Don't Run
Notes
Transcript
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
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 was a prophet in Israel during a time of evil among God’s people
God had sent other prophets to preach judgment
The Lord’s Call
The Lord’s Call
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
The book jumps right to the call
The Word of the Lord comes to Jonah
this indicates divine calling
in fact these are the same wordings seen throughout Scripture for prophets
this calling was going to be large
Jonah was receiving a direct command from the Creator of the Universe
Jonah was experiencing the voice of God
This had to be a significant calling in Jonah’s life
We don’t know what Jonah was doing
We don’t know where Jonah was at
We don’t know where Jonah had exactly been
What we do know is the Lord planned to use him
The Lord wanted to use him in a very special way as we will see in the next passage
Jonah’s call came from God and it was recognized by Jonah as God
This was the Call
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
God calls out for Jonah to go to Nineveh
the evil and despicable place of the Assyrians
God calls him to arise and go to that great city
the Assyrians had built up a name for themselves
they were a large successful city
Second largest city next to Babylon
Next he is told to call out against it
call out against this city in all of its brokenness
in all of its evil
15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey!
4 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms.
16 You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away.
Why
because their evil has come up before God
He has smelled the aroma of their evil ways
their judgment is imminent if they do not repent
But in this call we can learn something about God
we can learn about...
The Lord’s Care
The Lord’s Care
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
Within this call to Jonah is love
love for a people that is NOT the Israelites
this is very interesting
In this passage God is not sending Jonah to prophecy to Israel
instead God is sending Jonah to prophecy to its captor
The same nation that captured and tore apart the nation of Israel in prior judgment
the same nation that killed and plundered God’s people
Assyria had a reputation for crushing their opponents
15 This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” What a desolation she has become, a lair for wild beasts! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey!
4 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms.
16 You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away.
This city was evil
They had sought out against the Lord
They had many idols
They were seeking gods aside from the one true God
this same nation is now getting prophecy
but this nation is not just getting any prophecy
they are getting a prophecy of warning
they are getting a prophecy of destruction
this prophecy of destruction is a large piece but a prophecy of destruction is usually not given without opportunity
within this is an implied warning and expectation of answer
within this prophecy is a hidden layer of love for people outside of Israel
a large sign of God’s love for all people not just Israel and the Jews
a sign that God’s care and love can cover even the most evil
that being said Jonah did not like this idea
Jonah despised Nineveh
so...
Jonah Runs
Jonah Runs
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.
This is interesting
a prophet hearing the Word of the Lord
and running the other direction
in fact Jonah was being very naive in this situation
thinking that he could hide from God
but first we see that Jonah was going to run
he not only was going to run but he was going to board a ship and go in the opposite direction of the call
Jonah was resisting the Lord at all costs
The word Tarshish is listed 3 times
to indicate the importance of the location Jonah is seeking out
Jonah seeks to actively disobey a command from God
that means going as far away from the calling as he could possibly get
We see Jonah go to Joppa
pay the fare
and attempt to flee from the presence of the Lord
by residing in the belly of a ship
What we need to understand in this passage
Jonah has a recognition of who God is
Jonah knows God’s innate desire for love
Jonah knows of God’s forgiving nature
If it was just about preaching destruction to Nineveh
Jonah should have been all aboard
as later he sits to watch the destruction
Jonah didn’t want to hear or see God anymore
is he afraid of Nineveh
is he afraid of ruined reputation
is it because Jonah didn’t trust GOd
is it because he didn’t like what God had to say
is it because he questioned God’s judgment
The same questions should be asked of us
Around half of the world is considered completely unreached people groups
having never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Why are we running
What are you running from?
What are you running from?