As we began the
book of Jonah, we read as “Yehovah” God brought His “word”
to “Jonah” the prophet who was the “son of Amattai”.
In chapter one and verse two of his writing, the author shared God's
command to Jonah - “Arise, go to Nineveh” where we read:
Arise, go
to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it;
for their
wickedness is come up before me.
The
verse begins, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and
cry against it;” The writer
began with the word, “Arise” which
means “stand, rise up or stand up”, “go”
or “walk, come, depart, proceed, move and go away” “to
Nineveh” which means “abode
of Ninus” and was “capital of the ancient kingdom of
Assyria; located on the east bank of the Tigris river, 550 miles (880
kilometers) from its mouth and 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of
Babylon”, “that great
city” or “large in number
and intensity”, “and cry” or
“call out, recite, read and proclaim” “against it”
which means “in opposition to and averse to”. Jonah's Godly
commission was to “go to”
the city of “Nineveh”
and make a proclamation against it.
The
verse goes on to say, “for their wickedness is come up before
me.” The writer added, “for their wickedness” or
“the people in the city's bad, evil, disagreeable behavior,
malignant, unpleasing and misery” “is come up” which
means “ascended, sprung up, shot forth and risen” “before
me” which refers to “God Almighty”. Jonah was to “cry
against” “Nineveh” because their “evil and despicable” ways
were “ascended” up to God.
When
we consider these words, we understand Jonah had a specific work he
was to carry out for “the LORD”. “Nineveh” was
a “wicked” city, and the time for their judgment had come. Jonah
was to be the agent by which the announcement of their judgment would
come. The return of Jesus will bring “judgment” upon the earth,
and the time to hear His message is now. As we study the book of
Jonah, let us keep in mind that “judgment” could be pronounced
upon our “wickedness” as well, and let us hear and take
heed to God's word as study it.
Next
time we see how Jonah responded to God's commission, so read ahead,
and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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