Theory question 103
God's Divine LoveDiscuss the experience of Jonah in the belly of the fish and in Nineveh. What two lessons did he learn from the experience?
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The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah; he was in it three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).
He prayed from the belly of the fish, describing his distress in the deep and thanking God, vowing to pay what he vowed: "Deliverance belongs to the Lord" (Jonah 2:1-9).
The Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah on dry land (Jonah 2:10).
God called him a second time; he went to Nineveh, a three days' journey in breadth, and cried, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:1-4).
The people believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth; the king did the same and ordered all to turn from evil (Jonah 3:5-9).
God saw their repentance and did not bring the evil (Jonah 3:10).
Jonah was angry and asked to die; he sat east of the city to see what would happen (Jonah 4:1-5).
God made a plant shade him, then a worm killed it; Jonah was angry about the plant (Jonah 4:6-9).
God said Jonah pitied a plant, so should He not pity Nineveh with 120,000 people and much cattle? (Jonah 4:10-11).
Lessons (any two): one cannot escape God; obedience to God is necessary; God is merciful to all who repent, including Gentiles; God answers prayer even in distress; we should not be angry when God forgives others.
Cover the fish, Nineveh and the plant, then two lessons.