The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1607 Jonah kc 6

Whether you or anyone else likes it or not,
God's overall plan includes those who do not know the Word of God
or even know what in the world is going on.

Jonah 4:5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
Jonah "made himself a booth" (and a little mental barricade) and "sat" (doing nothing) under it "in the shadow" (on the sidelines so to speak, or out of the "limelight" as they say), to watch what happens!

What a "cop-out"!

Good grief Charlie Brown!

I don't know about you, but this is NOT the description of a "watchman" in this final generation as outlined in the book of the "watchman", EZEK-I-EL (whom God strengthens)!

In fact, nowhere in God's Word are His servants told to sit on their "duffs" and do nothing and wait and see what happens!

His servants know what is going to happen: "But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things (Mark 13:23)."

They also know there is work to be done!

You may think that Jonah's attitude is somewhat extreme, especially in light of all that he has been through.

But perhaps we would be a little surprised to know how many of God's servants, those who know His plan in this final generation of the fig tree, who do little more than sit around and watch what is happening (we speak not of those who are handicapped or bound by circumstances beyond their control, etc., but of those able bodied servants with talent (See also the Parable of the Talents in Mat. 25.))

Well, our Father has a problem with Jonah's attitude and He knows just what to do about it.

So we are going to see Him deal with His servant Jonah and bring to pass a "prepared" plan of His that is without Jonah's "input", without his "help", and without even his "foreknowledge" of that plan.

In fact, Jonah will have no part in this plan other than being the object and the beneficiary (along with all of us) of the lesson to be taught.

The first part of God's Plan is that He will "raise up" a gourd overnight that will give Jonah "divine" comfort and protection for which Jonah will be "exceeding glad".

Jonah 4:6
And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
Let us view this in the prophetic sense for our day, for there is a fitting analogy concerning Israel (Christian Nations) contained herein.

You see, it is not us but rather our Father who has "prepared" the blessings of this nation and protection for the children of Israel in the "wilderness".

However, you must know and understand both from historical type, and from prophecy, and from the same Pentateuch Jonah quoted from (Ex. 34:6-7), that God will not spare the guilty and idolatrous and therefore the Assyrian shall come again in these last days against our people as the rod of His correction.

Call it the negative part of His plan if you like but remember Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

He loves all of His children.

[7]But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
To say God "prepared" something means it is by His "design" and so it is according to His plan that a "red" (symbolic of communism) worm will smite the gourd and cause it to wither.

And as if that is not bad enough, there will yet be a time of great trouble to come upon His children when the "hot wind from the east" (terorists) shall blow and things get very "hot" indeed!

In other words, the Assyrian, one of Satan's names (Isa. 14), and his locust army SHALL come against our people.

Think you can handle it Christian Soldier?

Jonah 4:8
And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
Jonah was quick to be a martyr but it seems he just "couldn't take the spiritual heat", could he?

When things didn't go his way or things got a little too hot for him he got depressed and was ready to give up!

[9] And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
It sure seems that Jonah just didn't get it, did he?

He continued to believe he was actually justified in being angry and depressed, but we are to "See" that he really had NO justification to be either (of course he was human)!

[10] Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
Jonah sure liked the good times and the protection and comfort of the gourd which he had absolutely nothing to do with.

In other words, he himself did nothing in "the field" to prepare it.

He didn't plant it, he didn't cultivate it, he didn't fertilize (nourish) it.

Neither did God consult him and ask him for advice in His grand plan for the salvation of all His children.

And whether Jonah or anyone else likes it or not, God's overall plan includes those who do not know the Word of God or even know what in the world is going on!

[11] And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
How about you?

Are you mature enough to understand that God's Plan is designed to bring about salvation to all mankind and not just to the children of Israel (Christianity) and that adversity is also part of that plan?

The fact is that the Assyrian is coming, ready or not, like it or not!

Neither you nor I should ever try to second guess the will and plan of our Father and determine that perhaps there is a better way (like our way) than that which He has foretold us of IN WRITING.

Furthermore, if you are one God's servants and you know His plan in this final generation, you should ask yourself the question "what are you doing about it?"

Some of you have a purpose and destiny so if you find yourself with a conviction according to His will, and ONLY according to His will, then do not be caught sitting around on your "duff" or wallowing in self pity when you KNOW there is work to be done.

Finally, one cannot help notice that this great Book of Jonah ends in a rather abrupt and unusual manner* in that we are left without written closure as to Jonah's response to his Father's last question in verse 11 and whether or not Jonah finally saw the "light" as result of his Father's correction.

This is also by design and it forces our minds to draw our own conclusion.

However, as stated in a previous study, we know that God has a way of seeing to it that His children get the point He is trying to make.

We do know that Jonah learned his lesson about obeying His Father's commands and we should have no doubt that he learned his lessons here as well.

Remember even the great prophet Elijah also became deeply depressed and wanted to end it all, but our Father gave him what he needed and back to work he went too!

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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