails from tearing to shreds. The
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  Speaker 2: boat was taking on water, and the waves were threatening
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  Speaker 2: to destroy the entire vessel. Each sailor grew more and
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  Speaker 2: more fierce. They had never experienced such a storm. Each
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  Speaker 2: man prayed to his own god, desperately asking for mercy.
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  Speaker 2: As the frightened mariners prayed for their lives, Jonah was
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  Speaker 2: fast asleep in the brig, content in his disobedience to God.
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  Speaker 2: The captain burst open the doors and awoke Jonah.' How
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  Speaker 2: could you be sleeping?' the captain wailed.' Get up! You
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  Speaker 2: better be praying to your god as we are praying
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  Speaker 2: to ours!' Perhaps yours were actually answer. Jonah rose from
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  Speaker 2: his cot and walked up to the deck. He fell
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  Speaker 2: forward as the waves shook the boat. Jonah looked up
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  Speaker 2: and saw a mighty tempest surrounding him. The cold wind
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  Speaker 2: felt like a razor blade on his face, and the
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  Speaker 2: rain drummed against the wood of the ship. Jonah knew
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  Speaker 2: what was happening. God had found him. There would be
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  Speaker 2: no escape. The crew gathered lots to see who was
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  Speaker 2: responsible for the unprecedented storm. They cast them onto the deck,
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  Speaker 2: and the lot fell on Jonah. They looked at him
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  Speaker 2: in disgust. Who are you? they shouted. Tell us why
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  Speaker 2: this evil has come upon us. Where do you come from,
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  Speaker 2: and why are you here? Jonah's lips quivered slightly. He
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  Speaker 2: looked at the men and said, I am a Hebrew.
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  Speaker 2: You worship gods of water, wind, or land. But I
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  Speaker 2: worship the God who has made the water, wind, and land.
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  Speaker 2: And I am running from him. The men were exceedingly afraid.
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  Speaker 2: They were harboring a man who was fleeing the almighty
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  Speaker 2: creator of the sea. Even they, in their limited knowledge
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  Speaker 2: of God, knew that Jonah made a big mistake joining them.
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  Speaker 2: What are we supposed to do with you?
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  Speaker 1: They asked.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah looked out at the vast sea raging. It was
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  Speaker 2: growing more violent by the minute. These sailors would be
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  Speaker 2: underwater in less than an hour unless Jonah did something.
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  Speaker 2: He took a deep breath and said, Throw me in.
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  Speaker 2: The men gasped for a moment. Pick me up and
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  Speaker 2: hurl me into the sea. The storm should quiet after that. Lord,
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  Speaker 2: forgive us and do not hold this man's life against us.
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  Speaker 2: The men cried out as they threw Jonah into the water.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah was hurled into the air and then surrounded by
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  Speaker 2: the raging sea. The men repented and bowed before God.
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  Speaker 2: They worshipped him and made vows of devotion to him.
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  Speaker 2: The Gentile men had more repentant hearts than Jonah himself.
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  Speaker 2: The waters continued to thrash in every direction. Jonah swam
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  Speaker 2: to the best of his ability. but was eventually consumed
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  Speaker 2: by the dark and vast ocean. He fell deeper and
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  Speaker 2: deeper into the depths. Jonah closed his eyes, embracing his
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  Speaker 2: inevitable demise. Even now, surrounded by a storm, Jonah was
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  Speaker 2: happy he wasn't in Nineveh. As Jonah was ready to
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  Speaker 2: welcome death, a large shadow loomed over him. He opened
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  Speaker 2: his eyes in terror. A gargantuan fish was swimming towards him.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah screamed, but the sound was trapped by the water
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  Speaker 2: surrounding him. And in an instant, he was consumed by.
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  Speaker 3: The scaly rain.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah awoke in darkness. He could barely move and could
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  Speaker 2: see nothing around him. The stench of rotting fish and
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  Speaker 2: stomach acid filled his nostrils. He could hear nothing but
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  Speaker 2: his own panicked breathing. For hours he lamented his own undoing.
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  Speaker 2: He tried to escape with no success. He was trapped
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  Speaker 2: in an underwater tomb. Hours passed. Then a day. Hunger
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  Speaker 2: and thirst consumed him, and he could feel his joints
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  Speaker 2: beginning to cramp in place. Yet there was this peace
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  Speaker 2: that Jonah felt during the second day. Surrounded by darkness,
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  Speaker 2: Jonah began to feel the presence of God. Joy welled
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  Speaker 2: up inside Jonah, and he began to sing to the Lord.
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  Speaker 2: I called to God in my time of need, and
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  Speaker 2: he answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried,
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  Speaker 2: and he heard. You cast me into the depths, O Lord.
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  Speaker 2: You threw me into the heart of the seas, and
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  Speaker 2: your waves crashed over me. I am driven away from you,
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  Speaker 2: but I will set my eyes upon your temple. The
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  Speaker 2: waters have closed in to kill me. The deep has
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  Speaker 2: surrounded me. The weeds are wrapping around my neck. Yet
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  Speaker 2: I will praise and give thanks to you, my God.
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  Speaker 2: On the third day, as Jonah accepted his place with
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  Speaker 2: God in the sea, he felt a surge come through
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  Speaker 2: the belly of the fish. Rumbling surrounded Jonah, and he
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  Speaker 2: looked up to see a faint light. The fish threw
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  Speaker 2: Jonah up, and once again he found himself surrounded by water.
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  Speaker 2: It consumed him. but he could still see a light
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  Speaker 2: above him. He swam towards it. His bones were sore
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  Speaker 2: and his body was weak, but he swam with all
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  Speaker 2: his might. Then Jonah emerged out of the water. He
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  Speaker 2: gasped for air. The sun was shining brightly, and Jonah
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  Speaker 2: could see the soft sand only a few yards away.
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  Speaker 2: He clawed his way to shore and basked in freedom.
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  Speaker 2: A tired laughter came across Jonah as he allowed the
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  Speaker 2: gentle breeze to tickle his face again. He was spared
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  Speaker 2: for a purpose, a purpose he was still reluctant to accept.
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  Speaker 3: Today's scripture is a very familiar story to so many people.
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  Speaker 3: It is God's word about a prophet by the name
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  Speaker 3: of Jonah. We discover very quickly that not all prophets
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  Speaker 3: were as obedient or quick to obey as great men
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  Speaker 3: like Nathan or Elijah or Elisha. who spoke God's truth
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  Speaker 3: to people powerfully, knowing very well that it could even
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  Speaker 3: cost them their lives. These were faithful men from the start.
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  Speaker 3: But Jonah was nothing like these men. So when God
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  Speaker 3: called him to go to a Gentile land, a very
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  Speaker 3: violent and wicked city called Nineveh, and to call the
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  Speaker 3: people there to repent and to revival, what did he do?
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  Speaker 3: Did he object or ask God why or share his
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  Speaker 3: fears or frustrations with God?
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  Speaker 1: No, he ran.
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  Speaker 3: He was a runaway, would-be prophet. Now before we judge
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  Speaker 3: him too quickly, how many times have some of us
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  Speaker 3: run from the will of God in our lives? How
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  Speaker 3: many times have we refused to obey God? But Jonah
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  Speaker 3: wasn't acting just out of self-preservation. God was calling this
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  Speaker 3: man to go to the Gentiles. They were enemies, very
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  Speaker 3: violent enemies of Israel. Surely they deserved whatever judgment and
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  Speaker 3: devastation was coming their way. Why would God want to
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  Speaker 3: save the wicked Ninevites anyway? So instead of obeying God,
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  Speaker 3: Jonah headed to the nearest port and caught a ship
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  Speaker 3: in the opposite direction of Nineveh, a boat headed to Tarshish. It,
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  Speaker 3: of course, was a very futile attempt to run from God,
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  Speaker 3: because it is impossible to run from God. And it
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  Speaker 3: wasn't long before the Lord came after him. His boat
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  Speaker 3: ride away from God's will soon hit rough seas. The
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  Speaker 3: vessel was tossed about in a storm, in the waves,
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  Speaker 3: terrifying the sailors, who began praying to their false gods.
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  Speaker 3: They woke up Jonah, who somehow managed to sleep through
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  Speaker 3: the terror, and urged him to pray to his own god,
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  Speaker 3: lest they all die. But pray as they might, the
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  Speaker 3: seas just got rougher and rougher. Desperate, the sailors decided
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  Speaker 3: to cast lots to decide who was responsible for their situation,
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  Speaker 3: someone to blame. And of course, by that time, Jonah
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  Speaker 3: most certainly knew it was all his fault. He was
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  Speaker 3: the runaway, and he was the problem. And when they
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  Speaker 3: cast lots, this was confirmed. So Jonah confessed. He came
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  Speaker 3: clean and said that he served the Hebrew God, the
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  Speaker 3: creator of the sea and the dry land, and he
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  Speaker 3: was fleeing from him. Jonah knew that there was only
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  Speaker 3: one solution. He was to be thrown overboard to save
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  Speaker 3: the men and satisfy God's judgment. The sailors at first
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  Speaker 3: resisted this suggestion. doing all they could do to row
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  Speaker 3: the boat to safety and calm, but all of their
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  Speaker 3: efforts were in vain. Finally, they gave in, and they
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  Speaker 3: threw Jonah into the sea. Immediately, the waters were stilled.
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  Speaker 3: All was calm. Even in this moment, God had shown
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  Speaker 3: these pagan sailors that he was indeed God of heaven
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  Speaker 3: and earth, of the land and the seas, of the
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  Speaker 3: sun and the storms. They fell before God, offering sacrifices
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  Speaker 3: and vows to this one God, who could calm the
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  Speaker 3: raging seas. One day, the disciples of Jesus would witness
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  Speaker 3: this same God in the person of Jesus Christ, calming
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  Speaker 3: the seas and stilling the storm, when he said, Peace,
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  Speaker 3: be still. Jonah, of course, would have been lost, drowned
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  Speaker 3: in the deep waters, had God not mercifully provided a rescue.
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  Speaker 3: Jonah 1.17 says this, And the Lord appointed a great
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  Speaker 3: fish to swallow up Jonah, And Jonah was in the
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  Speaker 3: belly of the fish three days and three nights. You
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  Speaker 3: might think that being swallowed by a giant fish was
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  Speaker 3: God's punishment, when in reality it was God's rescue plan.
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  Speaker 3: Was it terrifying?
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  Speaker 1: Of course.
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  Speaker 3: Was it very unpleasant? Yes, without a doubt. But what
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  Speaker 3: was the alternative for Jonah? Being swallowed by the deep,
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  Speaker 3: dying alone and never having fulfilled his purpose in life,
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  Speaker 3: or to find in God a rescue plan? The fish
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  Speaker 3: was a second chance for Jonah. And as he awoke
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  Speaker 3: in the belly of the fish, he sang a song
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  Speaker 3: of praise and adoration to God. Just like the Ninevites,
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  Speaker 3: Jonah did not deserve to be spared his gruesome fate.
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  Speaker 3: And yet as he worshiped God, he sang to the Lord,
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  Speaker 3: salvation belongs to the Lord. And that is a great
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  Speaker 3: truth that we always must remember, that salvation always comes
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  Speaker 3: from God. At God's command, the fish threw Jonah up
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  Speaker 3: on the shore. Perhaps now this reluctant prophet was ready
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  Speaker 3: to announce to the people of Nineveh that they also
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  Speaker 3: could repent and find salvation in God. That's what we'll
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  Speaker 3: find out in tomorrow's reading. Dear God, we thank you
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  Speaker 3: that you are always the God of the second chance
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  Speaker 3: and as many chances as we need when we truly
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  Speaker 3: confess our sins and come to you. We thank you
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  Speaker 3: for the cross and the promise of salvation. We know
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  Speaker 3: that salvation comes from you and you only. Thank you
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  Speaker 3: for your son, Jesus Christ, who died, who was buried,
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  Speaker 3: and on the third day rose again so that this
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  Speaker 3: good news message could be delivered to the whole world. Amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
• 18:23
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  Speaker 3: and life. God bless you, and have a great day.