The Story of Jonah in the Bible Reflection

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The Story of Jonah in the Bible Reflection

Jonah 3:1-10

For a second time the Lord told Jonah, "Now go to Nineveh and givethem My message."

This time Jonah did as he was told.Nineveh was huge. Homes spread outfor miles around. It took Jonah threedays to walk around the city. All thattime he called out, "In forty daysNineveh will be destroyed!"

The people of Nineveh heard Jonahand were shocked. This was terriblenews! They listened to God'swarnings. They believed in God. Theytook off their rich clothes and woreplain clothing, made of sackcloth.They stopped eating and spent theirdays praying. Everyone from thepoorest beggar to the richest farmerasked God to forgive them for livingsuch evil lives.

Even the king of Nineveh laid asidehis robe and put on the sackclothclothes. He ordered everybody to dothe same. "No one may eat, not eventhe animals!"

When God saw how all the peoplewere sorry and wanted to change, Heforgave them.

God Is Good

Jonah 4:1-11

When God decided to let the people ofNineveh live, Jonah was not veryhappy. "Lord, how could You saveNineveh, that awful city and all thoseevil people! It just isn't fair!"

The Lord said, "Jonah, what is the

matter? Why are you so upset?"

Jonah went off to a place east of thecity to sulk. That day, Jonah sat in thehot sun, waiting and watching. Godcaused a plant to grow so that itshaded Jonah from the sunlight.Thanks to the plant, he could look outover the city without becoming toohot. Jonah thought this plant was theonly good thing in his life.

But God had a worm attack theplant and by sunrise the next day, ithad withered. God called the hot eastwind to blow and the sun to beat downon Jonah's head. That day he becamefaint and begged with all his might,"Please Lord, I am furious at thisplant. Even it has failed me. Please putme out of my pain."

God asked Jonah, "Why shouldyou be angry at the plant?"

Jonah said, "I want that plantback."

Then the Lord said, "You are angrybecause this plant died. You wanted itto live, even though you did not plantit. It came up one night and died thenext. Now why shouldn't I care forthe over one hundred thousand peoplein Nineveh? They did not know untilyou told them that what they weredoing was so wrong.

"This was the reason I sent you tothem. They needed to learn thedifference between good and bad.Now, through you, they have metMe."

Jonah finally realized, God hadtaught him a very big lesson.

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