August 2025
God Shows Compassion, 17 August 2025
God Shows Compassion
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 17, 2025
Jonah 4
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: God’s love is available to all, Jew and Gentile alike.
We’ve been studying the book of Jonah for the past few weeks and today we conclude with chapter four. The most famous part of the story was obviously Jonah being swallowed by—and later vomited by—a large fish. But why was Jonah in the fish? He disobeyed God when told to go to Nineveh. But why didn’t Jonah want to go to Nineveh?
Throughout this series, we’ve noted how the life of a prophet was not an easy one. They were given messages by God to deliver to people who were often enemies of God. The message was typically, “Repent! Turn! Say ‘yes’ to God! Surrender! Get on your knees!
In chapter 3, Jonah finally goes to Nineveh, tells the people to repent, and they do! I used to think Jonah avoided Nineveh because he was afraid of failure, wasting his breath on people uninterested in God. The opposite was true. The people—led by the king—not only repented, they put on sackcloth and fasted to show their sincerity and desperation. God
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)
God shows compassion and the Ninevites are spared of God’s wrath. This is wonderful news!
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. (Jonah 4:1)
What? He was a successful prophet. The people repented. Revival broke out. What’s the problem?
He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2)
He didn’t want God to love Nineveh. He hated this city, as many Jews did. He hated these people and didn’t want God to show love, grace, and compassion. He wanted to see his enemies destroyed!
Have you ever felt that way? Are there people you hate? Be honest. It might be a particular person or group. Who are “those people” in your life? It could be people with different race, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Maybe it’s our president, the last one, Putin, or Elon Musk. Do they deserve God’s grace and love more than you?
Maybe it was Osama bin Ladin or Saddam Hussein, Hitler,…or that person responsible for that huge loss in your life…they killed your loved one, caused you to lose your job, or stole your innocence. Do they deserve God’s grace and love more than you?
Jonah is so angry about God loving “those people,” he says,
Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:3)
He’d rather die than see the Ninevites live! This is serious hatred. Before we move on, perhaps you can relate.
But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)
Who is the object of Jonah’s anger, the Ninevites or God? Jonah is angry because God is slow to anger! He wants to die because God lets the Ninevites live.
It’s ok to be real with God, but don’t be surprised if He responds with truth. God is God and we’re not. We may struggle to love or forgive, but that’s what He does. That’s who He is. That’s great news for us…and “the world” that God so loved. We are all “better than we deserve.” But we should never hoard God’s love. We are to share it with others.
I have a friend who told me he struggled to pray for a particular government leader. I thought if God gripped the heart of this leader, they would make God-honoring decisions and make the world a better place. Everyone wins when someone surrenders to Jesus. Right?
Now we come to one of the strangest stories in the Bible.
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. (Jonah 4:5)
He delivered his message, the people repented, and he sticks around to see what’s next.
Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. (Jonah 4:6)
God still loves Jonah after his bad attitude. The LORD provides a plant for shade…and Jonah was “very happy” about the plant.
But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. (Jonah 4:7)
The LORD gives, the LORD takes away. The text doesn’t just tell us about the hungry worm. It says God provided it. Can you imagine Jonah’s anger now? The one thing in his life that makes him happy, the plant, is now eaten by this stupid worm!
When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:8)
This is the second time Jonah makes this declaration. He’s not the only person in the Bible who had suicidal ideation.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who does, there’s a new simple hotline number: 988. Make a note of it, and if you are struggling, people tell someone. No matter the reason, help is available, and you matter to us and you matter to God.
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” (Jonah 4:9)
I appreciate Jonah’s honesty, but doesn’t he sound like a child? What an attitude!
But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. (Jonah 4:10)
True! Now for the grand finale of the book. Are you ready? God says to Jonah,
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:11)
That’s it! The book of Jonah ends with a question mark! The book of Nahum is the only other book of the Bible that ends with a question mark. What’s the answer to the question? Should God love the people of Nineveh? Yes! Should God love the people of Findlay? Yes! Should God so love the world? He does!
So What?
When all is said and done, this book is not about a fish. It’s not even about Jonah. It’s about a God who a loving, gracious, forgiving, compassionate God.
The context of the book of Jonah is the tension between Jews and Gentiles. When Jesus arrives hundreds of years later, he declared good news for not only Jews but also us Gentiles, too. We’re grafted in. Jesus died for us, too! Hallelujah! In the book of Acts,
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (Acts 10:34-35)
Fear here is not spooky, but awe and reverence. God doesn’t have favorites. We’re all entitled to receive His love, and we should celebrate that. There is nothing in this world greater than God’s transforming love, and history is filled with examples of people repenting of their evil deeds, surrendering to Jesus, and being used for God’s glory, including Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9), King Manasseh of Judah (2 Chronicles 33), John Newton (1725-1807), and former gang leader Nicky Cruz.
God’s love is available to all, Jew and Gentile alike.
One commentator wrote,
“It’s not as if we should never desire justice. It is good news when an oppressor is toppled, the terrorist caught, the torturer brought to justice. The great danger is that instead of simply rejoicing at the vindication of the oppressed, we self-righteously identify ourselves as the oppressed, taking pity on ourselves and not on the others. In our imaginations, Yahweh becomes a weapon in our campaign to destroy our enemies, an instrument of our own revenge rather than the righteous judge of the earth.”
Are you ok with God loving your enemies? Jesus died for them, too.
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 17, 2025
Jonah 4
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: God’s love is available to all, Jew and Gentile alike.
We’ve been studying the book of Jonah for the past few weeks and today we conclude with chapter four. The most famous part of the story was obviously Jonah being swallowed by—and later vomited by—a large fish. But why was Jonah in the fish? He disobeyed God when told to go to Nineveh. But why didn’t Jonah want to go to Nineveh?
Throughout this series, we’ve noted how the life of a prophet was not an easy one. They were given messages by God to deliver to people who were often enemies of God. The message was typically, “Repent! Turn! Say ‘yes’ to God! Surrender! Get on your knees!
In chapter 3, Jonah finally goes to Nineveh, tells the people to repent, and they do! I used to think Jonah avoided Nineveh because he was afraid of failure, wasting his breath on people uninterested in God. The opposite was true. The people—led by the king—not only repented, they put on sackcloth and fasted to show their sincerity and desperation. God
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)
God shows compassion and the Ninevites are spared of God’s wrath. This is wonderful news!
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. (Jonah 4:1)
What? He was a successful prophet. The people repented. Revival broke out. What’s the problem?
He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2)
He didn’t want God to love Nineveh. He hated this city, as many Jews did. He hated these people and didn’t want God to show love, grace, and compassion. He wanted to see his enemies destroyed!
Have you ever felt that way? Are there people you hate? Be honest. It might be a particular person or group. Who are “those people” in your life? It could be people with different race, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Maybe it’s our president, the last one, Putin, or Elon Musk. Do they deserve God’s grace and love more than you?
Maybe it was Osama bin Ladin or Saddam Hussein, Hitler,…or that person responsible for that huge loss in your life…they killed your loved one, caused you to lose your job, or stole your innocence. Do they deserve God’s grace and love more than you?
Jonah is so angry about God loving “those people,” he says,
Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:3)
He’d rather die than see the Ninevites live! This is serious hatred. Before we move on, perhaps you can relate.
But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)
Who is the object of Jonah’s anger, the Ninevites or God? Jonah is angry because God is slow to anger! He wants to die because God lets the Ninevites live.
It’s ok to be real with God, but don’t be surprised if He responds with truth. God is God and we’re not. We may struggle to love or forgive, but that’s what He does. That’s who He is. That’s great news for us…and “the world” that God so loved. We are all “better than we deserve.” But we should never hoard God’s love. We are to share it with others.
I have a friend who told me he struggled to pray for a particular government leader. I thought if God gripped the heart of this leader, they would make God-honoring decisions and make the world a better place. Everyone wins when someone surrenders to Jesus. Right?
Now we come to one of the strangest stories in the Bible.
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. (Jonah 4:5)
He delivered his message, the people repented, and he sticks around to see what’s next.
Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. (Jonah 4:6)
God still loves Jonah after his bad attitude. The LORD provides a plant for shade…and Jonah was “very happy” about the plant.
But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. (Jonah 4:7)
The LORD gives, the LORD takes away. The text doesn’t just tell us about the hungry worm. It says God provided it. Can you imagine Jonah’s anger now? The one thing in his life that makes him happy, the plant, is now eaten by this stupid worm!
When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:8)
This is the second time Jonah makes this declaration. He’s not the only person in the Bible who had suicidal ideation.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who does, there’s a new simple hotline number: 988. Make a note of it, and if you are struggling, people tell someone. No matter the reason, help is available, and you matter to us and you matter to God.
But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” (Jonah 4:9)
I appreciate Jonah’s honesty, but doesn’t he sound like a child? What an attitude!
But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. (Jonah 4:10)
True! Now for the grand finale of the book. Are you ready? God says to Jonah,
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:11)
That’s it! The book of Jonah ends with a question mark! The book of Nahum is the only other book of the Bible that ends with a question mark. What’s the answer to the question? Should God love the people of Nineveh? Yes! Should God love the people of Findlay? Yes! Should God so love the world? He does!
So What?
When all is said and done, this book is not about a fish. It’s not even about Jonah. It’s about a God who a loving, gracious, forgiving, compassionate God.
The context of the book of Jonah is the tension between Jews and Gentiles. When Jesus arrives hundreds of years later, he declared good news for not only Jews but also us Gentiles, too. We’re grafted in. Jesus died for us, too! Hallelujah! In the book of Acts,
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (Acts 10:34-35)
Fear here is not spooky, but awe and reverence. God doesn’t have favorites. We’re all entitled to receive His love, and we should celebrate that. There is nothing in this world greater than God’s transforming love, and history is filled with examples of people repenting of their evil deeds, surrendering to Jesus, and being used for God’s glory, including Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9), King Manasseh of Judah (2 Chronicles 33), John Newton (1725-1807), and former gang leader Nicky Cruz.
God’s love is available to all, Jew and Gentile alike.
One commentator wrote,
“It’s not as if we should never desire justice. It is good news when an oppressor is toppled, the terrorist caught, the torturer brought to justice. The great danger is that instead of simply rejoicing at the vindication of the oppressed, we self-righteously identify ourselves as the oppressed, taking pity on ourselves and not on the others. In our imaginations, Yahweh becomes a weapon in our campaign to destroy our enemies, an instrument of our own revenge rather than the righteous judge of the earth.”
Are you ok with God loving your enemies? Jesus died for them, too.
God Forgives the Repentant, 10 August 2025
God Forgives the Repentant
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 10, 2025
Jonah 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-5
The most famous verse of the Bible says,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Who does that exclude?
From the opening pages of the Bible, humans have had a remarkable habit of identifying differences, identifying enemies, and creating “us versus them” scenarios. We’ll see it in a few weeks at football stadiums across the country. We tragically see it on more deadly battlefields.
The Kingdom of God is the result of God so loving the world, and that includes…everyone. We can choose whether to accept or reject God’s love, but Jesus died for USAmericans and Russians, blacks and whites, gays and straights, legal and illegals, rich and poor, elephants and donkeys.
But what happens when “those people” are offered God’s love? Do they deserve it? Do we?
We’re in the third week of our series on Jonah and while the big fish grabs all the headlines, the real story is God’s love…for sailors, for Ninevites, and for Jonah. We like to think of ourselves as the good guys in every story, but the truth is we have more in common with Jonah than we’d like to admit.
Have you ever run from God? Have you ever procrastinated a spiritual assignment? Have you ever failed to share God’s good news with someone out of fear or embarrassment? Have you ever failed to love “those people?”
Jonah chapter 3 begins…
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:1-2)
If you missed it, the first time Jonah ran away from God and Nineveh. God said, “Go” and Jonah said, “No.” We don’t know when or where God came to Jonah this second time. Hopefully it was after Jonah bathed! It’s amazing that God gives Jonah a second chance. That gives me hope when I fail. I love—and need—God’s amazing grace and mercy and forgiveness.
God called Nineveh a great city, and by that He did not mean good, but rather large. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire in what we know as Mosul, Iraq today. Assyrians were not only enemies of Israel, but they were also known for brutality against their foes. They were not nice people, and Jonah wanted nothing to do with them.
But now he wanted nothing to do with living in the sea again, so, this time, he does the right thing.
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 3:3a)
God said, “Go” and Jonah said, “O…k”
Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:3b-4)
This is not good news for the Ninevites. Then again, prophets rarely delivered good news. Their most common message was, “Repent! Turn! Stop what you’re doing and do the opposite!” Often their message was ignored, and people suffered the consequences. But in this case
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 3:5)
The people responded to Jonah’s proclamation and repented. Amazing!
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. (Jonah 3:3-6)
This is remarkable. It’s one thing for commoners to cry out to God, but quite another for the king to humble himself before the LORD. Oh that we would have leaders in our government today who would humble themselves and pray and turn from the wicked ways. It reminds me of God’s promise to His people in the book of 2 Chronicles:
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
This is our God. He does not hold grudges. He does not become bitter. He is slow to anger and abounding in love as noted at least eight times in the Bible. And that love is available to all. For God so loved…the world. That includes North Korea, Iran, Russia, and even us Wolverine fans! Back to the king…
This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. (Jonah 3:7)
He’s calling for a season of fasting.
Have you ever fasted from food? Fasting is one of the classic spiritual disciples or practices or habits. I’m hardly an expert, but I engage in fasting. Like jogging on the treadmill, I don’t always like the experience but appreciate the results.
Fasting can draw us to God. It can recalibrate not only our digestive system but also our souls. Fasting reminds us of our dependency on God for daily bread, helps us identify with those unable to obtain food, humbles us before God, serves as obedience to Jesus, helps us overcome temptation, strengthens our prayers, expresses our love and worship to God, and helps us in decision-making, among other things. It’s also a sign of repentance, which is clearly the case here. These people don’t just pay lip service to God. They enter a season of mourning and repentance. The king continued,
But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. (Jonah 3:8)
Sackcloth is a rough material made from goat or camel’s hair. It’s like burlap and was worn as a sign of sorrow, repentance, humility, or mourning. It’s a visual expression of brokenness. I’m not aware of anything similar in our culture. It was often done with fasting. I’m fascinated by the king’s decree to cover the animals with sackcloth, too. Clearly he is serious about his remorse and repentance. Notice his four commands: fast, wear sackcloth, pray, and give up their evil ways.
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:9)
As long as we have breath, it’s never too late to repent, to turn and run to God. This king understood this.
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)
Mission accomplished! Missions accomplished!
Jonah proclaimed God’s message.
The king and the people repented.
God was able to spare Nineveh of destruction.
It’s amazing that God gives the Ninevites a second chance.
And everyone lived happily ever after! Well, not quite, as we’ll see next week.
So What?
To summarize this chapter, after God forgives Jonah for his disobedience, God forgives Israel’s enemies because they repent.
Who are you in the story? Are you Jonah, eager to proclaim God’s truth to a broken world, courageously sharing the reason for your hope? Are you a Ninevite, living in sin, yet eager to repent and receive forgiveness? Are you in a position to forgive like God, eager to see a broken relationship restored?
I know we can all relate to the Ninevites. We’ve all sinned…against God and others. We all need forgiveness. God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Although a different context, the prophet Ezekiel was told,
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11a)
This is the heart of God. When we turn from our sins, God is always ready to start again with us. God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us. Hallelujah!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 10, 2025
Jonah 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-5
The most famous verse of the Bible says,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Who does that exclude?
From the opening pages of the Bible, humans have had a remarkable habit of identifying differences, identifying enemies, and creating “us versus them” scenarios. We’ll see it in a few weeks at football stadiums across the country. We tragically see it on more deadly battlefields.
The Kingdom of God is the result of God so loving the world, and that includes…everyone. We can choose whether to accept or reject God’s love, but Jesus died for USAmericans and Russians, blacks and whites, gays and straights, legal and illegals, rich and poor, elephants and donkeys.
But what happens when “those people” are offered God’s love? Do they deserve it? Do we?
We’re in the third week of our series on Jonah and while the big fish grabs all the headlines, the real story is God’s love…for sailors, for Ninevites, and for Jonah. We like to think of ourselves as the good guys in every story, but the truth is we have more in common with Jonah than we’d like to admit.
Have you ever run from God? Have you ever procrastinated a spiritual assignment? Have you ever failed to share God’s good news with someone out of fear or embarrassment? Have you ever failed to love “those people?”
Jonah chapter 3 begins…
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:1-2)
If you missed it, the first time Jonah ran away from God and Nineveh. God said, “Go” and Jonah said, “No.” We don’t know when or where God came to Jonah this second time. Hopefully it was after Jonah bathed! It’s amazing that God gives Jonah a second chance. That gives me hope when I fail. I love—and need—God’s amazing grace and mercy and forgiveness.
God called Nineveh a great city, and by that He did not mean good, but rather large. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire in what we know as Mosul, Iraq today. Assyrians were not only enemies of Israel, but they were also known for brutality against their foes. They were not nice people, and Jonah wanted nothing to do with them.
But now he wanted nothing to do with living in the sea again, so, this time, he does the right thing.
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 3:3a)
God said, “Go” and Jonah said, “O…k”
Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:3b-4)
This is not good news for the Ninevites. Then again, prophets rarely delivered good news. Their most common message was, “Repent! Turn! Stop what you’re doing and do the opposite!” Often their message was ignored, and people suffered the consequences. But in this case
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 3:5)
The people responded to Jonah’s proclamation and repented. Amazing!
When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. (Jonah 3:3-6)
This is remarkable. It’s one thing for commoners to cry out to God, but quite another for the king to humble himself before the LORD. Oh that we would have leaders in our government today who would humble themselves and pray and turn from the wicked ways. It reminds me of God’s promise to His people in the book of 2 Chronicles:
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
This is our God. He does not hold grudges. He does not become bitter. He is slow to anger and abounding in love as noted at least eight times in the Bible. And that love is available to all. For God so loved…the world. That includes North Korea, Iran, Russia, and even us Wolverine fans! Back to the king…
This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. (Jonah 3:7)
He’s calling for a season of fasting.
Have you ever fasted from food? Fasting is one of the classic spiritual disciples or practices or habits. I’m hardly an expert, but I engage in fasting. Like jogging on the treadmill, I don’t always like the experience but appreciate the results.
Fasting can draw us to God. It can recalibrate not only our digestive system but also our souls. Fasting reminds us of our dependency on God for daily bread, helps us identify with those unable to obtain food, humbles us before God, serves as obedience to Jesus, helps us overcome temptation, strengthens our prayers, expresses our love and worship to God, and helps us in decision-making, among other things. It’s also a sign of repentance, which is clearly the case here. These people don’t just pay lip service to God. They enter a season of mourning and repentance. The king continued,
But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. (Jonah 3:8)
Sackcloth is a rough material made from goat or camel’s hair. It’s like burlap and was worn as a sign of sorrow, repentance, humility, or mourning. It’s a visual expression of brokenness. I’m not aware of anything similar in our culture. It was often done with fasting. I’m fascinated by the king’s decree to cover the animals with sackcloth, too. Clearly he is serious about his remorse and repentance. Notice his four commands: fast, wear sackcloth, pray, and give up their evil ways.
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:9)
As long as we have breath, it’s never too late to repent, to turn and run to God. This king understood this.
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)
Mission accomplished! Missions accomplished!
Jonah proclaimed God’s message.
The king and the people repented.
God was able to spare Nineveh of destruction.
It’s amazing that God gives the Ninevites a second chance.
And everyone lived happily ever after! Well, not quite, as we’ll see next week.
So What?
To summarize this chapter, after God forgives Jonah for his disobedience, God forgives Israel’s enemies because they repent.
Who are you in the story? Are you Jonah, eager to proclaim God’s truth to a broken world, courageously sharing the reason for your hope? Are you a Ninevite, living in sin, yet eager to repent and receive forgiveness? Are you in a position to forgive like God, eager to see a broken relationship restored?
I know we can all relate to the Ninevites. We’ve all sinned…against God and others. We all need forgiveness. God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Although a different context, the prophet Ezekiel was told,
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11a)
This is the heart of God. When we turn from our sins, God is always ready to start again with us. God demonstrates His love for sinners like Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us. Hallelujah!
God Answers Prayer, 3 August 2025
God Answers Prayer
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 3, 2025
Jonah 2:1-10
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: It is possible to praise God without fully following Him.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:17-2:2
Prayer is one of the most fundamental aspects of faith. It is certainly not unique to the Christian faith, as people of other religions pray to their god or gods. Although I prefer to think of prayer as talking with God or even better doing life with God, prayer as a noun could be described as a collection of words spoken to God. It’s not surprising then that the Bible is filled with prayers that have been recorded for us. There are around 200 specific prayers contained in the scriptures, including the psalms and the prayers of Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Stephen, Paul, and, of course, Jesus.
You can learn a lot about a person by listening to them pray. Our words express our heart, our attitude, and often our beliefs. If we can’t be honest with God…
Today we’re going to explore what must be the prayer prayed in the most unusual place in history.
Last Sunday we concluded the first chapter of the book of Jonah with these words:
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
There are many incredible things about this sentence. I can’t imagine being in a fish for three minutes, much less three days and nights. What did Jonah do during those 72 hours or so? How did he keep track of the time?!
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. (Jonah 2:1)
Jonah prayed to his God, the LORD. I’m sure God had Jonah’s attention! He’s no longer running from God but running to God.
This morning, are you running from God or to God?
What would you pray from inside a fish? Here’s what Jonah prayed…
He said:
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry. (Jonah 2:2)
Wait! He didn’t begin with, “Get me out of this smelly fish?” He recognizes the blessing of the fish that saved his life. Spoiler alert: the original Hebrew word for distress is the same used for the travail of childbirth, as in a child about to be born. He was all but dead, yet he will be reborn, so to speak.
Have you ever been in a jam? Have you ever called to God for help? God will always listen to our calls for help. He loves us…even when it doesn’t feel like it. Often like Jonah, we wander—or run—and God uses things to get our attention because…He loves us. He wants a relationship with you and me. Every good dad wants to enjoy his kids. Our heavenly Father loves us. Oh, how He loves us!
You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me. (Jonah 2:3)
That’s a vibrant description of Jonah’s journey!
I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’ (Jonah 2:4)
He turns to God in his distress.
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head. (Jonah 2:5)
Some of you would rather die than have seaweed wrapped around your head!
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit. (Jonah 2:6)
I love that picture of mountains having roots in the sea! The LORD brought his life up from the pit. It reminds me of King David’s words of Psalm 40:
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:1-2)
Jonah continues…
“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple. (Jonah 2:7)
It’s funny how people remember God when they’re facing death. I wonder if there are any true atheists when an airplane is about to crash! I thought I was going to die when the airplane I was on filled with smoke. Fortunately, we were on the ground, but we had to evacuate, jumping off the wing of the plane. I doubt I was the only one praying as our ability to breathe diminished prior to the emergency exit doors opening!
So far, Jonah's prayer has been written in the past-tense. God spared his life. The very fish that could’ve brought about his death instead sustained his life. Like us, he is saved but not completely delivered. He’s not on dry land, but in the awkward (and smelly) in-between. Followers of Jesus have been saved, but we’ve not yet arrived at our final destination. We live in the tension of being in between the first and second comings of Jesus.
Now Jonah makes a present declaration.
“Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them. (Jonah 2:8)
This is a brilliant statement. It surely comes from Jonah’s experience.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ ” (Jonah 2:9)
Jonah has done a 180. He’s gone from running away to praise, from disobedience to sacrifice. He’s got his head on straight, he’s come to his senses, he’s right where God wants him, fully surrendered.
Or does he? It took me some study to realize Jonah never repents. He praises God for sparing his life, but at no point does he acknowledge his disobedience in running from God—and the Ninevites. He is able to love God, but not his neighbor as himself. This is as challenge for many of us. Sometimes it’s easier to love God, sing songs, pray prayers…but love that person? Those people? “You just don’t understand,” we protest.
Jonah is a complex character who may reveal much about our own hearts. He certainly knew the right answers. He had good theology. But his heart was not fully surrendered to God. And his mission was not complete. We’ll continue next week, but let’s not miss the end of chapter two.
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (Jonah 2:10)
What a vivid verse!
So What?
Jonah’s poetic prayer makes many important declarations about God and His character during his three days in the fish. What seemed like a place of death for him became a source of deliverance. The same could be said of the cross.
Jesus said prior to the crucifixion,
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)
As we prepare to remember the cross, let me offer a caution:
It is possible to praise God without fully following Him.
It reminds me to the words of Isaiah quoted by Jesus,
The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:13)
We can go to church. We can take communion. We can give our time and money. But what God wants most of all is your heart. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
Jonah was saved by a fish. We are saved by a cross.
Today we remember that Jesus gave everything for us, even his very life. How will you respond? Eat the bread and remember his body. Drink the cup and remember his blood. But let’s not stop there. We love God because He first loved us…and we love our neighbors as ourselves because God loves them, too.
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
August 3, 2025
Jonah 2:1-10
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: It is possible to praise God without fully following Him.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:17-2:2
Prayer is one of the most fundamental aspects of faith. It is certainly not unique to the Christian faith, as people of other religions pray to their god or gods. Although I prefer to think of prayer as talking with God or even better doing life with God, prayer as a noun could be described as a collection of words spoken to God. It’s not surprising then that the Bible is filled with prayers that have been recorded for us. There are around 200 specific prayers contained in the scriptures, including the psalms and the prayers of Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Stephen, Paul, and, of course, Jesus.
You can learn a lot about a person by listening to them pray. Our words express our heart, our attitude, and often our beliefs. If we can’t be honest with God…
Today we’re going to explore what must be the prayer prayed in the most unusual place in history.
Last Sunday we concluded the first chapter of the book of Jonah with these words:
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
There are many incredible things about this sentence. I can’t imagine being in a fish for three minutes, much less three days and nights. What did Jonah do during those 72 hours or so? How did he keep track of the time?!
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. (Jonah 2:1)
Jonah prayed to his God, the LORD. I’m sure God had Jonah’s attention! He’s no longer running from God but running to God.
This morning, are you running from God or to God?
What would you pray from inside a fish? Here’s what Jonah prayed…
He said:
“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry. (Jonah 2:2)
Wait! He didn’t begin with, “Get me out of this smelly fish?” He recognizes the blessing of the fish that saved his life. Spoiler alert: the original Hebrew word for distress is the same used for the travail of childbirth, as in a child about to be born. He was all but dead, yet he will be reborn, so to speak.
Have you ever been in a jam? Have you ever called to God for help? God will always listen to our calls for help. He loves us…even when it doesn’t feel like it. Often like Jonah, we wander—or run—and God uses things to get our attention because…He loves us. He wants a relationship with you and me. Every good dad wants to enjoy his kids. Our heavenly Father loves us. Oh, how He loves us!
You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me. (Jonah 2:3)
That’s a vibrant description of Jonah’s journey!
I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’ (Jonah 2:4)
He turns to God in his distress.
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head. (Jonah 2:5)
Some of you would rather die than have seaweed wrapped around your head!
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit. (Jonah 2:6)
I love that picture of mountains having roots in the sea! The LORD brought his life up from the pit. It reminds me of King David’s words of Psalm 40:
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:1-2)
Jonah continues…
“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple. (Jonah 2:7)
It’s funny how people remember God when they’re facing death. I wonder if there are any true atheists when an airplane is about to crash! I thought I was going to die when the airplane I was on filled with smoke. Fortunately, we were on the ground, but we had to evacuate, jumping off the wing of the plane. I doubt I was the only one praying as our ability to breathe diminished prior to the emergency exit doors opening!
So far, Jonah's prayer has been written in the past-tense. God spared his life. The very fish that could’ve brought about his death instead sustained his life. Like us, he is saved but not completely delivered. He’s not on dry land, but in the awkward (and smelly) in-between. Followers of Jesus have been saved, but we’ve not yet arrived at our final destination. We live in the tension of being in between the first and second comings of Jesus.
Now Jonah makes a present declaration.
“Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them. (Jonah 2:8)
This is a brilliant statement. It surely comes from Jonah’s experience.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ ” (Jonah 2:9)
Jonah has done a 180. He’s gone from running away to praise, from disobedience to sacrifice. He’s got his head on straight, he’s come to his senses, he’s right where God wants him, fully surrendered.
Or does he? It took me some study to realize Jonah never repents. He praises God for sparing his life, but at no point does he acknowledge his disobedience in running from God—and the Ninevites. He is able to love God, but not his neighbor as himself. This is as challenge for many of us. Sometimes it’s easier to love God, sing songs, pray prayers…but love that person? Those people? “You just don’t understand,” we protest.
Jonah is a complex character who may reveal much about our own hearts. He certainly knew the right answers. He had good theology. But his heart was not fully surrendered to God. And his mission was not complete. We’ll continue next week, but let’s not miss the end of chapter two.
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (Jonah 2:10)
What a vivid verse!
So What?
Jonah’s poetic prayer makes many important declarations about God and His character during his three days in the fish. What seemed like a place of death for him became a source of deliverance. The same could be said of the cross.
Jesus said prior to the crucifixion,
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)
As we prepare to remember the cross, let me offer a caution:
It is possible to praise God without fully following Him.
It reminds me to the words of Isaiah quoted by Jesus,
The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:13)
We can go to church. We can take communion. We can give our time and money. But what God wants most of all is your heart. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
Jonah was saved by a fish. We are saved by a cross.
Today we remember that Jesus gave everything for us, even his very life. How will you respond? Eat the bread and remember his body. Drink the cup and remember his blood. But let’s not stop there. We love God because He first loved us…and we love our neighbors as ourselves because God loves them, too.