Jonah 1

Intro

The story of Jonah is a very important one and for many reasons. There are many things we can choose to focus on. His message, God’s grace to the Ninavites...

But in this study i want to look at the man Jonah.

Jonah’s story is both intresting and important because Jonah shows us a saved man, rebelling against God.

When an unsaved pagan person, king, rebells its not surprising. But Jonah was a Prophet, a man of God.

Jonah reminds us that any one of us, if we make his same mistakes can rebel against the God whom we serve.

So what leads a Christian into rebellion?

The wrong Attitude.

Jonah 1:1–3 AV

1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

In these 3 verses we see that Jonah attitude towards the things of God was completly wrong.

What do we mean by attitude? We mean “belief” - What he thought about these things.

He Had the Wrong Attitude towards the Will of God

The will of God is by far the single most important issue and consideration in our day to day lives.

It is only in the will of God that we find victory.

The will of God gives us Nourishment.

John 4:34 AV

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

The Will of God gives us understanding.

John 7:17 AV

17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

And the Will of God gives us power.

Hebrews 13:21 AV

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

To Jesus the will of God was food - To Jonah the will of God was foolish.

Why did he thing this about the will of God?

Because in the prophets opinion God had asked him to the impossible:

Go to the enemies of Israel and give them a chance to repent and be saved from destruction. And Jonah would have much rather they be destroyed than saved.

To Jonah it simply did not make any sense, and to us too at times the will of God does not make sense. But making sense is not a requiremet for obedience. after all:

Isaiah 55:8–9 AV

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Let me teach you something about the will of God.....

Rope...

Eleatic...

Next we see that:

Jonah had the wrong attitude towards the Word of God.

When the Word of the Lord came to Jonah he mistakenly thought that he could take it or leave it.

God gives his servants no such option.

Luke 6:46 AV

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Jonah, like many Christians forgot that it is a great privledge to know and be apart of the will of God.

When he heard what God expected of him he tried to resign as a prophet.

He felt like giving up.