The Relatable Prophet

Introduction

In our world people are looking for someone relatable. This is true of spouses, friends, and churches. Whenever you were dating your spouse, chances are you realized that you might not always agree on things but you can at least relate with them and their perspectives. If you couldn’t relate with your spouse, that would be a bit of a problem, and its one of the reasons why we see so many problems in marriages today. Now think of your best friend - again, chances are you aren’t going to agree about everything because you have some different views or interests, but you have the ability to relate with where they are coming from and over shared passions. What about in the church? The church is a group of diverse people who have been united by the blood of Jesus Christ and we’re adopted into one large family! We better be able to relate with one another because we were all once lost and now we’re all found. While we can’t always relate with a situation someone is walking through, we can relate with one another as having experienced the grace of Jesus Christ that we could never deserve.

We generally like being around people that we can relate with over people that we can’t. If you look at churches around the country that are healthy (not necessarily the largest ones, but the healthiest ones), one of the reasons that they are as healthy as they are is because you have a mix of ages and backgrounds as people relate with one another not just because of similar interests but primarily because of the Gospel changing their lives. See, the Gospel creates a bond that is stronger than anything else this world can offer. We can relate with one another because we’re redeemed sinners as Christians.

What about relating with people in the Bible? Some people think they relate with everyone in the Bible because they think they’re always the hero of the story - have you met someone like this? In Bible study they talk about how they had a fight whenever they were a kid and they beat up the big bad bully and that basically makes them David and they have a similar story for every figure you can think of! I’ve met several people like that in my life and that’s a dangerous way to read the Bible because if you’re always the good hero, why do you really need Jesus, the ultimate champion?

Maybe a better way to look at these figures in the Bible is to look not just at the good things God did through them but also at their flaws… we don’t always like talking about our flaws, but we all have them. In the book of Jonah we see some obvious flaws in this man but none bigger than his failure to trust in God’s plan. See, Jonah’s main problem is that he thinks that he has a better understanding of justice than God does. We don’t have to raise hands, but have you ever had that problem? You think that you know better than the Lord? We’ve all been there, friends. This is a relatable prophet - let’s continue looking at chapter 1 and see what God does to redirect this man’s path.

Jonah 1:7–17 CSB

7 “Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots. Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in. What is your business, and where are you from? What is your country, and what people are you from?” 9 He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were seized by a great fear and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will calm down for us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse. 12 He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that it will calm down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this great storm that is against you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more. 14 So they called out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.” 15 Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 16 The men were seized by great fear of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 17 The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The Result of Jonah’s Rebellion (7-11)

Last week we began looking at this book in chapter 1 and saw that Jonah disobeyed God’s call to go and preach to the people of Nineveh and tell them to repent from their wickedness. Do you remember how wicked those people were? How they would flay their prisoners? Cut off the hands of their enemies? These people are jerks and it’s understandable as to why Jonah wouldn’t want to naturally go there… but it’s what God called him to do! Whenever you or I disobey what God wants us to do there will always be a consequence. Sometimes that consequence just impacts you, but more often than not that consequence impacts many people for many years. Think of the consequence that came from Abraham and Sarah not trusting in God’s promise to give them a biological son! Did their sin only impact their lives? No, it impacted Hagar, Ishmael, and billions of people in the years since as there has been so much bloodshed between the Arab and Jewish peoples simply because Abraham rebelled against God’s plan. Have you experienced a punishment as a result of disobeying God’s Word? I’ve been there and it’s not fun.

Here’s where Jonah is in verse 6 and following. He was asleep on the boat in the middle of a violent storm and then he wakes up only to realize that it’s impossible to run away from an all knowing all powerful God! He see’s the storm and its intensity and he knows why the storm is raging but he doesn’t immediately tell everyone. Have you ever known something but you can’t tell other people even though they’re confused about why something is happening? Usually this happens with some sort of a surprise like a surprise birthday party. Someone asks you why this person asked this question or why are there a bunch of cars parked across the street and you know the answer but you can’t tell the person because you’re trying to keep it a surprise! This is Jonah… but his reason for keeping this to himself isn’t out of fun, it’s to save himself at this point.

He wakes up and the sailors are casting lots and they believe that the dice or stone or pebble will determine who is responsible for this storm… sure enough, it lands on Jonah! They didn’t have a 6-sided die like we have today, they would have had a colored object and the color would have represented a person and if it landed on your color or in your direction then they’d toss a second one with 2 sides and if it landed on the lighter side the answer was yes and if it landed on the darker side then the answer was no. This sounds super random but we see throughout the Old Testament that this practice was used and we find in Proverbs 16:33 that this isn’t random at all

Proverbs 16:33 CSB

33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Do you believe that God has all authority and power? We often talk about that fact in relation to severe health situations, right? If someone is struggling with cancer or is facing an upcoming surgery, we trust that God is all powerful and that God can heal the person fully, regardless of what the medical personal might say beforehand. We trust in His power and plan there, but we see a story about men rolling a dice or a pebble and often we think that this is a simple random event. Think about everything to this point, God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, He sent this storm to bring about that plan. God has been in control and He is still in control today. We, like Jonah, often disobey though. The men cast the pebbles and of course, they fall on Jonah. Is this a random result? Is this the result of chance? Of course not. Jonah was the guilty party and the pebbles falling upon him was not a freak event, God certainly had His hand in this. To some this is confusing and something we are uncomfortable with. To others, this is so obvious to see. Let’s be careful not to overreact to this opening verse, though. The next time you have an important decision to make and you’re trying to seek God’s guidance and plan, don’t grab a dice and say, “God if this is a 6 then I will do this thing but if it’s not then I won’t.” God *can* answer that, but often times in my experience and in Scripture we see that His answers come in time and are not necessarily immediate. Therefore we pray a lot and seek God’s will along the way.

The dice land on Jonah and they expect an answer, they want to know all about Jonah! Can you imagine being in Jonah’s situation here? Jonah has to own his mistake and disobedience against the one true God. I’m sure Jonah’s face was a little red and he was embarrassed by this. Verse 9 is the first time Jonah speaks in this book and what does he say? “I am a Hebrew and I worship/fear the Lord.” Whenever you are put on trial, if you will, by others for your faith, how would/do you answer? We should all answer as openly and honestly as Jonah did here! I am a Christian and I fear/worship the one trust living God! Not only does God tell them that his God is the God of heaven, but he also is the one who made the sea and the dry land. Jonah doesn’t exactly tell them the whole story right here… but he does claim to worship the one true God.

The sailors are fearful and understandably so - if we were those sailors and Jonah told us that he knew why this was happening we would be really upset! How on earth could you be so selfish, Jonah? Again, so often we are like Jonah and we run away from what God wants us to do and whenever we do, we can bring a wake of destruction with us. Frank Page puts it like this, “To run away from a god was foolish; but to run from “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land” was suicidal. These sailors were frightened to the depths of their beings.”

Jonah is forced to accept some responsibility here but he doesn’t fully repent, and as a result, the storm continues until we get to the solution in verse 12

The Reaction to God’s Righteous Judgment (12-16)

After finding out some more information about the situation from Jonah, the sailors naturally want to know what the solution is. How can we get the sea to calm down? They are facing a big problem and they need a big solution. Do you hear the parallels to our own life? We are facing a serious problem - our sin. We need a serious solution and thankfully we know that we have that in the person and work of Jesus Christ!

For those of us who are familiar with the New Testament, we know that Jesus simply tells the storm to stop and it ceases. That is the power of Almighty God! This is the God who Jonah knows, yet what does Jonah say to these people in verse 12? Does Jonah ever repent here? No. As Daniel Timmer points out, “Nowhere in this chapter, or anywhere else in Jonah for that matter, are we told that he repented of his disobedience.” Whenever we mess up and sin against God, we are called to repent. Jonah does not do this here, though. Rather he simply tells them to throw him overboard. Rather than believing that God can and does forgive, it appears that he believes that God will only judge. Thankfully, we know that God does both. He is a righteous judge, but He offers forgiveness as well. All we must do is repent and trust in Him. Whenever a difficult situation arises, our tendency is often self-preservation and thinking of how we can get out of something safely. The sailors do not exemplify this, though, they try to row back to save Jonah’s life. They’ve already thrown their cargo oversea and they don’t want to throw a person overboard. They know who Jonah serves and they know that they are against the one true God, yet they think that they can outsmart Him by rowing back towards safety. What do we see happen in verse 13? The storm gets even worse! Sometimes we have to take our own medicine rather than doubling down. They cry out to God and they are conflicted with what to do, should they throw Jonah overboard or do they keep him on and possibly perish?

What would you do in such a situation? It’s easy to do something with hindsight because it’s always 20/20. But in the heat of the moment, what would you do here? They know the power of Jonah’s God but they don’t want his blood to be on their hands. Because of this, they pray to the Lord and they note that the Lord has done as He has pleased. This is a theme in the book of Jonah and in the Bible as well, God is sovereign and He is the king. He has a plan and He has all power. These pagan sailors recognized this from a few short moments of experiencing His power while at sea. For many people today, we fail to see God in this way. People in our world view God as a genie or a butler of sorts who does exactly whatever we want. We have more power than God, at least in the mind of many people today, even in the church. Friends, may we not fall into this false view. God is the king of kings and Lord of Lords - He has a perfect, unstoppable plan and not even a puny prophet can prevent God’s purposes

Proverbs 21:1 CSB

1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.

Isaiah 55:11 CSB

11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

The sailors eventually throw Jonah into the sea in verse 15, the natural conclusion to this situation. Immediately, the sea stopped raging and Jonah was correct - they threw him overboard and God did in fact have the power over the seas! What is the result for the sailors? They feared the Lord too.

Now I want to camp out in verse 16 for a little bit. Some Christians are confused as to how they could have offered a sacrifice on the ship because they had already thrown off their cargo and lacked the necessary things to offer a sacrifice. Some scholars speculate that they made a vow and completed the sacrifice once they made it to land. This is interesting! Other scholars note that rather than making a traditional sacrifice, they simply threw their idols overboard and worshipped Yahweh. The main question we have is this, “What does it mean that they feared the Lord?”

Does this mean that they converted and began worshipping the God of the Bible alone? Some argue no, but many argue yes. These sailors were worshipping their gods and asking them to intervene in verses 5 and 6. While their gods did not intervene, Jonah’s God did. They all saw His power and presence and they worshipped Him - is there a difference between knowing about God’s power and actually knowing Jesus as your Savior? There certainly is! James 2 reminds us that even the demons know that God created all things and is the Lord of all things yet we’d all agree that the demons aren’t saved. There’s a temptation for people in our world to “add” Jesus to their own plan or their beliefs instead of having Jesus completely change their belief system. We aren’t told entirely what they do and where the Bible is silent we can only speculate…

Either way, though, this shows the “bigness” of our God - even when His prophet disobeys, God intervenes and uses something bad for good! Not only will Jonah accomplish God’s purpose of calling Nineveh to repent, but along the way, God shows mercy to these sailors who see His power on full display and they likely convert - even though we don’t know for sure. They feared the Lord, they likely threw out their idols, but we know that works do not ultimately save… we are called to repent and place our faith in Christ alone and only then are we saved by His grace.

Whenever God acts, we’d better listen and align ourselves with His work!

God’s Response and Realignment (17)

The final verse in this opening chapter is equal parts amazing and mysterious. How on earth can a fish swallow an adult human? In Missouri there are some very large fish in our rivers and lakes. Did you know that back in 2010 a fisherman broke a world record in St. Louis county for the largest catfish ever caught? This fish was nearly 5 feet long and weighed 130 pounds! I can’t even imagine catching a catfish half that size - can you imagine a 130 pound catfish? Even that size of a fish would be unable to swallow an adult human. Our skeptical world things that this one verse makes the entire story of Jonah an impossibility and at best a parable of sorts that didn’t truly happen. After all, how can a fish swallow a person? Let’s entertain that logic for a minute tonight.

How on earth can a blind person have their sight restored? How can a a lame man suddenly be able to run down the street? How can 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish feed over 5,000 people? How can a dead man be commanded to walk out of the tomb? We serve a God of the impossible - a God who writes the rules and reigns as the Sovereign King of creation. If you draw the line with Jonah, how on earth can you accept the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

God had a perfect plan and He appointed a great fish (nothing in the Hebrew original language suggests this is a whale) to swallow Jonah - God had it all figured out! What is so significant here? What goes on for those 3 days and nights? God works on Jonah in this fish over these days but this also serves as a foreshadow of another person who will be somewhere for 3 days! James Buckner shares this typology or comparison between Jonah and Jesus here:

Both are from Galilee

Both preach a message of judgment and repentance to sinners

Both sleep on a boat and cause the storm to cease

Both entered the jaws of death (fish and grave)

Both stayed 3 days

Both were brought back by the Father

God uses this fish for His purposes to bring Jonah to Nineveh to preach this message of repentance. Our God uses crooked sticks to hit straight shots and He works through our sinfulness to bring about His wonderful plan of salvation. God has a purpose in His discipline and that purpose above everything else is to glorify Himself and demonstrate His greatness to all on the earth!

Even in God’s judgment, He is merciful. We see this with Jonah and we see this throughout the Bible with people like Abraham, David, Paul and others. Some are confused about stories like this in the Old Testament and they say that God is a God of wrath and He’s a jerk. He sends storms and commands his people to destroy villages. He sends the plagues on the Egyptians. He’s an angry God! Yet, the story of Jonah reminds us that God does bring His judgment on sinners but God is also a God of mercy and redemption. The sailors repent of their idolatry and we must repent of our self-righteousness. God offers forgiveness through His Son and we know that we must extend forgiveness to those around us as well.

Whenever we disobey God, what must we do? We must accept responsibility, repent from our wrongdoing and seek to resolve the situation. In all things we seek to bring God glory and honor, even in difficult situations. Think about your life tonight as we close. Again, consider what God is calling you to do and how you should respond. Do not respond like Jonah did by fleeing in the opposite direction, rather be obedient today! If you have gone the wrong way, like Jonah, own your mistake and repent today! As we continue to look through this book we’ll see something shocking: Jonah never repents throughout this entire book! May this not be true of us - may we be a people who repent from our sins and place our faith in our Savior.

God is merciful and He offers forgiveness today. Trust in Him!