JONAH – THE GREAT GOD STORY

INTRODUCTION

Why should we study the Old Testament?

Some say it is an old law - it is taken out of the way, so why study it?

Romans 15:4 ASV

4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.

The Old Testament provides patience, comfort, and hope

This passage means that by patiently enduring sufferings - in connection with the consolation which the Scriptures furnish - we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11 ASV

11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

The Old Testament is to be used as an example

There are good examples

There are bad examples

The Old Testament is for our admonition

Warns us who not to be like

Warns us of the destiny of the disobedient

This brings us to the book of Jonah

Jonah had been referred to as the great fish story

This is all many know about the book

If this is all we know we miss the main message of the book

Jonah is a great GOD STORY

This book presents God as a God of compassion, love, longsuffering, and strictness

The “glory of God and the salvations of man through Jesus Christ” is the theme of the whole Bible.

Jonah deals with one great aspect of this theme: “God is the God of all nations”

DISCUSSION

RUNNING AWAY FROM GOD(Chapter 1)

The commission of Jonah

Jonah 1:1–2 ASV

1 Now the word of Jehovah 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.

Sent to preach to Nineveh

We too are commission of God

Matthew 28:19–20 ASV

19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The contrariness of Jonah

Jonah 1:3–10 ASV

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah. 4 But Jehovah sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them. But Jonah was gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. 7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou? 9 And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land. 10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.

Jonah tries to flee his duty

Tarshish is in the opposite direction of Nineveh

Jonah’s excuses:

Nineveh was a Gentile nation

He knew the affliction they had cause others

How many times are we like Jonah?

Do we use excuses for not doing the Lord’s will?

Do we let personal feelings get in our way?

Jonah thought he could hide from God

Do we try this maneuver?

Remember: God is “ALL-SEEING”

Proverbs 15:3 ASV

3 The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good.

Jeremiah 23:24 ASV

24 Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah.

1 John 3:20 ASV

20 because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

We cannot hide from God!

The Chastening of Jonah

Jonah 1:11–16 ASV

11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

The men were frightened … Jonah said, Throw me overboard

They tried to save Jonah and row to shore

In verse 14 they realized they had to deal with God

They threw Jonah overboard—the sea stopped, and they feared God

Jonah 1:17 ASV

17 And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

RUNNING TO GOD (Chapter 2)

Jonah’s prayer for deliverance

Jonah 2:1–9 ASV

1 Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish’s belly. 2 And he said, I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, And thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me. 4 And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple. 8 They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah.

Jonah in helpless terror realizes that salvation is only in the Almighty … the world needs to realize this

This results in Jonah praying penitently

Many times it takes a great calamity before we will humble ourselves before God

We do not know if we will ever have another chance

We need to remember that God can rescue us when no one else can

Just as God forgave Jonah – so will He forgive us

Luke 13:3 ASV

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.

2 Corinthians 7:9–10 ASV

9 I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Jonah is delivered

Jonah 2:10 ASV

10 And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

The result of penitent prayer is seen

The result of our penitent prayer will be seen in the Day of Judgment

RUNNING WITH GOD (Chapter 3)

The commission renewed

Jonah 3:1–4 ASV

1 And the word of Jehovah 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. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Jonah was still expected to do what he was told

God expects the same of us

Just because we have failed or neglected an obligation that does not release us from that duty

We must be like Jonah - If we neglect … repent, then fulfill our obligations

Jonah did not “beat around the bush” – we need to be straight forward in our teaching

2 Timothy 4:2 ASV

2 preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Galatians 4:16 ASV

16 So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?

The consequences of repentance

Jonah 3:5–10 ASV

5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he made proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water; 8 but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not.

God accepted Nineveh’s repentance because it was true repentance… Notice verse 10

This should give us confidence

This chapter shows God’s great love for all mankind

Acts 17:30 ASV

30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:

...wants all men to repent

John 3:16 ASV

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

RUNNING AHEAD OF GOD (Chapter 4)

Jonah’s anger at Nineveh’s repentance

Jonah 4:1–3 ASV

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Jonah was wanting Nineveh to fail

Perhaps Jonah fled in chapter 1 because he knew of God abundant love and mercy

Is this the reason we fail to share the Gospel as we should?

Jonah learns a lesson from the gourd vine

Jonah 4:4–11 ASV

4 And Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry? 5 Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And Jehovah God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his evil case. So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd. 7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered. 8 And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. 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. 10 And Jehovah said, Thou hast had regard for the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 and should not I have regard for 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?

Notice that Jonah had more joy over the gour,d that for the Ninevites

Are we like Jonah?

Are we happier over a new car than a conversion to Christ?

Jonah was first angered because Nineveh was not destroyed and then was angered because the gourd was destroyed

Man is very concerned with the things that directly affect him

Man worries about himself

Many times man is indifferent to things that do not directly affect him

Jonah worried more about the gourd than he did Nineveh

Do we worry more about ourselves than we do others?

1 John 3:16–18 ASV

16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.

CONCLUSION

Valuable lessons from the book of Jonah:

We cannot flee from God

God’s love is for all nations

There is a great need for penitent prayer

We are never relieved of our duty to God

The consequences of repentance are great

Do not be self-centered

Let us use the example given in the Old Testament to make our lives more acceptable unto God.