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Show -TIct: dd, "" (G"J c_uha.r:) · JONAH IN A PREPARED PLACE Jonah 1: 17-2: 1 I talked to you about how Jonah was God and told to go up preach in Nineveh but chose to go down in the called by opposite direction toward Tarshish. I talked you about how Jonah paid his fare and fell asleep down in the sides of the ship and the storms began to rage. Today, I want to talk about how God got him out of his disobedience and headed right direct. The text says, "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to in the swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days an three nights. " Jonah kept going down in disobedience until God got him out of the boat and down in belly of a prepared fish. (j) Y ou see once the marines found out who responsible for the raging storm, the finally threw him overboard. They had thrown everything else overboard and now they threw Jonah overboard. Although they did not want to throw Jonah into the sea, when they he was and that he was the sea ceased did The Bible says from her raging. Then the men feared " ... exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows." F or the Lord had prepared a big fish to the Lord swallow up Jonah. Can I tell you, my sisters and brothers, that God is still preparing big fish tq swallow up disobedient Jonahs. things to remember is that the Lord had prepared a great fish This was no ordinary fish, but a Divinely The first . " " ... ... prepared fish. F or scientist test us that most ordinary fish, although created and made by God, cannot swallow a whole man. the It was a miracle to God wanted to man save use the life of to His glory. Otherwise, when they threw Jonah overboard, we may never have heard of him again and even if we did hear, he would that likely be even God dead. Aren't you glad in the midst of judgment, the is merciful. He prepares to in spite of our disobedience. He we serve save us way out of no way for us. God still has work for those He calls to do and makes even a death will have to wait. I don't know what kind of fish it was, but Jesus called him a whale in Matthew 12: 40. Whatever kind of fish it was, in the hands of the Lord it was "prepared to swallow up Jonah." For God is in charge of every creature and will make them His servants whenever He get ready. The great fish was in the right place at the right time and God used him to save His servant. He swallowed John to protect him not to devour or destroy him. The Prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3: 22, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." More than that, Jonah stayed in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. That was God way of slowing down and catching a running man. Jonah the run, on his own terms, determined to go where he wanted to go and to do what he wanted to do. Like was on Lazarus and Jesus in their respective graves, Jonah for stayed there long enough everybody to know that this was the Lord's business. If he lived, it would have to be of God. This is the answer to Job's age old question, "if a man die shall he live again? Both Jonah and message of repentance and salvation to deliver to a dying world. Jesus still had a (Matthew 12: 40) In closing, the two tells in the us first verse in chapter what Jonah did while he was belly of the great fish. Listen to the text: "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly." The marines woke Jonah up in the side of the ship that he might call on his God. help in his time Every now and then, no matter Here, Jonah cries out for where you what your of need. are or circumstances, you ought to call on the Lord. Jonah had left God angry and upset, running and headed down hill. Jonah was trying to get away from what God wanted him to do. But God is in the reconciliation business. So He took the first step to save Jonah in the prepared fish and then Jonah cried out from the fish's belly. When God breaks our heart and gets out attention, we ought to pray. When we are afflicted and caught in the ought to remember who storm, we we are caught and don't know where to controls the storms and the winds. When tum, its time to call on the Lord. No place is too far away from God. Jonah called from the belly of the fish. Paul and Silas called from the ..J (I.J stocks. prayed from the cross. L "I =r: f're'{ place -p bfcrrrZ.I<t cY 1!l Jesus .,-, prison 4 I .--I-' ((J t/ . |
