Jonah the Runaway - Doesn't Like God's Plan to show Mercy on Nineveh

Jonah 1-2.

Scenes in Sermon

God’s Word comes to Jonah, Go and preach to the Assyrians in their capital Nineveh, because I have seen their cruelty and oppression. V 1-2 describe the setting, and the cruelty of the Assyrians. 

But Jonah runs away from God because he doesn’t like what he hears, and it gets him in real trouble. V 3-15.  We are often just like Jonah, God’s clear word comes to us, but we don’t like it so we run away.

Fortunately for Jonah, God is a God of second chances. He miraculously gave Jonah an opportunity to wake up to himself and repent, which he did. 1:17-2:10. 

God gives us a second chance. We can do things the hard way and distance ourselves from God, or we can draw close to him and experience the adventure he has for us. 

Main Theme of Message: It is wise to draw close to God and experience the adventure he has for you, rather than relying on the fact that God is a God of second chances, because you might just push your luck too far!

Main Preaching Intention:  I believe that 5 people will act upon their need to draw near to God and experience the adventure he has for them.

Scene 1. God’s Word comes to Jonah,

Jonah 1:2 NLT

2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

We know that Jonah lived and ministered during the golden age of the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 793 to 753 BC.

Under the King Jeroboam II, a weakened Israel saw a dramatic resurgence of power, and Jonah had a significant role in this recovery.

2 Kings 14:24–25 tells us that while Jeroboam II “did not turn away from away from all the sins of his predecessor, he recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.”

Jonah apparently had a patriotic and popular ministry.

He must have enjoyed the favour of both Jeroboam II and his fellow citizens.

And from this position of security and popularity he is told to go and preach against Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria.

Now Assyria, had achieved a near-legendary reputation for cruelty, it was in mild decline during these years, but it remained a threat.

In 722 BC about 40 years after Jonah visited Nineveh the Assyrians came and destroyed the Northern Kingdom,

Nineveh was not only the capital of the Assyrian Empire but also symbolic of power and might.

The city was detested by all peoples because of its heartless conquests

History tells us that the Assyrians thought nothing of burying their enemies alive, skinning them alive, or impaling them on sharp poles under the hot sun.

In one instance they are reported to have attacked a city and stacked the severed heads of the people at the gates as a warning to others not to rebel.

Nineveh rivalled Babylon for beauty and splendour with its royal palaces, temples, broad streets, public gardens, and impressive library containing more than 26,000 clay tablets—one of the largest in the ancient world.

And Jonah is told by God to go to this great and fearsome place and preach a message of condemnation and judgement against it.

Scene 2. But Jonah runs away from God because he doesn’t like what he hears, and it gets him in real trouble.  Jonah 1: 3-15.

Jonah reacted immediately to the divine commission.

Verse 3 tells us “Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish”.

Now I have a bit of sympathy for Jonah here.

Nineveh, the capital of the empire had terrorized the people of Israel and just about everyone else for that matter.

The prophet had acted as God’s spokesman when the message was good for his people.

But he was unwilling to carry a message to an enemy who might do his country harm!

And I think that there was more than just a little bit of concern for his own health in Jonah’s response to God’s command.

After all it is one thing to preach repentance and national prosperity when you are well liked by the people and those in power.

But it is another thing entirely to preach condemnation to a King and people who have a habit of killing people in very unpleasant ways!

“If the city of Nineveh is going to be overthrown, then let it be overthrown,” argued Jonah.

“I would rather disobey God than see my enemies saved from judgment.”

So Jonah runs away, and he figures that if Nineveh is at one end of the known world he will go as far as he can in the opposite direction.

So he goes to the only natural harbour in Israel, at Joppa, and jumps on a ship, literally headed for the ends of the earth.

To a region called Tarshish.

Now as best as we can work out Tarshish is part of Spain, at the other end of the Mediterranean Sea.

Scene 3. We are often just like Jonah, God’s clear word comes to us, but we don’t like it so we run away.

It is true isn’t it?

When we run from what God wants for us it probably isn’t as dramatic as it was in Jonah’s case.

For us, it is usually some character issue.

Or a simple thing that God is saying we need to deal with.

It might be that God has told you to read his word more,

But we make excuses and we get busy doing other things.

It might be that you know God wants you to pray more.

But we make excuses and watch TV instead.

It might be that God wants you to go to someone you have fallen out with.

But we don’t.

It might be that God has told you to take up some ministry.

But we say we are too busy.

It might be that somewhere quietly in the depths of your heart you know that God has called you to get involved in building his kingdom.

But we justify running away by getting involved in building our wealth.

It might be that God is saying to you, I have a plan for your life, stop running away from me.

Get things sorted out, because I do have a special job for you.

Scene 4. Fortunately for Jonah, God is a God of second chances. 

He miraculously gave Jonah an opportunity to wake up to himself and repent, which he did. 

Have a look at Jonah 1:4

God did this by sending a violent wind.

The wind was so great that it caused a violent storm.

So terrible was the storm that the sailors thought the ship would break up.

No wonder they were afraid!

So afraid that each sailor cried out to his own god

As seasoned seamen they also lightened the ship by tossing the cargo overboard hoping that the lighter ship would not sink.

In contrast with the concern of the mariners Jonah’s reaction is amazing.

He went below deck and fell asleep, perhaps he felt secure there.

He thought he was escaping from God.

Obviously undisturbed by the storm’s tossing the ship; he was insensitive to the danger.

Ironically a pagan ship captain had to call a man of God to prayer.

The captain was desperate; every known god should be appealed to so that one god any god might grant them relief from their peril.

The need was so great that the men despaired for their lives;

Yet God’s servant slept!

The sailors concluded that the tragic storm was the result of divine wrath.

The gods were angry with someone on board.

So they cast lots to find a culprit.

And Jonah, by divine arrangement finds that the lot fell on him.

And he finds himself standing before a group of tough and terrified sailors, who want to know what he has done.

Hearing that Jonah’s God controls the sea, and knowing that Jonah was rebelling against his God, the sailors concluded that the upheaval of the sea was evidence of God’s displeasure with him.

This brought fear to the sailors, for they felt helpless in appeasing someone else’s god.

Perhaps too they sensed, superstitiously, that Jonah’s God was holding them responsible as accomplices in Jonah’s ”crime.“

Verse 10 tells us that Jonah had already told them he was running away from God.

And now God was after them for helping him!

Jonah told them that the only way for the ship to be saved was to throw him into the sea.

Now I think Jonah was prepared to escape God by drowning rather than do what God had told him to do!

But we read in verse 13 of chapter 1 that the sailors didn’t want to do that, they didn’t want to be held accountable to this powerful God for taking a man’s life.

So they made one last desperate attempt to row out of danger.

But God had another plan!

The storm intensified.

Finally they realized that their efforts were futile.

So they begged God to not hold them accountable for Jonah’s life and threw him overboard.

Suddenly there was calm.

The storm had been because of Jonah’s disobedience.

Utterly amazed at the sudden calm, the sailors offered a sacrifice in praise to the Lord.

As Jonah slipped down into the depths, he thought that it was all over.

But death did not occur.

God sent a great fish to swallow him and he found himself alive in the stomach of this large sea creature.

The great fish was possibly a mammal, a sperm whale, or perhaps a whale shark.

We don’t know exactly what animal it was, but there have been recorded cases where people have been swallowed by these animals and have lived.

Jonah found himself in the belly of the fish for three nights, at least 48 hours but less than 72 hours.

While Jonah was in the fish’s stomach he had time to realize that God had given him a second chance.

So he prayed.

A prayer of thanks to God for saving him from drowning, which we see in Jonah chapter 2

It was at this point that Jonah responds to God’s second chance and dedicates himself afresh to serving God.

Seven miracles have taken place already in this short narrative:

God caused a violent storm (1:4),

He had the lot fall on Jonah (1:7),

He calmed the sea when Jonah was thrown overboard (1:15),

He commanded the fish to swallow Jonah (1:17),

He had the fish transport him safely, (1:17)

He had the fish throw Jonah up on dry land, (2:10)

And perhaps greatest of all, he melted the disobedient prophet’s heart (2:1-9)

Scene 5. God gives us second chances. 

We can do things the hard way and distance ourselves from God, or we can draw close to him and experience the adventure he has for us.

Just as Jonah was given a second chance, we need to accept the second chances God has given us.

Perhaps to day is a second chance for you.

An opportunity to start over with God.

Jonah pushed his luck, please don’t do the same, you might meet a shark instead of a whale.

Sources [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The repentance of Nineveh probably occurred in the reign of Ashurdan III (773–755 b.c.). Two plagues (765 and 759 b.c.) and a solar eclipse (763 b.c.) may have prepared the people for Jonah’s message of judgment.

The great city of Nineveh was destroyed in 612 b.c. as predicted by the prophets Nahum and Zephaniah, in Nahum 1:8 & 2:6–8.

A combined force of Medes, Babylonians and Scythians laid siege to the city, which fell as a result of the breaches made in the defences by the flooding rivers (Na. 2:6–8).

The ruins are marked by the mounds called Kuyunjik and Nabi Yunus (‘Prophet Jonah’) on the river Tigris opposite the modern city of Mosul, in Northern Iraq.

[1]Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. 1987. The teacher's commentary. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.

[2]Wood, D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. 1996, c1982, c1962. New Bible Dictionary. Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove

[3]Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1996. Nelson's complete book of Bible maps & charts : Old and New Testaments. "Completely revised and updated comfort print edition"; Includes indexes. (Rev. and updated ed.). Thomas Nelson: Nashville, Tenn.

[4]Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. 1999. Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary . T. Nelson Publishers: Nashville

[5]Wiersbe, W. W. 1993. Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament . Victor Books: Wheaton, IL

[6]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL