Jonah & the Vine

1. Jonah & the Vine Author: Praveen Raj Kumar. Y Date: 18/03/2012 Place: Houthalen, Belgium Jonah & the Vine

2. Let us all thank God for he has shown in everlasting love towards us & has blessed us so much As we read from Colossians 3:15: Colossians 3:15  “…And be thankful” Jonah & the Vine

3. Today we are going to discuss about: • Jonah • Nineveh – Its Characteristics • The Vine Jonah & the Vine

4. God sent Jonah to the great city of Nineveh: Jonah 1:1  “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” Jonah & the Vine

5. Nineveh was a great city, but it was filled up with wicked people, who always triggered Lord’s anger. So God wanted to send Jonah and to tell them, what they are doing is wrong and they have to correct themselves. Jonah & the Vine

6. The command to warn Nineveh reflected: • The fact that God is God of all nations, Nineveh also. • The wonderful attributes of God, 4:2  Gracious, compassionate God , slow to anger & abounding in love. • The fact that God does not want people to perish, Ezek. 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9 Jonah & the Vine

7. But what did Jonah do: Jonah 1:2  “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and header for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord” Jonah & the Vine

8. God wanted to Save Nineveh from destruction by sending Jonah. But it was not easily done. God had to work hard to get Jonah to obey his commandments Jonah 1:4  “God sent a great wind on the sea and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up” Jonah 1:17  “Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights”. Jonah & the Vine

9. Jonah, when he was inside the fish, was all praying to God. And finally after 3 days & 3 nights, God commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah & the Vine

10. Lord spoke to Jonah the second time, after he was vomited out of the fish and said: Jonah 3:2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you” This time Jonah obeyed, and went to Nineveh to preach what God ordered him. Jonah & the Vine

11. Description about Nineveh: Nineveh was a great city & an important city. It would take 3 days to visit the complete city. Jonah was right on Business, once he was in Nineveh and he started to proclaim: Jonah 3:4  “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” Jonah & the Vine

12. Surprisingly, Ninevites believed God. Jonah 3:5  “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sack cloth” Even when the news reached the king of Nineveh, he to responded to the call of Jonah. Jonah 3:6  “When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.” Jonah & the Vine

13. King’s proclamation to the Call from Lord via Jonah: Jonah 3:7 – 9  “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” Jonah & the Vine

14. God’s reaction when he saw how Ninevites responded to his call and turned from their wickedness: Jonah 3:10  “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon then the destruction he had threatened” Jonah & the Vine

15. Jonah’s reaction when God decided not to destroy Nineveh: • He was “exceedingly displeased” and “angry” (4:1) • He admitted that his fear of God’s sparing Nineveh was behind his attempt to flee to Tarshish in chapter 1 (4:2) • He even went outside of Nineveh and waited to “see what would become of the city” (4:5) Jonah & the Vine

16. Why was Jonah so angry with God, when nothing happened to Nineveh? What doest it show? Jonah was harboring sinful attitudes towards Nineveh. • Hatred • Envy that it was not destroyed. Obadiah 1:12  “You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble” Jonah & the Vine

17. The purpose of God’s giving & taking away the Vine What God had already brought upon Jonah: • 1:4, “Jehovah sent out a great wind upon the sea” • 1:17, “Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah” Jonah & the Vine

18. God’s Actions Toward Jonah: • A great wind (1:4) • A great fish (1:17) • A vine(4:6) • A worm (4:7) • A vehement east wind (4:8) Jonah & the Vine

19. Sequence of events happening in Chapter 4 • Jonah was angry about Nineveh’s survival • The vine made him happy. • When the vine died and the hot wind came he was immediately angry. Jonah & the Vine

20. Jonah was ANGRY with GOD when: • Nineveh was NOT DESTROYED • Vine was DESTROYED Jonah would have been HAPPY, if: • Ninevites DIED • Vine LIVED Jonah & the Vine

21. Later God explains his views, as Jonah’s views are contradicting with God: • Jonah 4:10,11  But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Jonah & the Vine

22. Jonah God Different Views between God & Jonah: • Had pity on the Vine • Had pity on Nineveh • It had lived briefly • It contained eternal souls • Jonah did nothing to cause it to exist • God made and sus-stained it • Many people • One plant Jonah & the Vine

23. Conclusions: • When you repent whole heartedly, God forgives you like the Ninevites • Like Jonah, even we have been given the responsibility of preaching the Gospel to others. Most of the times, we replicate Jonah and likewise we run away from that situation. Let us try to Avoid it and fulfill the duty God has given to each and everyone of us. • Even today we might think, that all the non believer to go to hell, as they do not obey to the word of God. But remember Ezekiel 33:11  “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” Jonah & the Vine

24. !!!! AMEN !!!! Jonah & the Vine