Steve Webb  0:00  
Why would anybody think they could get away from God?

Steve Webb  0:10  
Coming to you from Lifespring central in Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God castors Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today's prophecy Friday, it will read about the guy who was swallowed by a fish will read the entire book of Jonah, four chapters. Of course, I'll have an on this date in church history segments. I have a comment or two to share with you and a really serious prayer request. I'm calling today's episode. No, not them. The show notes page for today's episode is at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 275. My email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let's begin.

Steve Webb  0:55  
Jonah chapter one. The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of a mid thigh saying Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and cry against it for their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa found a ship which was going to Tarshish paid the fare and wind down into it to go with him to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea. And there was a great Storm on the Sea so that the ship was about to break up. And then the sailors became afraid. And every man cried to his God, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down below into the hole of the ship laying down and fallen sound asleep. So the captain approached him and said, How is it that you are sleeping, get up call on your God, perhaps your God will be concerned about us so that we will not perish? Each man said to his mate, come let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. So they cast lots in the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, tell us now on whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country from what people are you? He said to them? I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. And then the men became extremely frightened. And they said to him, how could you do this? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord because He had told them. So they said to him, What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, pick me up and throw me into the sea, then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you. However, the men wrote desperately to return to land but they could not for the sea was becoming even stormy or against them. Then they called on the Lord and said, we earnestly pray, Oh, Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us, for you will Lord have done as you have pleased. So they picked up Jonah threw him into the sea and the sea stopped, it's raging. Then the men feared the Lord greatly and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days in three nights. 

Steve Webb  3:20  
Jonah chapter two. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish. And he said, I called out of my distress to the Lord and he answered me, I cried for help from the depth of she'll you heard my voice for you had cast me into the deep into the heart of the seas in the current engulfed me. All your breakers in billows passed over me. So I said, I have been expelled from your site. Nevertheless, I will look again toward your holy temple. Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, weeds were wrapped around my head. I descend into the roots of the mountains. The Earth with its bars was around me forever, but you have brought up my life from the pit. Oh Lord, my God. While I was fading away, I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to you into your holy temple. Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to you with the voice of Thanksgiving, that which I have vowed I will pay salvation is from the Lord. Then the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. 

Steve Webb  4:29  
Jonah chapter three. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time saying Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to at the proclamation which I'm going to tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the Word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city a three days walk. And then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk, and he cried out and said, yet 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown. Then the people of Nineveh believed in God. And they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles do not let man, Beast, herd or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water, but both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth, and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way, and from the violence which is in his hands, who knows God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish. When God saw their deeds that they turn from their wicked way. Then God relented concerning the calamity which he had declared he would bring upon them, and he did not do it. 

Steve Webb  5:53  
Jonah chapter four, but it greatly displeased Jonah, when he became angry, he prayed to the Lord and said, Please, Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country. Therefore, in order to forestall this, I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now Oh, Lord, please take my life from me for death is better to me than life. The Lord said, Do you have good reason to be angry? Then Jonah went out from the city and Sadie stuff in there, he made a shelter for himself and sat under it for the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and a detect the plant and it withered. When the sun came up, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, death is better to me than life. And then God said to Jonah, do you have good reason to be angry about the plant? And he said, I have good reason to be angry even to death. Then the Lord said, you had compassion on the plant for which you did not work in which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight? Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand as well as many animals?

Steve Webb  7:37  
Well, beloved, as you know, this book called Jonah is grouped in with what are commonly called the books of the Minor Prophets. Did you notice any of what we commonly think of as prophecy and today's reading, not really not much, just one sentence, and it wasn't until chapter three verse four, yet 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown. But let's remember that a prophet is not only one who tells what will happen in the future. A prophet is one who carries a message from God in this Jonah did eventually, Jonah was a prophet as much as any of the other biblical prophets. Now, as for whether or not a man could actually be swallowed whole by a fish. First in the original language, the word translated as fish is DAC or dog, da, G. Actually, in the Hebrew, it's just D, G. And that actually is the Hebrew word for fish. So in my mind, that settles it, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. Is it not entirely conceivable that God would be able to create a fish large enough to swallow a man? Of course it is. Now some people say that it must have been a whale. I don't really know why it's easier to believe that a whale swallowed him than a fish but okay. According to God, questions.org quote, There are at least two species of Mediterranean marine life that are able to swallow a man hole. These are the Cashalot, also known as the sperm whale, and the white shark. Both creatures are known to prowl the Mediterranean and have been known to sailors since antiquity, unquote. Actually, that entire article that got questions.org is worth a read. I've created a redirect at Lifespring media.com/jonah. That'll take you over there to that article, if you want to look at it, lifespringmedia.com/jonah. We first heard of the band Jonah in Second Kings 1425, where we were told that he was from gaff Haifa in Galilee. He brought a message of mercy to Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam the second who practiced the worship of the golden calf. Well, in this book that bears his name, we read how God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and rebuke them and call them to repent. But Jonah's response was no, not them. The Ninevites were considered the worst of the worst, he didn't want them to receive God's mercy. And so he ran away in the opposite direction from Nineveh. Why would anybody think they could get away from God, but he did. But through his experience with the fish, Jonah learned that following God is the better choice. So when God called him to go a second time he went. But then Jonah became angry when Nineveh did repent, and he became angry at God's mercy and forgiving Nineveh. Listen to this from the introductory notes@bible.com. Quote, Jonah's role in the book is to represent the attitude of many in Israel toward other nations. Instead of accepting their own calling to help these nations come to know the true God, they considered them enemies and expected God to destroy them. The book teaches that God's love extends beyond Israel to other nations, indeed, to the whole creation. God's final question to Jonah is intended for all the books, readers, unquote. So to review, what was that final question? Here it is, Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right hand and left hand, as well as many animals? Well, beloved, I'm so glad that God has offered redemption to all nations because that offer was extended to me and to you. What do you think? Leave me a comment at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 275. Tomorrow is gospel Saturday, and our reading will be x three and four. We'll find out more about the early church. Did you know that the apostle Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times on the night he was crucified? Did you know that he healed a lame man? Well, don't miss tomorrow's episode. Here's your cue to boost.

Steve Webb  11:56  
Brother Paul of Seattle commented a little over a week ago on the Proverbs 25. "I Will, Part Two" episode, he sent the comment in when I was in the process last week of recording shows in advance for my heart procedure. And I set it aside until today, here's what he said, Love your enemy. Whenever I hear this, I think of it as an abstract concept. I don't have any enemies directly in my life. I tend to think of enemies as those in the world who are against Christianity in the command makes sense. Love them. In fact, that's relatively easy. I don't know them. But who's my enemy? I don't think it's just someone I'm physically or verbally at war with. I think I need to think of it more broadly. Who at work or family or church, etc? Can I not stand? Who do I avoid because of what they talk about their personality, their whatever, that person in the grocery store who cut me off or who is just in the way, maybe turn it around? Who considers me their enemy because of my quirks and whatnot, or something I did to them. I know this concept is not new. I think Jesus even addressed this, although I can't think of where right now. But I just wanted to bring it up as a reminder is I don't think enemy is a narrow definition that we all need to be reminded of, and he put a smiley face and he said, Steve, I'm not implying that you limited the definition. Just something that hit me as I was listening. Well, Brother Paul of Seattle. Thank you. That was a good comment. So I looked up the word translated as enemy in the original Hebrew, the word is schnuck. S H. nak. Is it's transliterated from Hebrew. It literally means get this one who hates you? Isn't that interesting? It isn't one whom you hate. It's one who hates you. So the human response, at least for me is to think, Okay, you hate me, then I'll hate you back with interest. And then maybe what have I done to you? Why do you hate me? I'm a nice guy. Everybody likes me. What's your problem? Or maybe? What's my problem? What can I do to make you like me, but go figure, Jesus approach sounds like the one that can bring about healing to that kind of a relationship. Love that person that hates you. Love is an action. Don't forget, it's more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. I won't go over the Apostle Paul's description of what love is from First Corinthians 13. But that kind of love that he describes there can make a difference. Thanks for your comment, brother policy Adalind by the way, with people that we have bad feelings toward, then that's more of an internal spiritual battle that we need to deal with. And I think in most cases, that's harder to deal with in someone who hates us, please, that's my opinion, and doesn't mean it can't be done. But what it does require is the Holy Spirit's work on our own heart

Steve Webb  14:58  
You know, beloved, the value for value model is what helps keep the Lifespring family Audio Bible going. And there are three ways that you can participate time, talent or treasure. In terms of talent, I would love it if some of you with artistic skills would create show art. For me, I create unique album art for each episode. But if you'd like to contribute to the show in that way, that would be fantastic. And if you have a podcasting 2.0 app, you'll see that the art changes for each chapter within the episode, take a look. And if you can help create the art, I would love it. Now if you don't have a modern podcasting 2.0 podcast app, get one at new podcast apps.com, ditch that old legacy app and get with the times and then treasure. If you believe that God's word is needed in our world today, if the Lifespring family Audio Bible has helped you to stay in the word, if you've been encouraged in your face, then maybe it's time to support the show. The shows only support is from the Lifespring family because there are no advertisers. And that's the main reason this show can't be canceled or deplatformed. They can't pressure me to water down the message because there is no vais there's only you, you know that I won't compromise the message of the gospel. If you believe that's important, then go to Lifespring media.com/support. And see how easy it is to donate and pray about what God would have you send and then be obedient to His leading. If you do that, then I'll be able to pay the bills and keep doing the show if you believe in what the Lifespring family Audio Bible is about. And if you're receiving value from the show, then you know what to do. There are ongoing expenses to create the shows to store the nearly 3000 episodes of Lifespring media podcasts to pay the bandwidth for the downloads, to pay for software subscriptions and updates in studio equipment, and on and on. So if donating time or talent doesn't work for you, then maybe donating some treasure well, you decide how much value the show brings to your life, then put a number on it, pray about it and send that to me at Lifespring media.com/support. 

Steve Webb  17:06  
Another way that you can donate treasure is to stream micro payments as you listen to the show with one of those snazzy podcasting 2.0 podcast apps I was telling you about. And as you stream when you hear something that you'd like to comment on, you can do that right from within the app as you're listening by sending what we call a booster gram booster. That is very cool. Because when you send it I'll receive it right here in the studio. And that's what it sounds like when it comes in. Sean of San Pedro sent this booster Graham this morning using the fountain app he sent 1000 SATs and he said about the Proverbs 28 The symptom and the cause episode. I haven't heard that song in years, maybe decades. Thanks. Also another wonderful set of Proverbs well, and I noticed he didn't say how bad I sounded. I appreciate that. I might get a complex or something. Thank you Sean.

Steve Webb  18:10  
On this date in church history, June 3 1726, Philip William Otterbein was born. He was the German Reformed pastor who helped establish the Church of the United brethren in Christ, which was an early branch of the modern United Methodist Church.

Steve Webb  18:33  
And now prayer requests. I told you at the top of the show that I had a serious prayer request. And this one comes in from Timothy LaFontaine. He said, I have a friend who has been wrongly accused and is now being punished without a chance to defend himself. This is looking like it may be years before he's completely free from these troubles. I would like to ask for prayers for his strength through this as well as his continued growth in the Lord. I pray that he not only grows in the Lord, but is able to help others while he is away. Wow, Timothy, my heart really goes out to your friend. And the ninth commandment is Thou shalt not bear false witness. I would not want to be in the place of those who are accusing your friend. It's a serious sin. But encourage your friend with these words from Jesus. Bless it, are you when people falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me? Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. That was for Matthew 511 and 12. No matter what others say about us falsely, we rely on God's word. Psalm 119 69, and seven he says, though the arrogant have smeared me with lies. I keep your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word, Lord. As Paul wrote to Timothy, we know that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Lord, thank you for giving this to us. We pray for this friend of Timothy who has been falsely accused. Lord, we ask that you would walk with Him through this ordeal. May he feel your presence and your guidance and may his faith in you be strong. I pray that you would touch the hearts of the accusers that they would come forward and tell the truth. Give them no rest, Lord until they do, and give Timothy's friend the peace that can only come from you, Florida. Thank you for the Lifespring family and I ask that you bless them today. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. It just came to my attention today that prayer dot Lifespring media is broken. I'll need to troubleshoot that tomorrow. But for now, you can go to Lifespring media.com/prayer. Or you can just go to Lifespring media.com and use the menu at the top of the page. But if you have a prayer request or a praise, go there, and let me know about it.

Steve Webb  21:11  
Share the show and comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 275. Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Thank you to Kirsty thank you to Shaun of San Pedro and thank you to Denise I thank God for you every day. Thanks to Brother Paul of Seattle for his comments. Thanks to Shaun of San Pedro for his booster Graham. And thank you for sharing your time with me today. I don't take it for granted. Support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. And until tomorrow may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai