We all know the story, but have we really gotten the point?

       God’s requirement, Jonah’s rebellion and retreat, God reigns him with a raging storm, the sailors’ reluctance, Jonah’s repentance and report, Nineveh’s redemption, Jonah’s resentment, God’s reminders.

1:3 But Jonah retreated toward Tarshish !

God required Jonah to report to Nineveh , 1:1-2

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God then reigns Jonah with a raging tempest, 1:4-9 ;

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Jonah realizes and reports the resolution, 1:9-12 ;

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The sailors are reluctant, but relent, 1:13-15 ;

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and repent, 1:16 .

“So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.”

“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish “ Then three days and three nights.”

1:17

Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish…”

2:1ff

“Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on dry land.”

2:10

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.’”

3:1-2

“So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord…”

3:3a

Nineveh’s reception (of the word), repentance, 3:4-9 ; God relents, and Nineveh is redeemed, 3:10 !

Jonah’s resentment, 4:1-3 ; God’s reminders, 4:4 11 .

But what’s the point of it all?

That God loves all people and wants all to be saved?

Sure, Rom.1:16 ; 1Tim.2:4 ; Titus 2:11 15 … But is that it?

Consider this question: Why was it so important that

Jonah

go to Nineveh?

Why not let the whale be the end of it for Jonah, and send someone else to Nineveh, cf. Esther 4:14 ?

Because the story is about

Jonah’s salvation

as much as Nineveh’s… and there was something yet lacking ( cf. Luke 18:22ff )…

Jonah was doing the right things, finally… But his “heart was not right” ( cf. Acts 8:21 ): 1. He sought pleasure from the wrong sources, v.1

, Jas.4:1ff , Luke 15:7 ; 2. He thought only of himself, vv.2-5 , Phil.2:3 5ff ; 3. He didn’t get the value of others’ souls, vv.6-11 , Matt.16:26 ; but perhaps most importantly… 4. He didn’t love his enemies, v.2

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Matt.5:43-48 !

Jonah begged to die, but was not ready… He needed God’s compassion as much as Nineveh!

Now, here are the big questions: “Where is your Nineveh?” “Even if your actions are (finally) right, is your heart right?” What does your story indicate?