Jonah 3a

Please turn to Jonah 3. Remember,

The main theme: God’s love and mercy extends to all people.

– even “those people” – the people that we don’t think deserve God’s grace and forgiveness. And keep in mind that

Jonah was a real man with a real relationship with Yahweh and yet, had real theological struggles.

Jonah 3:1–2 ESV

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”

This is the second time God gave Jonah this command. In chapter 1, Yahweh told the Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah’s response? “Those people! No way, Yahweh! I am not going to those people!” Nineveh was a city in the Assyrian Empire – brutal enemies of Israel. It’s my belief that Jonah had a traumatic experience with the Assyrians, perhaps lost family members, thus his refusal to obey God and to be an agent of redemption. So, Jonah ran from God and Israel, boarded a ship going the opposite direction. God then pursued with a storm – a massive storm so severe that the sailors feared for their lives, it damaged a ship, the sailors threw the cargo overboard to keep from sinking …. Jonah made a major mess of his life and others!

Jonah was tossed into the sea, spent 3 days in a great fish or sea monster – should have died there, yet God rescued Jonah and caused the fish to barf Jonah onto dry land. Jonah blatantly sinned, disobeyed, put lives in danger and delayed the mission of God. God should have chosen another prophet. Yet, God said to Jonah a second time, “Arise. Go. I’m not finished with you. I’m giving you another opportunity.”

So what does this tell us about the Almighty Sovereign God of the universe?

That

God is a God of second chances.

I am living proof of that. I’ve shared this before, but in 2000 I left the ministry – fully convinced God was finished with me. Yet, in 2006, God called me back, and I received my local license. In 2007, I received my District License and in 2012 I was ordained.

“Jonah, you blew it, but I’m giving you another chance. Chad, you blew it, but here’s another opportunity to do it right.”

Maybe this morning you’re sitting here and like Jonah you’ve made a mess of your life. And you’re thinking there is no way God would give me another chance. Now, I can’t say what God will and will not do, and neither can you. Receiving a second chance is not up to us – that’s God’s decision – but know this – the Bible and Church history is full of people who blew it, who sinned and made a mess of life, yet God gave them second chances, He gave them do-overs.

So what does it take to get a second chance from God? In my experience it takes honest confession and full accountability for one’s actions. It takes genuine repentance, and a willingness to obey – to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. I wasn’t seeking a second chance; I was just trying to follow Jesus. That’s my experience, but not Jonah’s. Jonah never confessed his sin – at least not that we’re told. He didn’t necessarily repent, nonetheless, God gave him another chance. This also reveals that

God is the God of persistence.

God will keep after you – keep calling you – keep nudging …. You may give up, but God won’t. We call this

Prevenient Grace – grace that pursues.

– and goes before us. That’s how much God loves us.

Jonah 3:3 ESV

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.

There are some issues with the description of the size of the city, but that’s not relevant for us this morning.

Jonah 3:4–5 ESV

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Here’s something else about God –

God is a God of obscurity.

Think about it - God gave Jonah a mission but left out the details. God never told Jonah what might happen to him. Would he live, be captured, tortured, killed? Would the people listen and accept him or chase him out of town? The only information Jonah had was to go and speak.

So often that’s how God works – nonetheless,

God is a God we can trust.

But trusting isn’t always easy. Think about this - this mission involved traveling alone for 700 miles through enemy territory. If Jonah traveled 20 miles a day, it took him approximately 35 days to get to Nineveh. That’s 35 days of living in constant danger and uncertainty and trusting God to watch over him. Jonah would need to stop for rest, food, water – which means interacting with people along the way. He was always at risk from bandits in the desert and soldiers on patrol. So, imagine the fear, the uncertainty, the hyper vigilance, the questions Jonah had. Imagine, the closer he got to Nineveh, the more he remembered why he hated them. Furthermore, he had no idea what would happen to him once he arrived. His message was basically judgment is coming. That can make people cranky – especially enemies like Assyria.

Put yourself in Jonah’s sandals. Would you go willingly and happily – singing Zippidee Do Da?

Jonah gets a lot of criticism, but let’s be honest, imagine the amount of courage and trust Jonah must have had to obey God. He went reluctantly, but he went, and he went without knowing what was in store – and that takes courage. Understand,

God is a God looking for courageous people to help redeem the world.

What is courage?

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the determination to overcome fear.

When Dale called me to go to Kenya, he said a lot of people thought it was too dangerous. I said, I understand the desire for safety, but since when does safety or danger determine obedience? If God wants G&H in Kenya, then you go.”

Since we’re on this topic of courage, let me say this – my opinion -

It takes greater courage to follow and trust Jesus than it does to merely believe about Him. Furthermore, It takes greater courage to follow and trust Jesus than it does to deny and disobey Him.

Case in point – the apostle Peter ….

I mention that because if the world continues down the path that it is on – the one who follows Jesus will need a lot of courage to remain steadfast in the faith. Courage is an essential part of the Christian life. Listen closely to how important courage is.

Revelation 21:7–8 ESV

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

We’ll end there and finish chapter 3 next week. But right now, what is the Spirit saying to you? We’ve discovered this morning that God is a God of second chances. He’s a God of persistence – always pursuing us. He is a God of obscurity, yet fully trustworthy. God is looking for courageous people to help redeem the world – even if it means going to “those people” and dangerous places.

Again, what is the Spirit saying to you?