Based on Jonah 1:17 – 3:5 (New King James Version)
“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. ‘Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, o Lord, my God. ‘When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple. ‘Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”
The story of the prophet Jonah is one of the most instructive accounts in the Bible regarding the importance of obeying God and how disobedience can affect everything. To grasp this fully, one must understand reality and the schemes of the enemy. Here is the truth: our lives and everything we do impacts our present and future, affect those around us, and influence everything we do—or do not—get involved in (a point we will explore later). No one is insignificant; no one lives in a bubble; no one goes unnoticed. Consequently, we are not only important but also bear a great responsibility. The enemy’s scheme is to deny or downplay our impact and the consequences of our actions, to convince us that we lack importance, and thereby strip away any sense of responsibility. The enemy’s goal is to rob us of any sense of accountability and to make us believe that nothing we do carries consequences—in short, to make us think that consequences do not exist.
One of the greatest lies the devil has introduced among God’s people is precisely this: the removal of any sense of responsibility and the notion that consequences do not exist. Furthermore, many so-called doctrines circulating within the Church today harbor these very principles. And, of course, the perfect crime is the one that remains hidden and goes unnoticed. For instance, the enemy exploits the concept of predestination—specifically, the way many interpret this doctrine (for while the Bible does speak of predestination, it is not in the way it is often taught). Christ is the Predestined One, and it is possible that a very select group of people—though not everyone—has also been predestined. But in general, not all of us are predestined. The serious error lies in thinking that we all have a pre-mapped path and that we are merely carrying out something God ordained in ages past. That is the mistake. For if we are all predestined, then what responsibility remains? After all, we would merely be the product of a plan God laid out for everyone. This concept eliminates any sense of guilt or judgment; in short, it renders God’s role as Judge entirely meaningless. Worse still, it blames God for all human decisions, implying that He is the one who decided who is lost and who is saved. Therefore, this view is completely unbiblical. The truth is that it is man, not God, who ultimately decides where he will spend eternity.
Another issue within the people of God is the lack of personal responsibility—attributing everything to God’s grace and mercy while absolving the believer of any accountability. The idea is that God forgives everything, that there is no such thing as a bad decision, that God turns everything to good, and that ultimately, everything depends on God. While much of this is true, it is often taken to an extreme. People are responsible for their actions and decisions, especially once they have come to know the Truth. Yes, God can forgive our sins, but He does not condone rebellion. And even when He forgives sin, consequences often remain. God’s grace and forgiveness are always available, but not to be abused—and certainly not to justify a life of total irresponsibility and disobedience toward Him.
Another very serious problem is that the modern church focuses almost entirely on earthly matters—on the present world. The focus on eternity—on the hope of heaven and the Kingdom of God—has been completely lost. The emphasis is almost exclusively on receiving blessings here and now, resolving present-day problems, and acquiring material goods and tangible things. Furthermore, many measure God’s blessing solely by wealth, comfort, well-being, and the fulfillment of selfish desires. This is corrupting the church. Why? Because the world sees only more of itself in the church at large, rather than seeing Christ. Here is what the Word says: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17. If people love the things of the world more—even if they seek to have God give them—those things will not last forever; instead, they will lose their souls forever. It is written: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.
What can we learn from Jonah? Were it not for God's mercy, Jonah would have perished on the ship along with everyone else, and God would have destroyed Nineveh—not only because of its wickedness, but because Jonah would have robbed it of the opportunity for repentance. The storm was part of God's mercy. The great fish was part of God's mercy—all things God used to help (but not force) the prophet to reason and return to his task: obeying God. That is why we must think, meditate, and—if something is wrong—repent, hoping that there is still time; for there are times when God's mercy is present, and times when it runs out. Do not wait for it to run out—for your own sake and for the sake of others—because everything we do (or fail to do) affects not only us but others as well. It is written: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8. So, do you want eternal corruption or everlasting life for yourself? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!