Jonah - His Background

Many people look at Jonah as just a children's story, but it is so much more. The four chapters in the Book of Jonah has only 48 verses, but they are chocked full of lessons for today's Christians. Some people had rather not look too closely at it, because we can see too much of ourselves in Jonah's failures. But we need to look - closely.

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of Amattai, saying" (Jonah 1:1),

Jonah lived in a time of stability in Israel's history. While other prophets had been sent to warn the Israelites of how they'd failed God and encourage them to do better, Jonah had been able to prophesy that things would get better for Israel, and they would enlarge their borders. When this happened, Jonah had enjoyed his popularity and the admiration from the people. He was well-liked because he'd told them what they wanted to hear. 

Arise, and go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me (Jonah 1:2).

Jonah did not want to go to Ninevah; he didn't even like those people. He couldn't conceive that God wanted him to go to this cruel, pagan nation and offer them a chance to repent. Jonah would have been happier if God had just wiped them off the earth, and then neither Jonah nor Israel would ever have to deal with them again.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

But God doesn't have Jonah's narrow, prejudiced vision. God loves all people and wants everyone to come to Him. He loves the terrorist and commands us to love them too. Do we, like Jonah, want to turn our backs on this? I see way too many hate messages from supposed Christians splashed across social media. They need to study their Bibles and follow God in obedience. And we all need to pray about it.

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