Hard Questions
Is Jonah and the Whale a Myth? - Hard Questions
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The story of Jonah is probably one of my favorite Old Testament stories. Not just because of the miraculous account, but because I am a lot like Jonah. I can be a reluctant preacher of the gospel.
Jonah was tasked with preaching to a hostile nation. But God didn't just care for His people, He cared for all of His creation. So God tells Jonah to "Go" but Jonah runs the other way. God lovingly disciplines Jonah and gives him a second chance.
What I find next is amazing. Jonah goes into Nineveh and this is what happens: "Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!' And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them" (Jonah 3:4-5).
Jonah declares just in Hebrew words and the city repents. It wasn't Jonah's smooth packaging. It wasn't His good looks. It was God's Word that penetrated their hearts.
Today, God is asking you to take His Word to your neighbors, coworkers, family members, and friends. If God can penetrate the hearts of the Ninevites, He can do the same to those around you.
Reflect: Read Jonah 3. What does this passage teach us about God? What does this teach us about mankind?
Respond: How had God provided you with second chances? How can you tell that story as you deliver His Word?
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