We discussed Jonah in Sunday school recently. It is interesting to learn that God in his providence sent Jonah to Ninevah by way of a large fish. This was certainly a miraculous work of God for Jonah to survive in its belly for 3 days. One time Jesus was demanded to show a sign by the scribes and Pharisees, and He used Jonah's time in this fish to foretell his own death, spending three days in the grave, and rising again. Looking back at Jonah's uncomfortable accomodations, we find that the fish he traveled in had some significant meaning to the Ninevites. The Ninevites were idolators. They did not worshp the Creator God of the universe. In fact, there were two idols who were most prominant in their culture, and they both had to do with ... you guessed it, fish! Ninevah was a huge city located on the banks of the the Tigris River with an 8 mile long wall surrounding the inner city, and a suburban area with a circumference of 60 miles! The Tigris river's fresh water provided the life source of fish and fresh water for irrigation needed to feed the hundreds of thousands of people living in what was likely the largest city in the world. The name Ninevah came from an Akkadian word "nunu" which meant fish, and the people their worshipped Nanshe the fish goddess and daughter of Ea (the goddess of fresh water) and Dagon (the fish god who was half man and half fish). This all sounds pretty weird, but think about it. The people worshipped nature. More specifically they worshipped the parts of nature they thought provided them with life. We know better. Jesus told the people "I am the resurrection and the life!" God does not want men to worship his creation. He wants us to worship Him. When Jonah was spit out of a fish onto land near Joppa, people probably heard, and news spread. He would have looked aweful: pale, partially digested, and resembling the false gods of the Ninevites. Jonah journeyed on to preach to the people he once refused to warn. When Jonah had walked for a day into the city he told the people that they must repent or else they would be overthrown in 40 days. Through these unusual circumstances, God in his providence went right to the heart of the Ninevites idolatry, the fish gods and godesses.
Jesus' message is the same for us. Turn from your idols. Turn to God.
Do you trust circumstances for your provision?
You probably will be unwilling to step out in faith and obey God when opportunities come.
Do you trust other people for happiness?
You will probably seek to please them above the Lord.
Do you trust your own ideas and opinions over God's word?
You will fail in obedience.
When Jesus rose from the grave after 3 days, he spent 40 days on the earth before ascending into heaven, and after this time, the Holy Spirit came to empower the Apostles and the early church to be witnesses on the earth. Their message? Look at acts 2:38. Peter explained that the Israelites had crucified their Messiah, and they must repent, and "be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." God is good, He has made a way for us to be with Him for eternity, but many people will continue to reject His Son. The people needed to be identified with Jesus. Just like the Ninevites needed to be identified as humble and repentant before God, we must be humble and repentant: believing in the Lord Jesus for our forgiveness and righteousness. We then need to be on the offensive against the idolatry of our world, and the idolatry that we find pulling on our own hearts. We need to identify with Jesus in this world, are you ready? Are you willing to be identified wherever you go with your Creator and Savior and follow Him in obedience? You have been given power as a believer to be a witness of Jesus to a world of idolators. Be that witness!
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