Messages from Heaven Part 1, Thursday

0:00Hey kids, welcome to Junior's for Jesus. Go grab your Bibles. We're going to be digging in and learning some really exciting stories. Let's get started. We're learning about the minor prophets this week in a section entitled Messages from Heaven. Yesterday, we learned about Obadiah. His name means the servant of the Lord. His job was to share a message from God and his message was mainly about the nation of Edom. Edom wasn't treating their neighbors, the Israelites very well. Obadiah told them that their pride and unkind actions would lead to trouble. And he warned Edom that even though they thought that they were strong and safe, they needed to be careful because God sees everything and he cares about justice. Obadiah's message wasn't just a scolding though. He also shared a message of hope. He told the people that God cares for them and even if they faced tough times, God would be with them.

1:01It reminds us that as his people, God is watching over us, ready to help and guide. Our memory verse for this week is Amos chapter three, verse seven, it reads, surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants, the prophets. Thursday, Jonah's call. Jonah, whose book is the fifth of the minor prophets, probably was the first of the minor prophets. He lived in the little town of Gath-Haffer in northern Israel. As a prophet in the northern kingdom, he gave its people, God's message that they would recover the lands that their enemies had taken from them. That was done by King Jeroboam many years before the people in that northern kingdom were taken as captives to Assyria. Second Kings chapter 14, verse 25, he restored the territory of Israel

2:01from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Araba, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he had spoken through his servant, Jonah, the son of Amatai, the prophet who was from Gath-Haffer. It probably wasn't very long after Jonah gave that message to the northern kingdom that God told him to give a message to Nineveh. That was the capital of Assyria. And Jonah was to go cry out against it because of its wickedness. That's Jonah one, one and two. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amatai, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me. Assyria was one of the most cruel nations of his time. And Nineveh, where he was supposed to go, had so many criminals, it was called the bloody city, full of lies and robbery. Nahum, chapter three, verse one.

3:02Besides that, he would have to walk more than 500 miles through dangerous country. And upon his arrival at Nineveh, he would have to give his message in that great city, which was more than 80 times as large as the city of Samaria, the capital of his home country. More than 120,000 people lived there. As Jonah thought about it, he was suddenly struck with fear. His human reasoning took the place of trust in God. And he decided that there was too much danger connected with the job that he was asked to do. And even if he went to Nineveh, how could anyone expect those wicked people to listen to him? He was so fearful and discouraged. What did he do? Jonah, chapter one, verse three. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarsish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Japa and found a ship going to Tarsish. So he paid the fare and went down into it

4:04to go with him to Tarsish from the presence of the Lord. Now, let's apply it. How do you think you would have felt if you had been in Jonah's place? It might be foolish to do something like Jonah was asked to do unless God asked you to do it. But when he asked, you can be sure that he will help you. That's Matthew, chapter 28, verses 18 through 20. And Jesus came to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. This podcast is sponsored by MyBibleFirst.org.