Sermon Tone Analysis

1:1-2 Jonah’s Calling and Cause.

We don’t know to much about Jonah.

But, here is what we do know.

His name means “Dove”.

Scripture tells us that he was a servant if God and the son of Amittai which means “Truth/Faithful”.

Scripture also tells that Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II - king of Israel.

2 Kings 14:23-29

Jonah is a Jew who prophesied about 38 years before Assyria overtook the northern kingdom - Israel.

Assyria was rather weak around Jonah’s time due to conflicts with other nations, famine, and numerous revolts.

And although the recipients of his book is unclear - I would suggest that he wrote to his fellow Jews as a reminder of God’s compassion and God’s plan for salvation.

So the word of the Lord came to Jonah who we just learned was the son of Amittai.

It is important to note that the Hebrew word for Lord being used here is Yahweh.

It is an important name because it is the personal name of Israel’s covenant God - I AM.

Exodus 3:14

There are so many implications that are apart of the name Yahweh.

The name highlights Love and Compassion - and should remind Jews of God’s freedom from the slavery of Pharoah, along God’s providence and provision for them throughout the Wilderness.

Alright, the words in this verse don’t tell us how the word of the Lord came upon Jonah we just know that the word came [past tense] directly from God to Jonah - We can be sure that they are God’s words that had been placed in Jonah’s mind.

Here God gives Jonah three commands.

What are they?

By calling him to Arise, go and cry against Nineveh the great city.

What does “cry against” mean?

The cross reference for “cry against” is Isaiah 58:1 which gives us a clearer meaning of what God is telling Jonah to do, which is to “Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.”

The difference between Isaiah and Jonah is that Jonah is to declare a judgement and warning to Nineveh not Israel.

Nineveh was a great city situated in the Assyrian empire.

In fact it was a large city that was located near two major trade routes, which implies business, and wealth.

However, the people of Nineveh were into worshipping false gods, and were an enemy of Israel.

They were godless.

Their wickedness was the cause as to why God sent Jonah to cry against them.

The passage tells us that their evil deeds had come up before God.

Nineveh’s heathen reputation and bad actions up to this point were unrighteous and word and perhaps the sight of it had reached God.

But, God takes compassion on Nineveh and wants to give them the opportunity to repent.

Stop and think about this for a minute.

Doesn’t this sound out of character for God?

In Habakkuk’s Book God declared judgement on the Babylonians for their evil actions.

He didn’t warn them like He is doing here.

What can possibly be going on!

Why do you think God wanted to give Nineveh a chance to repent?

Exodus 19:5-6

I guess we will see how the narrative progresses.

1:3 Jonah’s Disobedience.

What does Jonah do?

Instead of arising to go to Nineveh Jonah shows deliberate disobedience.

He rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord/Yahweh.

Jonah attempts to get as far away as possible.

Tarshish was thousands of miles away and the exact opposite direction of Nineveh.

Almost the furthest point away Nineveh.

Not only does Jonah flee but he thinks he can run from God’s presence.

What does the phrase“The presence of the Lord” imply?

It simply means that God’s presence typically/historically dwelled in the land where His people dwelled.

The passage explains that Jonah went down to Joppa.

Which means he came from the land that he lived in which was on the outskirts of Galilee a city named Gath Hepher.

It was there that Jonah lived and there that God’s presence was.

The cross reference verse in Genesis 4:16 confirms the use of phrase.

Cain left Edom where God’s presence was at.

Similar to Cain, Jonah doesn’t want to be apart of God’s Call.

So he finds a ship which was going to Tarshish, pays for his ticket and went down into the ship with the goal of getting away from the presence of the Lord/Yahweh.

Jonah is a man with a poor attitude!

He really does not want to be near Yahweh.

It is clear because he uses that phrase twice.

But, Jonah the servant of God should know you can’t run from God.

He is omnipresent.

Psalm 139:7-10 tells us that too!

Can anyone guess why Jonah doesn’t want to go to Nineveh?

There are some observations that give us clues as to why Jonah does not want to go.

Jonah is an Israelite which means he despised the nations who did not worship Yahweh.

I want to make this clear - the passage up to this point doesn’t imply Jonah is racist - nor does it imply he is one.-

we can rest assure that he despised them because or their religious practices.

If we can remember - God wanted Israel to be a holy people set apart for His purposes.

He did not want Israel to follow non-Hebrew nations because that would risk them getting into their pagan religious way of life.

1 Kings 11:2

King Solomon was warned because God saw the potential for Solomon to turn from Him and worship other gods.

This potential negative consequence is easily seen with Israel and there involvement with other nations.

Nineveh was indeed a heathen city, filled with idol worshipping and going there would have in essence been a sin in Jonah’s eyes.

However, God’s intention for Israel back then was for them to be a light to the nations - with certain protective restrictions of course - showing the nations/world who God is, for His Glory and for their salvation and as a result highlighting God’s characteristics including His compassion.

Isaiah 49:6

Ultimately, Jonah [Israel] had appeared to have forgotten that God is a God of compassion because He wanted the faithful remnant of Israel to be a light to all the nations.

Which implies Gentile inclusion of salvation and is seen through out Scripture.

1:4-6 God’s Disapproval of Jonah’s Response.

God’s response to Jonah’s disobedience is interesting.

He hurled a great wind on the sea.

What do you think God was trying to do?

The passage indicates so that the ship was about to break up.

Do you see the irony in this.

Jonah disobeyed God’s command, and the wind and sea listened to God’s command!

God is furious, and I would have been scared.

I can’t help but wonder if while Jonah was stepping into the ship was he thinking to himself “What I am doing here is wrong” and then as he was thinking it the storm rolled in as the answer to his question.

Psalm 146:6

Regardless of how soon the storm rolled in after Jonah got in the ship the sailors became afraid and and every man cried out to his god.

The sailors realized that this storm wasn’t the average storm but one that was divine - to them one of “the gods” had caused it, and they turned to them for help.

But, it doesn’t seem to have worked so they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it.

Where was Jonah while all this was going on?

He had gone below in the ship and had lain down and fallen sound asleep.

Some scholars say that Jonah was depressed about the whole situation or that he was exhausted due the fleeing, while trying to understand why God had called him to such a mission.

One thing I can say is that Jonah’s sleep was not normal.

Even the captain is bothered by it and asks How is it that you are sleeping?

Get up, call on your god.

Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

The pagan captain commands Jonah to call on his god.

He is trying to encourage Jonah “Call on your god for the good of the sailors”.

1:7-10 Jonah’s Confession.