He Learned From His Mistakes - Jonah Finds Mercy and Delieverance - Conclusion

 

What about Jonah?  Did he learn to show his gratitude to Jehovah through obedience?  He did. After three days and three nights, the fish brought Jonah right to the shore and "vomited him out onto the dry land." (Jonah 2:10)  Imagine-after all that, Jonah did not even have to swim ashore!  Of course, he did have to find his way from that beach, wherever it was.  Before long, though, his spirit of gratitude was put to the test.  Jonah 3:1, 2 says: "Then the word of Jehovah occurred to Jonah the second time, saying: "Get up, go to Nineveh the great city, and proclaim to her the proclamation that I am speaking to you."  What would Jonah do?

Jonah did not hestitate.  We read:  "At that, Jonah got up  and went to Nineveh in accord with the word of Jehovah." (Jonah 3:3) Yes, he obeyed. Clearly he had learned from his mistakes.  In this too we need to imitate Jonah's faith. We all make mistakes. (Romans 3:23)  But do we give up, or do we learn from our mistakes and turn to a course of obedient service to God? 

Did Jehovah reward Jonah for his obedience?  Indeed he did.  For one thing, it seems that Jonah eventually learned that those sailors had survived.  The storm abated immediately after Jonah's self-sacrificing act, and those mariners "began to fear Jehovah greatly" and made a sacrifice to him instead of to their false gods. - JONAH 1:15, 16. 

An even great reward came much later.  Jesus used Jonah's time in the huge fish as a prophetic picture of his own time in the grave, or Sheol.  (Read Matthew 12:38-40.) How thrilled Jonah will be to learn of that blessing when he is resurrected to life on earth! (John 5:28, 29) Jehovah wants to bless you too.  Like Jonah, will you learn from your mistakes and display an obedient, selfless spirit? 

Next time:  He Learned a Lessib in Mercy

From the jw.org publications 

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