RUSSELL SANDERS
8-24-2020
JONAH PART 15
Ch. 2:10-3:1
Jonah said in Ch 2:10, “and the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon dry land.”
Jonah’s three days and three nights in Sheol (Hell) were completed. The fish was now ready to yield up his body as Jonah’s soul exited Hell and life returned to his body as the shark (great fish) spit his resurrected body to the earth. It foreshadowed how Hell (Sheol, Hades) gave up Jesus in His resurrected body from the grave. He then walked the earth for 40 days.
God had not only had the fish (whale shark) preserve Jonah’s body for three days, but also told the fish where to go to make his “delivery.” Remember, that Jonah had boarded the ship headed to Tarshish in the opposite direction from Nineveh which was located Northeast of Israel. God redirected the fish northward so as to deposit the prophet in the direction of Nineveh. That was another part of the miraculous intervention. After Jonah had been cast on to dry land (Jonah 3:1) “The word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying…” God once again called Jonah to respond to his missionary call.
Sometimes God has to issue His call upon our life more than once to get us to respond. Some people never respond; they miss out on God’s plan for them, and for whatever ministry to which He had called them.
A rather dramatic example of this was seen in the call of God to world renowned missionary evangelist Reinhardt Bonnke. He was called to preach the gospel all over the vast “dark continent” of Africa. He responded. Through his crusades, millions of Africans were saved, and there were thousands of miraculous healings.
One day in prayer and meditation, Bonnke was thanking God for calling him to Africa and for blessing and prospering his ministry. He was feeling good about it. Then God spoke to him and said (and I paraphrase it), “Reinhardt, you were not my first choice for this!” “Oh, I wasn’t, Lord?” “No, neither were you my second or third choice.” “Oh, I see, I didn’t know that. What happened then?” “Well, none of those I called responded to it. They did not take up my call. As I went down my list, you were the one that took up my call. That is why I have blessed your ministry.” Bonnke was very humbled by this, but very glad he had obeyed the call.
How many people “miss out” because they do not take up the call on their life? You may not be called to fulltime ministry, but God does have a plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…to give you and expected end.” (a future and a hope” (NKJV). Also, God told Jeremiah in Ch. 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew thee. Before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you…” God had your plan set before you were born!
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