God's Compassionate Control

Congregational Scripture Reading: ,

Sermon Introduction:

Although this book bears the name of Jonah, it is not a simple biography of the man’s life or even about the people he preached to. It is about God. God’s character and actions reveal how He deals with the characters of this story.

In this book, Jonah rebels against God. This rebellion is not passive, but blatant. Why would Jonah do such a thing? Was God overbearing. Had God demanded Jonah to do something too hard? — No.

Jonah was a successful prophet. He had seen God fulfill the prophecy that Israel’s borders would be expanded (). God had now given Jonah a new task — to preach to a neighboring heathen nation (). Jonah was a prophet, so this new assignment should have been as any other God-given assignment. God had commanded Jonah. So, Jonah should have trusted that God would enable and protect him. But Jonah fled!

What a tragedy. Ever since man’s fall into sin (), God has been working to restore people by bringing them to faith and repentance. God’s Word had prophesied that Israel was to be the channel for declaring His message of belief and repentance to other nations. (; )

English Standard Version Chapter 4

6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

English Standard Version Chapter 8

Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Israel was to be a nation of missionaries. Even in the Old Testament, God desired for all peoples to come to salvation. And Israel had the joyous responsibility to declare God’s grace to the heathen. Although he was a spiritual leader in Israel, Jonah flat out resisted, rejected, and rebelled against His God-given responsibility.

We too have been given the missional responsibility to declare God’s grace to others. (; )

English Standard Version Chapter 2

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

English Standard Version Chapter 28

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We are to be channels of God’s grace to those around us that do not know the forgiveness that God freely offers. Yet, we often act like Jonah. We shirk our responsibility or stubbornly insist on doing things our way, in our time, and only to those we want to be involved. We are disobedient because we hate going beyond our comfort zone. We avoid social situations that put us at risk or expose our weaknesses.

FCF: We fail to submit wholly to God’s sovereign plan for us.

Proposition: Because God is compassionate in His control of all things, you must submit to His salvation and service.

God is in control

God’s actions:

God sent a storm (1:4). Clearly, Jonah realized that God was behind this (2:3)

English Standard Version Chapter 1

4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

For you cast me into the deep,

into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me;

all your waves and your billows

passed over me.

God controlled the lot (1:7).

English Standard Version Chapter 16

The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the LORD.

God

God ‘appointed’ a fish (1:17) *This the first of four uses a specific term to denote God’s control

English Standard Version Chapter 1

17  And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

God ‘spoke’ to the fish (2:10)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

God appointed three more things: a gourd (4:6), a worm (4:7), a scorching east wind (4:8).

English Standard Version Chapter 4

6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

God has the first word in the book and the last word

What did Jonah learn?

Jonah could not run from God

Jonah had tried to escape God’s plan, but was cornered. (1:11-12)

English Standard Version Chapter 1

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

Jonah could not be God

Jonah eventually learned that God’s compassion and control was far greater than he wanted it to be. Jonah did not mind that he was a recipient of God’s unconditional love and grace, but he wanted no part in sharing that grace to his enemies.

Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: An Introduction and Commentary d. Theodicy

Jonah does not object to divine mercy or forgiveness as such, but rather to its recipient, the Ninevites; how can God possibly pardon this particular people?

But God delights to save His enemies.

Jonah could not stop God

Despite Jonah’s actions - his disobedience (chp. 1), his racism (chp. 3), his bitterness (chp. 4). - God still used Jonah to accomplish His plan. God does not need us, but He wants to use us, and He can use us, but He does not have to use us.

Illustration: If a lifeguard is in a situation where a swimmer is drowning and is uncontrollably flailing around, they are trained to hit or punch the swimmer to get the downer to calm down so that the lifeguard can gain control and proceed with rescue.

Application: In yielding to God’s control in your life, the question is not “will you let God control your life?” Rather, is must be “Because God is in control of your life, will you submit to Him?” There is a drastic difference between simply being committed to God and being fully submitted to Him.

Every thing in the story of Jonah submits to God (the storm, the sailors, the fish, the Ninevites, the plants, the wind), except Jonah. God’s own prophet was the only one not to obey. How disappointing for someone who claimed to “fear the LORD God, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah

God is compassionate

Even though Jonah was blatant in his disobedience and stubbornly resisted God’s plan, God was compassionate to him. The Ninevites were notorious for their violence, God was merciful to allow 40 days for them to repent (3:4).

But, Let’s focus this week on how God displayed compassion to Jonah:

God’s forgiveness in failure

2:2 God listened to Jonah’s plea

English Standard Version Chapter 2

I called out to the LORD, out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

God did not abandon Jonah but forgave his disobedience and restored him.

God’s grace in failure

Just as God had commissioned Jonah to a task in chapter 1, He again re-commissions him in chapter 3. God granted a second-chance to Jonah. God promised him the message that he would proclaim.

God’s teaching in failure

Illustration: Good mentors (teachers, parents, coaches) take advantage of failures in life and turn them into teachable moments.

After Ninevah turns to repentance, Jonah fails once again. This time he is bitter over God granting forgiveness to the Ninevites - the people he hated. God is too compassionate to give up on Jonah. If Jonah was the author of this book, or at least the one who provided the information for the author, it seems that he did indeed learn the lessons God prescribed.

Response:

Submit to His Salvation

Perhaps you need to submit to God’s salvation today.

Submit to His Service

Perhaps you need to submit to the ministry God has appointed for you. Your family? Your coworkers? your neighbors? Or even this church?

Discussion questions

Jonah’s rebellion against God was very blatant. Can rebellion against God be expressed quietly? Why or why not?

How should we recognize God’s control in everyday circumstances?

How can we be guilty of the same sins as Jonah?

Jonah was cornered in 1:11 and requested that he be thrown overboard so that the sailors could be saved from the storm. Was this repentance? Why?

Jonah is the only character in the story that struggles to obey God. Why is it that believers are not always the best example of obedience?

What are the symptoms of failing to submit to God’s control?