Final Thoughts On the Book of Jonah

As I conclude my series on the book of Jonah, I’d like to remind us of some of the basic things that we have learned from it.

1. God’s Will will be done regardless of us. God had a plan for Jonah…and Nineveh.  He gave them a chance to repent of their wicked ways and turn back to Him. His plan succeeded, and Nineveh repented from their evil ways, back to God.

2. God has a call on each of our lives, and it is up to us to choose if we want to do life the easy way (God’s way) or the hard way (my way). Jonah allowed his flesh to get in the way and therefore chose to disobey God; his disobedience resulted in discipline, which brought him to repentance and ultimately to do what God called him to do.

3. The result of disobedience is death; the result of obedience is life. It all started from one person, Jonah, and his choice to obey. His act of obedience resulted in the repentance of an entire city, which resulted in God’s turning his anger into compassion and forgiveness.

4. God is waiting for you! It is not too late. If you are running away from God, all you need to do is to repent. Deliverance came to Jonah once he recognized, confessed, and repented of his sin.  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is a sovereign God, full of grace, mercy, and compassion. When we come before Him with a humbled heart, repenting of our sins, and acknowledging His power to save, He is quick to forgive us! He is the one that has paid the price for you and me.

5. It is important to take responsibility for our sins; everything we do in darkness will be brought to the light. Please do not think that you are exempt from God’s principles. There is a very heavy price for our sin; in Jonah’s case, he was willing to pay the price for his own actions. Are you willing to take responsibility for your own actions?  More importantly, are you willing to make the necessary reparations? The GOOD NEWS is that our Messiah has paid the price for our sins! He died so that we may live. He took upon Himself the punishment of us all…we only need to receive His atonement to live in the freedom He gives. Why wait until God will rock our boats? Let’s start to take responsibility today, and live free from the weight of our sin.

6. “You can run but you cannot hide” God knows where we are, He is our creator and He cares for us. Everything that is done in darkness will come into the light. What are you running away from today? What are you doing or even thinking that God doesn’t see or know about? Praise God for His unlimited grace and forgiveness that whatever is going on in your life right now, He knows and He cares.  He is just waiting for you to come to Him and stop running away.

7. It is not about me … So much of our daily walk with Yeshua has become about us.  What can I get out of it?  How will He bless me?  Yes, it is true that He wants to grow closer to us, and He desires to bless us.  But it’s ultimately about Him and His glory, not ours!

8. God deserves all of the Glory. Our motivation for doing things ought to be simply because we understand what was done for us, the price that was paid for you and I who are followers of the Messiah. That understanding ought to lead us to obedience in every aspect of our lives, and the desire to see others doing the same.

I want to encourage each of us to reflect upon these basic principals of life, to repent where needed, and simply deny ourselves and follow Him.  This is where we will find the abundant life Yeshua promised us.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran