God Sends

We started the series by learning about Abraham and how God called him and his family to a very special purpose: to bless all the other families of the world.  We have God's Word recorded for us in the Old Testament because those in Abraham's family wrote it for us.  We learn about God through the stories recorded for us.  All stories in the Bible are true.

Many of the stories in the Old Testament tell us about how God showed us about Himself through Abraham's family, this story is different.  In this story, we learn about another nation. A nation that didn't know that God is the one and only true God.  God is God over all people--whether they know it or not.

We learn this story in a book called by the same name:  Jonah.  Jonah was called by God to be a prophet.  A prophet is someone who tells God's Words to others--even when they are difficult to hear or believe.  Sometimes God's words are telling them what is going to happen.  Always God's words are true.

God told Jonah he had to go to a city called Nineveh.  The people in Nineveh were very wicked--that means they did things that God didn't want them to do.  They were mean and hurt others.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell them God had seen them.  And to stop doing wicked things.

But Jonah did NOT go to Nineveh.  Jonah went in the other direction.  He bought a ticket to get on a boat to go far away from Nineveh. Jonah was trying to run away from God.

While they were on the boat, God sent a storm.  The men on the boat were scared and were trying to save the boat.  They were each praying to their god.  But that didn't work because their gods were not real.  There is only one God over all people.

The captain went to find Jonah:  "Wake up!  Pray to YOUR God.  Maybe He will save us."  The men on the ship figured out that Jonah was the reason for the storm.  "What have you done?!"

Jonah told them he was running away from God. Jonah told them they would have to throw him into the sea.

The men did not want to do that, they tried to row back to land, but the storm was too rough.  The men finally threw Jonah into the water.  Immediately, the sea was calm.  The men from the ship realized that Jonah's God was the true God.

When Jonah fell into the sea, he did not sink and drown.  Instead, God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah.  Jonah was inside the fish praying (talking to God) and worshiping God.  Jonah was sorry for disobeying God.  Jonah promised to obey God. After three days and three nights, the fish threw Jonah up onto dry land.

Once Jonah was on land, God spoke to him again:  "Go to Nineveh."  This time, Jonah obeyed.

Nineveh was a very big city.  Jonah walked through the city telling the people that God would be punishing them because of all the evil they had done.

Imagine how he must have looked and smelled after being in the fish for three days and three nights!

The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah.  They believed in the one true God who had sent Jonah.  They were sorry for what they had done and even put on special clothes to show how sorry.  From the most simple workers to the king.  The king even told all the people to stop eating for a time and to cry out to God.  Maybe God would change His mind and not punish the people of Nineveh.

God did see.  And God forgave them and did not punish the people of Nineveh.  God sent Jonah to Nineveh because God loved them too.

God loves people from all the nations and wants them to hear how much He loves them.  God still sends people to tell nations around the world about Him, about His love, about Jesus.

"Let all the nations be glad and sing for joy."    Psalm 67:4a