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NOW the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

God Commands Jonah

The clarity of the message that God gives Jonah is undeniable.

Jonah recognizes that it is a word from the Lord.

God tells Jonah to Get up and Go

Though the evil of the city had come to Gods' attention, God calls Nineveh a great city.

What did he mean by the term great city?

Was it the size of the city?

Was it the influence of this city in the region?

Was it great economically?

Jonah could not see what God saw?

He could hear God

But was blinded to what God saw in the City.

Jonah saw the evil

Jonah saw the sin

God saw the people

Jonah 1:3 KJV 1900

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah runs from God.

Jonah makes an attempt to avoid the tasks that God has given him by going in the opposite direction.

Why? My initial thought is that Jonah also new about the evil in this city and just didn't want to go their.

The text indicate that he was not running from the city but running from the Lord.

Could it be that our refusal to reach out to the those broken by evil in the world is an attempt to avoid God or at least silence his call?

Jonah 1:10 KJV 1900

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

If you were driving and stopped to pick up a hitchhiker, and he told you "just take me anywhere, I'm running from God". Would you pick him up?

The men on the boat were fully aware of the purpose of Jonah's trip was to get away from the presence of God.

Why did they let him on the Boat?

A reluctant servant is still a servant.

Jonah 3:4–5 KJV 1900

And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

The word of the Lord brought repentance to Nenivah.

The people Believed and fasted.

The grassroots effort reached the ears of the King and he echoed what had already begun.

God used people to influence the king.

Jonah 4:2–3 KJV 1900

And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Jonah tells why he was reluctant to go to Nenevah.

It is obvious that he felt the distraction of this city was justified. When he received the word from the Lord he basically said I knew this would happen, this is why he didn't want them to receive the word of the lord.

Jonah knew of the evil of the city

knew of the character of God.

God is

gracious

Compassionate

Slow to anger

Great steadfast love

Relents concerning calamity

Maybe this is the overall purpose of the Book of Jonah, to show this side of God.

Israel has seen the Judgment of God throughout their history.

Yet the Prophet Jonah saw a side of God that was not known.

He saw that God even cares for evil people.

Jonah 4:3 KJV 1900

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Jonah 4:4 KJV 1900

Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

And Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

God asks is it right for Jonah to be angry because of Gods' personal character?

He never answered the question.

Jesus told a story of two brothers : The younger took his inheritance and squandered it all, he was unwise in the handling of the fund and brought shame to himself and his family.

Jonah 4:10 KJV 1900

Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:

God answered

I planted the vine

I caused it to grow

In one night it withered and died.

All the work of my hand was ruined in one night

How would you feel if you had laboured for something and in one night it was destroy.

God told him that the reason Jonah was so quick to want Nineveh destroyed is that He did not put in the work into it.

Nivevah though it had turned to evil was still a people created by God. God had an investment in the future of the city. He has also made and investment in us.

He wants us to win.

Luke 8:46 KJV 1900

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

Jonah 1:2 KJV 1900

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

This verse opens with a simple yet profound command from the Lord. It does not sound important but in the story it will prove to be extremely significant.

Arise the Lord would say. Get up, wake up. The message of Jonah is also a message to Jonah.

God knows us.

Why would he seek to use Jonah for this task?

Jonah was unwilling

Have God ever told you to do something you were unwilling to do?

Like Jonah we too come up with reasons not to obey God.

Initially his reasons are unclear. Yet his actions speak volumes.

A different side of God

Up to this point we have not read about a person that disobeyed a direct commandment of God, at least not in this way.

When God commanded him

He rose up but didn't arise to the place that God had wanted him.

He rose up to flee.

There was something so distasteful about what God had asked of him that he went in another direction. Away from the presence of God.

He rose to pay

There would be a price to pay for the choice he made. He felt the price was worth it. Not knowing that it would cost more than the fare. When we disobey God it is costly to us and those around us.

The collateral damage could not be foreseen.

He rose to

Jonah 1:4–5 KJV 1900

But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

A storm arose

Everyone around Jonah was troubled by the storm. It was a grave situation. They did everything that they could to stay afloat.

They arose and fought for their life. They discard the cargo that they were charged to take to its destination. All because one man chose to rise but not arise.

Even during the rough seas Jonah was fast asleep. The ships crew would echo the words of God saying to Jonah.

Arise

We are perishing

We are lost

We are broken

Arise

Call on your God

We are calling

No answer

No change

We are still distressed

Arise

10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Jonah 1:10 KJV 1900

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

The great question that up to this point ther is no answer given.

Why have you done this?

12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Jonah 1:12 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

His response remains unrecorded but the men, however the men still have a problem. The storm. They shift there attention from Jonah back to the storm

Because Jonah rose but wouldn't arise.

His answer he says Take me up.

I am unwilling to go on my own

Take me up

His distaste for Nineveh was equal to his aversion to suicide.

How does a person get this way?

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