JONAH, PREPARATION FOR MISSIONS (2 OF 4)
by Steve Jones
Jonah, Preparation for Missions (2 of 4)
Series: Jonah
Steve Jones
Jonah 2
INTRODUCTION: The Japanese delicacy Fugu, or blowfish, is so poisonous that the smallest portion is deadly if not properly prepared. The fish is more poisonous than cyanide. Tokyo's government allows only highly trained and licensed chefs to prepare the dish.
In our passage today we encounter just the opposite. Instead of a man preparing a fish, we have a fish preparing a man.
We're in a sermon series based upon the book of Jonah. Let me review the basics. Jonah was an Israelite who lived around 800 B.C. In Jonah chapter one we read where he was called by God to go east as a missionary to the city of Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian nation. Jonah wasn't feeling the call of God so instead of going east he chartered a boat to go west to Tarshish. God caused a great storm to arise on the Mediterranean Sea resulting in Jonah being tossed overboard. The last verse of chapter one reads: Jonah 1:17 ''Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.'' The first verse of chapter two reads: Jonah 2:1 ''From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.'' So all of chapter two is the prayer of Jonah from inside the fish. And believe it or not, it's a prayer of thanksgiving! Jonah 2:9 ''But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving.''
I. GOD PREPARED JONAH WITH HIS CREATIVITY
Jonah 2:1 ''From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.''
From inside the fish. From inside the FISH. God caused a fish to swallow his prophet. Would you have thought of that? No, if you were writing this story you would have had a little row-boat that just happened to be paddling by at just the right moment to scoop Jonah out of the water. Why, because you're not that creative. But God is that creative and God prepared a fish to swallow Jonah.
Who does that? Who thinks up scenarios like that? God doe ...
Series: Jonah
Steve Jones
Jonah 2
INTRODUCTION: The Japanese delicacy Fugu, or blowfish, is so poisonous that the smallest portion is deadly if not properly prepared. The fish is more poisonous than cyanide. Tokyo's government allows only highly trained and licensed chefs to prepare the dish.
In our passage today we encounter just the opposite. Instead of a man preparing a fish, we have a fish preparing a man.
We're in a sermon series based upon the book of Jonah. Let me review the basics. Jonah was an Israelite who lived around 800 B.C. In Jonah chapter one we read where he was called by God to go east as a missionary to the city of Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian nation. Jonah wasn't feeling the call of God so instead of going east he chartered a boat to go west to Tarshish. God caused a great storm to arise on the Mediterranean Sea resulting in Jonah being tossed overboard. The last verse of chapter one reads: Jonah 1:17 ''Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.'' The first verse of chapter two reads: Jonah 2:1 ''From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.'' So all of chapter two is the prayer of Jonah from inside the fish. And believe it or not, it's a prayer of thanksgiving! Jonah 2:9 ''But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving.''
I. GOD PREPARED JONAH WITH HIS CREATIVITY
Jonah 2:1 ''From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.''
From inside the fish. From inside the FISH. God caused a fish to swallow his prophet. Would you have thought of that? No, if you were writing this story you would have had a little row-boat that just happened to be paddling by at just the right moment to scoop Jonah out of the water. Why, because you're not that creative. But God is that creative and God prepared a fish to swallow Jonah.
Who does that? Who thinks up scenarios like that? God doe ...
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