Jonah tells the story of the prophet who ran from obedience to God. There are many lessons here to help us understand how God does His work through man and how He deals with His servants when they rebel against Him.
Some say that prophecy is too hard to understand. Everyone interprets the Bible differently and there is no correct way to interpret prophecy. This is not true. As in everything else, God gives us the guidance to understand the prophecy that He wrote.
In this chapter, God gives Jonah a lesson in mercy. Jonah knew the evil Nineveh had done and probably knew of the evil Nineveh would do to Israel. As such, he wished that the city be destroyed and was angry when God had pity on the city.
Elijah had just enjoyed one of the greatest victories in the Bible record. He follows it up with a great defeat.
In the story of the Prodigal, the elder brother has all the qualities that make for a faithful, upright church member. But his sins are serious and multiplied. Are they your sins?
