Day 256, or September 13. Get God's Word Right.
Our thoughts today come from Jonah chapter 3 verse 10. When God saw what they did and
how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction
He had threatened.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Jonah eventually escapes from the fish's
stomach and God calls him again. This time he responds positively and travels to Nineveh,
which is near Mosul, in north Iraq. The actual tale is called Nabi Yunus, meaning Prophet
Jonah. Here he preaches to the whole city and everyone turns to God.
Chapter 3 verses 5 and 6. But Jonah is furious that God forgives them and the book closes
with him, leaving the city like a spoilt child.
And now today's action step. Our verse today is a reminder that our God is a forgiving
God and I feel sure we are all grateful for that. However, when we read this from Jonah's
perspective, it has a different message altogether. Remember, Jonah is a prophet and when a prophet's
pronouncement is wrong, it has very serious consequences. Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse
20 tells us, But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name, or who speaks in the
name of another god, must die.
In other words, Jonah feared for his life, because what he had told the Ninevites didn't
seem to be, so couldn't be from God. It's a sobering reminder for you and me too to
be very careful about speaking on behalf of God. All preachers should be careful that
what they say is from the Bible actually is and is quoted accurately. All of us must be
sure that all that we say is in the Bible really is. We have a responsibility to reflect
God and his gospel accurately. Our opinions may be interesting, but ultimately all that
matters is God's opinion. We recommend all our teaching team at Walk Through the Bible
to regularly check that what they teach is truly biblical and not just their own interpretation.
Jonah thought he'd got it right, but he got it wrong. Don't let the same thing happen
to you. Be sure you always quote God's word accurately.