Grace Behind Me

Introduction

“I am convinced that the book of Jonah is the most profoundly Christian of all the books in the Hebrew Bible, and the book from which we have the most to learn at the beginning of this era.

But let’s begins first with an brief outline of the story. The book opens with Jonah rejecting God’s explicit command to preach to the Gentiles of Nineveh. In fact, Jonah runs away as far as possible in the opposite direction, boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. Soon, however, when a huge storm rises, the terrified man on the ship feel compelled to cast Jonah into the ocean. But, at that moment, a great fish—often pictured as a whale—swallows the astonished prophet.

Jonah remains inside the belly of the whale for three days, praying in his anguish, until he finds himself regurgitated onto land. Deciding, then, to obey God’s command after all, he prophesies to the people of Nineveh the destruction of their city within forty days. The people of Nineveh repent, and God forgoes his threat of punishment against them. But this decision deeply irritates Jonah. He is all of a sudden filled with self-piety and wants to die. His anger is further roused when a plant, which had afforded him temporary shelter against the scorching heat, is withered. But the end of the story, Jonah is brought to realize that God can show kindness to whom he will, no matter which race or nation the people belong to, and even if they are living within the evil city of Nineveh” (Murray, A Journey with Jonah, ii-iv).

Yet, knowing the outline only scratches the surface to what we believe and how we live in accordance to the Scriptures. The books of Jonah was written for us, so we can learn from the prophet and see where Jesus Christ fits in the story.

Now, if you have brought your bibles, I encourage you to open them and turn to the book of Jonah. This book is found in the Old Testament and is in between the book Obadiah and Micah.

Jonah's Bewilderment Journey From the Presence of the Lord

The poetic narrative shines the light on our main character—Jonah the son of Amittai—the prophet of the Lord. The Lord gives Jonah a unique commission to preach to foreigners in the nation of Assyria, whom Jonah despises. God’s intention was for his prophet to enter the capital city and preach a message that would radical transform and bring the Gentiles to repentance. But when it comes to man’s free will vs. God’s commandment what normally wins out? Let’s read verse three and see.

Jonah 1:3 ESV

3 But Jonah rose 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, away from the presence of the Lord.

So who win’s out… Jonah’s rebellion of course. How come? It’s easier road to travel to cast contempt onto the people he hates instead of providing them with God’s Word. Likewise, it is effortless to dismiss people who have nothing in common with you. As in Jonah, his self-righteousness chose to flee his commission because he could not grasp the truth that God desires all to come to repentance (Acts 17:30).

But the Lord will not let Jonah off the hook. Even though Jonah believed he got away, the Lord would remind him who is ultimately control of our destiny.

Jonah 1:4–5 ESV

4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.

Notice the author says, Jonah descends farther and farther away from God three times. Jonah went opposite of Nineveh and down to Joppa. He went down inner part of the ship and then he laid down and slept. What is being emphasized is Jonah’s spiritual journey distancing himself from presence of the Lord.

He flee, but God pursues. God pursues Jonah so restlessly that he hurls a tempestuous storm of love to overwhelm everyone on board and eventually resulting with Jonah pleading for mercy with the mariners of the ship. His suggestion is for the men to throw him overboard.

Jonah 1:15 ESV

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

In Jonah’s mind, it would be better to die at sea than preach to his enemies.

Again! Not so fast Jonah.The Lord was not satisfied with Jonah’s rebellion and still had a mission to complete. So the Lord did the unimaginable.

Jonah 1:17 ESV

17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah's Journey Within the Whale

John Jewel, the Anglican bishop of Salisbury, writing toward the end of the sixteenth century, draws the attention of Jonah’s experience inside the whale’s belly: “The place was very dark: the waves beat on every side: he was drowned yet touched no water: he was swallowed up, yet not consumed… The tempest was death, yet he died not, but lived in the midst of death; he could not see, he could not hear, he knew not to whom he might call for help” (Jewel, A Treatise of the Holy Scripture, Jonah, 65).

Trapped and surrounded inside the fish’s gut, Jonah definitely had time to contemplate over his life choice and how he got to this point. Maybe a little time away from the ocean’s view would be good for him.

I recently watch a video on CBS Sport stated that siting in the darkness is a good way of figuring out your future. At least Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers believes that, he said after Superbowl 57, he is going on four day ‘Darkness Retreat’ to get closer to making his next decision on what he wants to do in life.

I want to point out, the biggest contrast between Aaron and Jonah is Jonah believes there’s a divine reason why he’s sitting in the dark and he didn’t volunteer for it.

There is only one way out of this predicament. He has to stop running from the Lord and has to start listening. Not to himself, but to the one who sent him. After recognizing his dire condition, he calls out to the only one who can hear him under the sea.

Jonah 2:1–9 ESV

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

What happens next is remarkable. Jonah declares what he knows to be true. “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” And with that be spoken from the prophet’s lips, light begins to break through into Jonah’s world.

Jonah 2:10 ESV

10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

The New Jonah of Christ

The disobedient prophet recieved a second chance. Only because God’s relentless grace and mercy chased him all the way and took hold of his heart until he learned obedience.

Do you know who did not have to learn this lesson of transforming disobedience into obedience towards the Lord? Yes, it was only one person alone, the Son of God — Jesus Christ. Who alone listened from the beginning to the Father’s voice from heaven. Here are the contrast of Jesus and Jonah...

Jonah’s name in Hebrew means “dove” and yet he flees into the sea of chaos. Jesus on the other hand, was baptized in the Jordan river by John and the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove and he obeyed God and went into the wilderness to be tempted.

Jonah descends three times away from the presence of the Lord, “while Jesus goes down in love, not in order to flee but to reach the Nineveh of the world: he goes down from his divinity into the poverty of the flesh, of being a human creature with all its wretchedness and suffering; he goes down in the simplicity of the carpenter's son and goes down into the night of the cross, finally even into the night of Sheol, the world of the dead. In so doing, he preceded us on the road of the descent, far from our false kingly glory. This is the way of truth: a way of conversion, a way that distances us from Adam’s pride, from wanting to be God, toward the humility of Jesus who is God and who for us emptied himself of his glory” (Phil. 2:1-10) (Murray, A Journey with Jonah, 66).

Lastly, Jonah and Jesus shared one common experience: each one remained in a temporary world until three days and three nights have past. Jonah was vomited from the fish. Jesus released from the tomb of death.

Jesus is the new Jonah and he alway listened to the direction of his Heavenly Father.

The New Jonah of Obedience

Remember as I said earlier, this message was written for you and me. Jonah story was solely prefiguring of Jesus’ coming, but it is a reminder of who we have become. We too like Jonah have strayed away from the presence of God and the Lord will relentless chase all of us until he transforms our disobedience into obedience.

How is the Lord Redirecting your Journey to Obedience? The Lord can redirect your path through natural disasters, family/work disorders, unplanned events so that you turn towards obedience for God's sake.

The Lord can hurl a great wind, dunk you into the sea, have you eaten up by a great fish just so he can take you where you need to be. We do not and cannot have all life’s answers to why things happen, but we can confidently trust the Lord is working through them all. As Paul writes to the church in Rome:

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The Lord uses this story to illustrate to you and me that it time to begin following the voice of God. All he desires is a life of faithfully obedience and he only does this because he first loved us.

So I ask, what obedience does God require of you? Listening (Scripture), descending in humility (abandon your Tarshish), and pursing a resurrection lifestyle (Gospel-filled life).

“Listen to the Lord by Following his Prompting.”