JONAH 1
God called Jonah to share the gospel with the city of Nineveh ... and Jonah refused. Let's pretend we're able to travel back in time and visit the city of Nineveh to gain a better understanding of this story.
As we enter the city gates, we're tempted to flip on the camcorder because this great city is truly magnificent to behold. As our tour bus guides us through the streets, we notice 1,200 towers filling the city limits. Any one of these 200-foot buildings would make a great postcard! The foundation of each tower is made of polished stone, and each one is wide enough that three chariots can drive on top of it side-by-side. What a vacation spot!
Our tour continues and we're captivated by hanging gardens that fill he city with rich plants. There are designated areas for rare and exotic animals. We're guided through the temples, libraries, arsenals, and palaces, and we continue to snap photos and secure footage on our video cameras. The our tour guide makes and announcement through the bus microphone that we're not comfortable with. 'All this incredible beauty was built with slave labour.'
There are knots in our stomachs. As we go farther, we learn that the Ninevites - the Assyrians - are cruel and sadistic people. We'd like to stop the tour and head back to the hotel, but the bus continues. We drive past furniture made of human skin. We see pyramids constructed of human skulls. It's tough to swallow as we learn the Assyrians have perfected the word torture.
Flash back to the present now. Is is a little easier to understand why Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh? He was scared! But before you begin to develop a big soft spot for this reluctant prophet, take a deeper look at what frightened him. It wasn't the cruelty of the Ninevites he feared!
..... to be continued
God Bless!
(Susie Shellenberger)
God called Jonah to share the gospel with the city of Nineveh ... and Jonah refused. Let's pretend we're able to travel back in time and visit the city of Nineveh to gain a better understanding of this story.
As we enter the city gates, we're tempted to flip on the camcorder because this great city is truly magnificent to behold. As our tour bus guides us through the streets, we notice 1,200 towers filling the city limits. Any one of these 200-foot buildings would make a great postcard! The foundation of each tower is made of polished stone, and each one is wide enough that three chariots can drive on top of it side-by-side. What a vacation spot!
Our tour continues and we're captivated by hanging gardens that fill he city with rich plants. There are designated areas for rare and exotic animals. We're guided through the temples, libraries, arsenals, and palaces, and we continue to snap photos and secure footage on our video cameras. The our tour guide makes and announcement through the bus microphone that we're not comfortable with. 'All this incredible beauty was built with slave labour.'
There are knots in our stomachs. As we go farther, we learn that the Ninevites - the Assyrians - are cruel and sadistic people. We'd like to stop the tour and head back to the hotel, but the bus continues. We drive past furniture made of human skin. We see pyramids constructed of human skulls. It's tough to swallow as we learn the Assyrians have perfected the word torture.
Flash back to the present now. Is is a little easier to understand why Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh? He was scared! But before you begin to develop a big soft spot for this reluctant prophet, take a deeper look at what frightened him. It wasn't the cruelty of the Ninevites he feared!
..... to be continued
God Bless!
(Susie Shellenberger)
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