Jonah – La Vista Church of Christ https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:59:44 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-LaVistaBanner-Copy-1-32x32.png Jonah – La Vista Church of Christ https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms 32 32 157465916 Looking to His Holy Temple https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/looking-to-his-holy-temple/ Sat, 26 Jul 2025 19:47:25 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=88961

by Seth Mauldin
via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015

For me, the book of Jonah has always been something of a depressing book. Of course, there are positives to be found; we’ll always have the good example of the Ninevites who threw themselves into the task of repentance. But when I look to who should be the “hero” of the story, I don’t see an awful lot of “now that’s what I want to be like!” When I think of Jonah, I think about his disobedience. I think about his selfishness and lack of mercy. I see a failure to appreciate God’s grace. Last but not least, I’ll always have the memory of a prophet sitting under a dried-up little plant begging to die because it’s hot outside.

Okay. Enough of the bad; it's time for a little good. As much as it may seem that Jonah was trying to set a poor example, there is a quote of his that has always set my wheels turning. It is something mentioned in the prayer he offered while sitting in the belly of the great fish. Nobody but the Lord was around to hear him say it, but it has been preserved for our learning. But before we get there, grab your Bible and read Jonah chapter 2. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Chapter two gives us a brief glimpse of the terror Jonah felt before the Lord saved him by sending the great fish. Jonah experienced sheer terror as he sank further into the deep, the weeds wrapping around his head, and as his breath began to leave, he slowly fainted away. At that point, things were looking pretty bleak for Jonah. He had, as he puts it in Jonah 2:4, been expelled from God’s sight. But in the midst of all of that hopelessness, Jonah remembered that there was one place that he could still look. “Nevertheless, I will look again to Your holy temple” (Jonah 2:4, 7).

On the surface, we can say that this is simply Jonah’s way of saying that He was calling on the Lord. After all, the temple was synonymous with Jehovah Himself: “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the Earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20). Considering Jonah’s recent actions, one might think that the presence of God would be the last place he’d want to be; he’d stand condemned in judgment! But what else was associated with the temple, and by extension, the Lord’s presence? Exodus 25:21-22 tells us that the presence of God dwelt above the ark, in between two cherubim, above the mercy seat. Every year, the High Priest would enter the Holiest of Holies and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, providing atonement for the nation's sins. Yes, the presence of God is a place of judgment. But what Jonah remembered, at least temporarily, is that it is also a place of great mercy!

Despite the laundry list of ways that Jonah had violated God’s will, Jonah knew that he served a God who is willing to forgive those who humbly ask Him to extend His grace. Jonah is hardly the only example of someone who dug themselves into deep spiritual disaster and finally remembered to look to the temple. I think about King David and his tragic affair with Bathsheba. Like Jonah, it involved the complex stacking of one sin on top of another, all while foolishly thinking that it would somehow escape God’s sight. Like Jonah, David felt the burden of his sin. Still, it was not until Nathan confronted him in II Samuel 12 that he finally did something about his body wasting away through groaning all day long (Psalms 32:3). And when David was finally ready to restore his relationship with God, he too appealed to that aspect of God’s nature that is consistently described as everlasting: “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness” (Psalms 51:1).

Others come to mind as well. King Manasseh. Even King Ahab for a time. Whatever the example, the lessons for us are the same: First and foremost, we should remember that the only thing that can place us outside of God’s grace and mercy is our own stubborn refusal to take advantage of it. Regardless of the mistakes we’ve made, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (I Timothy 1:15). There is also a lesson in timing from these and other men. Waiting to repent is a recipe for misery. The longer you wait, the longer you are alienated from the Lord. Don’t let it take everything crashing down around you to shock you into looking to the Lord. It would do us all some good to take spiritual stock and see if we need to do some “looking to the temple.”

]]> 88961 Jonah – Wrath of Man / Mercy of God https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/jonah-wrath-of-man-mercy-of-god/ Fri, 09 Apr 2021 23:28:01 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=33988

by Ross Ward

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

  1. Story
    1. The book is about Jonah
      1. Not gentile city
    2. Outline of book
      1. Ch 1 – Jonah runs from God
      2. Ch 2 – Jonah’s salvation
      3. Ch 3 – Nineveh’s salvation
      4. Ch 4 – God’s mercy on Jonah
  2. Jonah’s faults
    1. Wrath
      1. Nineveh was worthy of God’s wrath!
        1. Jonah 1:2 – God judged wicked
        2. Jonah 3:8 – evil way, violence in their hands
        3. Jonah 3:1 – woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery
      2. Jonah’s deep resentment toward Nineveh
        1. Jonah 4:1 – exceedingly displeased
        2. Jonah 4:5 – sat and watched the city hoping for its destruction
    2. Selfishness
      1. Rejoiced and sorrowed over the gourd
      2. Despised mercy of God over 120,000 people
  3. Lessons
    1. God’s mercy
      1. Jonah 4:2 – Jonah knew of God’s mercy
      2. Jonah 3:5-9 – Nineveh hoped for God’s mercy
      3. God loves mercy
        1. Deuteronomy 5:10, 7:9 – to those who love him and keep his commands
        2. Micah 6:6-8 – God instructs mercy
      4. On Nineveh
        1. Jonah 4:11 – God provided Nineveh instruction of righteousness
        2. Jonah 3:10 – God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil
      5. On Jonah
        1. Jonah 1:2-3 – Jonah fled from God
        2. Jonah 1:4-14 – storm battered the ship
        3. Jonah 1:15-2:10 – fish swallowed Jonah
        4. Jonah 4:6-11 – seen in the gourd and the following interaction
    2. God’s patience
      1. Seen in his mercy
      2. Genesis 19:15-22 – Lot lingered at the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah
    3. God’s wrath
      1. Real
        1. Nahum 1:2-3 – eventual judgment against Nineveh
        2. Matthew 24:36-39 – Noah and flood
        3. II Peter 3:1-13 – warnings of final judgment
    4. Balancing God’s wrath and God’s mercy
      1. Adhere to his instructions
      2. James 2:13 – God’s mercy triumphs over his wrath
    5. God desires all to be saved
      1. John 3:16 – God sent Jesus
      2. I Timothy 2:1-6 – will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth
Portraits of God's Leaders
]]> 33988 Portraits of God’s Leaders https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/portraits-of-gods-leaders/ Fri, 02 Apr 2021 18:46:54 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=33868

A series of lessons presented by Ross Ward of Des Moines, Iowa, April 4-9, 2021

King Saul - An 'I' Problem

Saul relies on his own will and ability, ultimately refused to accept responsibility for his actions (I Samuel 8-16)

Jesus - Humble Servant King

Jesus is King but not according to the world's standards (Mark 11:1-11)

The Mind of a Servant - The Nature of a Godly Leader

We have one Lord, Jesus, he had the nature of a servant and instructs his leaders to be servants (Luke 22:24-27)

Barnabas - The Encourager

Barnabas, a servant of our Savior who had a great influence on young Christians and the young church (Acts 4; 9; 11; 15)

Ruth - A Woman of Virtue

Ruth, a woman of might, a servant in her time (Ruth 1-4)

David - A Child's Faith

David, faith in God as a youth (I Samuel 17)

David - A Man After God's Own Heart

David, a man of many failures, but overcame because he trusted in God (II Samuel 11-12; Psalms)

Jonah - Wrath of Man / Mercy of God

God's Mercy shown to Jonah and Nineveh (Jonah 1-4)

]]> 33868 Can Men Change God’s Will? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/can-men-change-gods-will/ Thu, 30 May 2019 20:30:52 +0000 http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=4801

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Daniel 4:28-37

 

I.         A difficulty those raised in Calvinist beliefs is resolving the idea of God’s sovereign will with the actions of men.

            A.        To many Calvinists, God’s will is immutable (unable to be changed). The idea that men might do something to alter God’s decisions is inconceivable.

            B.        This is why Calvinists are so quick to deny that baptism is necessary for salvation. To them, salvation is something God decides; therefore, no action by men can change that decision.

II.        God does as He pleases

            A.        The end of Daniel 4 is written by King Nebuchadnezzar after he spent seven years of insanity at the hand of God.

                        1.         He declared that people are nothing, God does as He decides, and no one can stay His hand - Daniel 4:35

                        2.         But read this carefully. Nothing in this states that God can’t change His mind about a matter if the circumstances change.

            B.        God works all things according to counsel of His will - Ephesians 1:11

                        1.         This passage is about God’s plan to save mankind from their sins

                        2.         Before the world began, God planned to send His Son, so that through his shed blood, people would have a way to obtain redemption - Ephesians 1:7

                        3.         God has successfully executed that plan.

                                    a.         A factor in God’s plan depends on what an individual decides to do.

                                    b.         In other words, God’s plan includes people making a choice

                                    c.         A some point in our lives, we are destined for destruction - Ephesians 2:3

                                    d.         But some of us listen to message of the Holy Spirit and believe it - Ephesians 1:13-14

                                    e.         We were made alive through Christ and raised up with him through God’s grace - Ephesians 2:5-6

                                                (1)       This is an allusion to baptism - Romans 6:3-4

                        4.         Globally, Satan, the Roman government, and the Jewish leaders were unable to stop God from putting His plan for saving people into action

                        5.         Individually, God requires those who would be saved to do the works He has laid out - Ephesians 2:10

                        6.         Thus, individually, God’s decision to destroy sinners is changed by His grace allowing those who choose to obey him to be granted forgiveness

            C.        God’s counsel stands forever - Psalms 33:8-11

                        1.         God’s decisions cannot be stopped by nations, nor does He change His plans as time progresses

                        2.         But this does not mean God is unable to show mercy to individuals or nations as He sees fit

                        3.         God is able to adjust His plans to accommodate the righteous or punish the wicked without impacting His grand design

                        4.         Hezekiah was extremely ill. He was told to get his house in order because he would soon die. Hezekiah prayed and God granted him 15 more years of life - Isaiah 38:5

                                    a.         God had some “wiggle room” in His plans, so He granted Hezekiah’s wish

                        5.         Later Hezekiah made the mistake of showing off the wealth of Israel to representatives of Babylon - II Kings 20:17-18

                                    a.         This destruction by Babylon would not have happened so soon if Hezekiah had made a different choice.

                                    b.         God’s designs didn’t change overall, but Hezekiah’s choice did alter the timing causing punishment to come.

            D.        God plans it and God does it - Isaiah 46:9-11

                        1.         This passage tells us why no man or nation can alter God’s purpose. It is God who executes His plans and no one can stand in the way of the Almighty

                        2.         But this doesn’t mean that God has planned out every detail of everyone’s life.

                        3.         An aspect of God’s design is that man is allowed free-choice - Proverbs 16:1

                                    a.         This is implied in Isaiah 46:11 when God said He will bring His decisions to pass.

                                    b.         That means the future is not already settled. God takes an active role in seeing that His will is accomplished.

III.       The illustration of Jonah

            A.        When God sent Jonah to Nineveh, Jonah tried to go to Tarshish instead

                        1.         Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed - Jonah 4:1-2

                        2.         Notice that Jonah had discussed this with God prior to his departure

                        3.         Therefore, we can conclude that Jonah knew that the purpose of his going to tell Nineveh of their future destruction was to open the possibility of the Assyrians changing.

                        4.         Jonah didn’t want the Assyrians forgiven, he wanted them destroyed, so he tried to remove any chance of them repenting

            B.        When Jonah did go, I suspect that his message didn’t call for repentance. The Bible only states that he said Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days - Jonah 3:4

                        1.         That was the part that Jonah wanted to happen.

                        2.         I could see Jonah avoiding mentioning that there was a chance if they repented.

                        3.         Notice also that the king wasn’t certain that God would relent - Jonah 3:9

                                    a.         Thus, the king likely didn’t conclude this from Jonah’s message

            C.        Thus, despite one, possibly two attempts by Jonah to change God’s plan, God was still able to show mercy on Nineveh.

            D.        As God told Israel, He doesn’t destroy because He enjoys punishing people - Ezekiel 18:30-32

                        1.         The people of Nineveh did not cause God to change His plan

                        2.         They met the condition that allowed God to justly offer mercy, which was what God preferred to do.

IV.      The implications of Jonah for us

            A.        God has granted people, who met His conditions, forgiveness of sin. That is also true today.

            B.        There is a promise of a home in heaven if they remain faithful.

                        1.         So failing to remain obedient will cause us to miss out on heaven - Hebrews 4:11

                        2.         But that condition means people can impact their destiny

            C.        People don’t change God’s plan. His purpose remains the same - II Peter 3:9

            D.        People make their plans, but God’s will remains fix

                        1.         It is the obedient who enter into God’s kingdom

                        2.         So will you submit to God’s will or try to rebel?

]]> 4801 The Word of the Lord to Jonah https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/the-word-of-the-lord-to-jonah/ Sat, 22 Sep 2018 02:58:00 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=54283

by Wesley Key

The Minor Prophets
]]> 54283 Lessons in the Minor Prophets https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/lessons-in-the-minor-prophets/ Mon, 17 Sep 2018 02:00:00 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=54211

by Wesley Key

2018 Fall Meeting Series

]]> 54211 Can someone live in a giant fish for three days? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/can-someone-live-in-a-giant-fish-for-three-days/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 02:22:00 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=38196

Question:

Can someone live in a giant fish for three days? I've never understood that. I know it's referencing Jesus' situation, but it confuses me. When Jesus is getting baptized did God really shout from the sky? I probably seem really ignorant, but I thought it would be good to start reading the Word again, and I might as well start with things I don't understand. Is that the right way to do it?

Answer:

If you were talking about common everyday events, then, no, people don't typically survive in the belly of a fish for three days, nor do we hear God speak from heaven. The reason these events are important is that the normal is not being done by God. See Do miracles happen every day? But since God is able to make the entire universe, it is not a great stretch to realize that He can suspend the laws of nature to accomplish something that no one else can do.

]]> 38196 Jonah – God’s Work-in-Progress https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/jonah-gods-work-in-progress/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:12:00 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=63163

by Eric M. Hamilton

Ordinary Is God's Extraordinary
]]> 63163 Why is “God” in Jonah 1:6 in lower case in some translations? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/why-is-god-in-jonah-16-in-lower-case-in-some-translations/ Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:54:00 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=17999

Question:

Jonah 1:6 in NKJV & ASV show referring to God as "God." The captain told Jonah to pray to his God. But in the NASB it refers to the Lord God Jehovah as "god."

Is this a typo with the printer? Why would the NASB show this?  Could it be that the captain was referring to Jonah's God as common as they were to pray to their individual gods?

Answer:

Capitalization is a translator's choice. The word in the verse is the one for "god" whether an idol or the true God. Since the captain would not have been a believer in the one true God, the NASB translators chose to use the lower case to show that clearly. The other translators chose to use the upper case "God" because knowingly or not, he was referring to the one true God.

]]> 17999 Did Jonah learn the lessons God taught him? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/did-jonah-learn-the-lessons-god-taught-him/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:47:34 +0000 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/?p=8108

Question:

What would Jonah have answered God at the end of the Book? Did Jonah learn the lessons?

Answer:

Since we are not told, to speculate would be useless. We can see the lessons God taught Jonah, and it is those lessons that we, in turn, also need to learn. As Paul warned, "that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written" (I Corinthians 4:6). God did not deem it important for us to know whether Jonah himself learned those lessons or not.

]]> 8108