Jonah: Sitting In Rebellion

Read Jonah 1:17-2:10

Jonah ran away from God’s direction, paid the fare, and is now paying hard for his rebellion.

His life decisions have placed him inside the belly of a large fish swimming toward the bottom of the sea.

Rebellion toward god will lead people to bitter places.

Jonah provides an effective reminder for believers.

Hard hearted people do not deal with God. God deals with hard hearted people.

Jonah has nowhere to go now but the mercy of God.

What can we learn from when we are sitting in a pit of our own rebellion?

1. God knows how to be attention of people. (1:17-2:1)

We don’t know what type of fish swallowed Jonah.

Scientific anomaly. How did he survive? Miracle.

God can do whatever He wants. We don’t want to miss the main point.

God directed the fish to swallow Jonah and rescue him from death.

He was/is responsible.

Before this moment, Jonah’s attitude had remained the same.

God’s call, storm, criticism.

But, when swallowed by the fish, Jonah decided to pray.

Usually, our problems have to swallow us whole before anything changes.

God knows what it will take to teach us to repent and pray.

And He will do it when the moment calls for it.

2. Change can happen in the pit of rebellion. (2:2-6)

Sheol for Jonah was the deep sea he was in but also represented the place where people were held by God before final judgment.

Jonah knew who brought him to this place. God placed Jonah into the pit so his heart would call to him.

Jonah felt that God no longer looked at him with favor.

Bitter sorrow.

Try as he may, Jonah could not rescue himself from the situation.

Against hope, Jonah believes in hope.

When we hear the word “pit”, several definitions to mind.

A large hole in the ground.

A place scooped out to burn something.

Mind-shaft.

Hell is often described as a pit.

A pit involves a situation that you are in that you can’t get out of on your own.

Have you been a pit? Are you in one now?

There is good news: The pit is not a bad place if it will get you back into the will of God.

Take the nudge, get back on track, and thank God for it.

3. Triumph in spirit over flesh. (7-10)

When Jonah’s life was slipping away, he remembered the Lord.

Spirit triumphed over flesh. Faith over reason.

Jonah knew that even in the place of despair, God heard him.

Even though Israel’s worship of God was vain: false, God’s love for the people had been faithful.

Jonah finally remembered where salvation had come from and was ready to fulfill what he had vowed to do.

The prophet was now ready to speak the words of God.

A healthy parent disciplines their child with the desire for heart change as a goal.

God tracked Jonah down for this moment.

Before He would change the hearts of Nineveh, He changed the heart of the prophet.

We must see why God has put us in the a pit.

He wants our hearts to soften.

Don’t exit your pit without learning why you were there in the 1st place.