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Considering Jonah


One must consider the lessons of Jonah and the Whale.


As it goes, God instructs Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh and deliver a message of their impending doom.

Jonah refuses and runs from the Lord, to hide upon a ship.


When God pummels the ship with his mighty power, the workman among it do not understand why the Lord's wrath is upon them, until they find Jonah hiding. They beg Jonah to abandon the ship so he can alone take on the Lord's wrath, since it is his to take.


Jonah agrees and goes into the sea, where God then has him swallowed up by a whale, in which Jonah stays until he agrees to deliver God's message to the people of Nineveh. Finally, after three days, Jonah agrees and is spit out of the whale's blow hole and onto land, where Jonah travels now to Nineveh.


Once Jonah delivers God's message to Nineveh, its King tells all his people to dress in sackcloth and pray for forgiveness, for the Lord's wrath is upon them.


All of Nineveh complies.


God saves the people of Nineveh, as they were contrite and got on their knees for the Lord.


Jonah gets angry that God does not destroy Nineveh, as He told him He would upon delivering the message.

God asks Jonah whether or not his anger does him any good, and why does he care anyway? All he was to do was to deliver the message.


What the people of Nineveh do is none of your business, is it, Jonah?


The Lesson: Morality is not just telling other people what they should be doing or how, but taking the righteous path yourself and having morals of your own.


The Bottom Line: Mind your own business. Focus on your own perfection under God.

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