A Prophet on the Run!

Jonah is a book that has greatly helped and challenged the people of God to respond to God’s will.

The Book of Jonah contains 48 verses. Within the 48 verses God is mentioned 38 times, Jonah is found 18 times, and the great fish is only mentioned 4 times.

Sadly, when many think of the book of Jonah, they think about a great fish that swallowed a man. A careful study of the book of Jonah will reveal the great God who is all powerful, wonderful, and merciful.

G. Campbell Morgan said, “Men have been looking so long at the great fish that they have failed to see the great God.”

The Book of Jonah has faced many attacks from skeptics and critics. They do not believe that a fish could swallow a man and that man live to tell about it! Those folks do not believe the word of God.

I heard about this man that was an agnostic and unbeliever and he sat down next to a sweet old lady on the airplane and he noticed that she had her Bible open and was reading.

So he decided to ridicule her and test her. He asked her what she was reading and she said that she was reading the Book of Jonah.

He said, “Do you really believe that a fish swallowed a man and he lived?” The old lady said, “Yes, I do. It is in God’s word and I believe it all. When I get to heaven I’m going to ask him all about it.”

The man replied harshly, “What if Jonah is not in heaven?” The old lady replied, “Then you ask him!”

Jimmy Draper said, “Our main concern should not be whether a man can live inside a fish, but whether the spirit of Jonah lives in us.” Does the spirit of Jonah live in you? Are you on the run from God?

Jonah’s name means ‘dove’ which was a symbol of peace. We learn from the book of Jonah that he did not represent what his name meant. Doves were also used in the Old Testament as an offering to God. Jonah’s life was not given as an offering to the Lord. Jonah was neither a symbol of peace or faithful to his God.

Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh to preach God’s message to the Gentiles.

As we take a journey through the book of Jonah in this verse by verse study I pray that the Lord Jesus will teach us, guide us, inspire us, convict us, comfort us, correct us, and challenge us to be on mission with God.

Someone once said, “Jonah was the prophet that said, ‘Lord, here am I, send someone else.’”

Jonah was called by God to preach the word. What should have been a blessing and privilege turned out to be a burden and a pain for Jonah.

The man of God heard the word of God but refused to do the will of God. Jonah was a man on the run.

How many of us have ever sought to run from the call of God on our lives? When we are on the run from God we will have no peace, no joy, no purpose, and no direction.

Jonah heard from God, but flat disobeyed God. Jonah went in the exact opposite direction that God told him to go. When we are on the run from God anything can and will happen to us.

Let’s read the first three verses.

Jonah 1:1–3 NKJV

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah Received God’s Call and Commission

The Bible doesn’t tell us why God chose Jonah, but simply tells us that He did.

God’s command to Jonah was clear and concise. God commanded the prophet to arise and go.

The prophet heard a specific commandment. God’s divine directive to the prophet was to arise, go, and cry.

These three words in verse two are imperatives. They tell us that God’s commands are not negotiable. This was not up for debate or discussion.

His divine directive to His church is to arise and go, and announce. We have a similar call and commission.

Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

When God calls, it is time for action. God’s purpose for His prophet was to preach.

*God called Jonah to go where he didn’t want to go and to preach to a people that he didn’t want to preach to.*

Great Biblical Truth: God has called us to go into all the world and preach to all people; no matter what color, what nationality, what social standing, or what background they may have.

Jonah was not only to arise and go, but he was also to preach. God told Jonah where to go and what to do when he got there.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. To whom has God called you to go?

Invite Your One

*We must always seek to share Jesus with a lost world. We must call for repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. *

Meeting physical needs is part of what the church does, but it must never have priority over seeking to meet spiritual needs.

People are lost and heading for hell and they need to hear about the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

‘God has left us on this sinful and evil world to be the salt and the light of the world and reach people for Jesus Christ.’

Jonah’s mission was to cry out against the city.

Jonah was to go to Nineveh and proclaim to Nineveh what God had proclaimed to him.

This conveys a sense of urgency. The mission of the church is an urgent matter. People are dying in their sins and need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jonah Rejected God’s Call and Ran Away

Jonah 1:3 NKJV

3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah was a prophet on the run.

We are either running with God or running away from God.

Jonah didn’t like God’s plan and Jonah didn’t like God’s command.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “(Jonah) forgot that ‘God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable’ (Rom. 11:29).

At one time or another during their ministries, Moses, Elijah, and Jeremiah felt like giving up, but God wouldn’t let them.

Jonah needed Nineveh as much as Nineveh needed Jonah. It’s in doing the will of God that we grow in grace and become more like Christ.”

Next to the one who does not pay his bill, the doctor’s most annoying patient is the one who refuses to follow orders.

Recently it was estimated that between 16 to 90% of all patients leave half-empty pill bottles, cheat on diets, or never return for checkups despite careful prescriptions and cautious advice.

It’s been well said, ‘We are in our most vulnerable state when we are walking away from God.’

God called Jonah to go Northeast to Nineveh; Jonah went Southwest to Joppa.

Jonah did not have the love of God in his heart for the people of Nineveh.

This Jewish prophet from Galilee did not want to go to the Gentiles with the message of God. Jonah refused the will of God for his life.

*We do not have to be physically running from God to be spiritually running from God.*

We can come to church, sing in the choir, teach a class, sing a special, preach a sermon and still be on the run from God! You don’t have to leave the church to leave Christ!

When we skip church we are running from God

When we stop reading the word of God we are running from God

When we quit praying we are running from God

When we distant ourselves from Christian friends we lose accountability we are running from God

Great Biblical Truth: You cannot flee from God’s Omnipresence. The God who made heaven and earth and all that is in them can not be hid from or run from. Jonah would soon learn this lesson.

Jonah didn’t like what God was calling him to do. So he did what many of us have done, he just didn’t do it.

If God’s call is on your life you need to submit and surrender under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Look at the last part of verse 3...

He found a ship going to Tarshish.

As far as Jonah could tell, his plan was working out.

I don’t think this was an accident. Satan will always provide something that can carry you away from God’s calling.

Dr. David Jeremiah reminds us, “Through the whole book, (Jonah) went down to Joppa; then he went down into the ship. Then he went down into the sea. Then he went down into the belly of the great fish. Then the great fish went down to the very depths of the ocean.”

Disobedience to God’s will and call for our lives always leads down.

Jonah’s disobedience was extensive, he fled to Tarshish;

Jonah’s disobedience was expensive, he paid the fare.

From these first three verses come the penetrating truth that when God calls and commissions us, we need to obey. May we learn from Jonah what not to do! Has the word of the Lord come to you? Have you responded to the call of God to share His word?

Are we on the run from God as a church? Are we obeying His command to share the gospel?

If you are not saved the Lord is calling for you to trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior!

For His saints He is calling for you to serve! He’s calling some to serve:

Nursery

Awana

Teaching a class

Cooking or cleaning

Bible Study

Faithful attendance with His people to worship

Greeter

Give to the work of the Lord

Go on mission for the Lord

Obey His word and share His word!

Will you run or obey?