Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet-3

Introduction:

Open your Bibles once again to Jonah chapter 1. We have just begun in this series on the book of Jonah.

Last week we were introduced to Jonah the son of Amittai. We learned of the command that God gave to Jonah. We see in this command that God chose to give an explanation to Jonah concerning this command. Surely the Ninevites would have been destroyed in the time frame Jonah prophesied (3:4) had they not repented. In this, we are also to understand that there is nothing that takes place in God’s universe that is hidden from Him or unknown.

Let’s read through verse 7 as we continue in this book of the Bible.

Let’s Pray

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Seeing these instructions show us Jonah’s role (vs. 2) was to “Arise,” go to Nineveh and preach God’s message of judgement.

I hope understand this morning that God call upon our lives is a call to action.

We see also in this command that we have a role to fulfill in this world.

God is still calling people into His service. The Lord Jesus Christ has a plan and direction for you.

You might thinking, how can you prove that?

Well first of all let me ask you a question…(This was one of the Lord’s favorite ways of teaching, by the way to answer a question by asking a question.)

So here is the question, In the Bible do we have recorded for us the events of individuals and their actions following God?

Hebrews chapter 11 illustrates this very truth.

Another question to think about, are there accounts of God giving specific direction to individuals?

How about the Lord’s instructions to Peter, “when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

Or perhaps think about the Lord Jesus Christ dealing with ‘Maniac of Gadera’ telling him to go and tell others about what God has done in your life.

You see God has a purpose and direction for you. And yes it is specific, because we serve a Lord who is interested in us specifically.

The prophet’s call and purpose was to speak on behalf of God. To communicate His message, and the message in this case was to “…cry against…” that great city. You and I may not be called to deliver the same message that Jonah was to deliver, we certainly have a message that we have been commissioned to give.

Please notice the message was simple and direct, (Look at 3:4)“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

Too often we speak to indirectly to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. The good news about the Lord Jesus Christ has been given to us and we have a responsibility to deliver it to others. Our message ought to be simple and direct.

Unfortunatley, I can say that oftentimes I have delivered His message, but in my wordiness have muddied the waters.

This message was to be simple and direct.

I am not diminishing in any way using proper communication skills to reach a point where we can tell others about Jesus Christ. But I am saying that our message about the Lord Jesus Christ should be simple and direct.

We will look at this message specifically in chapter 3, but we can also gather from this statement secondly, that the child of God is to stand in opposition to sin.

Ephesians 5 and verses 11 through 13 really give us the great divide between light and darkness and our responsibility in the midst of a fallen world.

Remember that these Epistles (letters) we find in the New Testament were given to the early churches.

The early Christians needed instruction on how to live the Christian life in a world that they were to reach with the Gospel. They did not have the same benefit that you and I have: the entire canon of Scripture, living in ‘Christian nation’ or even a large church building with comfortable padded pews.

They did not have 2000 years of church age history to look back upon or countless expositors of God’s Word.

They had the Holy Spirit, they had whatever church epistles they had received.

Ephesians 5:11-13 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

Joseph Parker (Contemporary with Charles Spurgeon 1830-1902 and was known for extemporaneous oratory)had this to say, “Do suppose not that Jonah is a lonely creature afar off in the ages somewhere, having an experience unique and incommunicable. The experience of Jonah is the experience of every good man. What is your call in life? To go wherever wickedness is and cry against it.” [Emphasis Mine]

This task then to Jonah would require him to travel to that city of Nineveh. If Jonah was to ‘rise up’ and go to Nineveh, it would help us to understand what would be involved in this task.

Supposing that Jonah is in his hometown (Gath-hepher - just southwest of the Sea of Galilee situated by Nazareth) at this point then Nineveh would be north east of his location. He would need to travel some 500-600 miles to get to Nineveh. (Depending on available routes). Make note that on the map Jonah designed to travel in the opposite direction; 2000 miles to the west!

This would not have been light travel and would have taken him a great deal of time, planning and effort.

Preparation for Vacation Travel Comparison

If Jonah traveled 25 miles per day by foot, then it would have taken 24 days for him to get from Gath-Hepher to Nineveh.

This shows us that sacrifice is required in our service to the Lord.

John Butler had this to say, “….every duty has the walking part. It is the long lonely hours of preparation which are necessary to fulfill one’s duty. Once Jonah gets to Nineveh the excitement will begin. But he must first make the long walk before he gets there.”

We like to see the end result instantly in our service to the Lord. But there is the long hours of preparation and sacrifice that is required in our service.

The Christmas Cantata at Sharon Baptist Church

The Bible College Student

The Farmer

Many who would serve the Lord would like to skip the preparation or the sacrifice and serve the Lord when convenient.

II Samuel 24:24 “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

Exceptional duty requires exceptional sacrifice.

The Christian life is one of emptying self.

It becomes apparent that we are to yield ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ to direct our lives.

What does that mean to ‘yield ourselves’?

Think about the statement that Lord made to those wishing to be his disciples:

Luke 14:25-33 “25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

If you chose to walk the path God would have you to take, there is a possibility that you may find that road lonely.

I can guarantee you that there would not be a long line of folks in Jonah’s day desiring to go with him to Nineveh. It certainly would not have been a popular choice.

I am reminded of Jeremiah the prophet, after the destruction of the city was dealing with a remnant of people. They approached Jeremiah, having seen what had taken place, having understood that Jeremiah’s words had been validated consulted him as to whether this remnant should stay in Jerusalem or go to Egypt.

Read Jeremiah 42

Though physically as a Christian following after Christ we may be alone, spiritually we enjoy sweet communion with God in the path of service and obedience to Him.

Paul the Apostle in dealing with this subject gave these words to a young man he was preparing: Timothy, his son in the faith:

II Timothy 4:16,17 “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.”

When we think about this statement by Paul, we can see him walking in the very footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ. —There was no one standing with the Lord Jesus Christ when His mock trial took place before His crucifixion.

Think about how encouraging that statement would be for the young man Timothy, who would have his fair share of trials in the ministry.

Though Jonah would have had a long way to travel, he would not have be alone.

But instead of sweet communion and obedience we find:

A. The Word of the LORD Came v1-2

B. The Prophet Rose Up to Flee v3-7

The Bible tells us, (vs 3)“But Jonah rose up to flee….”

What a turning statement that we find in this conjunction. The instructions given by God, as clear as they are, are met with the words “…But Jonah….”

This single word ‘but’ brings Jonah into opposition with the Word of God.

Instead of our text reading “Jonah rose to go to Nineveh…” (like Abraham when God told him to take his son to sacrifice him Genesis 22:3) it reads, “Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish…”

What a terrific circumstance Jonah is about to find himself in!

Jonah is not being compelled here to flee but rather flees on his own accord.

Who is responsible for Jonah’s disobedience to the Lord?

Who is responsible for our disobedience to the Lord?

The verb “rose up” indicates for you and I that he hastened to leave. He broke like a twig!

Was there contemplation in this move? No doubt. For before actions can be taken there must be thought.

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” Matthew 15:18

We will discover shortly that this plan of Jonah’’s was not very well thought out.

Jonah rose up to flee - to run away. His designated spot of fleeing was Tarshish (Some 2000 miles away).

Look over at

Jonah 4:2 “2 And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”

In this statement we get a very vague clue as to why Jonah chose to flee. Whatever Jonah knew or did not know concerning the outcome of this task, he could not justify himself before the Lord.

We can come up with all the reasons in the world to disobey the Lord’s clear instructions for us. Often times we use ‘situational ethics’ to make excuse as to why we have not done what God has asked us to do.

Jonah no doubt had plenty of reasons not to go:

Jonah had a reputation to uphold as a prophet. Should God abstain from judgement if the nation repented, his message would be found to have not come to pass.

This would be a difficult and arduous journey.

He would perhaps be met with violence and suffering.

And we could go on and think about the many reasons for disobedience.

The simplest thing for Jonah to do was to quit. To resign his post as a prophet. He determined to get away from God’s people and His calling.

I do not believe that Jonah thought He could “run” away from God.

The Scriptures clearly speak to the omnipresence of God. Psalm 139:7-8 for example state, “8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

This is certainly an enigma though, for you or I to think we can flee from God’s calling upon our life as a child of God.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior we are immediately indwelt by the Holy Spirit; God’s precious presence. (II Corinthians 1:22,23; Ephesians 1:13, 4:22-23)

We are immediately born-again (John 3:1-8; I Peter 1:23; I John 5:1). We are immediately translated from the kingdom of darkness to God’s kingdom. We are immediately enlisted in the battle that rages as a good Soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Timothy 2:4)

Being born-again we cannot give-up our calling. We are sealed until the day of redemption.

There is the potential to back-slide and act in disobedience putting ourselves out of fellowship with the Lord, but this is a futile state.

Albert Barnes had this to say about this curiosity of Jonah fleeing from God, “he acted, as people often do, who dislike God’s commands. He set about removing himself as far as possible from being under the influence of God, and from the place where he “could” fulfill them.”

“Observe the misconduct of the prophet Jonah. He had a plain command from the Lord, and he knew it to be a command, but he felt that the commission given him would not be pleasant and honoring to himself so he declined to comply with it. We see from his action how some who really know God may act as if they did not know him. What strange inconsistencies there often are even in good men! Here is one who is favored with a divine commission—one who knows God and fears him—yet, for all that, he ventures on the fool’s errand of endeavoring to escape from the omnipresent One.” - Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon. (2017). The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (p. 1218). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

The same is true of us as well when we refuse to listen to God’s Spirit and abide in His ways and to follow His Holy Word. Every child of God has to potential to act as Jonah, to depart from obedience, to run from the Living God and find ourselves miserably at variance with God’s Word!

A spiritual departure will eventually result in an outward manifestation.

In other words, the spiritual departure will eventually manifest itself in our actions.

The one thing that Jonah did do is he did not act in hypocrisy as if everything was ok.

He departed at once into disobedience.

This is really the sum and total of Jonah’s actions.

This disobedience would bring consequences.

Disobedience to God and His Word always brings consequences. Sometimes we look at certain consequences as being more just and severe than others.

What about the consequence of a broken fellowship with God?

What about a diminished if not blinded ability to see truth?

What about a doubt that is cast upon one’s own salvation?

What about the havoc that is wrought upon the conscience of one who has transgressed what he knows to be true?

What about the variance and enmity that experienced towards others that are walking in the light? The friction that exists and the conviction that makes one miserable.

“He lost God’s voice, for now God had to speak to him in a storm. He lost his spiritual energy and went to sleep in the hold of the ship. He lost his power in prayer, and even his desire to pray. The heathen were praying, but Jonah was sleeping. He lost his testimony with the men on the ship, and he lost his influence for good, because he was the cause of the storm. He also almost lost his life. But how patient and long-suffering the Lord was with him.” - Warren Wiersbe

Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Jon 1). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

“A man can do nothing right if he is wrong with God.” - Joseph Parker

God gives us in this account the sure record that you and I are not devoid of free will, nor were the prophets of old. But choices are before us.

Israel’s place in the world was to glorify God to all nations. But spiritual pride was marring Jonah’s outlook. He shared no doubt in the feelings of the rest of the nation, which are certainly evident in the Gospel records and the beginning part of the book of Acts.

We can see this jealousy ever illustrated in the story of the prodigal son’s older brother.