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

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And should not I spare Nineveh, that
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  Speaker 1: great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons
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  Speaker 1: that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand,
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  Speaker 1: and also much cattle? Jonah 4.11 Lord, protect my heart
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  Speaker 1: from casting judgment on others who may not be where
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  Speaker 1: I am in life. Lead my thoughts and my heart
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  Speaker 1: in the direction of your grace. When I feel angry
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  Speaker 1: and upset because others seem to be receiving blessings and grace,
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  Speaker 1: even though they may be living counterculture to your word,
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  Speaker 1: help me to realize that even in our brokenness, you
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  Speaker 1: still have a plan of redemption. As I listen to
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  Speaker 1: Jonah expose his prideful heart, I have decided to continue
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  Speaker 1: to live in humility, understanding that I am only one
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  Speaker 1: bad decision away from needing the same grace that Nineveh received.
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  Speaker 1: Because of this, I declare that I will not allow
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  Speaker 1: the worm of sin and despair to eat away at
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  Speaker 1: the shaded protection of God's grace for those who are
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  Speaker 1: in need of it. Thank you for Second Chances, Lord.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for praying with me today.
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  Speaker 1: Continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah and the Withered Tree In our last story, Jonah
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  Speaker 2: was appointed to preach to the great and wicked city
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  Speaker 2: of Nineveh. However, Jonah's hatred was deep. He would not
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  Speaker 2: help the people of Nineveh. He wanted them to perish.
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  Speaker 2: So Jonah ran from the will of God and boarded
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  Speaker 2: a ship towards Tarshish. God sent a storm to catch
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  Speaker 2: up to Jonah, and Jonah was taken by the sea.
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  Speaker 2: In the deep, he was then swallowed up by a
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  Speaker 2: large fish and remained in its belly for three days.
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  Speaker 2: After crying out to God, Jonah was spat out onto shore.
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  Speaker 2: Now Jonah reluctantly completes his mission to go and preach
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  Speaker 2: repentance to Nineveh. Jonah expects them to continue in their
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  Speaker 2: wicked ways, but instead comes face to face with true humility.
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  Speaker 2: The wicked nation of Nineveh is about to display more
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  Speaker 2: holiness than the prophet of God himself. Inspired by the.
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  Speaker 3: Book of Jonah. Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's
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  Speaker 3: episode of the Bible in a Year. In our previous episode,
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  Speaker 3: We heard how Jonah ran from God's call to preach
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  Speaker 3: repentance to Nineveh. He first ran away from God, but
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  Speaker 3: then he ran to God as God reached out and
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  Speaker 3: saved him. Though Jonah's heart was not merciful toward the Ninevites,
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  Speaker 3: God's grace to Jonah in the form of a fish
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  Speaker 3: who swallowed him and kept him from drowning in the
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  Speaker 3: sea was truly amazing and supernatural. Jonah cried out in
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  Speaker 3: praise and adoration of God, acknowledging that salvation comes only
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  Speaker 3: from the Lord. After three days, the fish vomited the
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  Speaker 3: prophet out safely onto the land. Today, we'll discover how
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  Speaker 3: Nineveh responded to God's word and see if Jonah's heart
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  Speaker 3: towards these wicked people had indeed changed. Let's now hear
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  Speaker 3: this remarkable story.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah lay on the beach, exhausted and unable to move.
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  Speaker 2: He lay with his face towards the sun, He never
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  Speaker 2: thought he would see it again. For three days he
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  Speaker 2: was trapped in the belly of an underwater beast. His
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  Speaker 2: garments still smelt of rotten fish, and his skin was
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  Speaker 2: scarred from soaking in stomach acid. Although Jonah was thankful
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  Speaker 2: to be alive, he was not excited for the journey ahead. There,
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  Speaker 2: as Jonah lay on the sand, feeling the water caress
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  Speaker 2: his bare feet, the Lord spoke to him again. Rise up, Jonah!
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  Speaker 2: Go to Nineveh, the massive city inland, and tell them
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  Speaker 2: that judgment is coming if they do not turn from
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  Speaker 2: their wicked ways. Jonah was still filled with hatred for Nineveh,
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  Speaker 2: but he would not run from the will of God again.
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  Speaker 2: So he picked himself up and traveled towards Nineveh. He
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  Speaker 2: traveled for three days, huffing and puffing his way to
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  Speaker 2: the great city. Nineveh represented many great nations of Jonah's days.
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  Speaker 2: It was hundreds of miles long and had massive towers
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  Speaker 2: looming over the people below. Jonah entered the city's gates.
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  Speaker 2: Walking the streets, he could see traders bartering in the alleys.
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  Speaker 2: He saw soldiers roughing up thieves and women beckoning young
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  Speaker 2: men into their brothels. Jonah hated them. He could not
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  Speaker 2: fathom such a wicked and debased people turning from their ways.
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  Speaker 3: They would always be the same.
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  Speaker 2: They would never change. Jonah huffed his way through the
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  Speaker 2: city streets for an entire day, making his way towards
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  Speaker 2: the main part of the city. Jonah glared at everyone
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  Speaker 2: he saw. He would make his message brief and then
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  Speaker 2: leave to watch the city burn. Nineveh has forty days,
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  Speaker 2: and forty days only. The city shall be overthrown, he
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  Speaker 2: yelled for all to hear. He yelled it for word
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  Speaker 2: to spread, and spread it did. Word immediately reached the
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  Speaker 2: king of Nineveh. What followed was beyond Jonah's comprehension. Jonah
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  Speaker 2: watched as the entire city began to weep. Those short
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  Speaker 2: words struck a collective chord in the heart of Nineveh.
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  Speaker 2: It was almost as if the words of God had
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  Speaker 2: been speaking to them for years, and now all they
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  Speaker 2: needed was a little push. Jonah was amazed as the
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  Speaker 2: culture of Nineveh switched in a matter of hours. People
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  Speaker 2: began to worship God and cover themselves in ash as
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  Speaker 2: a sign of mourning. People fasted and prayed to the
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  Speaker 2: Lord for forgiveness. Brothers who fought reconciled and passed wrongs
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  Speaker 2: were forgiven. The most powerful and the poorest of the
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  Speaker 2: city were repenting, and Jonah could hardly believe it. The
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  Speaker 2: king himself arose from his throne, removed his robe, and
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  Speaker 2: clothed himself in sackcloth as a sign of repentance. He
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  Speaker 2: stood in front of his city and said, By my decree,
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  Speaker 2: let no man or animal eat or drink during this time,
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  Speaker 2: and let us cry out to the mighty God for forgiveness.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah watched among the crowd as the king spoke. The
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  Speaker 2: once wicked tyrant of Nineveh seemed to be broken and humble.
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  Speaker 2: He was a new man, preaching to his people a
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  Speaker 2: message of faith and humility. Let us all turn from
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  Speaker 2: violence and hatred. Perhaps then God may relent and turn
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  Speaker 2: his anger away from us. The king's words filled God
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  Speaker 2: with joy and gladness. Yet they filled Jonah with rage
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  Speaker 2: and displeasure. Jonah's blood boiled, and he set his gaze
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  Speaker 2: towards a hill overlooking the city. He climbed in and
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  Speaker 2: sat on a rock with his arms crossed. There he
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  Speaker 2: waited to see if God would destroy the city.
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  Speaker 3: He did not.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah threw a stone towards the city in anger. He
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  Speaker 2: beat his chest and looked up to God. Do you
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  Speaker 2: know why I fled from you on that boat to Tarshish?
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  Speaker 2: Jonah asked accusingly. Because I knew you are loving and
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  Speaker 2: patient and willing to forgive, and I did not want
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  Speaker 2: to see you spare such a wicked people. Jonah raged
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  Speaker 2: in front of God. Is it right for you to
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  Speaker 2: have this anger? God asked gently. A deep anger infected
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  Speaker 2: Jonah's heart. He tired himself out yelling at God and
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  Speaker 2: then fell beside a tree. He rested his back against
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  Speaker 2: its trunk and looked up to see it produced wonderful
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  Speaker 2: shade to escape the heat. The tree provided covering and
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  Speaker 2: peace for Jonah's raging mind. He breathed in deeply and
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  Speaker 2: closed his eyes. In that moment, he loved that tree
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  Speaker 2: more than anything else on earth. He let his mind wander,
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  Speaker 2: dreaming over simpler times. The tree enveloped him in shade.
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  Speaker 2: shielding him from the scorching sun above. As Jonah rested
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  Speaker 2: in its arms, he fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
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  Speaker 2: That night, the Lord appointed a little servant to visit
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  Speaker 2: Jonah and the tree. A tiny worm was sent by
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  Speaker 2: God to gnaw at the tree's roots underground. It infected
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  Speaker 2: the tree and caused its leaves to wither and fall.
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  Speaker 2: The once beautiful tree crumbled into itself while Jonah was asleep.
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  Speaker 2: Morning came and Jonah was awakened by a scorching east wind.
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  Speaker 2: It blew hot air, churning up dust and leaves to
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  Speaker 2: choke Jonah's breath. Jonah stumbled to his feet and looked
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  Speaker 2: up at the tree. His beautiful safe haven was destroyed.
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  Speaker 2: The sun beat down on Jonah's head and his neck
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  Speaker 2: began to burn. The hot wind made his lips crack
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  Speaker 2: and the sun was growing more and more hot. Jonah
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  Speaker 2: yelled to the sky and fell to his knees. He
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  Speaker 2: beat his fists at the dusty earth and wept. It
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  Speaker 2: would be better for me to just die, Jonah screamed.
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  Speaker 2: The sun was still beating down on Jonah, and he
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  Speaker 2: missed the tree's shade by the second. Are you justified
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  Speaker 2: in your anger about the plant?
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  Speaker 3: God asked Jonah.
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  Speaker 2: Jonah glared up at God. Yes, he screeched. Jonah's eyes
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  Speaker 2: were deep red, and his brow furrowed as he spoke
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  Speaker 2: I am angry enough to desire death God replied to
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  Speaker 2: Jonah this time with more force behind his words you
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  Speaker 2: pity this plant for which you did not plant you
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  Speaker 2: did not help it grow you did not water it
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  Speaker 2: or care for it yet you loved it and wanted
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  Speaker 2: it to live Should I not care more for Nineveh?
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  Speaker 2: It is not a plant, but a city with more
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  Speaker 2: than 120,000 people who do not know what is right
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  Speaker 2: or wrong. Shouldn't I care more for them than your
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  Speaker 2: precious tree?
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  Speaker 3: In this incredible passage of Scripture, Jonah now is back
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  Speaker 3: on dry land. After three days in the belly of
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  Speaker 3: the great fish, Jonah was restored by God so that
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  Speaker 3: he could accomplish the mission the Lord had given him.
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  Speaker 3: But though he was grateful for the Lord's protection of him,
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  Speaker 3: Jonah was still not ready to take a message of
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  Speaker 3: repentance to the Ninevites. He could not understand or see
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  Speaker 3: why God would want to rescue these terrible Gentile people,
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  Speaker 3: these evil people, or how God could deliver salvation to
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  Speaker 3: these people. Jonah was indeed a reluctant prophet. But finally,
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  Speaker 3: he began his journey to Nineveh. It was not a
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  Speaker 3: small village. It was a major metropolis for the time,
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  Speaker 3: a huge city filled with many people. And the wickedness
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  Speaker 3: was so great that one could only imagine it was
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  Speaker 3: disgusting to Jonah as he walked from one side of
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  Speaker 3: the city to the other, giving voice to God's warning.
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  Speaker 3: You have 40 days, then Nineveh will fail. He said
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  Speaker 3: it again and again. You have 40 days, then Nineveh
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  Speaker 3: will fall. These were dangerous words for a Hebrew prophet
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  Speaker 3: to shout out for all to hear in a very
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  Speaker 3: pagan city, a city known for their evil against their enemies.
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  Speaker 3: Jonah was sure his warnings would fall on deaf ears.
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  Speaker 3: More than that, it seems like he was counting on
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  Speaker 3: it and even wanted it. Unlike God, who desired true
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  Speaker 3: repentance and revival among these people, Jonah wished only to
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  Speaker 3: do his job, sit back and watch God destroy the city.
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  Speaker 3: This is a good time for us to all reflect
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  Speaker 3: upon our heart towards people that are far from God.
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  Speaker 3: Do we have the heart of God to share the
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  Speaker 3: good news of salvation and repentance? Are we willing to
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  Speaker 3: take the message of Jesus Christ to the world, even
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  Speaker 3: though none of us deserve it? As Christians, may we
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  Speaker 3: never be content to keep this good news to ourselves,
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  Speaker 3: but may we always bring the message that God has
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  Speaker 3: given us. God has called us to be ambassadors for Christ.
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  Speaker 3: May we be faithful ambassadors for him. This was the
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  Speaker 3: condition of Jonah's heart as he went through Nineveh, declaring
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  Speaker 3: God's impending judgment. But to his amazement, the Ninevites heard
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  Speaker 3: the warning and they were convicted. And the king ordered
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  Speaker 3: the people to fast and mourn. He then called all
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  Speaker 3: the citizens to turn from evil and violence in hopes
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  Speaker 3: that God would relent and not bring judgment to the city.
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  Speaker 3: God saw the condition and contrition of the Ninevites. He
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  Speaker 3: had mercy on them and spared the city from his wrath.
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  Speaker 3: God did what he always does when people cry out
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  Speaker 3: in repentance and faith. He has mercy and forgiveness available.
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  Speaker 3: But Jonah didn't like it. He was bitter and angry.
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  Speaker 3: He prayed to God, telling him that this was why
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  Speaker 3: he didn't want to come in the first place. In
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  Speaker 3: Jonah 4.2, we hear the words from this pouting prophet, Jonah.
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  Speaker 3: For I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful,
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  Speaker 3: slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting
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  Speaker 3: from danger. Rather than praising God for his greatness and
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  Speaker 3: his grace, Jonah spoke these words as an accusation. He
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  Speaker 3: was angry. He was bitter. But he even went further.
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  Speaker 3: Rather than rejoice in hearts changed by the power of
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  Speaker 3: God and lives spared from destruction, Jonah asked God to
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  Speaker 3: take his life. rather than leave him to see what
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  Speaker 3: was happening in Nineveh. It appears that too often we
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  Speaker 3: want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. This is,
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  Speaker 3: in essence, what Jonah wanted. He wanted God's mercy but
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  Speaker 3: was unwilling to share God's forgiveness to others. We must
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  Speaker 3: always make sure in our own lives who have received
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  Speaker 3: God's grace and goodness that we are open to sharing
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  Speaker 3: the gospel with anyone and everyone. There is no person
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  Speaker 3: too far gone for God to save when that person
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  Speaker 3: repents and receives the Lord Jesus Christ. God confronted Jonah
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  Speaker 3: for his attitude, asking if he felt justified in his anger.
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  Speaker 3: Jonah was too exhausted to respond or fight, and he
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  Speaker 3: fell under a plant to rest. The plant's leaves gave
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  Speaker 3: him shade from the brutal sun, and he slept. But
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  Speaker 3: early in the morning hours, God sent a worm to
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  Speaker 3: eat away at the plant, exposing Jonah to the sun
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  Speaker 3: and wind that beat down upon him. Once again, Jonah
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  Speaker 3: cried out to God, asking to die. God asked if
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  Speaker 3: it was right for him to be angry. And Jonah said, yes.
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  Speaker 3: He felt completely justified. And again, he pled to die.
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  Speaker 3: But rather than give Jonah his wish, God mercifully, but firmly,
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  Speaker 3: like a loving parent who corrects a spoiled child, used
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  Speaker 3: this to show Jonah why he, the God that created
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  Speaker 3: both the plant and every person living in Nineveh, cared
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  Speaker 3: so much for the 120,000 souls who needed to be
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  Speaker 3: turned to the Lord. Think about it. An entire city
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  Speaker 3: of 120,000 people revived, repented, and changed. At this point,
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  Speaker 3: we don't hear Jonah's response or really know where he
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  Speaker 3: went from there. This is no accident. God shows us
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  Speaker 3: in Jonah that we're to care for those for whom
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  Speaker 3: he cares, that we're to love the people that he loves.
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  Speaker 3: that we should always pray, God, give me a broken
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  Speaker 3: heart for broken people. If we are to follow the
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  Speaker 3: heart of God and to share the good news of
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  Speaker 3: Jesus Christ, his death and burial and resurrection, we should
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  Speaker 3: have a great desire to see people saved. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: give us a heart like yours to love people. May
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  Speaker 3: we be willing to extend your love and grace to
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  Speaker 3: those who so desperately need you. We ask this in Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 1: 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
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  Speaker 3: app and make Bible study and prayer the priority of
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  Speaker 3: your life. And if you enjoyed this podcast, share it
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  Speaker 3: you can make a huge difference in someone's life. And
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  Speaker 3: let me encourage you to go to JackGraham.org. That's JackGraham.org.
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  Speaker 3: to find multiple resources, many resources for your Christian walk
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  Speaker 3: and life. God bless you and have a great day.