Jonas scales of fish.

The Prophet Jonas was a great man of God in his time, was the son of Amitai and had the seal of a prophet who spoke from God. "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when fulfilling the word of the prophet shall be known as one whom the Lord hath truly sent. Jeremiah 28: 9 "

His words to the Lord were fulfilled as proof that what he said was from God .In the second book of the kings of Israel have a testimony of this man's life. "He restored the borders of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of ​​plain; according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by his servant Jonah, son of Amitai prophet, who was of Gath-Hefer.2 Kings 14:25 "

In the first chapter of the book of Jonah, the prophet we receive an order from God to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh, to persuade them to repent or be destroyed within 40 days. "Arise, go to Nineveh, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me presença.Jonas 1: 2"

God gave forty days as the deadline for repentance, it is a symbolic term because in the Bible we have this period of time expressed in many passages. "And Jonah began to enter into the cidadecaminho a day, and he preached, saying: Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Jonah 3: 4 "Forty days is the time to make a special fast. We have only 3 men who fasted 40 days and they are Moses, Elijah and Jesus and the three living and appear together in the New Testament. (And there appeared to them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.)

Soon we see the prophet resist the will of the Lord and this draws our attention as being Jonas "servant of God" it was expected that he would be in compliance with the order of their Lord without contesting. But we see that Jonah hears the voice of the Lord but refuses to obey. "But Jonah rose up to flee the presence of the LORD to Tarshish. And down to Joppa, he found a ship going to Tarshish; paid, for the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord Jonah 1: 3 "

Before forming judgment against Jonas must understand some things about the people to whom it was being sent, and what the purpose of the Lord's order. We know that Nineveh is one of the oldest cities in ever heard and it was the Jonas times the capital of the feared and powerful Assyria.

In the book of Genesis we have the origin of Nineveh. "Out of that land went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, Genesis 10:11" The great Nimrod, founder of Babel went on expeditions by land and founded the city of Nineveh, after the flood, being a direct descendant Noah through his son Ham, the father of Canaan. "And Cush begat Nimrod; It began to be mighty upon the earth Genesis 10: 8 "

Nimrod was a mighty upon earth as the Bible itself records, he idealizaria then the famous Tower of Babel, from which originate the diversity of the nations on earth.

Over the centuries the city of Nineveh was getting stronger and the days of the Prophet Jonas ara known as the capital of Assyria, and had the stigma of being founded by the great Nimrod, a man who tried to reach God with the tower that would reach to heaven, this fathered Israel's antipathy also because this made Satan tried. "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Altíssimo.Isaías 14:14" Both Nimrod as Satan had a desire to climb the heights and be like the Most High, we see that for Jonas the founder of Nineveh was a Satan figure.

Not only this, the Assyrian was a great oppressor of Israel in the times of kings, this time in which Jonas developed his ministério.Os Assyrians were proud of their past. "Know ye not what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Perhaps could anyway those lands nations of gods rid his country of my hand? 2 Chronicles 32:13 "intimidating These words were spoken by Sennacherib king of Assyria besieged when Israel intended to dethrone it. "So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 2 Kings 19:36 "

The men of Nineveh were so bad and arrogant and were enemies of Israel and oppressed the people besieging Jerusalem, and lifting forts against it, where we understand the prophet's refusal to fulfill God's command.

Jonas flee to Tarshish. "But Jonah rose up to flee the presence of the LORD to Tarshish. And down to Joppa, he found a ship going to Tarshish; paid, for the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of SENHOR.Jonas 1: 3 "

Tarshish was exactly the opposite direction of Nineveh, and was known by the Israelis as the end of the world and the farthest known to them, so much that it took an average of one and a half to go and more also to return ship. "For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once in three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 1 Kings 10:22 "and" For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once in three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 1 Kings 10:22 "

Tarshish was also a mythical land where they came from exotic animals such as apes, and peacocks to the land of Israel. Jonah ran to the far land known, paid their passage and left.

During the journey God interferes with Jonas life to show him its sovereignty on the Jonas intellect on his will and on nature. "But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea, and there was a heavy storm at sea, and the ship was about to break se.Jonas 1: 4"

God wanted to reveal Jonas and through his life for us today his sovereign plan of salvation of mankind.

God sends a storm violently hitting the ship Jonas and bringing great fear about the crew who had a superstição.Eles believed that if there was a storm on a trip means that had a person inside the ship was guilty of infortúnio.A pagan crew It believed that one of the crew was in sin with their god. And they began to investigate the matter. "And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah 1: 7 "

The God of Israel says harvesting where you have not sown and using this silly tradition to reveal Jonas as guilty of the storm that the Lord himself had providenciado.Sabendo the superstition of the sailors, God did not plant superstition but reaped the fear of those sailors. "In response, however, his lord said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant; I knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter? Matthew 25:26 "

Jews in general did not share their faith with sinners, or even could, by law, into the house of sinners, nor eat with eles.Também Jews believed in one true God, while the people of Nineveh were idolaters and believed in various gods, after estoriadores the conduct of Nineveh regarding the people they conquered was this. "The Assyrians were known, for example, by decapitating the vanquished people, making pyramids with their skulls. Crucified or impaled the prisoners, they drew their eyes and skinned alive. "

Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish which spend three days and three nights. "Prepared as the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; And Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish's belly. Jonah 1:17 "These three days that God gave Jonas reconsider it was also a symbolic time appears 99 quotes in the Bible in three days were used as a measure of rest or reflection or to do a task.

Inside, surrounded by squamous be it changes your view of the order that God had given him to preach to the Ninevites and just as Jesus would teach later, the prophet went to meet his enemies. "But I tell you: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you; that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; Matthew 5:44 "

After leaving the fish for three days, Jonas announced the message of judgment on Nineveh. "And Jonah began to enter into the cidadecaminho a day, and he preached, saying: Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Jonah 3: 4 "

There was a great miracle on the part of the Lord in the Nineveh feared the word of Jonah and proclaimed a great cry where the whole city fasted and moved the heart of Deus.Jonas knew that if the people of Nineveh were converted would be saved from the wrath of the Lord and he I did not want this but the destruction of Nineveh.

When God fezcarne and dwelt erntre man in the saving person of Jesus Christ, he commented on the life of jonas and cites passages in two different events that occurred with Jonas and the ninivitas.Isto leads me to think of the importance it had for God the events that occurred in the city of Nineveh in those days.

First thing Jesus teaches using Jonah's story is about his death and resurrection. "But he answered them, and said, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, however, did not give him another signal than the prophet Jonah; Matthew 12:39 "The most glorious fact of Christ's ministry, and the most difficult to understand the Jews would be his sacrificial death and his glorious resurrection not only for Jews but for the Gentiles, that all was not humanidade.Jesus just saying that osinal deity would spend three days in the earth womb as Jonah spent in the belly of the fish, but after his resurrection the gospel will be preached all povas including Nineveh. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 "

The second lesson is about doomsday. "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas. And behold, this place is one greater than Jonah Matthew 24:41 "

On prepared by God all peoples tribes and nations languages ​​will appear before God to account and the hardness of heart of the Jews in Jesus' time would be put before the conversion of Nineveh, for he spoke to the Jews of the first century it was greater than jonas. "And here it is something greater than Jonah. Luke 11:32 "

Jonas was regarded by the Jews as one of miores prophets, because he had been through a lot tremendous experience in the whale's belly and then was the first prophet to preach repentance and God's judgment for a people want was not Israeli.

After the ministry of Christ in the first century, God still did something very similar to what caused Jonas to prove to the Jews that the gospel has always been universal across the new strength of the Israelites.

There was the early years of a church Jews as Jonah did not understand the grace of God for sinners and idolaters and even Jewish .A His enemies very conservative and zealous of the law that also served God in their ignorance, named Saul. Let's compare this man's life and what happened to him, the life of Jonah.

The apostle Paul had a great desire to serve God and did it with all tenacity and dedication. "Though I might also have confidence nacarne; If any other care you can trust in the flesh, yet I: Circumcised the eighth day, the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; according to the law, a Pharisee; According to zeal, persecuting the church, according to righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Philippians 3: 4-6 "

Like Jonah, Paul was a servant of God but as to preach to the Gentiles he had an initial resistance. "And Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the sacerdote.Atos juice 9: 1" Similar to Jonas Paul wanted to see the death of what he thought unworthy of God's gifts. The attitudes of these two Jews are very similar.

But as Jonah, Paul will make a trip not to serve God but to destroy the Lord's purposes. In its sovereignty, God interferes with Paul's journey as he did with Jonas and takes him to spend three days and three nights in darkness and without food, without seeing the light of day.

As Jonas felt in the belly of the fish? "When fainted within me my soul, I remembered the LORD; and came in unto thee I pray in your holy temple. Jonah 2: 7 "In Jonah fish belly was in the dark and without food and who saw him outside only would see the scales of the fish.

Paul in his trip was touched by God as Jonah and his revolt trip ended in three days of darkness and spiritual retreat. "And Saul arose from the earth, and opening his eyes, saw no one. And they led him by the hand, led him to Damasco.E was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9: 8-9 "

Jonah in the fish's belly prayed to the Lord, and cried to him with all his strength, and was heard and put to preach to gentios.Veja the apostle Paul revealed to Ananias who was praying to God and crying mercy. "I told him, but the Lord: Go, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.Atos 9:15"

After the race Jonas was ready to preach to Nineveh that are a picture of the many povos.Jonas came out of the belly of the fish and was freed from his prison scales and had the vision of what God queria.Jonas shook the scales and leaves the water and washed ready for the Lord's work

See Paul who was with the same problem of Jonah, ie scales, then that Paul realized he could not fight against God he accepted his condition and a man prayed for him and there fell the scales. "And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received sight; and got up and was baptized. Acts 9:18 "Both of the others were baptized into his passage through água.Também the city of Jonas figa, Tarshish is the city where it came from Paul of Tarsus.

Paul stood shook the scales, was preaching to the Gentiles, and many were converted, similar to the Ninevites.

After the conversion of Nineveh Jonah was exceedingly angry because God has poured out his mercy on the Gentiles. "I pray thee, O LORD, take my life, it is better for me to die than to viver.E the Lord said: You do well to be angry as well? Jonah 4: 3-4 "

In today we have the nation of Israel and many of the Israelites (not all) do not accept that God's message of salvation is preached to grentios and feel an anger, and do not understand that God has always wanted to reach the whole of humanity.

The Israelites stood to preach to people, but after Jesus spent three days in the belly of the earth to rise again he came back with a universal message to reach people who do not know their differences esqueda hand right. Leap remembers the teachings of Christ when he says; "So if your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Romans 12:20 "

Scale is a protection that covers the body of some fish, serves as a protection against predators, and generally covers the entire fish body that possess. The scales have its origin in the inner layer of the skin of the fish.

In the Old Testament there was a clear order from God on consumption of fish with scales. The Lord commanded that only fish with scales should serve as food for Jews. "Of all the creatures living in the waters you may eat those that have fins and scales. Deuteronomy 14: 9 "

Whenever it came to eating fish in Israel, soon thought of fish and flake the fish, remove the scales and this is something very familiar to me because as a child often went out with my father to go fishing and we caught several fish with scales and soon the cleaned for consumption.

The scales passed stick a sense of such strong defense and protection to men copied this system to make the protection of their bodies in battle. The soldiers in the times of kings made for themselves metal clothes overlapping small scales on each other to have mobility and security in the fight against scams. "So out of the camp of the Philistines a warrior man, whose name was Goliath, the head ... He had a bronze helmet, and wore a breastplate of scales; and the weight of five thousand shekels of brass. 1 Samuel 17: 4-5 "

The characteristics of the scales mentioned in the Bible are found in Job. The scales follow a uniform and homogeneous pattern. "His scales are his pride, as each closed with seal apertado.Uma the other is so near, that no air can come between elas.Umas other bind; They stick together, which can not be separated. Job 41: 15-17

We observe this quote from Job carefully: 1) "His scales are his pride, each closed with as tight seal" We have a description of a great sea monster who had her body covered with scales ee were his pride, were well tight to each other. 2) "One the other is so near, that no air can come between them" The hollow is so perfect and protection is so tremendous that neither wind passes between the scales. 3) "stick together, which can not be separated" Marriage is so powerful that no one can separate.

But we are on probation, and our battles are spiritual and sometimes imitate these fish doing for us armor of scales and put on our heart or our eyes espirituais.Veja the pride of man can be like her scales, the proud of armor hides the feeling, it prevents forgiveness, stifles amor.Quantos homes and families are suffering because one spouse that God has done without scales but made himself scales to protect your sentimento.Não can forgive, embrace a son or talk with its coexistence of esposa.Anos supporting small things made of scaly creatures men, closed and protected against all new feeling.

Or wind passes between the scales. The gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit is blowing in the chest of men but their armor prevents them from having a real encounter with God. The gentle breath of the Lord as in the garden to bring life is being impeded by espiritual.O man indifference of scales isolates the Lord in a selfish pursuit and maketh scales that prevent communion with Deus.Não can be separated scales open a loophole to enter the Spirit of God, and leave a little bit of loneliness and struggles weighing within man.

Only on the cross, Jesus went into the belly of the earth as Jonah in the belly of the fish. Inside where the scales are insurmountable because the fish die by boca.Somos fishers of men. "And Jesus said," Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men ".Mateus 4:19" the kingdom of God is like a fishing trip. "" The kingdom of heaven is like a net that is cast into the sea and catch all sorts of fish. Matthew 13:47 "

You just need to open your mouth and accept Jesus confess ale and then with thy mouth die and will be a new creature. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10: 9 "

If the scales prevent you from being happy open your mouth and call Jesus inside of your being. You will have a new abundant life.

The biggest lesson of Jesus in the womb of the earth was the love, the greatest lesson of Jonah in the belly of the fish was love, the greatest lesson of Paul after falling scales was love. Love is the gift Supreme.

Great is the Lord's mercy and he conveys his will through séculos.Glória God for this. Be a Paul or Jonas do the will of the Lord and not yours!