VBS 2014

The Book of Jonah

What is the main point of Jonah?

What it isn’t:

A whale swallowing a man

A major point of chapter 1-2: God’s omniscience and omnipresence

A major point of chapters 3-4: God’s Omnibenevolence

Other themes:

Calling out

God’s appointment

What it is:

Romans 9:15 “15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.””

God will save those he pleases

Even if that means a prophet who is not fully cooperating

He saves the people on the boat despite Jonah’s rebellion

He saves the people of Nineveh, despite Jonah’s hatred of them

God saves who he wants, even when the means he uses is less than ideal.

Why is this an important main point for us to hear?

In our own day dominated with arminianism, we are often tempted to think that God needs help to save people from there sins.

If the message is outdated, or offensive to our current generation, God needs our help to modernize the message so it is more palatable.

Or perhaps you are overcome with fear to give the gospel because of the perceived failure of you as the messenger

So in our study of Jonah these next few days, we will see a tool of God that is not only indifferent, but desires not what God desires.

Yet God is able to work his plan of salvation anyway.

Other themes:

Call out to God (He hears in unexpected circumstances)

God’s appointment (he is in control and sovereign over creation)

Jonah 1:1 “1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,”

Who is Jonah?

2 Kings 14:23–27 “23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel. 27 But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.”

Jonah was a prophet before the major ones that would proclaim the coming destruction of the northern Kingdom (Joel, and then Jonah, contemporary with Hosea and Amos).

And here we see he prophesied the coming reconquest of Israel, but not because they deserved it, but because God had not given them any warning yet in the later prophets.

It seems reasonable to assume that Jonah very early prophesied here of Israel’s later prosperity under Jeroboam II and later in his ministry was called to speak against Nineveh

And so what we are going to see in this book is:

2 calls of Jonah to go to Nineveh

Followed by Jonah’s response (disobedience then disobedience)

Followed by the saving of Gentiles

Followed by a correction of Jonah

Major theme being God will be gracious to people beyond the border of Israel

He is sovereign to make this purpose happen against any obstacle

Jonah 1:2 “2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.””

Nineveh was the major city of the Assyrian Empire.

Currently it was going through a period of decline, but within a couple hundred years it would destroy the Northern Kingdom where Jonah was from.

The evil here described certainly has to do with the violence this city was known for, against its enemies.

Jonah 3:8 “8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.”

God had a message of condemnation against the city for its sin, and was sending a prophet from Israel to proclaim it to this gentile city

Jonah 1:3 “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.”

God told Noah to rise, go to Nineveh

But instead Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish

Why?

Jonah 4:2 “2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

Exodus 34:6 “6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

Jonah would have been happy to play the part of Nahum and write a letter ensuring their destruction.

But Jonah knew that with God wanting him to go there in person and tell of a coming judgement, God was looking to save them. God’s threatenings are for the purpose of restoration.

Jonah was happy to prophesy of the expansion of Israel, but he could not stomach being a means used by God to delay the judgement coming to Nineveh

It would have been better for Jonah to act more like Abraham here

Genesis 18:22–33 ESV

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Jonah did the as much of the opposite as you can imagine

Jonah 1:3 “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.”

Jonah should have went by land to the north-east. Instead he is going by sea to the west…as far west as he could go at the time (Southern Spain)

Jonah is not only saying no, he is saying heck no.

It’s bad enough when a child does not obey, but to go out of the way to do the opposite is a certain level of rebellion

As a quick side note, Joppa is the place Peter was at when he received the vision of the animals on the sheet and a call from Cornelius

And notice the repeated phrase here

Jonah 1:3 “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.”

Did Jonah know the character of God that he is “a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” but yet did not know that he is omnipresent?

Doubtful: Psalm 139:7–12 “7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

It seems most likely Jonah is fleeing from the special presence of the Lord in Israel where true worship happened and God gave orders to his prophets.

Jonah has decided that the terms of his prophetic office is no longer what he would like it to be, so he is turning it in.

Jonah 1:4 “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.”

First of several times the major theme of God’s sovereign control over his creation to fulfill his purpose happens.

Joppa was the same place that Peter received revelation that the Gentiles were not common

(Acts 10)

Jonah 1:2;6 .

“arise” and “call” in both.

Jonah 1: Usually a prophet is the one who sees the shipping ship and prays and calls for action. Jonah and the captain are in reverse roles.

The anger of Jonah is a sad example of Matthew 18:23-35. of someone not forgiving after being forgiven

Why were the Ninevites so receptive?

2 Plagues

Solar Eclipse

Earthquake

Revolt

A weak central government