Jonah 01 01 Doing Gods Will Not Ours

Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

INTRODUCTION

1. Read Jonah few days ago
1. Interesting guy
2. You would think he would have jumped at an opportunity to serve God

1. Jonah lived sometimes before or while Jeroboam II ruled Israel

2 Kings 14:25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.

1. That would date him around the 8th century before Christ

1. Some commentators believe that Jonah was a popular prophet
1. That may be why he was reluctant to go to Nineveh                                                               i.      Don’t think it was the fact that he was to bring a negative message

                                                            ii.      A message of God’s judgment

1. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire

                                                              i.      Assyrians were enemies of Israel

1. He knew that if they repented God would forgive                                                               i.      Jonah didn’t want that

1. We are all familiar with the life and ministry of Jonah
1. Do us well to remind ourselves of this prophet of God  

THE BOOK BEGINS WITH JONAH RUNNING FROM GOD

1. The average Israelite probably did not care if the Assyrians lived or died
1. No love there
2. Remember, the Assyrians were their enemies
3. But for Jonah to go to Nineveh would have diminished his popularity  
4. “Why waste time on such pagan people?”

1. So Jonah rebelled against God’s call
1. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh,
2. Jonah went in the opposite direction
3. Went to Tarshish

1. Have we ever rebelled when God burdens our heart for some task
1. We travel to that far country of disobedience

1. Like Jonah we try to run away from God
2. As Jonah learned, God is always present
3. You cannot out run God
4. We may not like what God wants us to do
5. We may not think it is important that God wants us to do
6. We may not think …
7. Of course that is the problem – we put our thinking first

1. God sent a great storm
1. Ship was about to go under #. Everybody got religion
2. Prayed to their own god
3. Finally they cast a lot
4. Lot fell on Jonah
5. Jonah confessed that he was running from his God
6. Jonah told them to throw him into the sea
7. Don’t know if this was an act of faith, or simply suicide
8. Sailors would not throw him overboard
9. Rowed harder to get to land
10. Rowed to no avail
11. Finally threw Jonah overboard
12. All was calm, for the crew anyway

1. All Jonah’s running away did was get him on the food chain
1. On the evening menu of a great fish
2. God was loving enough to give Jonah an opportunity to think about what he was doing
3. Don’t think Jonah expected some fish to give him a ride to town
4. Maybe he thought when he went into the sea that – that was the price of his disobedience

THEN WE READ WHERE JONAH RAN TO GOD

1. The second chapter of this book is a prayer of Jonah
1. First part of chapter 2 is very pectoris
2. God gave him three days to reflect on his actions
3. Not exactly the best of living conditions
4. But it worked
5. This whole chapter defines logic
6. But we know, from experience, with God all things are possible
7. Here in chapter 2 Jonah gives thanks

                                                              i.      Remember he has already been delivered from that big fish

1. Between chapters 1 & 2 Jonah repents

                                                              i.      Jonah gets evicted – NOW he thanks God

1. To run from God was and is a traumatic experience
1. But equally so when we fully surrender to God #. God often has to get our attention before He can get our service

FINALLY, JONAH DID HIS BEST WHEN HE RAN WITH GOD

1. God always gives us second chance
1. With Jonah, we don’t know where the fish spit him out

                                                              i.      But Jonah certainly was listening to God now

1. His second call was a lot shorter

                                                              i.      God merely said to Jonah what he was previously instructed

1. Nineveh was a big city
1. 3 days mentioned are not the time it took to get there                                                               i.      Many writers believe it was the time to go through the city

1. His message
1. You got 40 days till God will destroy you
2. Jonah said what God told him
3. Time to go home
4. Get em’ God
5. Remember, no love here

1. Look at the response to the message
1. The king repented
2. The people were confronted with their sin they ran back to God for mercy
3. Put on sackcloth
4. King sat in ashes

1. God accepted their repentance
1. His wrath was turned away

BOOK ENDS ON A STRANGE NOTE

1. Chapter 4 seems so out of place
1. If I had wrote this book I probably would have left it out

                                                              i.      Yet God put it in

1. Jonah should have been on a spiritual high
2. Seeing God work
3. Seeing souls repent
4. Jonah’s fears came to pass
5. They repented
6. God forgave them

1. Jonah wanted God to zap them – not forgive them  

1. Spiritual pride
1. That was Jonah’s sin too #. His ego got bent out of shape
2. God had to teach Jonah a lesson again

                                                              i.      This time, instead of a fish, God used a gourd

1. God taught Jonah that God’s ways are beyond us

                                                              i.      We must never question God’s judgment

1. God’s plan includes the world                                                               i.      Not just our little field of existence
2. God made everyone                                                               i.      He loves everyone

CONCLUSION

1. God does not speak to us in audible words
1. But through his Word, the Bible #. And the convicting power of the Holy Spirit
2. If we could just accept what Mary said of Jesus at the wedding of Cana of Galilee  “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”  John 2:5