Jonah chapter 1: 4-12 Paying God back?

Jonah chapter 1: 4-12 Paying God back?

When we study the bible, we are asking God to reveal who He is, who we are and how we are to respond to God. In our worship service we are asking for God to make himself known to us, we might understand experience who God is, in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirt that is present in us that are in Christ. (Not just another activity, but relationship with God and his people).  

Intro:

Jonah was a prophet in the northern kingdom and had prophesied about Jeroboam II that he would restore some borders. But he did what was evil in God’s sight. Into PowerPoint slides.

Last week God called Jonah to get up to go up and call out against Nineve because of the evil they were doing, they were enemies of Jonah. Jonah got up, but flee to Joppa intending to go the opposite way and a way from the presents of the Lord, to people that the did not know the Lord. Jonah got on a ship and his plan seem to be going well. (Jonah chose to go down not up).

The contrast between Jonah and the mariners. PPT

4. But the Lord… controls the wind and waves – like Jesus. And the Lord hurled /cast down a mighty wind storm. – So that the ship was about to choose to breaking in pieces. (The wind and the ship are personalized like they have a will and use it according to Gods purpose they are allied with God him – Jonah was going to use the ship and the wind so sail away – but now they were working against Jonah and for God). (God is in control of the weather – what does that mean for Jonah and the people on the ship? For us.) God has a specific plan for the storm, that the mariners did not know. And that Jonah, might not have counted on.

5. The mariners were afraid and rightly so, the ship seemed to be breaking apart, so they each cry out to their god for help. And they lightened the ship. They are crying out afraid. And Jonah is down (again a symbol of his rebellion and a movement towards death) in the ship fast asleep, thinking he was now on departing form Gods presents. He has now endangered the life of all the people onboard by his rebellion.

6. The captain wakes him up, what are you doing sleeping?  The captain and calls him to arise (like God had done), and call out to Jonah’s god. – that perhaps that god will remember them and help them survive.    

Jonah at this point does not say anything, he might know at this point that he is the cause of this storm, but he remains quiet.

7. The mariners are trying to find out who has caused the storm so they can appease that god. They chose to lots to find out who is the reason for the evil that has come to the ship. (Casting lots is what the Hebrews do, - so the reader would see the mariners as more just that Jonah PPT) And Jonah is still silent. But the lots fell on Jonah 8. Then the questions start: Why is this evil happening? Is it your fault? What is your occupation? Whare do you come from? What country, and people are you from? (All this in a great storm that is almost making the ship break. Pause to think about: it the ship and the ways the storm).

9. Jonahs responses does not set the mariners at ease, it makes them more afraid, why? Well, what did Jonah say? Jonah said I am a Hebrew, - I fear (Lord - Yhwh), the God (elo-him) of heaven, - who made the sea and the dry land. (He must also have said something more about him fleeing from God, that he is fears) PPT about fear.

10. The men get even more afraid, greatly afraid. A man running from God of the sea and heaven and land. The question: what have you done? Bringing this on us and on you? (A good question sometimes, what have you done?) You are running from God, what now?

11 What shall we do to you? If you are the cause, how do we please your God? And how will the water quiet down? Because it was just getting worse with and even more violent windy.

12. Now Jonah is honest and say, pick me up and hurl me into the sea, - that will solve your problems, and the sea will become quiet. Because I know that is because of me that this great storm has come upon you. (Wise, wise – fool - fool). Jonah will rather die that repent – at the moment.

Jonah confesses his sin rebellion, and understands the implications and his responsibility, - but he does not jump himself. (I never thought about that – why does he not just do that why do, they have to do it, is it a matter of faith as they obey, they see God doing the work, and not just a crazy man jumping in the sea?)

How will they respond to Jonahs words of casting him in to the sea to quiet it down and please the God that Jonah will pay for his sins? We will look at that next week.

Some questions do arise:

What happens when we don’t do what God has asked us to do?

How will we pay back God? For what you have done?  What do we need to offer?  

Before responding to that a few more things: If we are honest, do you/we act more like Jonah that the mariners? Jonah running because he does not want to live and do what God has asked him to do.

Is the fear of the Lord a theological frame work and not a reality? We are kind of afraid of God, (or are we way more afraid of people, failures and so on). Are more inclined to die before summiting to Gods will?

Jonah is deceitful and seems to have a disregard for the other people and not really having a problem with causing them great problems that might cause their death. Jonah might have a bit of a death wish, and seems willing or not to concerned with others. (Jonah has found God lacking, and does not like what and who God is and therefore he takes it out on the world. I do believe that also can happen to us, if we find that God is lacking and not doing what we want, we can become hardened and become our own God or the judge of how God should be doing things). Jonah confesses that he is afraid of God, - he might be – but he seems more some kind of lip service that obedience, Jonah seems more willing to die and others with him before he will submit to God’s plan. PPT

(Is that you? I mean you don’t think you live this way, but some of who God is you have a problem with or have misunderstood and therefore you live away from the presents of God? You may not like Gods justice or mercy for others, you might not believe in Gods goodness, love, kindness, patients, slow to anger. You have heard me say it before – what we understand and truly believe about God does matter, our deep understanding of God come out in our practice -of our hands and feet – we can confess we are afraid of God but if our actions don’t show it then we might not be. We can say we believe God has loved us in Jesus Christ, but if we don’t live it out, we might not have understood it and experienced it our relationship with Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirt. It is a relationship, in some sense knowledge is not enough, experience and understanding of who God is in our life and the power of the Holy Spirt helps us live it out that it is not only a theory but a practice. Jonahs practice seems lacking what about yours and mine? – We know, but don’t do, - we know, but does not really in relationship with God).

Then back to the question? How, will we pay back God? For what you have done?  Do we need to offer you?

Jonah and Jesus. Jonah does something Jesus did – he sleeps in the storm – he does not get up and rebuke the sailor for their little faith and calmed the storm – but instead stayed quiet until exposed by the lots. (lots?)

Jesus walks on the sea, and asks the storm to be quiet = Jesus is God, the one that spoke to the sea and it did what God only could do as God sent the storm Jesus quieted the storm. He walked on the water, he slept in the storm in the father’s arms, not worried about the storm. He saved his friends with a word and creation obeyed Jesus. Someone greater that Jonah is here. Jesus Christ.

Jesus did the opposite of Jonah, he always was seeking Gods face and presents doing what the father said, and when people sinned and rebelled, Jesus did not run away, but entered in, and gave his life, the only gift and offering that could save, cleanse, redeem, and make people new, God in Christ makes the perfect offer.

The only true and prefect offering – that God provides – Jesus Christ.

We can’t make an offer to save our self, God sent Jesus. We are called to repent of our own way and follow Jesus, when we fall, we are asked to do the same, and trust in Jesus. And only fear the God of heaven and earth and not people and in Christ our love for God can be perfected and we can not fear judgment but instead live to honor God as worth of all our life and praise.