Thoughts from Jonah

Three Thoughts from Jonah
1. We must preach the preaching God bids us (1:2; 3:2). God does not change His mind and give Jonah a different message the second time around.
2. We must leave the results to God (3:5-10). Jonah did not tell the Ninevites how to avoid being overthrown, yet God performed a mighty work.
3. God's work does not depend upon the messenger. Jonah was a rebellious prophet -- prejudiced and unconcerned -- and was angry with the results. Yet God performed a mighty work in Nineveh. [P.S. this does not excuse us from being faithful]

The messenger did not like the people, did not want to go, went the other way, slept while running from God, was swallowed by a whale, had to be thrown up on site by a whale, preached the message, got mad when the people repented, wished he could die rather than see Nineveh delivered, and had more sympathy for his sorry little self having a shade than for thousands of people going down in destruction. God's work did not depend on the messenger. Jonah, in spite of all his ridiculous faults, preached the message God gave them.