Forgive 1. To give up resentment against or stop wanting to punish (someone) for an offense or fault; pardon. 2. To relent in being angry or in wishing to exact punishment for (an offense or fault). 3. To absolve from payment of (a debt, for example).
One of the most challenging acts to do in life is to forgive someone that has hurt you, and everyone that lives will experience many opportunities to forgive and to be forgiven. Whether you are able to do so displays your willingness to adhere to the Word and your understanding of the freedom and release in your spirit and soul which avails itself to you when you can move beyond the offense. Satan wants us to hold on to unforgiveness for he knows when we do, we remain in bondage to our offender. Thus, the truth of the matter is, forgiveness is more beneficial to the offended than for the offender.
A good example of a person who was offended at various stages of his life is Joseph. He suffered, but in the end, he overcame and was victorious. Let me share some of those significant crushing events. The life story of Joseph the eleventh son of Jacob and first son born to Rachel can be found in Genesis 30,37-50.
For many years after the marriage of Jacob and Rachel, Rachel appeared to be barren and unable to conceive. Finally, God opened up Rachel’s womb, and she conceived and bore a son who became the apple of his father’s eye. Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colors which represented royalty, and he favored Joseph over his brothers, causing them to be jealous of him. In his youth, Joseph also informed his father of his brother’s wrongdoings which further infuriated them, and then he had two dreams about him being superior to family members which he shared with them, and this caused his brother when the opportunity presented itself to sell him into slavery to Ishmaelite traders.
At age seventeen, Joseph, who received preferred treatment, was now a slave. The Ishmaelite traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, a captain of the guard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and Joseph became a servant in Potiphar’s house. The spirit of excellence was on Joseph, causing Potiphar to promote Joseph to the position of personal attendant eventually. Joseph’s beauty and physique appeared enticing to Potiphar’s wife, who continually attempted to allure Joseph into committing fornication with her, but he resisted her. When she saw her attempts were failing, she told her husband Joseph tried to rape her, and he put Joseph in prison.
In prison, the spirit of excellence continued to rest on Joseph, and before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of prison activities and the other prisoners. During this time, two of the king’s servants offended the king, and he put them in prison. Both of these men had a dream which Joseph interpreted and just like his interpretation: one was killed and the other restored to the service of the king. Joseph made this request to the restored servant, “But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon” (Genesis 40:14-15). However, the servant forgot about Joseph until two years had passed, and the king had a dream that no one was able to interpret, and then he remembered and told the king about Joseph.
The king immediately sent for the thirty years old Joseph, who appeared before him after he had shaven and changed his garments. Joseph interpreted the king’s dream about seven years of prosperity, followed by seven years of famine. The king was pleased with Joseph’s interpretation and advice, so, he put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt to collect and store crop during the time of plenty for the time of famine. This is the king’s words and actions toward Joseph, “Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On” (Genesis 41:39-45).
During the time of prosperity, two sons were born to Joseph. Genesis 41:51-52 states, “And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The name of his sons reflected the pain, inner turmoil, and emotional scars that Joseph had experienced for thirteen years. He was wounded by his brothers, the Ishmaelite traders who mistreated him and put him in shackles, Potiphar and his wife, and the restored servant who forgot him for two years. Now, he was ready to move on with his life, not realizing he was going to be confronted with his brothers in the near future.
During the second year of famine, famine had spread to the land of Canaan, and Jacob sent his ten older sons down to Egypt to buy grain. The youngest son, Benjamin who was the son born to Joseph’s mother Rachel, who had died during that birth, he kept home with him. Genesis 42:6-9 states, “And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.” Joseph chooses not to reveal himself to his brother but instead test their feelings to his younger brother Benjamin.
How Joseph tested them, and their response can be found in Genesis 42-45. Joseph finally reveals to them who he was with these words, “Come near to me, I pray you. I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither” (Genesis 45:3-9). Joseph did not berate, mistreat, or condemn his brothers, but he wept, kissed them, and sent them loaded with goods back to Canaan to get his father and their households.
His brothers went back to Canaan and brought Jacob to Egypt where he has united once again with the son he loved dearly. As he stated, Joseph took care of his brethren and their households even after their father Jacob died, and his brothers thought he might retaliate on them. Joseph once again reassured, comforted and spoke kindly to them with these words, “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones” (Genesis 50:19-21). Apparently, despite the pain, we may experience, God has a purpose for it all.
Joseph’s actions show us forgiveness must be continually maintained and not allow the hurts from the offense to resurface. Since we know Satan is out to steal our joy, we must use our knowledge and spiritual weapons to combat his schemes. Simply put, with the help of God we must forgive and move on; for in so doing we will pass the test of forgiveness.
How long will you trust and believe in God’s Word? Will, you become impatient and deviate from what He instructed you to do because a long time has passed? The time test tries a person’s endurance; it shows if you can remain consistent despite what you see or feel. In this blog, I will share information on the life of Noah as found in Genesis 6-9, and how he handled the time test.
Noah is first introduced in Genesis 6:5-8 which states, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
Man’s wickedness and evil practices reached an apex that God could no longer tolerate, and He decided as their punishment He would eradicate them from the face of the earth. However, living during this period was a righteous man named Noah, who found favor with God, and God planned to reward Noah by saving him and his household.
God planned to punish humanity with an event that they had never experienced and it was called a flood. To protect Noah and his family from this catastrophic event God gave Noah specific instructions on building an ark of gopher wood in which he, his family, seven pairs of clean animals, two pairs of unclean animals and daily provision of food for all would be housed. In today’s imperial measurements, the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high with three levels; it was gigantic.
Research of the scriptures does not reveal how long it took Noah to build this enormous ark, but the scriptures do reveal that Noah was close to 500 years old when God gave him the instructions and 600 years old when the rain started. Also, history does not record a prior vessel of this magnitude being built; therefore, I can only imagine that Noah’s countrymen thought Noah was crazy as they watched him build it. 2 Peter 2:5 states that while Noah was in the building process, he ministered to the people. No doubt, he got weary of building and ministered, but he did not stop. Days turned into months, months turned into years and time elapsed, Finally, the day arrived that the ark was finished and unfortunately, Noah’s countrymen had rejected his message, and now they were going to suffer the consequences.
Genesis 7:1-9 shares the assembling of those that were to be safe in the ark and 7:16 states, “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.” It rained for 40 days and nights until the whole earth was submerged in water and every living creature except those in the ark was dead. Noah and his household remained in the ark for approximately one year. One year shut-in with no place to go, one year living with everyone’s body excrements, one year living without their usual comforts, one long year wondering what is going to happen next, and one year grateful to be alive.
Finally, the earth was dry, and God allowed the ark inhabitants to come out, and He said to Noah, “Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” Also, God established a covenant with mankind that He would never again destroy all flesh by a flood; neither allow a flood to destroy the whole earth, and God’s token of this covenant would be a rainbow in the cloud.
Upon reading the story of Noah, I found God’s communication with Noah was limited. He gave Noah instructions, and Noah followed them. In the building of the ark, and the habitation of the ark, time was long, but Noah’s obedience without continual prompting was seen. Noah had faith to believe that what God said would come to pass, and for this, he and his family were saved. Can we say the same? Are we becoming weary because we do not experience the fruition of God’s word? If so, let me encourage you today to remember Noah. Your trust, obedience, and endurance over time will bring a good reward, and it may also save your family.
In this blog, I will discuss the character test. The dictionary defines character as: fiber, the inherent complex of attributes that determines a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions; a distinctive trait; quality; attribute; the pattern of behavior found in an individual or group; moral strength; self-discipline; fortitude; a peculiar quality, or sum of qualities, by which a person is distinguished from others; the principles and motives that control the life. God allows kings, and jealous government officials to test the four testees who are found in the book of Daniel in this area. Were these testees successful, or did they fail? Continue reading to see what happens.
King Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Jerusalem and taken captives back to Babylon. Among the captives are handsome, intellectual young men of nobility who became chosen trainees to be taught the language, customs, arts, letters, wisdom, and laws of Babylon. In the group are four young men whose names can be found in Daniel 1:6-7 which states, “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.” No doubt the name change was to mark a new beginning and to obliterate their past.
In Daniel 1 we read the attempts to indoctrinate and assimilate these young men into the Babylonian culture; for it was the king’s desire after the three years training program to use the brightest of the trainees in his government. Besides the studies, the trainees were fed sumptuously from a diet that was contrary to their heritage and religious teachings. Rather than succumb to the lifestyle of Babylon, these four trainees refused to partake and defile themselves like their counterparts. Daniel requested, “Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.” At the conclusion of the allotted time, their countenances appeared fairer, and they were fatter than the other trainees; so, they were permitted to continue with their restricted diet. Also, at the end of the three years the king communed with them and found them to excel above all the other trainees, magicians and astrologers in the land for God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
In Daniel 3, years have gone by and King Nebuchadnezzar has made and set up a golden image that the people are required to bow down and worship. It was reported to the king that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not following this mandate. This report infuriated the king, and he had them brought before him for questioning. Here are the details of this encounter as found in Daniel 3:14-18, “Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Further infuriated by their reply, the king has Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bond and cast into the furnace which he had made seven times hotter and to his astonishment, he sees them and another man which he deemed the Son of God walking in the furnace unharmed. The king calls for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to come out of the furnace; he acknowledges their God to be a God that delivers, decrees that anyone that speaks against their God will be slaughtered, and he promotes Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in his kingdom.
Lastly, in Daniel 6 Daniel, who is in senior years, have lived through the reign of several kings, is now assigned as the senior president in Babylon by King Darius. This appointment causes jealousy among his constituents (presidents and princes), and they plot to have him killed. They fool the king into making a decree that anyone that ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, except the king shall be cast into a den of lions. They knew that Daniel would not adhere to this decree, and when Daniel, in his usual custom, prayed to his God, they reported Daniel’s actions to the king and insisted that Daniel is punished. The king reluctantly enforced his decree, and Daniel was cast into the lion’s den. The king spent that night fasting, and in the morning he goes to the den, and in a lamentable voice he spoke these words to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Daniel responded and said, “O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” The king was ecstatic, and he removed Daniel up out of the den, commanded those men who accused Daniel along with their families be cast into the den of lions and wrote the following decree, “ Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” The chapter concludes by saying, “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
In all three incidents, we see men’s character being tested; however, unlike their fellow countrymen, they refused to be tainted, influenced, or persuaded by the society in which they were thrust. Their actions and righteous behavior caused attacks; yet, they stood firm in their morals and ethics. They displayed self-discipline and unwavering trust in the God of their forefathers, and for this, they found favor with man. They lived the same throughout their lifetime, showing believers that no matter where we find ourselves, we can maintain a Godly character.
As I stated in my last blog, in this blog, I will share more information on the three components of a test as I understand them. To do this, I want to examine the components (tester, testee, and test) as we experienced them during our formal education.
The first component of a test is the tester, who is the one administering the test. This tester usually prepares the testee for a test by sharing material in advance of the test. Also, the tester may use various tools to accomplish this goal of learning. During the test, the tester is present and silent; he/she will not engage you in conversation; there is no talking by either tester or testee. The result of the test provides the tester with knowledge concerning the testee’s skills, aptitude, fitness, and comprehension. With this information, the tester will make a decision on the advancement of the testee.
The tester in this blog series is God who is omniscient; therefore, the test is not to reveal anything to Him but rather for the testee’s enlightenment and feedback. God has provided His Word, which contains instructions to allow the testee to successfully pass the test if he/she adheres to the guidelines. In biblical times the commandments, laws, and statutes of God were sometimes hidden, and if not previously, taught or shared with the people they were ignorant concerning God’s principles. Fortunately, success is available for most of us present-day believers because we always have an open book exam. As we go through our time of testing, we can still search the Word for answers. It may cost us time, pleasure, and comfort, but the reward and result will be worth it all.
The next component is the testee, who is the person taking the test. The age of the testee can vary, and this will also determine the severity of the test. It is the responsibility of the testee to study and prepare for the test utilizing the teaching materials and tools offered to them. During the teaching and learning period, the testee can ask questions. However, once the test begins, communication with the tester is halted. Usually, if a testee is talking during a test it is because they do not understand the test, they need clarification, or they are trying to cheat. Engaging in any of these practices can result in failure of the test.
For this series, the testee who is taking the test will either be a person or nation. I will share with you the lives of biblical personalities and how they handled their test. Prayerfully, we will learn from their success and failures.
The final component is the test which is the instrument used to see if the information previously given was successfully learned, and it can vary in style, duration, intensity, location, requirements, and frequency. The result of the test determines if you graduate. If you fail, you are detained in the same grade another year and you are given the same test over again. The tester will use the same standard curriculum; it is not new, and your promotion depends solely on you learning the old material. Also, at the beginning of the school year, a tester may give a pre-test which will reveal what you already know, and at the end of the year, a post-test is given to determine if the testee has retained any knowledge from the year’s work. So testing can happen at any time, and it pays to be alert and ready.
I hope the above information has been informative. In closing this blog, an excellent principle to learn is: PREPARATION FOR A TEST IS PARAMOUNT AND CAN BE THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS.
In Psalm 11:4-5a David states these words, “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous.” In the bible the actual word “test” is not found; however, the two words “try” and “trieth” as seen in the above scripture in the Hebrew language means to test, and these similar words can be found numerous times.
The dictionary meaning for the word test is: an examination, experiment, or trial, as to prove the value or ascertain the nature of something; a method, process, or means used in making such an examination or trial; a standard or criterion by which the qualities of a thing are tried; an event, set of circumstances, that proves or tries a person’s quality; a set of questions, problems, or exercises for determining a person’s knowledge, abilities, aptitude, or qualifications; an examination.
Throughout the Bible, we see nations and individuals being tested by God. In Psalm 11, David realized that his life experiences were not just some random occurrences, but God was testing him. Recognizing this fact, I desire to share with you the various tests that are depicted in scripture and the results of these tests.
There are three components to a test, and they are the tester, the testee, and the test. The tester is the person who prepares you for the test by giving you information on the test in advance. The tester uses tools to accomplish this goal. The testee is the one who is taking the test. It is their responsibility to learn and study by using the tools give to them by the tester. The test is the instrument used to see if the information previously given was successfully learned. For this series the tester is God, the testee will be either a person or nation and the test will be the event that is experienced
In my study, I have found approximately twenty-two kinds of test. I am not sure that I will blog on all of them; but as the Holy Spirit leads, I believe I will be sharing the ones that will be beneficial to all of us.
In my next blog, I will further discuss the three components to a test. I am looking forward to sharing with you, so please check out my blog every week. Until then, God bless and strengthen you as you go through your time of testing
Haggai 1:1-7 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
The definitions of the word consider are to look at closely, observe, examine, to think about in order to understand, show consideration, or to think carefully or seriously. This is the keyword used by God in the above scriptures to the Israelites. Let me share with you the reason for this message to them.
In 606 – 605 BC the children of Israel finally returned to Jerusalem after being in captivity in Babylon for seventy years, and the main reason for their captivity was the sin of idolatry. When they first arrived, they were in a time of restoration and rebuilding for Nebuchadnezzar, and his army had torn down the walls, destroyed the temple and burnt the city. During their time of rebuilding the temple, the people came under great persecution, and consequently, they stopped working on it. (Please know, in this life hindrance, obstacles, and persecution will always present itself when you are attempting to accomplish things for God.) Many years passed, and the Israelites were busy building their own homes and given little thought to God’s house. Therefore, He sends a word to them through the prophet Haggai, “Consider your ways.” All of their efforts to gain material things for themselves were made for naught, for God was not allowing them to prosper.
I find these three words given thousands of years ago are still applicable to fellow believers and me. Often, we get caught up in the cares of this world, maintaining our various standards of living and forgetting to put God and his kingdom first. I can only speak for myself and say there are many, many, many material things that I want and He knows. If I focus solely on obtaining those things and withhold my support from advancing God’s kingdom, my efforts will be fruitless and the blessings of God absent.
In Matthew 6:32 – 33 I believe Jesus summarizes Haggai 1 in His admonishment to the people with these words, “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we advance His kingdom, He advances us.
I believe for continued success; our stewardship needs to be a three-fold commitment: to God, to give and to serve. As we become productive in our daily lives, we must stop and consider our actions. How does God view what we are doing? Are we just building treasures for ourselves? Are we decreasing instead of increasing? Are we continually loosing and not gaining? Are we working hard and not seeing any results? Maybe the solution to all of these negative responses is to prioritize our efforts and place God at the top of our list.
I am happy to say after the Israelites received the word they changed, and they completed the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 6: 13-22). The opposition was still there, but they did not allow it to hinder them; therefore, they prospered physically as well as spiritually. Hence, today, my prayer for all believers is that we consider our ways and make the necessary adjustments which will cause the favor and blessings of God to rest on us. So, now a decision is placed before you, and I close this blog with these words “CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.”
CHAPTER 4
Let me start this blog with a review of the first three chapters of Jonah. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach a judgment message to the Ninevites. Jonah rebelled and got on a ship going to Tarshish. When a relentless storm arose, it was determined that Jonah was the cause, and he was thrown overboard. Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish and remained in the fish for three days at which time he repented and asked God to be merciful to him. God answered Jonah’s request, and he had a second chance to complete his assignment. The city of Nineveh responded positively to the judgment message, and they repented; which caused God not to destroy them.
Now to chapter 4 which is a revealing and disturbing chapter on discrimination. This chapter reveals the reason Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh, and it shows the depth of anger and discrimination that a believer can have toward others.
Jonah 4:1-3 states, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
First and foremost Jonah who just survived a near-death experience by the mercy of God is angry because God shows mercy to the Ninevites. His attitude reveals a flaw: he does not love his enemies, and neither does he want God to love and care for them. He fails to realize that even though they were an enemy to Israel, God still loved them and desired to save them. God’s love goes beyond a nation; He loves all the people in the world.
He also gives the reason he fled to Tarshish: he did not want to be the messenger who caused the Ninevites to turn to God. He wanted God to punish them, not save them. Jonah wanted to be in control of the fate of Nineveh, and it would not be good. Jonah wanted his words to come true or possibly he could have felt if his judgment message did not happen people would think he was a false prophet which would bruise his pride.
Finally, his anger fueled by hatred and animosity to the Ninevites was so great he rather die than see God’s love and mercy be extended to them. Are we like Jonah? Are their individuals that we want God to destroy because they’ve hurt us or someone we loved, and are we wanting to die because our enemies appear to be prospering instead of declining? God’s answer to Jonah for his attitude and thoughts was, “What right have you to be angry?”
Jonah leaves the city and sets up camp outside of it to watch what God was going to do. What Jonah wanted to see was the calamity of the Ninevites. Jonah failed to realize his opposition to God’s plan was aligning him with Satan. Jonah sadly preferred annihilation than redemption. He was blinded by anger and discrimination. These were not his people, and besides, in the past, they bought destruction and mayhem to Israel. His hatred was so great it did not allow him to celebrate the success of his ministry; for his ministry saved the lives of more than sixty thousand Ninevites.
A series of events now occur to magnify Jonah’s resentful attitude. At first, God allows a gourd to grow and protect Jonah from the blazing sun, which made Jonah happy. Then He allows a worm to attack the gourd and it withered. Next, he sends wind and sun to beat down on the head of Jonah, which causes him to be faint and desire to die. Hence, Jonah’s states, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
God notes Jonah’s sympathy for the gourd, and he questions him saying, “Jonah, doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?” And he said, “I do well to be angry, even unto death.” In this chapter, we see that Jonah had an anger management problem. His anger kept producing a death wish. Jonah needed a reality check. His wrong attitude opened the door to anger, and anger is attempting to lead him to destruction. Satan was at work in Jonah’s life, stealing his joy, killing his desire to live and attempting to destroy his ministry. This man of God was out of order, and the chapter ends not with praise from God for an assignment well done, but a rebuke for having more compassion for a thing rather than people.
This last chapter reveals my theme for the book of Jonah: a need for an attitude adjustment. Jonah, who possessed a wrong attitude, was given a mission for which he rebelled. He then repentant for his rebellion but went on the mission with the wrong attitude. I believe God is calling all believers to examine their attitude toward witnessing and ministry. The question, “Is your heart in your ministry, or do you do it with regret?” For the ministry to be rewarding, it must also come from the heart. Compassion for souls must be reflected in our attitude; for doing things for God, begrudgingly is not worth doing. This then is a prayer issue that God can help us to resolve if we admit our attitude is not pleasing to him and request Him to help us make an attitude adjustment.
Finally, this study on the life of Jonah allowed me to do a personal examination and to check my attitude. I pray that it has also helped you to do the same.
CHAPTER 3
As a result of his near-death experience, Jonah repented for his rebellion and disobedience, and he is now ready to answer the call. His new attitude reminds me of the songs, “Lord, whatever you are doing, don’t do it without me” and “Lord, I’m available to you.” After chastisement and learning the correct way to respond to a Godly assignment, Jonah can attest the words of David in Psalms 119:71, “It is good that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” His time of correction put him back on the right road. Hence, Jonah 3:1-3 says, “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” Aren’t you glad our merciful God will come and speak to us a second time? He continuously gives us opportunities to get it right.
The Bible reveals that it takes three days to travel through Nineveh. On his first day of travel through the city, Jonah starts declaring the word of judgment God gave him, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”
Also, the Bible reveals the Ninevites believed the judgment message from God and the king declared a fast for everyone (man and beast), to humble themselves in sackcloth, repent from their evil ways and cease from their violence. Consequently, the sincerity of the Ninevites canceled the pending judgment. A second chance was not only given to Jonah but also Nineveh, and in this text, God shows us His love, compassion, and mercy is not for just one nationality but for all who will serve Him.
Finally, the lesson to be learned from chapter 3 is: you can receive a second chance from God if you are willing to be submissive to His instructions.
CHAPTER 2
Chapter 1 of Jonah ends with Jonah in the belly of a fish for three days and nights. Also, chapter 1 revealed that Jonah’s disobedience to God’s assignment brought about this event.
Chapter 2 opens with this, “Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly.” It took Jonah three days to come to his senses; then in distress, he cried out to God.
Verse 2 speaks to the usual response of prayerless believers. It says, “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” The situation or problem that he was experiencing made him realize he needed divine intervention. Many of us follow Jonah’s example. We reject God’s bidding and fellowship until we need Him to do something for us because we are in a situation that we are unable to rectify. Jonah described his situation as being in hell. It took solitary confinement, darkness, faintness, and no escaping to bring about a remembrance.
In verse 3, Jonah implied that God had cast him into the deep, into the midst of the seas. It appeared as if he was blaming God for the consequence of his actions. He forgot he told the mariners to throw him overboard and it was his actions that resulted in him being placed in this life-threatening situation.
In verses 5-6, Jonah’s continued sea description mirrors that of a person who is drowning. However, some commentaries also believe that this experience happened inside of the fish. The exact location of these experiences is left up to the reader’s speculation because the bible does not clearly state how quickly after being thrown overboard that Jonah was swallowed up,
Wherever he was Jonah’s discourse reveals his desperation and desire to be near God. Also, the awareness that pride, a false sense of human abilities and idolatry hinder a relationship with God. When he had no hope or energy to live, he remembered God and God who is faithful, heard Jonah’s penitent cry.
Jonah’s prayer, which was compiled with a petition, thanksgiving, praise, and rededication resulted in a positive response from God. The last verse in this chapter states, “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” God was so merciful to Jonah that he allowed the fish to regurgitate him, not into the seas where he would have to swim to shore, but to a safe place.
As I end this blog, my question to you is, “Now that you are in a hellish place, what are you going to do?” I suggest that you don’t blame God for your present unpleasant experiences but that you realize He is the only one that can help you. My prayer and hope for you is that you repent, rededicate yourself to God, and go and do the will of God for your life. Be bless and make this day count.
CHAPTER 1
Welcome to my Jonah Series. For the next several weeks I am going to blog on the book of Jonah. I believe that there is a lot to learn from his experience. I suggest if you have not read the book of Jonah, you do so and see apart from the information I will share what additional gems you can glean from it.
Jonah, the son of Amittai and a descendant of the tribe of Zebulun is introduced to us in Jonah 1:1. Also though categorized as a minor prophet, chronologically Jonah is the first missionary prophet who is sent to preach a word of repentance to the heathen nation of Nineveh.
Nineveh was known to be a pagan, flourishing, capital city of Assyria. It was a dominating world power with ruthless warlike people who were Israel’s enemy. They were known for skinning and impaling people who were yet alive and for beheading victims by the thousands leaving the heads stacked in piles at the city gates. It was here that God instructs Jonah to go and cry against their wickedness. However, Jonah did not want to follow God’s instruction; instead, he goes down to Joppa and gets on a ship headed in the opposite direction. Please note as Jonah attempts to flee from the presence of God he goes down (1:3).
Jonah first mistake was his disobedience. Directives from God are meant to be followed. We can reject God’s word, but there are consequences for doing so.
Secondly, he thought he could escape God’s presence, and for those of us who also believe this is possible, please ponder this scripture in Psalm 139:7- 12. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” A simple fact to remember is, “There is nowhere that you can go that God is not present.”
Jonah’s disobedience and the act of rebellion now affect those with whom he is in contact, and a strong wind and tempest arise that is causing great turmoil on the ship. Thus, the Mariners start seeking solace from their gods and questioning, “Why this turmoil?” I cannot even begin to count the times in my distress that I have asked God the “Why.” How about you? I think this is His number one question.
Jonah oblivious to what is happening has fallen asleep in the bottom of the ship. Jonah’s action is reflective of many people who cause others grief, but they can rest comfortably as if they did nothing wrong. Are you like Jonah? Has your disobedience (sins) desensitized you to what is happening around you? If your answer is yes, you are in a dangerous place.
The shipmaster confronts Jonah about his actions and requests him to start praying to God for divine intervention. Jonah did not honor this request; he did not pray, nor did he feel the need to ask God for forgiveness. He did not admit he was the cause of the turmoil. He was willing to stand by and let others suffer while he did nothing.
The Mariners cast lots which result in Jonah’s rebellion being revealed. Listen to what Jonah says to them in 1:9-10, “And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.” I think a good question with which to confront Jonah is, “If you really feared God, how could you flee from his presence?” for Jonah’s actions appeared to contradict what he believed. How many times have we praised God for who He is, what He has done, and for what He has said, and shortly after that we act as if He did not do or say anything? I find during storms in my life; it is easy to forget; that is why I must meditate on the Word day and night.
The mariners understood it was necessary to rid themselves of the cause of their problem, namely Jonah, and they politely asked Jonah for suggestions. Jonah told them to throw him overboard, but the mariners were reluctant to do that; so they tried to bring the ship to the shore. When their efforts failed, they asked God for mercy and threw Jonah overboard and this resulted in the sea calming down and the mariners fearing God. This action brought an immediate positive response from God and an acknowledgment that there is a higher power that must be recognized and obeyed. What is causing turmoil in your life? Like the mariners, you may need to get rid of it to acquire some peace.
Chapter 1 ends with this, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Rather than allow Jonah to drown, God had a plan to bring Jonah into submission, and he is enveloped in a dark confined place. Now he has to give an account for his actions.
Jonah’s response to this situation can be found in chapter 2 and will be discussed in my next blog. I pray this first chapter has given you food for thought.
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