In the story of Jonah, we see God’s sovereignty at work, with God exercising control over nature. Here’s what God does:
- He sends a wind (Jonah 1:4).
- He calms the sea (Jonah 1:15).
- He provides a fish to shallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17).
- He commands the fish to deposit Jonah on dry land (Jonah 2:10).
- He makes a vine grow to give shade to Jonah (Jonah 4:6).
- He causes a worm to chew the vine and kill it (Jonah 4:7).
Furthermore, God’s sovereignty allows him to show mercy towards the people of Nineveh and not destroy them as he had originally planned.
However, God does not exercise control over Jonah, allowing him to do what he wants, when he chooses,and how pleases.
Jonah has free will—and God does not interfere with that even though Jonah’s choices cause him a lot of grief.
God gives Jonah the freedom to mess up—or to do what is right. That’s God’s sovereignty at work. That’s how God rolls.
Learn more about all twelve of the Bible’s Minor Prophets in Peter’s book, Return to Me: 40 Prophetic Teachings about Unfaithfulness, Punishment, and Hope from the Minor Prophets
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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