Jonah: Chapter 1

Introduction

Quick Review from Last Week:

Not just a story for kids or a story about a guy and a big fish

A complex and carefully crafted story for adults

Uses SATIRE to teach us a lesson and gets us to look at life and ourselves in ways we might not normally...

SATIRE SLIDE

We looked at the book as whole last week and I asked you to read the whole thing 3 times this week…???

Now, we’re jumping into the first chapter…and it is as rich and packed with action…gets started fast...

Pay special attention to three characters and the comparison and contrast between the last two:

God…always a main character

Jonah (the Prophet)

Pagan Sailors

The Command From God (1:1-2)

Jonah 1:1–2 ESV

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

No messing around…God gives Jonah a clear command—to go to Nineveh and pronounce judgement against it for the evil they had done.

Note: Jesus has give US a clear command too (more on that as we go along…but we’re kind of in the same boat).

Remember, this Assyria is a great nation—but it’s wicked and immoral—the enemy of Jonah and Israel (hard to find a modern example…closest = political divide in our nation…Jews & Nazi’s in WW2)

Jonah should have been excited to give this judgement and promise of destruction…should have rushed to it. But nope...

Jonah Runs from God’s Presence (1:3)

Jonah 1:3 ESV

But Jonah rose 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, away from the presence of the Lord.

Note: Jonah isn’t just ignoring the command…He flees the very presence of the Lord (twice in this verse)

Reminds me of Adam & Eve…hiding from God because of their disobedience

This seems to be our natural response of disobedience…we flee or hide from God

But of course, Jonah’s not getting away that easily...

God’s Intervention (1:4)

Jonah 1:4 ESV

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

God directly intervenes by sending a massive wind and storm that puts the ship and everyone in it in grave danger…serious business here!

And this is where the comparison and contrasting begins…watch the difference between Jonah and the sailors (pagan sailors)...

The Crisis Begins (1:5-6)

Jonah 1:5–6 ESV

Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

What do you notice as you compare & contrast Jonah and the sailors as the crisis begins?

Sailors: Fear Cried out to their gods Took action (threw cargo overboard)

Jonah: Apathy Fell asleep Had to be woken to do anything!

Side note…watch to see how long before Jonah actually prays to God for help, guidance, or anything...

Just getting started…the sailors are desperate so they turn to desperate measures...

The Culprit Identified (1:7-10)

Jonah 1:7–10 ESV

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And 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.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Casting lots was not unusual in ancient times (even the apostles used them)…and in this case the desperate sailors use it to identify the culprit

And it worked! Jonah is identified…and the sailors ask him 5 questions…(see above)

Jonah’s response is unbelievable…gives his nationality: “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

HA! What a joke! He didn’t fear God…he ran from Him..and why to the sea if he knew God had made it and controlled it?

Statement at first looks and sounds righteous and genuine…but it’s anything but! It’s prideful, nationalistic, and pretentious!

Would be like me saying: Yeah, I disobeyed God…but I’m an American so it’s all good! (Come to think of it…)

Instead of worrying about blame…the sailors look for a solution, but there are no good ones...

The Solution to the Problem (1:11-16)

Jonah 1:11–16 ESV

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

Don’t get fooled into thinking Jonah is doing the noble or right thing here just because we know what happens next.

In the middle of this raging storm, Jonah proposes the sailors hurl him overboard, two questions:

What did Jonah assume/think would happen as a result? DEATH (this is his first attempt at dying instead of obeying…SELFISH)

Why did Jonah direct the sailors to toss him overboard (putting his death on their heads) instead of doing it himself? SELFISH & COWARDLY

And again…how do the Sailors respond to Jonah’s selfish and cowardly solution?

They take ACTION---lookiing for answers while Jonah looks for escape—by trying to row to shore instead (while Jonah looks on and waits)

They cried out to YAHWEH—to Jonah’s God this time---asking for FORGIVENESS & GRACE (note: Jonah still hasn’t prayed ONCE!)

They take ACTION again—tossing Jonah overboard…and the sea instantly becomes calm! But they’re not done...

They WORSHIP YAHWEH---offering Him sacrifice and vows of service, turned their fear of GOD into the fear of the Lord.

LOOK AT THAT ALL AGAIN, from the beginning…

Who Should We Act Like?

Remember: Supposed to be comparing & Contrasting (SATIRE)...

Jonah

Fleeing from God’s presence when He asks us to do something we don’t want to do.

Being apathetic to the problem instead of finding solutions or fessing up (sleeping)

Responding with prideful, pretentious nationalism instead of humility and fear

Acting selfishly and cowardly and putting everyone else at risk for your own sin

Pagan Sailors

Take the crisis seriously and recognize the severity of the problem (even though you didn’t cause it)

Recognize a spiritual problem and seek spiritual answers

Do everything you can to solve the problem instead of just hoping it will all work out

Ask for God’s grace, guidance, and forgiveness and worship Him when He resolves the issue.

Of course the answer is as obvious as it is ridiculous—SATIRE—the story tells us to ACT LIKE THE PAGAN SAILORS NOT LIKE THE PROPHET OF GOD!

But the really cool thing about this chapter is that there is another COMPARE & CONTRAST we’re compelled to examine…but this time it’s Jesus and the disciples in the middle of a storm...

Jesus and the Storm

Mark 4:35–41 ESV

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Any of this sound familiar?

A great storm that threatens the boat and everyone in it

Jesus asleep in the bottom of the boat (as Jonah was)

Disciples wake Jesus up…asking Him questions.

And make no mistake—as Matthew, Mark, and Luke each tell this story…they have the Jonah account in mind (and expect we will too!)

But that’s where the similarities end…similar problem, but much different result…remember, Jesus is the better, perfect Jonah!

Two Groups to Compare Here:

The Pagan Sailors and the Disciples (simple)

Pagan Sailors respond in FAITH (even though they are afraid)

The Discipleship respond in FEAR (and Jesus questions their faith)

Jesus and Jonah (more complex)

Jonah is DISOBEDIENT and runs from God

Jesus is OBEDIENT and rests in God

Jonah is asleep as a result of APATHY

Jesus is asleep because of His AUTHORITY

Jonah is SELFISH and COWARDLY

Jesus is SELFLESS and POWERFUL

Jonah is the CAUSE of the problem

Jesus is the SOLUTION (has the power to calm the sea

The Bottom Line

Here’s the bottom line (in two parts)...

The satire in this chapter is designed to get us to question how we respond when God asks us to do something we don’t want to do (JONAH) or when life brings us storms that aren’t our fault (PAGAN SAILORS)

Will we respond like Jonah or like the Pagan Sailors?

Ask Yourself but BE HONEST!

Comparing this story to the Jesus Storm shows that Jesus is the PERFECT Jonah who empowers us to respond to God and the storms the way He wants us to (instead of how our sin prompts us to).

Romans 7:15–25 (ESV)

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!