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Jonah asks and receives mercy from God when he is punished for disobeying. Will he have mercy in his heart for the Ninevites?
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Jonah Disagrees with Mercy!
part three
“Jonah, what happened when you disobeyed God?”
“While I was in the belly of the huge fish, I was in dreadful discomfort. In the belly were pieces of undigested fish. A headless baby shark had been eaten partly. I saw its head in another part of the big fish’s belly. The smell was obnoxious. I was so hungry I ate the meat of a small fish. It helped my hunger.”
“In the fish’s belly did you ask God to help you?”
“I did. Even though I had disobeyed God’s order to go to Nineveh and had gone the opposite direction, I prayed to God. He had mercy for me and pulled me up from the watery grave alive.”
“Jonah, did you become an obedient prophet when the fish vomited you out upon land?”
“I did follow God’s next command. He told me, ‘Get on your feet and go to Nineveh. Preach to them. I cannot ignore them or their bad ways. Tell them the message I give you!’”
I did not stop to wonder if I should go to Nineveh. I followed God’s
directions. When I reached Nineveh, it took me three days to walk across it. Its population was at least 120,000 people.
“How big was its territory?”
“It is the second largest city in the ancient Near East. The metropolitan area of the city is estimated to be at least 1850 acres.
“How did you preach to the people in all that area?”
“Everywhere people gathered, I preached what God told me to say. The markets had many people in them. I shouted or talked everywhere and any way I could. Over and over, I said, ‘In forty days Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’”
“Jonah, what did the Ninevites do to you when you said, ‘Nineveh is going to be destroyed!’?”
“Surprisingly, they did not mock me or throw rocks at me. They believed what I said. I suspect God was doing the convincing. They put on sackcloth and announced a fast. The least important people and the most important people in the city believed that the words I said applied to each of them. It was astounding to see their response to God’s message. I could not have predicted what happened.
“Even the king of Nineveh stood up from his throne, took off his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth and ashes from a fireplace. He and his nobles published a law and had it announced.”
“I know what it said. Traders passed the news beyond the city. The law stated that all people, animals, herds, and flocks were not to drink or eat. They were to wear sackcloth, and call mightily to God. They were told, ‘Stop your evil ways and violence.’”
“That would never happen!”
“Usually, I would agree. I would also wonder if Nineveh did repent, would God forgive them and not destroy Nineveh? He forgave Jonah.
Join us when we see God’s unusual mercy.
Tonight, Todd Warren, Gwen Crawford, Carlos Gamez, and Barbara Steiner are your recording team.
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