The Reluctant Prophet

History Lesson

Who was Jonah?

We first encounter Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25

2 Kings 14:25 NASB95

He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.

Jonah was a prophet of Israel the northern kingdom, during the reign of Jeroboam II, who by the way, was not a godly king.

Jonah helped king Jeroboam II, increase the size of the boarders of Israel.

It is possible Jonah may have known other prophets like Elisha who was before him and Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea who were after him.

Who are the Ninevites?

Nineveh was founded by Noahs great grandson Nimrod Gen. 10:8-12

Genesis 10:8–12 (NASB95)

Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.”

The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

Nineveh would come into power and be a world power from about 1230BC to its eventual destruction around 612BC

The walls of the city were massive. They were (by some accounts), 100 feet tall and 45ft wide. On the walls they had as many as 1500 towers reaching 200 feet tall.

The population was estimated to be about 600,000 people

They had parks and a 30 mile long aqueduct throughout the city

By the time King Sennacherib came into power he built a palace that covered 5 acres with over 71 rooms and huge halls to entertain.

They were the inventors of both Scientific Astronomy and were also big into astrology

They had a massive library that when excavated in 1849 AD they archeologist found over 22,000 tablets intact.

The Assyrians brutality in battle was renown. They were known to impale their enemies on stakes in front of their towns and hang their heads from trees in the king’s gardens. They also tortured their captives—men, women, or children—by hacking off noses, ears, or fingers, gouging out their eyes, or tearing off their lips and hands. They reportedly covered the city wall with the skins of their victims.

They were a perennial enemy to the people of Israel and were always associated with evil.

Sermon

The Reluctant Prophet

Jonah 1:1–16 (NASB95)

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.” Each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.” So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. So they said to him, “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.

He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them.

Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.”

So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

When we look at these 16 verses, we can see 3 major events.

A Call to Service v.1-2

A Response to the Call v.3

A Consequence for Disobedience v.4-16

God Calls Jonah to Nineveh

The beginning of book begins with God’s call to Jonah 1:1-2

Jonah 1:1–2 (NASB95)

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

As God’s prophet Jonah had already been used by God to help Jeroboam II increase the boarders of Israel.

Jonah was likely a very popular guy at the time, but now God wanted him to go to Nineveh the very people who the Israelites hated and to prophesy their destruction.

It is easy to follow God’s will for our lives when it makes sense to us, but when He asks us to do something that doesn’t make sense or makes us uncomfortable, we have a two choices; We can obey and do what He asked us to do, or we can sin and not obey.

Jonah at the local restaurant or walking down the street.

Jonah’s Response to God’s Call

Instead of obeying, Jonah decided to try and flee from God. Jonah 1:3

Jonah 1:3 (NASB95)

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah’s Consequence for Disobedience

Jonah 1:15 (NASB95)

So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

Application

1. We Cannot Hid from God

Trying to run from God works about as well as my daughter Callie playing hide and seek when she was young.

Jonah tried to flee from God’s presences when he should have known better. He was attempting to travel about 2000 miles to Tarshish rather than to obey God and travel 500 miles to Nineveh.

Where is Tarshish vs Nineveh

Not only was Jonah going to try and flee to Tarshish, but also hid down in the ship and fell asleep. He thought could hide out and no one would notice. Jonah 1:5b

Jonah 1:5b (NASB95)

But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

Knowing the Scriptures, Jonah should have known better than to try to flee and hid from God, surly he had read the psalms.

Psalm 139:7–12 (NASB95)

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

Have you ever thought you could some how get away with not doing what we know to be right, just because we are alone, or around people that don’t know us?

Not only was he noticed and found by the ships crew, but he was caught!

Jonah 1:7 (NASB95)

Each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.” So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Sin will always show up at some point. We may think we have cheated the system and somehow avoid being exposed, but God’s word reminds us in Num 32:23

Numbers 32:23B (NASB95)

be sure your sin will find you out.

1. We Cannot Hid from God

2. There is Always a Cost to Disobedience

How often are we paying for things, sometimes in severe ways because we decided our way was better than God’s way?

We never sin for free. There is always a cost associated with it.

Cost to finances - Jonah paid his way and lost his belongings and any money he had spent

Cost to relationships - Jonah left for Tarshish instead of Nineveh… what about his friends and other acquaintances…

Cost to Those Affected by Our Decisions

Jonah 1:5A (NASB95)

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.

Cost to the Christian Faith - Jonah 1:8-10

Jonah 1:8–10A (NASB95)

Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could you do this?”

I have personal friends who were missionaries have given into sexual sins, you hear stories of pastors, youth leaders, etc…

The sailors asked Jonah and we often ask…, “How could you do this?”

Satan will always paint sin out to not be that bad…, he convinces us somehow it will be worth it.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

1. We Cannot Hid from God

2. There is Always a Cost to Disobedience

3. God’s Grace

Despite Jonah’s sin of disobedience, God spared the ship and its crew.

Jonah 1:15 (NASB95)

So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

Despite Jonah not being the prophet he should have been, God used the circumstances to show Himself to the ship’s crew.

Jonah 1:16 (NASB95)

Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

Remember Ananias and Sapphira? - They lied to God about what they had given to the Church and God struck them dead.

God owes us nothing… He could have wiped out Jonah and the crew on the ship and chosen to use someone else to go to Nineveh.

God is a gracious God and while we all deserve death like Ananias and Sapphira, we are not to depend on or take advantage of God’s Grace, I believe He often gets greater joy by us coming to Him and humbling ourselves before Him. Rom 6:1 1 John 1:9

Romans 6:1 (NASB95)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

1 John 1:9 (NASB95)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Key Takeaways

We Cannot Hide From God

Disobedience / Sin Always has Consequences

God is Gracious Despite Our Failures