Jonah 3 “Jonah's Second Chance”

“The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time saying, Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh” (vv.1-3a).

It’s not often we get a second chance at something we messed up on to begin with. But then again, our God is in the restoration business. Jonah, who ran away from God’s call for him to go to Nineveh the first time, now given a second chance (after much resistance), went to Nineveh, and the results of his preaching were nothing short of miraculous (Jonah 3:5, 10). 

The Lord's concern for Nineveh shows that His love was not confined to a particular nation or place. This is the most likely reason why Jonah tried to run away. It was unthinkable to him that God could love the Assyrians. In Jonah's mind, these people deserved God's wrath because of all they had done. But, apart from God's intervention, all people are deserving of His wrath. God's heart is that all people might repent and turn toward Him.

Jonah was a very human prophet. God's ways were difficult for him to understand—and he was not afraid to let God know that. But God's response to Jonah cut to the core: Jonah cared more about his comfort, than the fate of a 120,000 people.

The book of Jonah forces us to ask some hard questions. Are we like Jonah? Do we become angry if God extends mercy to those who we feel deserve judgment? The book also pushes us to see how great God's love is for all nations and peoples, even those whom we consider enemies deserving His wrath.

Foe, where would we be if God had given up on us? I for one am very grateful for, "second chances." 

The Truth: "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? … Am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23)

Jonah 2 “Jonah In The Fish”

“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.” (vv.1:17-2:1)

Some question if this could happen as the Bible says it did; but surely it is not a difficult thing for God to have prepared a great fish, even if that particular fish was a special creation for that moment. For, is there anything to difficult for Him? 

Jonah was a rebellious, resistant believer, but God was not finished with him yet – so the LORD preserved his life inside the fish, and after three days commanded the fish to, “expel him on dry land” (v.10). While inside the fish for 3 days, Jonah confessed his sin, called out to God, described his trouble, believed God heard him and would deliver him, and promised to obey God’s will (vv.1-9). 

This famous “fish story” has been the target of skeptics for hundreds of years, but was confirmed by none other than the one who had prepared the great fish Himself. When the religious leaders of His (Jesus) day asked Him (Jesus) for a sign from heaven as to who He was, Jesus said (some 900 years later): “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

Jonah and the “great fish” point us towards the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ, as we see that Jonah’s deliverance came after a remarkable demonstration of laying down one’s life. But death did not hold him; after three days and nights of imprisonment in the belly of the fish, he was released alive to deliver his message (in power) of repentance to Nineveh. 

What a great foreshadowing of the selfless sacrificial death Jesus would endure to save all who would believe His message. His death, burial, and resurrection from death (3 days later) also leant great power to His message of salvation, proving beyond a shadow of doubt, who He was.  

"Blessed is he who's God is the LORD."  

The Truth: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” (Psalm 40:1-4)

Jonah 1 “Jonah’s Disobedience”

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (vv.1-3a)

The book of Jonah looks at the prophet whose job it was to carry the truth of God to a people who needed to hear it. But when God told him to go to the Ninevites, Israel’s cruel enemies, Jonah didn’t want to do it. So he basically said no to God and bought a ticket to go to Tarshish in the opposite direction (vv.1-3). 

Unlike the children’s tale the book of Jonah is sometimes made out to be, it’s not about a fish, for the great fish is mentioned only four times. Jonah himself is only named eighteen times, but the Lord God is mentioned thirty-seven times! The book is about God and how he deals with people who want their own way and therefore refuse to obey his will. Surely Jonah knew that he could not run away from God. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). And, as we know, he was unsuccessful, for God called upon a great fish to turn him around.

Only a gracious God such as the One we worship can take a stubborn, disobedient servant and use him to bring spiritual awakening to a great city. Jesus used Jonah’s experience to picture his own resurrection and to emphasize the importance of hearing the Word of God and repenting (Matt. 12:38–41; 16:4).

I pray none of you are running from God. But, if you are, change directions and run to Him and He will give you a new beginning, as He did with Jonah.

The Truth: "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." (Matthew 12:41)

Obidiah “Edom Gloats Over Jerusalem’s Destruction”

“You (Edom) should not have gazed on the day of your brother (Israel) in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction.” (v.12)

Nobody likes a sore loser, but a gloating winner is just as bad. Edom had watched with glee as Jerusalem was sacked by its enemies, and the Edomites had done nothing to help their relatives in Israel. In God’s eyes their refusal to interfere was itself an act of aggression. Although the relationship between the two nations had never been good, the Edomites did share a blood tie with the people of Judah, as the Edomites were the descendants of Esau, while the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob. 

Because of the family ties, Edom’s actions were like betraying a brother (v.10; Ps. 137:7). Instead of honoring kinship bonds or even extending common cultural hospitality, they had broken and dishonored the relationship and treated Jacob like a total stranger, as they stood by and did nothing when Judah was being conquered (v. 11). They actually rejoiced in their brother’s downfall (v. 12). 

And later, out of opportunism and pride, they participated in the sacking of Jerusalem, taking advantage of the moment to “seize their wealth in the day of their disaster” (v. 13). Worst of all, they set up roadblocks to catch escaping refugees, no doubt hoping to curry favor with the Babylonians by turning these prisoners over to them (v. 14). Like battlefield scavengers, they helped themselves to the spoils of the Babylonian conquest.

This leads to the question, "What should they have done?" Well, they should have spoken up in support of their brother. They should have helped rather than rejoicing in Judah’s troubles. They should have acted in humility, not pride. And they should have had mercy on the Israelite refugees rather than turning them away.

The destruction of Jerusalem was a matter of divine discipline. They deserved the punishment that they received. But Edom’s gleeful response made them liable as well. Obadiah warned that God had seen this sinful attitude and would turn His wrath from Jerusalem to Edom, which He did. 

May we learn from Obidiah not to gloat at the misfortunes of others, for "pride comes before a fall." 

The Truth: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.” (Proverbs 24:17-18)

1 Thessalonians 5 "Keep Watch"

 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” (vv.1-2)

Since Christ's ascension, there's been no shortage of predictions of the year—or in some cases, the very hour—of His return. Today's reading cautions against such efforts (vv.1-3). On the other hand, believers are to be encouraged by the certainty that the Lord is coming back for His own, even if all the details of that glorious event aren't as clear as we might wish.

Paul warns that Christ’s Second Coming will come suddenly and without fanfare. Jesus’ return will be preceded by a period of divine judgment that will take the world by surprise. The phrase “the day of the Lord” appears throughout Scripture, especially in the Old Testament prophets, in contexts that speak of judgment.

This “day,” really refers to a series of events that includes Christ’s return and final judgment. It will come like a thief who breaks in while the homeowner is asleep. People will believe they are in a position of peace and safety, even as destruction comes upon them (v. 3).

Jesus warned that the timing of His second coming would be like the days of Noah: “For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, right up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:38-39).

For the Christian that day is fulfillment of all things hoped for, for the non-Christian a day of wrath. As Peter put it, "We need to be looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the LORD for we look for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:12). Therefore, keep watch. 

The Truth: “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matt. 25:13)

1 Thessalonians 4 "The Importance of Sexual Morality"

 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual immorality." (v.3)

Today’s Scripture emphasizes the importance of sexual morality. According to verse 3, one of the most important aspects of holy living is to “avoid sexual immorality.” The word used in the New Testament text refers to a wide range of sexual sin. Abstaining from sexual immorality is a matter of God’s will. It is God who defines what constitutes immorality, not the culture.

God’s standard of morality demands that we control what we do with our bodies. We are not to live like animals, driven only by instinct and appetite. Paul describes an ethical landscape in which the moral practice of believers is distinct from that of the surrounding culture.

This reminder is especially timely for Christians today who are being pressured to redefine sexual standards so that practices that the Bible describes as sinful are considered morally acceptable. God expects those who belong to Christ to behave differently. Serious social and spiritual consequences are in store for those who disregard God’s ethical standard. On a social level, human relationships are damaged when people are wronged and taken advantage of through sexual sin. Spiritually, Paul warns: “The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins” (v. 6). These standards are not merely Paul’s. Those who reject them are really rejecting God (v. 8).

Therefore, abstain from sexual immorality, know how to possess your own body in sanctification, and honor, love one another with a brotherly love, lead a quiet life, mind your own business, work with your own hands, comfort one another in the hope of His return. In this way we distinguish ourselves from the surrounding culture.

The Truth: “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18)

1 Thessalonians 3 “Love One Another”

“May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you.” (v.12)

A church is more than the number of its members, or a state-of-the-art building. Whether your church has stadium size crowds or just a few in attendance, numbers are not what God uses to measure success. He looks at the heart of the church.

The apostle Paul planted an important church in Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia. He showed his desire for the church members there when he wrote: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all . . . so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness” (vv.12-13). With these words, Paul showed us two important characteristics vital for a successful body of believers—love for one another and holiness. 

In the words of the prophet Micah: “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (6:8). Any church doing this will be successful in His service. When I look around at our small fellowship I think to myself, we are so lucky. We have a very special love for one another and to all who come our way. Our hearts and minds are constantly being feed that we may be established in holiness that we may serve Him and others. We are more than just a gathering of people on Sunday. We are a tight knit community willing and able to serve our King and one another. It's beautiful! 

The Truth “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) 

1 Thessalonians 2 “Tender Loving Care”

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.” (v.7)

We all recognize the need for special care of the young in many areas of life, including new Christians. Here in our text, the apostle Paul described how he and his associates treated the new believers in Thessalonica: “We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (v.7).

Paul and his co-workers, Silvanus and Timothy, were spiritual parents to God’s family in the Thessalonian church, and spoke of exhorting, comforting, and admonishing them “as a father does his own children” (v.11). Like all Christian mothers and fathers, Paul desired that his spiritual children would grow up to reflect God’s glory, but sometimes this called for correction.

Bible commentator Albert Barnes wrote, “Those who minister the gospel should be gentle, tender, and affectionate… What is wrong we should indeed oppose—but it should be in the kindest manner toward those who do wrong.” In other words, we are to correct the sin but love the sinner, applying the correction with love. That’s not easy, especially among those we know best.

For C. S. Lewis, it seemed impossible until he remembered: “There was a man to whom I had been doing this all my life—namely myself!” So natural to treat ourselves differently than others. I for one want to be guilty of lovingly treating others as I treat (judge) myself.

Jesus was always the perfect balance of "grace and truth" (John 1:14). One example was how He treated the women caught in adultery whom the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him to judge. His response to her after all her accusers left was,”Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). In saying, "Go and sin no more," Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices. His words both extended mercy and truth.

May we all Be quick to extend His grace to others and slow in our condemnation. 

The Truth: “Let Him who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7)