The Down Slide of Sin

Little girl speaking with teacher about Jonah being real.

I. Prideful Disregard

a. Open Communication

Jonah 1:1–2 NKJV

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

Arise shows that this was a sudden call.

b. Outright Rebellion

Jonah 1:3 NKJV

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

That word “But” shows a contradiction. Meaning something opposite of what is supposed to happen.

Why would Jonah flee? fear? Perhaps, but I think Jonah was struggling with patriotism.

Jonah 4:1–3 NKJV

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Jonah knew that God would forgive them! And he did not want this. Before we can belittle we must understand the task God has set before Jonah. This is equivalent to God asking you to go and minister to terrorist the day after they attacked the country.

How often have we done this though? The bible says… But

c. Obvious Contradiction

Jonah 1:3 NKJV

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 139:7–10 NKJV

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

God is omnipresent and there is no running from His presence!

II. A Place of Disbelief

Sometimes our sin puts us in a place where we do not want to be around like minded people.

a. Disregard of the Storm

Jonah 1:4–5 NKJV

But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

These sailors were most likely Phoenicians. Skilled sailors. If they are afraid Jonah needs to be afraid!

Notice they were removing things on the surface. Not the problem deep within.

b. Disbelief of the Sailor

Jonah 1:6 NKJV

So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

These folks were most likely Pagan. They were willing to call on any God. The irony is that a pagan is calling on a prophet to pray!

Notice the similarity to verse 1. A simple principle of repenting before serving.

c. Detection of the Sinner

Jonah 1:7–9 NKJV

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah probably did not pray so the sailors drew sticks.

Jonah was ashamed, no one knew who he was!

Then he tells a lie. His witness is hurt because of his sin.

III. A Plea for Deliverance

a. Reprimanding of Jonah’s Sin

Jonah 1:10–11 NKJV

Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

If your God is so great, why did you run?

The sailors knew something had to happen to Jonah.

b. Repentance of Jonah’s Sin

Jonah 1:12–15 NKJV

And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

Jonah gave the solution.

Notice that the men’s own effort could not help them. It had to be done God’s way.

At this point the scene is dark.

c. Reconciliation from Jonah’s Savior

Jonah 1:16–17 NKJV

Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

I think of Samson. “His hair began to grow”

The point of this story is not the great fish. It is Christ.

Matthew 12:38–41 NKJV

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Jonah is a picture of Christ. He sacrificed himself to save the sailors. He was in the belly of the fish three days. He arose to preach repentance to the citizens of Nineveh.

Yet his sacrifice was born out of hatred and disobedience. Christ’s sacrifice was based on love and obedience.