Gtcotr/ss110820
Jonah is a fairly well-known character in the Bible – him and that big fish. Jesus even spoke of Jonah in Matthew 12. Did you know Jewish Rabbis teach that Jonah was the son of the widow of Zarephath who Elijah raised from the dead in 1 Kings 17. The Bible does not say that, but Jewish tradition teaches it and that’s the best source we have to fill in the gaps. At any rate, by the time the Bible introduces us to Jonah he is a Jewish Prophet of Jehovah presumably living in a small town in the region of the Galilee which was inherited by the Tribe of Zebulon.
It is fairly clear that Jonah was prejudiced. He liked Jews better than Gentiles. His bias was based on his upbringing and his religious and national beliefs. It seems Jonah had a real problem imaging how God could be as good to Gentiles as He was to Jews. This was not an isolated belief.
Everyone in Jonah’s circle believed God was partial to Jews and they knew in their heart that God did not agree with or support Gentiles or their ungodly ways. Jonah could not imagine God loved the Gentile Ninevites as much as He did the Jews … Jonah certainly did not love them, and perhaps … that was his first and biggest mistake.
There are four chapters in the Book of Jonah and today we will focus on just one of the lessons God teaches us from each chapter. Let’s begin … It was about the year 862BC when Jonah heard a word from God:
Jonah 1
1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD
came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that
great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
17 Now the LORD had prepared
a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three
days and three nights.
·
God
will never be unprepared for the things we do or the things which are done to
us.
·
There
is no other God.
o God and the devil are
not co-equal enemies battling it out for supremacy.
o God has never lost a
battle and cannot be defeated.
o It is not over
§ Just because someone
says “no” to the will of God
§ When people decide to
not participate
§ If the majority agree
with you
§ It is not over until
God says it’s over … and God was not through with Jonah.
·
What
sets God apart from all other claims?
o God knows everything
that is going to happen before it happens, and He is always prepared.
o The Prophet Isaiah said one of the attributes of God is:
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”
Psalms 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
2.
Those who observe lying vanities forsake their
own mercies.
·
It
appears Jonah is talking not only about the mariners who first turned to their
pagan idols to save them during the storm, but that Jonah is also talking about
himself and about mankind as a whole.
·
It
is certain Jonah did not like the Ninevites and did not think they deserved to
be given a second chance.
·
Jonah
observed his own lie and made an idol out of the way he felt and worshipped at
the altar of his own opinion.
o Although based on
facts …
o Although supported by
many others in Jonah’s personal circle
§ Beware of the echo
chambers of life …
§ And beware of the
social media platforms that surround you and constantly spy on you, listening
to every word you say and each stroke of your keyboard.
o Although surrounded by
people who felt just like he did …
o Although horrible for
Jonah to even imagine …
o God felt differently than
Jonah and his supporters – But – as you see, Jonah valued his own opinion more
than he valued God’s plan.
· In this, Jonah was Jonah’s worst enemy …
Jonah 2
8 They that observe lying
vanities forsake their own mercy.
·
In the belly of that fish, Jonah had a rude
awakening …
·
Jonah had a come to Jesus moment …
·
God was just a little bigger than he was, and
God is boss!
· Jonah changed his mind and decided to not forsake the mercy of God.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
It is a sacrifice to be thankful right now, but I vowed to serve you and that is what I am going to do. You alone are my salvation. Serving myself and my own opinion is what got me in this hell.
Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
3.
Most likely, God still wants you to do what He
wanted you to do the last time you talked.
·
Not
always, but most of the time, God will still wants us to do the last thing He
told us to do.
· God is pretty sure what He wants
Jonah 3
1 ¶ And the word of the LORD
came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
4. It’s not good to be angry about a decision God has made.
Jonah 4:4 Then said the LORD,
Doest thou well to be angry?
·
God
cares more about souls than He does about any other thing.
·
People
often act like they care most about their passions, personal comfort, and
possessions which will all perish, instead of acting like they care about
people.
· We know God is good and merciful and kind and we should expect Him to act that way – even when He acts that way towards our enemies.
Jonah 4
9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
11 And should not I spare
Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that
cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also
much cattle?
·
There
were 120,000 people who did not know what they were doing. (Father forgive
them, they know not what they do!)
· For their sakes and for the sakes of the innocent, God had mercy, just like Jonah knew He would.
God has more invested in this generation and in generations to come than we could ever imagine. He is the only one qualified to make such great decisions. But don’t be deceived … it’s not over until God says it’s over.
We would do well to remember that He is a God of great mercy, second chances, forgiveness, and ever-lasting love … and we would have it no other way! However, He is not a God to be trifled with …
·
God is always prepared …
·
His opinion is greater than ours …
·
He still needs our help …
·
We can depend on Him to make every final decision.
