How are you going?

Introduce the Series

I’ll add my welcome to Emma’s!

Hi friends, it’s good to be back.

To be here enjoying one another’s company yet again, with games, with groups but in my opinon most importantly with God’s Word.

And that’s what we’re doing now...

If you all could open up to Jonah. As has been said tonight, we’re going to be spending this term in this little book.

The reason, is simple. I think it asks a lot of good questions.

And to start each week, we’re going to be asking a different question, but before that, let’s read...

*READ JONAH 1:1-16*

Introduction [Slide]

The question this week: “How are you going?” [Slide]

*Interact with them and get them to answer the question*

Now as we said before, we’re going to be in Jonah for the whole term, 6 weeks.

And we’re going to be spending 3 of those weeks in the first chapter right here, asking three important questions, the first of which I just asked you...

And the question behind that question, is really: “How are you going with God?”

But first, let’s ask Jonah how his relationship with God is...

Or even before that…let’s ask who is Jonah...

Walk through the Word...

Jonah 1:1: [Slide]

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai

The first thing we learn is that Jonah is a Prophet.

Now I know not all of you were at Camp last year with us, but does anyone know what a prophet is? How we define “a prophet”?

[Slide] “Someone who takes the Word of God and delivers it”

Now, Jonah doesn’t exactly do that, but before we get there...

At camp we got to know Habakkuk in a simliar way we’re learning about Jonah here. Does anyone remember how many times Habakkuk is mentioned outside of his book?

NONE.

Does anyone know or want to guess how many times Jonah is mentioned outside of his book?

ONE.

In 2 Kings 14 we see Jonah is mentioned in relation to Jeroboam II who is the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And on the surface this isn’t that interesting or weird, because Prophets all the time would relate to kings…however, almost always it would be a negative experience.

Because the Prophets would only really come in to rebuke, to tell a king that they were doing the wrong thing. That was their job, to hold the kings accountable - make sure they are following God and doing the right thing.

Again, in 2 Kings 14 we see it says that the king, is not a good king. That “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord”.

And yet, we still see this Prophet of God, Jonah, alongside the king. Supporting his questionable actions.

What we learn about Jonah here is that he loves his country. And on the surface there’s nothing really wrong with this.

I personally think Australia’s pretty cool.

But what we’re REALLY learning about Jonah here, is that his priorities aren’t fully aligned…aren’t with God on top...

Now I want you to hold onto that because we’ll be talking about Jonah’s priorities a lot over these coming weeks...

For now, let’s turn back to Jonah being a Prophet. Someone chosen by God to take His Word and deliver that to the people.

Jonah 1:2-3a: [Slide]

2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.

So, Jonah recieves God’s Word, and gets told to go to Nineveh and preach. Deliver God’s word to the people of Nineveh.

A basic job in a way. In the sense that it is exactly what his job title - Prophet - calls him to do.

Yet verse 3, “Jonah ran...”

[Slide]

So, we have learnt that Jonah struggles with his priorities and is a coward.

Or is it as simple as that?

Yes, Jonah absolute runs away from God...

And yes, he is a Prophet of God and called to this...

And yes, he does the job when it suits him and benefits his country...

But let’s look at this “simple task”…this “basic job”...

Again, in verse 2 we see his task is twofold:

Go to Nineveh

Preach

Here’s a map. [Slide]

Here is where Jonah lives. Gath-hepher.

Here is where Nineveh is. [Slide]

Now Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, which at this time was the most powerful empire in the known wrold.

Everything you can currently see on the map was under the Assyrians.

Even Israel. Though they still have kings, as we saw just before in how Jonah serves the king. The kings and all Israel pay a price to the Assyrians so that they “protect” Israel…but really it’s so they don’t invade.

[Slide]

Think of it like a bully. Now I know (and hope) not all of you have expereniced a bully like Assyria, but I’m sure you’ve seen it through friends, through school or through TV and movies.

[Slide]

One of the traditional movie bullies, is one that uses their power, whether that be strength or beauty or influence, to put you in a corner, get something out of you (money), and you “get something” back (protection). Fair trade…right?

Except picture this on a national level. Apply this to Australia. Imagine if America told Australia…we have around 15 times your population. We have a massive amount of nuclear force…I reckon it’d be better if you…you know...Did what we say. Did want we wanted. And, because we’ll “protect” you. You pay us...

Fair?…No, lies.

So what’s my point?

[Slide]

Assyria, and by extension, Nineveh, is Jonah’s bully.

Really they’re the bully of all Israel.

And what did we only just learn about Jonah… he LOVES his country!

Also, an important point, Assyria we’re not nice people.

Sure they “bullied” Israel and many other countries to fall under them...

But how they did it…what they did do …

Assyria has been called one of the cruelest and most violent empires of all time.

Now I’m not going to list ALL their deeds here now…there are some truly horrible ones...

Basically, they would torture almost anyone…not only to get their way or get information…but for fun…for entertainment...

However, I will mention one that speaks into their cruelty and blood lust:

After capturing enemies, one of the more common and typical things for them to do would be to cut off both legs, but only one arm. They would leave the other arm so that they could shake the victim’s hand in mockery as he was dying...

Assyria as an empire was not a good people, they did horrible, horrible things.

And Jonah knew it. By Jonah’s time, Assyria had been around for a while, and they had been the empire over Israel for around 100 years. He had grown up with stories about Assyria, about what they had done...to his country…to his tribe…to his family.

He probably heard first-hand accounts of the ways of Assyria.

How terrible. How terrifying.

So…Jonah, to some degree, had reasons, maybe even good reasons for not wanting to go...

But I’m just not sure.

Yes. Assyria has done terrible things.

But. God wants him to go.

Yes. Assyria has done horrible things to Israel.

But. God wants him to go.

Yes. Assyria is their, is his enemy.

But. God wants him to go.

If God makes his will, his plan, his wants clear and you purposefully, willfully…ignore them. Disobey them. Run from them.

Ask yourself this: “Do you trust God?” [Slide]

Ask: “How are you going WITH GOD?” [Slide]

Let’s finish off Jonah 1:3: [Slide]

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

[Slide]

Let’s also turn back to that map. So remember that’s where Jonah is from, that’s where God sent...

[Slide]

And this is where he tried to go. Tarshish.

The significance of Jonah doing this can be seen in three ways:

First, he is told to go right and he goes left. He goes the complete opposite direction that God tells him to. Which leads to...

Second, he goes as far as he can. Tarshish was one of if not the furthest point of the earth that they knew of at this time. He is literally (from his perspective) trying to go to the ends of the earth to get away from God. To flee from the Lord. And both of these point to...

Third, he is desperate. He could have gone by land up or down or even towards Nineveh, yet he chooses over sea, which no Israelite would do unless they had to...

All three of these ways and everything else we have learnt about Jonah points to one clear fact: He thinks he knows better than God. [Slide]

Significance

Through these mere first few verses and the backstory in 2 Kings, we find a man who prioritises his nation and is mistrustful of anyone who doesn’t, including God himself. God gives him a clear command and Jonah outright moves against it.

And in so doing shows us that he truly doesn’t know who God is and therefore doubts God himself.

[Slide]

Now I want to make clear, that questions are good. If you were at camp last year, we followed Habakkuk and saw him question a lot, what is God doing, why is God doing it and even pushed a bit into the who, and asking is God really who he says he is.

But Habakkuk landed at the end knowing and trusting that who God is, is key. Because God won’t always explain what or why but we trust in the who - WHO GOD IS.

That he is wise, and good, and just. And trustworthy!

So, what I am saying is that Jonah doubted this.

Jonah saw the task ahead of him, Jonah saw God who gave it to him and Jonah doubted who God is.

Jonah doubted the Wisdom of God. [Slide]

That God knew what was best for him. Best for Israel. Best for Nineveh.

That God is the infinitely wise one. That knows all that was, is and will be.

That God knows all right, all wrong and all rights and all wrongs.

Jonah moved in arrogance against true wisdom.

Jonah doubted the Goodness of God. [Slide]

That God is working for the best, the good of his people.

That God is good. And we only know goodness in and through him.

That daily he fills our hungry souls with goodness.

Jonah fled from that goodness.

Jonah doubted the Justice of God. [Slide]

That God is perfectly just in all that he does.

That God works for justice through the whole earth.

That God knows Nineveh and will judge rightly.

Jonah fearing mercy flees from true justice.

Jonah concluded he knew best. NOT GOD.

But, haven’t we. Whether in small ways or big. Haven’t we thought, or maybe we haven’t thought we have just acted in the way, with the intention that we know better than God?

Friends, just like Jonah, have we not doubted God’s Wisdom, Goodness and Justice at many times.

Thinking we know better.

Thinking he doesn’t work for good.

Thinking that there is no justice.

How are you going with God? [Slide]

Do you trust him?

Do you lean into his wisdom?

Do you know his goodness?

Do you love his justice?

Do you know him?

We’re going to keep following this man who is struggling hard with God.

So please, know it’s ok if you’re struggling.

But as we’ll see, Jonah does keep coming back to God, even if God is doing a lot of the work.

Keep trying.

Keep pushing.

Keep asking questions…like

How are you going with God?

*BIG Pause*

Father,

Help us. Help us to come to you.

To take our relationship with you seriously.

To ask questions and think deeply.

To know you. To want to know you.

AMEN.