Johan and the Fish Taxi

The story of Jonah

I love the story of Jonah

Jonah and that whale. Kids story.

I grew up around the Ocean and so there was a connection to this story. The power of the sea. That and Jaws and Gilligan’s Island

Vacation: Last week in Gulf of Mexico felt the power of the water and the waves. Compared to the power of God, its like a kiddie pool.

Three day drunk

1. God told Jonah to preach in Nineveh

Jonah 1:1–2 NASB95

The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

Nineveh is first mentioned in as being settled by Asher. It was in the kingdom of Assyria on Tigris River.

Population of 120,000.

In current day Northern Iraq where the city of Mosul is today.

It people of Nineveh were the enemy of Isreal.

2. Jonah didn’t want to go. We are told in Chapter 4 that he didn’t want to go because he knew that if they repented God would have mercy on them.

3. Jonah fled to Joppa (Tel Aviv) and got on a boat bound for Tarshish. (We don’t know where Tarshish is exactly, but we know it was not on the way to Nineveh)

4. God caused a storm on the sea.

Jonah 1:4 NASB95

The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

5. the sailors became afraid

Jonah 1:5 NASB95

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

6. They cast lots to see who’s fault it was. (think of drawing straws.) The lot fell on Jonah and they questioned him.

Jonah 1:9 NASB95

He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah 9:

7. They ask him what to do. Jonah said to throw him in the sea, but they didn’t want to. They rowed desperately.

8. They prayed to God. Don’t let us die for him, and don’t hold us accountable for his death.

9. They threw him in and the sea stopped raging.

Jonah 1:16 NASB95

Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

10. God appointed a fish to swallow Jonah. He stayed for a long weekend.

11. Jonah began to pray.

Jonah 2:7–10 NASB95

“While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. “Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.” Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

Jonah 2:

Voice of Thanksgiving.

We faced a crisis yesterday. Philippians 13:4 Preach!

Jonah 3:1–2 NASB95

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.”

Jonah 3:2 NASB95

“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.”

Jonah 3

Jonah arose and went to Nineveh.

I wanted my cousin to take me on a 3 wheeler ride once.

Jonah preached repentance in Nineveh.

The people believed in God and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.

Jonah 3:10 NASB95

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Jonah Pouts

Jonah 4:2 NASB95

He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

Jonah storms off into the desert.

God causes a vine to grow over Jonah to give him comfort. Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.

God caused a worm to eat the plant and Jonah got mad again.

Jonah 4:9–11 NASB95

Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

Jonah 4:9-

They are silly and ignorant, but I made them, and I can love them if I want.

God desires the salvation of all people

2 Peter 3:9 NASB95

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Your enemy is not God’s enemy.

DK

God can accomplish His plans with or without you

The men on the boat came to know God in the middle of Jonah’s disobedience.

The people of Nineveh were saved in Jonah’s obedience.

God will discipline disobedient believers

If you are a follower of Christ, but not being obedient to God, don’t fall asleep in the bottom of a boat.

Hebrews 12:6 NASB95

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

God desires every believer to understand and joyfully fulfill His will for their lives.

God took time to try and get Jonah to understand what he was doing and why.

His Word

His Son

His Holy Spirit

Jesus and Jonah

Scribes and Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus

Matthew 39-41

Matthew 12:39–41 NASB95

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.