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Jonah 1-4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Go ahead and open to the book of Jonah, if you will.
• 0:03
  Book of Jonah.
• 0:04
  Before we get into our text this morning, there is something that I felt needed to be addressed.
• 0:12
  ! It might be a little awkward, but I just thought this can't go without being spoken about.
• 0:18
  So I just want you all to know, because many of you have asked me, many of you have come to me
• 0:22
  throughout this past couple weeks since the last time I preached and have asked me,
• 0:26
  did you actually say sweet Moses in the middle of your sermon?
• 0:30
  And I just want to clear the air and say that that did come out of my mouth.
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  That just kind of happened.
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  So there was that.
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  I don't know what's going to fly out today, but if you think I said it, I probably said it.
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  So there you go.
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  But yeah, Jonah, we're going to be going through the whole book this morning,
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  which might sound like a lot, but it's actually not that much.
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  We're going to be starting verse one.
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  And before we get into the text, I just wanted to set a little bit of the historical backdrop to Jonah,
• 1:02
  because it's important to understanding what is going on in this book.
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  So Jonah lived during the prosperous reign of King Jeroboam II in the northern kingdom.
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  So Israel during this time was split in two.
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  There was the northern kingdom, which was called Israel, made up of ten tribes.
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  And in the south, you had the southern kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, made up of two tribes.
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  So Jonah's in the north.
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  And for the northern kingdom, this was a time of material, earthly blessing.
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  They were really rich, really affluent, doing really well.
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  They boasted in their tall walls and their security, which you can read a lot about that in Amos.
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  But their sin was rampant.
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  And if you recall, we went through Daniel recently.
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  So this is pre-Daniel.
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  This is pre-exile, pre-punishment for their sin.
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  And the book of Amos, the prophet Amos, he's preaching in this time,
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  around the time that Jonah would have lived in the northern kingdom.
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  And Amos is calling out Israel for its sin.
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  Amos 4.1 records the word of the Lord, and God says of Israel during this time,
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  he says,
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  Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
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  who are on the mountain of Samaria,
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  who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
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  who say to your husbands, bring that we may drink.
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  The Lord God has sworn by his holiness that, behold,
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  the days are coming upon you, Israel,
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  when they, the Babylonians,
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  shall take you away with hooks,
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  even the last of you with fish hooks.
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  And you shall go out through the breaches,
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  each one straight ahead,
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  and you shall be cast out into Harmon,
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  declares the Lord.
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  So between Amos and many of the other prophets,
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  Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on,
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  we know that Israel during this time
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  could be described as a time of false worship,
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  a time of debauchery,
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  a time of licentiousness,
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  false worship, adultery, drunkenness, pride,
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  and so on.
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  And recall as well that God's constant threat
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  to punish Israel
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  was initially going to be by the hands of the Assyrians,
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  not the Babylonians.
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  And this sets the stage for the book of Jonah
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  so we can read together,
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  starting in verse 1, chapter 1.
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  And I'm going to read this text
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  and kind of explain it
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  as we go through the entire book.
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  So lock in with me here.
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  But starting in verse 1,
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  Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah,
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  the son of Amittai, saying,
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  Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
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  and call out against it,
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  for their evil has come up before me.
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  But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish
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  from the presence of the Lord.
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  He went down to Joppa
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  and found a ship going to Tarshish.
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  So he paid the fare and went down into it
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  to go with them to Tarshish,
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  away from the presence.
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  of the Lord.
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  So now the word of the Lord came,
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  and when did it come?
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  It came to Jonah
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  during this time of sin in Israel.
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  All the pre-exilic prophets
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  preached to Israel and Judah,
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  appealing to them to repent
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  of their sin except Jonah.
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  Jonah was called to go to Nineveh,
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  which was the crown jewel city
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  of the Assyrian Empire,
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  the very empire
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  which Jonah's contemporaries
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  were prophesying
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  would destroy Israel.
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  And what was Jonah's response?
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  Well, he fled,
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  and not only did he flee,
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  but he fled in the opposite direction
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  of Nineveh
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  by choosing Tarshish
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  of all places.
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  And this is especially interesting
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  because throughout the Old Testament,
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  it's well-documented
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  that Israelites were afraid
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  of the sea.
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  So Jonah is choosing a route
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  that he'd have to cross the sea
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  to get to his destination.
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  And the reason they feared the sea
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  was multifaceted.
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  One was the sea creature Leviathan
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  mentioned in the book of Job.
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  Another was that the Philistines
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  likely attacked Israel from the sea
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  when they first made contact.
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  More importantly, though,
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  the sea was viewed
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  as a symbol of hell,
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  a symbol of chaos.
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  And this is likely due
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  to the flood in Genesis.
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  And this is why
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  throughout the Old Testament,
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  you'll constantly see writers
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  refer to the sea
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  as the abyss.
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  And the significance of this
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  is that Jonah chooses
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  to go through this chaos,
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  this hell,
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  this place of taboo,
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  the abyss,
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  before he was willing
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  to obey God.
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  Now, some have interpreted this
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  by explaining what a cruel
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  city Nineveh was
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  and that Jonah was afraid
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  of what the Assyrians
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  might do to him
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  because they were just
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  the worst.
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  But that is not supported
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  by the text.
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  Rather, it seems that Jonah
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  was willing to go through
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  all this trouble
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  to avoid the will
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  of the Lord.
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  Already, we have seen
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  the author mention twice
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  that Jonah fled,
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  not Nineveh,
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  but he fled from
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  the presence of the Lord
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  in verse 3.
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  He's fleeing God.
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  Now, some of you
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  might be wondering,
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  doesn't Jonah know
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  that God is omnipresent,
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  meaning that God
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  is everywhere at all times?
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  You would think as a prophet
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  he would have this one down.
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  But apparently,
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  Jonah has forgotten.
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  And this is not surprising
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  during his time.
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  In his day,
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  every pagan nation
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  had this concept
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  of their gods
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  being restrained
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  to their territory.
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  This is why they always
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  make reference to battle.
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  Our gods prevailed this day
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  because the gods wanted
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  to gain a new territory.
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  And Jonah's time,
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  Israel was infested
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  with pagan religion,
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  so it's not a far stretch
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  to assume that he probably
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  confused himself,
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  to say the least,
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  that he probably thought
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  in some sense
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  God was restrained
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  to physical Israel.
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  But God does not
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  let Jonah go
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  and God is not
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  constrained by some border.
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  Picking back up
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  in verse 4 of chapter 1,
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  so Jonah's on his way,
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  he's fleeing the Lord,
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  and verse 4,
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  but the Lord hurled
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  a great wind
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  upon the sea.
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  And there was
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  a mighty tempest
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  on the sea
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  so that the ship
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  threatened to break up.
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  Then the mariners
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  were afraid
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  and each cried out
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  to his God.
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  And they hurled
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  the cargo that was
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  in the ship
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  into the sea
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  to lighten it
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  for them.
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  But Jonah had gone
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  down into the inner
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  part of the ship
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  and had laid down
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  and was fast asleep.
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  So the captain
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  came and said to him,
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  What do you mean,
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  you sleeper?
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  Arise,
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  call out to your God.
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  Perhaps the God
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  will give us a thought
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  that we may not perish.
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  And they said to one another,
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  Come,
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  let us cast lots
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  that we may know
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  on whose account
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  this evil
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  has come upon us.
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  And so they cast lots
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  and the lot fell
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  on Jonah.
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  Then they said to him,
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  Tell us on whose account
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  this evil
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  has come upon us.
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  What is your occupation
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  and where do you come from?
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  What is your country?
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  And of what people
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  are you?
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  And he said to them,
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  I am a Hebrew.
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  I fear the Lord,
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  the God of heaven
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  who made the sea
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  and the dry land.
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  Then the men
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  were exceedingly afraid
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  and said to him,
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  What is this
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  that you have done?
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  For the men knew
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  that he was fleeing
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  from the presence
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  of the Lord
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  because he had told them.
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  Again,
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  he's not fleeing Nineveh,
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  he's fleeing God.
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  In verse 11,
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  Then they said to him,
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  What shall we do to you
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  that the sea may quiet down
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  for us?
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  For the sea grew more
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  and more tempestuous.
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  And he said to them,
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  Pick me up
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  and hurl me
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  into the sea.
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  Then the sea
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  will quiet down for you.
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  For I know
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  it is because of me
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  that this great tempest
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  has come upon you.
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  Nevertheless,
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  the men rode hard
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  to get back to dry land,
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  but they could not.
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  For the sea grew
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  more and more
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  tempestuous against them.
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  Therefore,
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  they called out to the Lord,
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  O Lord,
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  let us not perish
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  for this man's life
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  and lay not on us
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  innocent blood
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  for you,
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  O Lord,
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  have done
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  as it pleased you.
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  So they picked up Jonah
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  and hurled him
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  into the sea
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  and the sea ceased
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  from its raging.
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  Then the men
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  feared the Lord
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  exceedingly
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  and they offered
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  a sacrifice
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  to the Lord
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  and made vows.
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  And the Lord
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  appointed a great fish
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  to swallow up Jonah
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  and Jonah was
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  in the belly
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  of the fish
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  three days
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  and three nights.
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  Now this section
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  is chock full
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  of irony.
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  So we have
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  these pagan
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  Gentile sailors
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  who were much
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  afraid of the storm
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  of God's working
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  while the Hebrew
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  Israelite
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  in the midst
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  of the storm
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  chooses to hide
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  in the inner part
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  of the ship.
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  Verse 5,
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  Jonah is still
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  ignoring God.
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  Ironically,
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  the prophet Jonah
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  whose job it is
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  to encourage people
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  to call out
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  to God
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  in repentance
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  is being commanded
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  by pagans
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  to call out
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  to his God.
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  Even these pagans
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  recognize that
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  this storm
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  is divine judgment
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  and that they
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  will perish.
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  Verse 6,
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  Proverbs 16,
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  33 says,
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  The lot is cast
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  into the lap
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  but its every decision
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  is from the Lord.
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  And we saw
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  that these pagan men
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  who did not know God,
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  who did not worship God,
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  it would seem
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  that these pagans
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  were familiar
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  with Proverbs
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  or other Old Testament
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  passages
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  that speak
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  on casting lots.
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  In verse 7,
• 10:45
  we see them
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  cast lots
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  to determine
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  on whose account
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  the storm
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  has come upon them.
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  And the lot
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  fell on Jonah
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  and the pagans
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  knew that Jonah
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  was guilty
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  and that Jonah
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  was the reason
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  for the storm.
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  So they question him
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  and his response
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  is such garbage.
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  What does he say?
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  He says,
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  you know,
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  they want to know
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  who are you,
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  what's your occupation?
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  He says,
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  I'm a Hebrew.
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  That's his first response.
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  I'm a Hebrew.
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  He's very proud
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  of his national heritage,
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  his identity
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  as one who
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  fears the Lord.
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  And which Lord?
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  The Lord that is better
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  than the pagan's God
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  because this Lord
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  is the creator
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  of land and sea
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  and the God of heaven.
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  Verse 9.
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  So that's kind of smack talk.
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  We might not catch
• 11:29
  that in English
• 11:29
  but, you know,
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  pagans had no problem
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  accepting that Yahweh
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  was real.
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  What they had a problem
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  with was that
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  he was the only God
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  and that he was
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  superior to their God.
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  So by saying
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  God of heaven,
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  Jonah's saying,
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  my God
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  is greater than your God.
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  But his response
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  is garbage.
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  I mean,
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  it's theologically sound,
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  it's theologically true,
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  it's biblical.
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  Jonah clearly has
• 11:53
  this understanding
• 11:54
  in his head
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  but not in his heart.
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  Otherwise,
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  he would be obeying
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  the Lord
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  and not trying
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  to run from him.
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  To truly fear
• 12:05
  the Lord
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  is to have wisdom,
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  Proverbs 1.7.
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  And if Jonah was wise,
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  he would obey God.
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  And here's more irony.
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  After it becomes
• 12:16
  plain who Jonah is,
• 12:17
  the pagans become
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  exceedingly afraid
• 12:19
  because they recognize
• 12:21
  that Jonah is fleeing
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  the presence of the Lord.
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  Verse 10.
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  And they fear the Lord
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  more so than
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  the prophet Jonah.
• 12:28
  They have more wisdom
• 12:29
  than Jonah.
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  And in verse 11,
• 12:33
  the pagans ask a question.
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  They want to know
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  how can they appease God?
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  They want to know
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  how to end the storm
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  and God's wrath.
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  And Jonah provides
• 12:44
  the answer.
• 12:44
  He offers himself up
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  to be thrown
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  into the sea.
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  Now,
• 12:50
  many have interpreted
• 12:51
  this as a typology
• 12:53
  of Christ,
• 12:53
  a symbol of Christ.
• 12:54
  You know,
• 12:55
  that he came
• 12:55
  and died for many
• 12:56
  so that we might
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  be spared.
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  And this kind of
• 12:58
  sounds like what
• 12:59
  Jonah is doing.
• 13:01
  But I do not think
• 13:02
  this is the case.
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  So just note that
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  for now.
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  We're going to come
• 13:05
  back to that
• 13:05
  in chapter 4.
• 13:07
  But for now,
• 13:08
  notice even more
• 13:09
  irony in this passage.
• 13:11
  Jonah did not
• 13:12
  travel to Nineveh
• 13:13
  to preach a message
• 13:14
  of repentance
• 13:15
  as God had instructed.
• 13:17
  Clearly,
• 13:18
  Jonah did not care
• 13:19
  about the Ninevites
• 13:20
  enough.
• 13:20
  as a Hebrew,
• 13:23
  he's supposed to be
• 13:24
  a blessing to the nations
• 13:25
  and he's not doing that.
• 13:26
  He's not fulfilling that.
• 13:28
  He doesn't care about them.
• 13:30
  Yet in verse 13,
• 13:31
  even though Jonah
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  confessed his guiltiness,
• 13:34
  the pagans
• 13:35
  rode hard
• 13:36
  to try to save him
• 13:38
  before throwing him
• 13:39
  into the sea.
• 13:40
  He offered himself up
• 13:41
  and they still,
• 13:42
  nonetheless,
• 13:43
  tried to save him.
• 13:44
  They rode hard.
• 13:45
  And the sailors
• 13:48
  called Jonah
• 13:49
  innocent
• 13:51
  in verse 14,
• 13:53
  even though he clearly
• 13:53
  is not.
• 13:55
  And after praying
• 13:56
  to the God
• 13:57
  of the Hebrews,
• 13:58
  the pagans
• 13:59
  wisely discern
• 14:00
  that the will
• 14:01
  of the Lord
• 14:01
  is for Jonah
• 14:02
  to be cast
• 14:03
  into the sea.
• 14:04
  They say,
• 14:04
  For you,
• 14:05
  O Lord,
• 14:06
  have done
• 14:07
  as it pleased you.
• 14:09
  They know
• 14:10
  who is in control,
• 14:11
  unlike Jonah.
• 14:13
  They have more mercy
• 14:14
  for a foreigner
• 14:16
  than Jonah does.
• 14:19
  And the pagans,
• 14:20
  not Jonah,
• 14:21
  continue to fear
• 14:22
  the Lord,
• 14:23
  verse 16.
• 14:23
  They sacrificed to him
• 14:24
  and they made vows to him.
• 14:27
  And Jonah was swallowed up
• 14:29
  by a great fish
• 14:30
  for three days
• 14:30
  and three nights
• 14:31
  before anything else
• 14:33
  happened.
• 14:35
  So notice that
• 14:37
  up to this point
• 14:37
  in the narrative,
• 14:39
  Jonah has done
• 14:40
  not one single thing
• 14:41
  that is righteous,
• 14:42
  that is commendable,
• 14:43
  that is God-honoring
• 14:45
  or obedient.
• 14:46
  Everything he has said
• 14:48
  and done
• 14:48
  has been done
• 14:49
  in disobedience.
• 14:51
  And yet,
• 14:52
  here are Gentiles
• 14:53
  who progressively
• 14:54
  recognize God
• 14:55
  more and more
• 14:56
  throughout the narrative.
• 14:59
  These Gentiles
• 15:00
  seem far more useful
• 15:01
  to God
• 15:02
  and honoring to God
• 15:03
  than this disobedient
• 15:04
  prophet named Jonah.
• 15:07
  So let's continue
• 15:08
  reading chapter 2,
• 15:09
  verse 1.
• 15:10
  Then Jonah prayed.
• 15:13
  So after three days,
• 15:14
  after three nights,
• 15:15
  Jonah prayed
• 15:16
  to the Lord his God
• 15:17
  from the belly
• 15:18
  of the fish,
• 15:18
  saying,
• 15:19
  I call out to the Lord
• 15:21
  out of my distress
• 15:22
  and he answered me.
• 15:24
  Out of the belly
• 15:25
  of Sheol I cried
• 15:27
  and you heard my voice.
• 15:29
  For you cast me
• 15:30
  into the deep,
• 15:31
  into the heart
• 15:32
  of the seas
• 15:33
  and the flood,
• 15:34
  that's judgment language,
• 15:35
  the flood
• 15:36
  surrounded me.
• 15:37
  All your waves
• 15:39
  and your billows
• 15:40
  passed over me.
• 15:42
  Then I said,
• 15:43
  I am driven away
• 15:44
  from your sight,
• 15:46
  yet I shall again
• 15:47
  look upon
• 15:48
  your holy temple.
• 15:50
  The waters
• 15:51
  closed in over me
• 15:52
  to take my life.
• 15:53
  The deep surrounded me.
• 15:54
  Weeds were wrapped
• 15:55
  about my head
• 15:56
  at the roots
• 15:57
  of the mountains.
• 15:58
  I went down
• 15:59
  to the land
• 16:00
  whose bars
• 16:00
  closed upon me forever,
• 16:02
  yet you brought up
• 16:03
  my life from the pit.
• 16:05
  O Lord,
• 16:06
  my God.
• 16:07
  When my life
• 16:09
  was fainting,
• 16:10
  I remembered
• 16:11
  the Lord.
• 16:12
  So he had forgotten
• 16:13
  the Lord.
• 16:14
  I remembered
• 16:15
  the Lord
• 16:15
  and my prayer
• 16:16
  came to you
• 16:17
  into your holy temple.
• 16:20
  Those who pay
• 16:20
  regard to vain idols
• 16:22
  forsake their hope
• 16:23
  of steadfast love.
• 16:24
  But I,
• 16:25
  with the voice
• 16:25
  of thanksgiving,
• 16:26
  will sacrifice
• 16:27
  to you
• 16:27
  what I have vowed
• 16:29
  I will pay.
• 16:30
  Salvation belongs
• 16:32
  to the Lord.
• 16:34
  And the Lord
• 16:35
  spoke to the fish
• 16:36
  and it vomited Jonah
• 16:36
  out upon the dry land.
• 16:39
  So finally,
• 16:40
  after three days
• 16:41
  and three nights
• 16:42
  of Jonah sitting
• 16:43
  and doing nothing
• 16:44
  inside the belly
• 16:45
  of the great fish,
• 16:46
  he finally prays.
• 16:49
  He's stubborn.
• 16:52
  In verses one
• 16:53
  through three,
• 16:54
  we see Jonah
• 16:54
  recognize
• 16:55
  that he is the object
• 16:57
  of God's judgment.
• 16:58
  Jonah hates
• 16:59
  his circumstance.
• 17:03
  Again,
• 17:03
  more irony.
• 17:04
  Jonah wanted to flee
• 17:05
  from the presence
• 17:05
  of the Lord
• 17:06
  and so the Lord's
• 17:07
  punishment for Jonah
• 17:08
  was that Jonah
• 17:09
  was,
• 17:10
  verse four,
• 17:10
  driven away
• 17:11
  from God's sight.
• 17:12
  He got what he wanted.
• 17:16
  Now this might be
• 17:17
  new to you,
• 17:18
  but I want to suggest
• 17:19
  that this prayer
• 17:20
  is not an actual prayer
• 17:22
  of true repentance.
• 17:26
  Jonah expresses lament
• 17:27
  over his circumstances
• 17:29
  in verses two through six,
• 17:31
  not his sin.
• 17:32
  There is no mention
• 17:34
  of his wrongdoing
• 17:35
  and disobeying God.
• 17:36
  There is no mention
• 17:37
  of his sin
• 17:38
  for not going to Nineveh.
• 17:40
  There is no mention
• 17:41
  of him expressing
• 17:42
  a need for heart change
• 17:43
  regarding the Ninevites.
• 17:45
  He doesn't say,
• 17:45
  God,
• 17:46
  soft in my heart
• 17:46
  so that I might love
• 17:47
  my enemies.
• 17:48
  He doesn't even
• 17:49
  acknowledge it.
• 17:51
  In fact,
• 17:51
  there is no mention
• 17:52
  of Jonah wishing
• 17:53
  things were different
• 17:54
  whatsoever
• 17:55
  except for his
• 17:57
  circumstances.
• 17:58
  Jonah's prayer reveals
• 18:01
  that he is eager
• 18:02
  to return to Israel.
• 18:04
  Twice he mentions
• 18:05
  the temple,
• 18:06
  verse four and verse seven.
• 18:08
  Nowhere does he express
• 18:09
  a desire to go
• 18:10
  to Nineveh.
• 18:12
  Rather,
• 18:13
  he simply asserts
• 18:14
  that he will keep a vow
• 18:15
  in verse nine,
• 18:16
  which he likely gave
• 18:17
  to save his own skin.
• 18:20
  In many ways,
• 18:21
  this entire prayer
• 18:22
  can be summarized
• 18:23
  by saying this.
• 18:25
  Jonah recognized
• 18:26
  God's sovereignty
• 18:27
  and realized it was foolish
• 18:28
  for him to go against it.
• 18:30
  And two,
• 18:30
  Jonah recognized
• 18:31
  that whether he liked
• 18:32
  it or not,
• 18:33
  he will submit to it
• 18:34
  voluntarily or involuntarily.
• 18:38
  And Jonah's prayer
• 18:39
  reminds me of Esau.
• 18:41
  Hebrews 12,
• 18:42
  16 through 17
• 18:43
  sheds light on Esau.
• 18:45
  The author of Hebrews
• 18:45
  says,
• 18:46
  like Esau,
• 18:47
  who sold his birthright
• 18:48
  for a single meal,
• 18:50
  for you know that afterward
• 18:51
  when he desired
• 18:52
  to inherit the blessing,
• 18:53
  he was rejected,
• 18:54
  for he found no chance
• 18:56
  to repent.
• 18:57
  Though he sought it
• 18:58
  with tears.
• 19:00
  The author of Hebrews
• 19:01
  is not saying
• 19:02
  that Esau genuinely
• 19:03
  sought to repent
• 19:04
  of his sin.
• 19:05
  Rather,
• 19:06
  the author of Hebrews
• 19:07
  is saying that Esau
• 19:08
  wanted to repent
• 19:09
  of his circumstance.
• 19:12
  Esau wished
• 19:12
  he had not given up
• 19:13
  his birthright
• 19:14
  and he cried
• 19:15
  over his inability
• 19:16
  to regain it,
• 19:17
  to change
• 19:18
  his circumstance.
• 19:20
  repentance.
• 19:22
  And this is just
• 19:23
  like Jonah's prayer
• 19:25
  which is lacking
• 19:25
  many of the elements
• 19:27
  of a true
• 19:28
  repentant prayer.
• 19:31
  In Psalm 51,
• 19:31
  we don't have time
• 19:32
  to go there,
• 19:32
  but that is a great
• 19:33
  example of what
• 19:35
  genuine repentance
• 19:36
  looks like.
• 19:36
  Now,
• 19:38
  after praying the prayer,
• 19:39
  there is no clear
• 19:40
  acknowledgement
• 19:41
  that God viewed
• 19:42
  this as genuine
• 19:43
  repentance.
• 19:44
  The closest thing
• 19:45
  we get to that
• 19:46
  acknowledgement
• 19:46
  is verse 10
• 19:47
  where God spares
• 19:48
  Jonah from dying
• 19:49
  in the belly of the fish.
• 19:50
  And I know that
• 19:52
  some of you may not
• 19:53
  be convinced
• 19:53
  of my interpretation
• 19:54
  just yet,
• 19:55
  that Jonah did not
• 19:56
  actually repent
• 19:58
  in his prayer.
• 19:59
  But we'll continue
• 20:00
  with that theme
• 20:01
  as we read,
• 20:02
  picking back up
• 20:03
  in chapter 3,
• 20:03
  verse 1.
• 20:05
  And I think you'll see
• 20:05
  more clearly
• 20:06
  why I'm convinced
• 20:08
  of this.
• 20:09
  So picking back up
• 20:10
  in chapter 3,
• 20:11
  verse 1.
• 20:13
  Then the word
• 20:14
  of the Lord
• 20:14
  came to Jonah
• 20:15
  the second time,
• 20:16
  saying,
• 20:18
  Arise,
• 20:18
  go to Nineveh,
• 20:19
  that great
• 20:20
  city,
• 20:20
  and call out
• 20:21
  against it
• 20:22
  the message
• 20:22
  that I tell you.
• 20:24
  So Jonah arose
• 20:25
  and went to Nineveh
• 20:26
  according to the
• 20:27
  word of the Lord.
• 20:29
  Now Nineveh
• 20:29
  was an exceedingly
• 20:30
  great city,
• 20:32
  three days'
• 20:33
  journey in breadth.
• 20:34
  And Jonah began
• 20:35
  to go into the city
• 20:36
  going a day's journey,
• 20:38
  and he called out,
• 20:39
  Yet forty days
• 20:40
  and Nineveh
• 20:41
  shall be overthrown.
• 20:43
  And the people
• 20:44
  of Nineveh
• 20:45
  believed God.
• 20:47
  They called for a fast
• 20:48
  and put on sackcloth
• 20:49
  from the greatest
• 20:50
  of them
• 20:50
  to the least
• 20:51
  of them.
• 20:53
  And the word
• 20:53
  reached the king
• 20:54
  of Nineveh,
• 20:55
  and he arose
• 20:55
  from his throne,
• 20:56
  removed his robe,
• 20:57
  covered himself
• 20:58
  with sackcloth,
• 20:59
  and sat in ashes.
• 21:02
  And he issued
• 21:03
  a proclamation
• 21:04
  and published
• 21:04
  through Nineveh,
• 21:05
  by the decree of the king
• 21:07
  and his nobles.
• 21:08
  By the decree of the king
• 21:07
  and his nobles,
• 21:08
  let neither man
• 21:09
  nor beast,
• 21:09
  herd nor flock,
• 21:11
  taste anything.
• 21:12
  Let them not feed
• 21:13
  or drink water,
• 21:14
  but let man
• 21:15
  and beast
• 21:16
  be covered
• 21:16
  with sackcloth,
• 21:18
  and let them
• 21:18
  call out mightily
• 21:20
  to God.
• 21:22
  And let everyone
• 21:22
  turn from his evil way.
• 21:24
  Repent
• 21:24
  is what he's calling for.
• 21:26
  Let everyone
• 21:26
  repent.
• 21:28
  And from the violence
• 21:29
  that is in his hands,
• 21:30
  repent.
• 21:31
  Verse 9,
• 21:32
  Who knows?
• 21:34
  God may turn
• 21:35
  and relent
• 21:35
  and turn from
• 21:36
  his fierce anger
• 21:37
  so that we may not perish.
• 21:40
  And when God
• 21:41
  saw what they did,
• 21:42
  how they turned
• 21:43
  from their evil way,
• 21:44
  God relented
• 21:45
  of the disaster
• 21:46
  that he said
• 21:46
  he would do to them,
• 21:47
  and he did not
• 21:49
  do it.
• 21:51
  Now this is
• 21:51
  the happiest moment
• 21:52
  in the book of Jonah
• 21:53
  by far.
• 21:54
  The city legitimately
• 21:56
  and sincerely
• 21:57
  repented
• 21:58
  of their sin.
• 21:59
  Verse 5,
• 21:59
  they believed God
• 22:01
  and fasted.
• 22:03
  The repentance
• 22:03
  in the city
• 22:04
  was so great,
• 22:05
  so widespread,
• 22:06
  it even had
• 22:07
  legal and governing
• 22:08
  implications
• 22:08
  as the king called
• 22:10
  from mourning
• 22:11
  and fasting.
• 22:12
  Verses 7 through 8.
• 22:15
  And I love
• 22:15
  verse 9,
• 22:16
  The king does not
• 22:17
  even know
• 22:18
  with certainty
• 22:19
  if God would
• 22:20
  forgive Nineveh
• 22:21
  and relent
• 22:22
  of their coming doom.
• 22:24
  But by faith
• 22:25
  he and his city
• 22:26
  repented.
• 22:27
  Now why
• 22:30
  wouldn't the king
• 22:31
  know that God
• 22:31
  would forgive them
• 22:32
  of their sins?
• 22:33
  Hadn't Jonah
• 22:34
  preached a gospel
• 22:35
  message of hope
• 22:36
  to Nineveh?
• 22:38
  But looking back
• 22:39
  at verse 4,
• 22:40
  it seems the only
• 22:41
  thing Jonah
• 22:41
  wanted to say,
• 22:42
  the only thing
• 22:43
  he could bear
• 22:44
  to say to these
• 22:44
  pagan Gentiles
• 22:45
  was,
• 22:46
  yet 40 days
• 22:47
  and Nineveh
• 22:47
  shall be overthrown.
• 22:50
  He probably had
• 22:50
  a little smirk
• 22:51
  on his face
• 22:51
  when he said it.
• 22:53
  It strongly indicated
• 22:54
  that these were
• 22:54
  the only words
• 22:55
  in Jonah's
• 22:56
  entire message.
• 22:58
  He never calls
• 22:58
  for repentance.
• 22:59
  He never explains
• 23:00
  that God
• 23:01
  is a forgiving God,
• 23:02
  slow to anger,
• 23:03
  abounding,
• 23:03
  steadfast love.
• 23:04
  He never explains
• 23:05
  any of that.
• 23:06
  He just lets them
• 23:06
  know that they're
• 23:07
  all going to be
• 23:08
  destroyed soon.
• 23:10
  And this is why
• 23:12
  the king asks,
• 23:13
  who knows?
• 23:15
  Jonah knows,
• 23:16
  but Jonah
• 23:16
  hasn't said a word.
• 23:18
  Isaiah 55,
• 23:21
  verses 10 through 11
• 23:22
  says,
• 23:24
  for as the rain
• 23:24
  and the snow
• 23:25
  come down from heaven
• 23:26
  and do not return
• 23:27
  there,
• 23:27
  but water the earth,
• 23:28
  making it bring forth
• 23:29
  and sprout,
• 23:30
  giving seed to the sower
• 23:31
  and bread to the eater.
• 23:33
  This is God speaking.
• 23:34
  He says,
• 23:34
  so shall my word be
• 23:36
  that goes out
• 23:37
  from my mouth.
• 23:39
  It shall not return
• 23:40
  to me empty,
• 23:41
  but it shall accomplish
• 23:42
  that which I purpose
• 23:43
  and shall succeed
• 23:45
  in the thing
• 23:45
  for which I sent it.
• 23:48
  The word of the Lord
• 23:49
  is powerful
• 23:50
  and it can save
• 23:52
  despite even the worst
• 23:53
  of messengers.
• 23:55
  God's word is so powerful
• 23:56
  in this city
• 23:57
  that its authority
• 23:58
  triumphs over the hearts
• 24:00
  of individuals,
• 24:01
  the decrees of kings
• 24:02
  and even rebellious
• 24:03
  message carriers.
• 24:06
  Truly nothing can stop
• 24:08
  the will of the Lord
• 24:09
  and so far in the story
• 24:10
  we have seen miracle
• 24:12
  after miracle
• 24:13
  of God working
• 24:14
  to bring about
• 24:15
  his will.
• 24:16
  In chapter 1,
• 24:19
  verse 4,
• 24:20
  God hurled a great wind
• 24:21
  upon the sea
• 24:22
  to stop Jonah's travels.
• 24:24
  In chapter 1,
• 24:25
  verse 7,
• 24:26
  God made the lot
• 24:27
  fall on Jonah
• 24:28
  to get him overboard.
• 24:31
  In chapter 1,
• 24:31
  verse 15,
• 24:32
  God stopped the storm.
• 24:34
  In verse 17,
• 24:35
  he appointed
• 24:36
  and controlled
• 24:36
  a great fish
• 24:38
  to swallow Jonah
• 24:39
  yet kept him alive.
• 24:41
  In chapter 2,
• 24:42
  verse 10,
• 24:43
  God made the fish
• 24:44
  vomit Jonah out.
• 24:46
  In chapter 3,
• 24:47
  verse 10,
• 24:48
  God made the hearts
• 24:49
  of Nineveh repent
• 24:51
  and made them
• 24:52
  weep over their sin
• 24:54
  and mourn.
• 24:57
  We will see even more
• 24:58
  of God's rule
• 24:59
  over nature,
• 24:59
  man,
• 25:00
  and beast
• 25:00
  in chapter 4,
• 25:01
  but already
• 25:02
  we have ample evidence
• 25:04
  to say
• 25:04
  and to see clearly
• 25:05
  that God is sovereign
• 25:07
  over all his creation.
• 25:10
  Jonah was right
• 25:12
  in verse 9
• 25:12
  when he said
• 25:13
  salvation belongs
• 25:15
  to the Lord.
• 25:16
  Verse 9 of chapter 2,
• 25:17
  sorry.
• 25:19
  And the Lord
• 25:19
  will deliver
• 25:20
  his people
• 25:21
  even in the most
• 25:22
  unlikely places
• 25:23
  with the most
• 25:24
  unlikely people
• 25:25
  despite the most
• 25:26
  disobedient
• 25:27
  and hypocritical
• 25:28
  messengers.
• 25:32
  Now,
• 25:32
  I've said that
• 25:33
  Jonah's prayer
• 25:34
  was not a prayer
• 25:34
  of true repentance
• 25:35
  and we have seen
• 25:36
  hints of that
• 25:37
  throughout the text
• 25:37
  thus far.
• 25:38
  But this final chapter
• 25:40
  I think
• 25:41
  is going to really
• 25:42
  expose the full
• 25:43
  ugliness of Jonah's
• 25:44
  sin
• 25:45
  and also
• 25:46
  his motive.
• 25:48
  Some of you
• 25:49
  have probably
• 25:49
  been wondering
• 25:50
  if Jonah isn't
• 25:51
  afraid of the Ninevites
• 25:52
  then why is he
• 25:53
  resistant to preaching
• 25:54
  in Nineveh?
• 25:55
  What makes him
• 25:55
  so bent
• 25:56
  on avoiding
• 25:58
  Nineveh?
• 26:00
  And we'll read
• 26:01
  the rest of our text
• 26:02
  picking back up
• 26:02
  in chapter 4
• 26:03
  verse 1.
• 26:05
  So Jonah's
• 26:06
  responding to the
• 26:07
  repentance
• 26:07
  that just
• 26:08
  occurred in
• 26:08
  Nineveh.
• 26:09
  So verse 1
• 26:10
  chapter 4
• 26:11
  But it displeased
• 26:13
  Jonah exceedingly
• 26:14
  and he was angry
• 26:16
  and he prayed
• 26:17
  to the Lord
• 26:17
  and said
• 26:18
  O Lord
• 26:19
  is not this
• 26:20
  what I said
• 26:20
  when I was yet
• 26:21
  in my country?
• 26:22
  That is why
• 26:23
  I made haste
• 26:24
  to flee for Tarshish
• 26:25
  for I knew
• 26:25
  that you are
• 26:26
  a gracious
• 26:26
  God
• 26:27
  and merciful
• 26:28
  slow to anger
• 26:29
  and abounding
• 26:30
  in steadfast love
• 26:31
  and relenting
• 26:32
  from disaster.
• 26:34
  Therefore now
• 26:35
  O Lord
• 26:35
  please take
• 26:36
  my life
• 26:37
  from me
• 26:37
  for it is
• 26:38
  better for me
• 26:38
  to die
• 26:39
  than to live.
• 26:41
  And the Lord
• 26:41
  said
• 26:42
  Do you do
• 26:42
  well
• 26:43
  to be angry?
• 26:46
  Jonah went
• 26:46
  out of the city
• 26:47
  and sat
• 26:47
  to the east
• 26:48
  of the city
• 26:48
  and made a booth
• 26:49
  for himself
• 26:50
  there.
• 26:51
  He sat
• 26:52
  under it
• 26:52
  in the shade
• 26:53
  till he should
• 26:53
  see what would
• 26:54
  become of the city.
• 26:56
  And the Lord
• 26:57
  God had appointed
• 26:58
  a plant
• 26:58
  and made it
• 26:59
  come up
• 26:59
  over Jonah
• 27:00
  that it might
• 27:01
  be a shade
• 27:01
  over his head
• 27:02
  to save him
• 27:02
  from his discomfort.
• 27:03
  So Jonah
• 27:06
  was exceedingly
• 27:06
  glad because
• 27:07
  of the plant
• 27:07
  but when dawn
• 27:08
  came up
• 27:09
  the next day
• 27:09
  God appointed
• 27:11
  a worm
• 27:11
  that attacked
• 27:12
  the plant
• 27:12
  so that it
• 27:14
  withered.
• 27:15
  When the sun
• 27:15
  rose
• 27:16
  God appointed
• 27:16
  a scorching
• 27:17
  east wind
• 27:18
  and the sun
• 27:18
  beat down
• 27:19
  on the head
• 27:19
  of Jonah
• 27:20
  so that he
• 27:20
  was faint.
• 27:22
  And he asked
• 27:23
  that he might
• 27:24
  die
• 27:24
  and said
• 27:25
  it is better
• 27:26
  for me
• 27:26
  to die
• 27:27
  than to live.
• 27:29
  But God
• 27:30
  said to Jonah
• 27:30
  do you do
• 27:31
  well
• 27:32
  to be angry
• 27:32
  for the plant?
• 27:35
  And he said
• 27:36
  yes I do
• 27:36
  well to be
• 27:37
  angry
• 27:37
  angry enough
• 27:38
  to die.
• 27:39
  And the Lord
• 27:40
  said you pity
• 27:40
  the plant
• 27:41
  for which you
• 27:41
  did not
• 27:41
  labor
• 27:42
  nor did
• 27:43
  you make
• 27:43
  it grow
• 27:43
  which came
• 27:44
  into being
• 27:45
  in a night
• 27:45
  and perished
• 27:46
  in a night.
• 27:47
  And should
• 27:48
  not I
• 27:48
  pity Nineveh
• 27:49
  that great
• 27:50
  city
• 27:50
  in which
• 27:51
  there are
• 27:52
  more than
• 27:52
  a hundred
• 27:52
  and twenty
• 27:53
  thousand
• 27:54
  persons
• 27:54
  who do
• 27:56
  not know
• 27:56
  their right
• 27:56
  hand
• 27:57
  from their
• 27:57
  left
• 27:57
  and also
• 27:59
  much cattle.
• 28:00
  Jonah
• 28:02
  has got
• 28:02
  to be
• 28:03
  the worst
• 28:03
  missionary
• 28:04
  and yet
• 28:04
  most successful
• 28:05
  missionary
• 28:05
  of all time.
• 28:07
  He witnessed
• 28:08
  to a city
• 28:08
  of what
• 28:09
  some think
• 28:09
  was actually
• 28:10
  six hundred
• 28:11
  thousand
• 28:11
  in number
• 28:12
  that's because
• 28:12
  they take
• 28:13
  that hundred
• 28:13
  and twenty
• 28:13
  thousand
• 28:14
  number
• 28:14
  and say
• 28:14
  that means
• 28:15
  children.
• 28:16
  Regardless
• 28:17
  it's a big
• 28:17
  city
• 28:18
  and they all
• 28:19
  repent
• 28:19
  and yet
• 28:20
  he was
• 28:20
  exceedingly
• 28:21
  displeased
• 28:22
  and angry.
• 28:24
  I can't
• 28:25
  imagine him
• 28:25
  at like
• 28:26
  a Baptist
• 28:26
  mission
• 28:27
  board
• 28:27
  meeting
• 28:28
  where
• 28:28
  everybody's
• 28:28
  like
• 28:28
  oh we
• 28:29
  had twenty
• 28:29
  baptisms
• 28:30
  this week
• 28:30
  and him
• 28:31
  you know
• 28:32
  like
• 28:33
  to be
• 28:33
  upset
• 28:34
  I mean
• 28:35
  my goodness
• 28:36
  and this
• 28:38
  right here
• 28:38
  this is
• 28:38
  solid
• 28:39
  evidence
• 28:40
  that his
• 28:41
  heart
• 28:41
  has not
• 28:41
  truly
• 28:42
  been
• 28:42
  turned
• 28:43
  he still
• 28:44
  did not
• 28:44
  want to
• 28:45
  see the
• 28:45
  Ninevites
• 28:45
  saved
• 28:46
  notice this
• 28:48
  Jonah did
• 28:49
  not flee
• 28:49
  the Lord
• 28:49
  because he
• 28:50
  was afraid
• 28:50
  of Nineveh
• 28:51
  but rather
• 28:51
  he fled
• 28:52
  the Lord
• 28:53
  because he
• 28:53
  knew God
• 28:54
  would save
• 28:54
  Nineveh
• 28:55
  that they
• 28:56
  would become
• 28:56
  his brothers
• 28:57
  and sisters
• 28:58
  in Christ
• 28:58
  to borrow
• 28:59
  from the
• 28:59
  New Testament
• 28:59
  verse 2
• 29:02
  and he
• 29:02
  prayed
• 29:02
  to the Lord
• 29:02
  and said
• 29:03
  oh Lord
• 29:03
  is not
• 29:04
  this what
• 29:04
  I said
• 29:05
  when I
• 29:05
  was yet
• 29:05
  in my
• 29:06
  country
• 29:06
  this is
• 29:07
  why I
• 29:08
  made haste
• 29:08
  to flee
• 29:08
  to Tarshish
• 29:09
  for I
• 29:09
  knew
• 29:10
  I knew
• 29:10
  that you
• 29:10
  were a
• 29:11
  gracious
• 29:11
  God
• 29:11
  and merciful
• 29:12
  I've
• 29:13
  never heard
• 29:13
  of anybody
• 29:14
  complain that
• 29:14
  God's
• 29:15
  gracious
• 29:15
  and merciful
• 29:15
  so
• 29:18
  we
• 29:18
  answered
• 29:19
  the
• 29:19
  question
• 29:19
  of why
• 29:19
  Jonah
• 29:20
  fled
• 29:20
  the
• 29:20
  presence
• 29:20
  of the
• 29:21
  Lord
• 29:21
  he
• 29:22
  did
• 29:22
  not
• 29:22
  want
• 29:23
  to
• 29:23
  go
• 29:23
  to
• 29:24
  Nineveh
• 29:24
  and see
• 29:24
  them
• 29:24
  receive
• 29:25
  grace
• 29:25
  and so
• 29:27
  then we
• 29:28
  get
• 29:28
  asked the
• 29:28
  next question
• 29:29
  why
• 29:29
  wouldn't
• 29:30
  Jonah
• 29:30
  want
• 29:30
  Nineveh
• 29:31
  to be
• 29:31
  saved
• 29:31
  and many
• 29:34
  today would
• 29:34
  interpret this
• 29:35
  as pure
• 29:35
  nationalism
• 29:36
  or some
• 29:36
  type of
• 29:37
  racism
• 29:38
  or some
• 29:39
  combination
• 29:40
  of the
• 29:40
  two
• 29:41
  that shouldn't
• 29:42
  surprise us
• 29:43
  we live
• 29:43
  in a
• 29:43
  day
• 29:44
  where
• 29:44
  you
• 29:44
  can't
• 29:44
  buy
• 29:44
  syrup
• 29:45
  without
• 29:45
  people
• 29:45
  assuming
• 29:46
  racial
• 29:46
  prejudice
• 29:46
  and
• 29:47
  background
• 29:47
  but
• 29:47
  that's
• 29:49
  the
• 29:49
  interpretation
• 29:49
  many
• 29:50
  make
• 29:50
  today
• 29:50
  but I
• 29:52
  think
• 29:52
  Jonah's
• 29:52
  anger
• 29:53
  his
• 29:53
  displeasure
• 29:53
  is much
• 29:54
  deeper
• 29:55
  than these
• 29:55
  things
• 29:56
  though
• 29:56
  they
• 29:58
  might have
• 29:58
  played
• 29:58
  a role
• 29:58
  possibly
• 29:59
  but I
• 30:00
  think
• 30:00
  ultimately
• 30:01
  Jonah
• 30:03
  was
• 30:03
  questioning
• 30:03
  God's
• 30:04
  commitment
• 30:05
  to keep
• 30:06
  his
• 30:06
  covenant
• 30:06
  with
• 30:06
  Israel
• 30:07
  so again
• 30:09
  recall the
• 30:10
  historical
• 30:10
  context
• 30:11
  and place
• 30:11
  yourself
• 30:12
  in Jonah's
• 30:12
  shoes
• 30:12
  is the
• 30:13
  only way
• 30:13
  I can
• 30:13
  be
• 30:14
  sympathetic
• 30:14
  towards
• 30:15
  him
• 30:15
  he lives
• 30:17
  in a
• 30:17
  time
• 30:17
  when
• 30:17
  Amos
• 30:18
  and
• 30:18
  Hosea
• 30:18
  are
• 30:18
  condemning
• 30:19
  Israel
• 30:19
  and
• 30:19
  prophesying
• 30:20
  coming
• 30:21
  judgment
• 30:21
  that
• 30:23
  judgment
• 30:23
  was
• 30:23
  prophesied
• 30:24
  to come
• 30:24
  by the
• 30:25
  hands
• 30:25
  of
• 30:25
  the
• 30:26
  Assyrians
• 30:26
  the
• 30:26
  Ninevites
• 30:27
  and now
• 30:29
  your God
• 30:29
  has
• 30:29
  stubbornly
• 30:30
  says
• 30:30
  I'm
• 30:31
  a
• 30:31
  Hebrew
• 30:31
  excuse
• 30:33
  me
• 30:33
  I
• 30:34
  misread
• 30:34
  now
• 30:35
  your God
• 30:35
  is
• 30:35
  commanding
• 30:36
  you
• 30:36
  to go
• 30:36
  and preach
• 30:36
  a salvific
• 30:37
  message
• 30:38
  to your
• 30:38
  enemies
• 30:38
  while God
• 30:39
  is also
• 30:40
  sending
• 30:40
  prophets
• 30:41
  to condemn
• 30:41
  your country
• 30:42
  your people
• 30:43
  Israel
• 30:44
  this is why
• 30:46
  Jonah
• 30:46
  has a lot
• 30:47
  of this
• 30:47
  nationalistic
• 30:48
  language
• 30:49
  as some
• 30:49
  interpret it
• 30:49
  right
• 30:50
  this is why
• 30:50
  he says
• 30:50
  I'm a
• 30:51
  Hebrew
• 30:51
  in chapter
• 30:51
  one
• 30:52
  this is
• 30:53
  why
• 30:53
  he longs
• 30:53
  to return
• 30:54
  to the
• 30:54
  temple
• 30:55
  in chapter
• 30:55
  two
• 30:55
  this is
• 30:56
  why
• 30:56
  he constantly
• 30:57
  refers
• 30:57
  to his
• 30:58
  country
• 30:58
  in chapter
• 30:59
  four
• 30:59
  because
• 31:01
  Jonah
• 31:01
  feels
• 31:01
  as though
• 31:02
  God
• 31:02
  is turning
• 31:03
  his back
• 31:04
  on Israel
• 31:04
  for the
• 31:05
  sake
• 31:05
  of
• 31:05
  another
• 31:06
  people
• 31:06
  Jonah
• 31:08
  is jealous
• 31:09
  and he's
• 31:09
  consumed
• 31:10
  with his
• 31:10
  identity
• 31:11
  as a son
• 31:12
  of Abraham
• 31:12
  a son
• 31:13
  of Jacob
• 31:13
  and a son
• 31:14
  of Isaac
• 31:14
  his entire
• 31:16
  identity
• 31:17
  as a Hebrew
• 31:18
  is likely
• 31:18
  losing its
• 31:19
  foundation
• 31:20
  in his
• 31:20
  mind
• 31:21
  he doesn't
• 31:22
  like that
• 31:22
  God is
• 31:22
  about to
• 31:23
  judge
• 31:23
  Israel
• 31:23
  and he
• 31:24
  doesn't
• 31:24
  like that
• 31:24
  God is
• 31:25
  about
• 31:25
  to save
• 31:26
  Gentiles
• 31:27
  and so
• 31:29
  Jonah expresses
• 31:30
  four times
• 31:31
  that he would
• 31:32
  rather die
• 31:33
  verse 3
• 31:33
  8
• 31:34
  and 9
• 31:34
  in chapter
• 31:34
  4
• 31:35
  four times
• 31:36
  I would
• 31:36
  rather die
• 31:37
  it's better
• 31:37
  for me
• 31:37
  to die
• 31:38
  I'd rather
• 31:38
  die
• 31:39
  than live
• 31:39
  and this
• 31:41
  is why
• 31:41
  Jonah
• 31:42
  wanted to
• 31:42
  be tossed
• 31:42
  in the
• 31:43
  sea
• 31:43
  in chapter
• 31:43
  one
• 31:44
  because
• 31:44
  he thought
• 31:44
  if he
• 31:45
  was dead
• 31:46
  then he
• 31:46
  would not
• 31:47
  see Nineveh
• 31:48
  repent
• 31:48
  we are
• 31:50
  literally
• 31:51
  reading him
• 31:51
  unravel
• 31:52
  and God
• 31:55
  rhetorically
• 31:56
  asked Jonah
• 31:56
  in verse
• 31:57
  four
• 31:58
  do you
• 31:59
  do well
• 31:59
  to be
• 32:00
  angry
• 32:00
  and the
• 32:02
  obvious
• 32:02
  answer
• 32:03
  being no
• 32:03
  he does
• 32:04
  not do
• 32:04
  well
• 32:05
  but Jonah
• 32:06
  is still
• 32:07
  not giving
• 32:07
  up hope
• 32:07
  he sets
• 32:08
  a booth
• 32:08
  up outside
• 32:09
  Nineveh
• 32:09
  hoping to
• 32:10
  see
• 32:10
  Nineveh
• 32:11
  fall into
• 32:11
  sin
• 32:11
  and as a
• 32:12
  result
• 32:13
  experience
• 32:13
  God's
• 32:14
  wrath
• 32:15
  verse 5
• 32:15
  he's very
• 32:16
  hopeful
• 32:16
  God still
• 32:18
  shows great
• 32:19
  mercy and
• 32:20
  grace to
• 32:21
  Jonah
• 32:21
  by trying
• 32:22
  to teach
• 32:22
  him something
• 32:23
  by appointing
• 32:25
  a worm
• 32:25
  a plant
• 32:26
  right
• 32:26
  this is a
• 32:27
  little lesson
• 32:27
  for Jonah
• 32:28
  and God
• 32:30
  removes that
• 32:30
  shade
• 32:31
  and asks
• 32:31
  Jonah
• 32:31
  do you
• 32:32
  do well
• 32:32
  to be
• 32:33
  angry
• 32:33
  and this
• 32:34
  time
• 32:34
  Jonah
• 32:35
  responds
• 32:35
  yes
• 32:35
  I do
• 32:36
  well
• 32:36
  to be
• 32:36
  angry
• 32:36
  angry
• 32:37
  enough
• 32:37
  to die
• 32:38
  so Jonah
• 32:41
  is exceedingly
• 32:41
  glad
• 32:42
  over his
• 32:42
  shade
• 32:43
  for temporal
• 32:43
  comfort
• 32:44
  while being
• 32:45
  exceedingly
• 32:45
  distressed
• 32:47
  angry
• 32:47
  mad
• 32:48
  for God
• 32:48
  sparing
• 32:49
  Nineveh
• 32:49
  from
• 32:49
  eternal
• 32:50
  torment
• 32:51
  his mind
• 32:54
  is so
• 32:54
  warped
• 32:54
  his thoughts
• 32:55
  and feelings
• 32:55
  so imbalanced
• 32:56
  his heart
• 32:57
  so cold
• 32:58
  that he
• 32:58
  fails to
• 32:59
  value
• 32:59
  things
• 33:00
  rightly
• 33:01
  he values
• 33:02
  the plants
• 33:03
  so much
• 33:03
  that he
• 33:04
  pities
• 33:04
  it
• 33:04
  perishing
• 33:05
  yet
• 33:05
  has no
• 33:05
  care
• 33:05
  whatsoever
• 33:06
  for Nineveh
• 33:07
  and this
• 33:08
  is God's
• 33:09
  challenge
• 33:09
  to Jonah
• 33:10
  he essentially
• 33:10
  says
• 33:11
  do you not
• 33:12
  expect me
• 33:12
  a gracious
• 33:13
  and merciful
• 33:14
  God
• 33:14
  who created
• 33:14
  every person
• 33:15
  including
• 33:16
  the Ninevites
• 33:16
  to pity
• 33:17
  that great
• 33:18
  city far
• 33:18
  more than
• 33:19
  you pity
• 33:19
  that little
• 33:20
  planet
• 33:20
  and after
• 33:22
  all it is
• 33:23
  a city
• 33:23
  of 120,000
• 33:24
  people who
• 33:25
  do not know
• 33:25
  their right
• 33:26
  hand from
• 33:26
  their left
• 33:27
  and again
• 33:28
  as I said
• 33:29
  earlier
• 33:29
  some think
• 33:30
  that as
• 33:30
  children
• 33:30
  some think
• 33:31
  that is
• 33:32
  referring to
• 33:32
  people who
• 33:32
  lack
• 33:33
  moral wisdom
• 33:33
  one or the
• 33:35
  other I'm
• 33:35
  not sure
• 33:36
  but the
• 33:36
  point
• 33:36
  remains
• 33:37
  people who
• 33:38
  are in
• 33:39
  need of
• 33:39
  help
• 33:39
  and that
• 33:42
  is how
• 33:42
  the book
• 33:42
  ends
• 33:43
  so in
• 33:45
  closing
• 33:45
  application
• 33:46
  I'll
• 33:47
  explain this
• 33:47
  ending a
• 33:47
  little bit
• 33:48
  God gives
• 33:49
  his last
• 33:50
  question to
• 33:51
  Jonah
• 33:51
  and we
• 33:52
  never see
• 33:53
  the response
• 33:54
  and the
• 33:55
  intention of
• 33:56
  the author
• 33:56
  I think
• 33:57
  is to leave
• 33:58
  us the
• 33:58
  readers
• 33:58
  attempting to
• 34:00
  answer the
• 34:00
  question
• 34:01
  do we
• 34:02
  love our
• 34:02
  enemies
• 34:03
  enough
• 34:03
  that we
• 34:05
  would want
• 34:05
  to see
• 34:05
  God save
• 34:06
  them
• 34:06
  and keep
• 34:09
  in mind
• 34:09
  Jonah is
• 34:10
  written for
• 34:10
  the Israelites
• 34:11
  the Israelites
• 34:13
  are the ones
• 34:13
  reading the
• 34:14
  book of
• 34:15
  Jonah
• 34:15
  this is a
• 34:15
  rebuke
• 34:16
  against
• 34:17
  Israel
• 34:17
  and I
• 34:20
  don't know
• 34:20
  about you
• 34:21
  but when I
• 34:22
  read that
• 34:22
  question I
• 34:23
  feel personally
• 34:24
  challenged
• 34:24
  especially this
• 34:25
  week
• 34:25
  like many
• 34:27
  of you
• 34:27
  I've
• 34:27
  watched the
• 34:28
  news in
• 34:28
  Afghanistan
• 34:29
  with disbelief
• 34:30
  frustration
• 34:31
  and frankly
• 34:32
  the temptation
• 34:33
  to look at
• 34:33
  the Taliban
• 34:34
  the way
• 34:34
  Jonah looked
• 34:35
  at Nineveh
• 34:36
  and I had
• 34:37
  to ask
• 34:37
  myself
• 34:38
  do I
• 34:38
  desire the
• 34:39
  salvation
• 34:39
  of my
• 34:40
  enemies
• 34:41
  and I
• 34:43
  could go
• 34:43
  on and
• 34:44
  on we
• 34:44
  could all
• 34:44
  fill in
• 34:45
  that blank
• 34:45
  with various
• 34:46
  individuals
• 34:46
  groups
• 34:47
  other
• 34:48
  movements
• 34:49
  that we
• 34:49
  would consider
• 34:50
  our enemies
• 34:51
  but I
• 34:53
  would exhort
• 34:53
  you to put
• 34:54
  on the mind
• 34:54
  of Christ
• 34:55
  for all
• 34:55
  of them
• 34:55
  without
• 34:56
  exception
• 34:57
  Matthew
• 34:59
  11
• 34:59
  28
• 35:00
  through
• 35:00
  29
• 35:01
  Jesus
• 35:01
  says
• 35:01
  come to
• 35:02
  me
• 35:02
  all
• 35:03
  who
• 35:03
  labor
• 35:03
  and are
• 35:04
  heavy
• 35:04
  laden
• 35:04
  and I
• 35:05
  will
• 35:05
  give
• 35:05
  you
• 35:05
  rest
• 35:06
  take
• 35:07
  my
• 35:07
  yoke
• 35:08
  upon
• 35:08
  you
• 35:08
  and
• 35:08
  learn
• 35:09
  from
• 35:09
  me
• 35:09
  for
• 35:09
  I
• 35:09
  am
• 35:09
  gentle
• 35:10
  and
• 35:10
  lowly
• 35:11
  in
• 35:11
  heart
• 35:11
  and
• 35:12
  you
• 35:12
  will
• 35:13
  find
• 35:13
  rest
• 35:13
  for
• 35:13
  your
• 35:13
  souls
• 35:14
  our
• 35:16
  response
• 35:16
  when we
• 35:17
  encounter
• 35:17
  our
• 35:17
  Ninevites
• 35:18
  or
• 35:18
  enemies
• 35:19
  should
• 35:19
  be one
• 35:20
  of
• 35:20
  gentleness
• 35:21
  and
• 35:21
  compassion
• 35:22
  Matthew
• 35:23
  9
• 35:24
  36
• 35:24
  records
• 35:25
  Jesus
• 35:25
  seeing a
• 35:26
  crowd
• 35:26
  of
• 35:26
  sinners
• 35:27
  and
• 35:27
  Matthew
• 35:27
  writes
• 35:27
  when
• 35:28
  Jesus
• 35:28
  saw
• 35:29
  the
• 35:29
  crowds
• 35:29
  he
• 35:30
  had
• 35:30
  compassion
• 35:30
  for
• 35:31
  them
• 35:31
  for
• 35:32
  the
• 35:32
  people
• 35:32
  the
• 35:33
  individuals
• 35:33
  because
• 35:35
  they were
• 35:36
  harassed
• 35:37
  and helpless
• 35:37
  like sheep
• 35:39
  without a
• 35:39
  shepherd
• 35:40
  or like
• 35:41
  120,000
• 35:42
  who do
• 35:42
  not know
• 35:43
  their right
• 35:43
  hand
• 35:43
  from their
• 35:44
  left
• 35:44
  and
• 35:46
  this
• 35:47
  is
• 35:47
  the
• 35:48
  gospel
• 35:48
  that
• 35:49
  Jesus
• 35:49
  Christ
• 35:49
  came
• 35:50
  to
• 35:51
  die
• 35:51
  and
• 35:51
  to
• 35:52
  save
• 35:52
  his
• 35:52
  enemies
• 35:53
  we
• 35:54
  all
• 35:54
  at
• 35:54
  one
• 35:55
  point
• 35:55
  were
• 35:55
  dead
• 35:56
  in
• 35:56
  the
• 35:56
  trespasses
• 35:57
  and
• 35:57
  sins
• 35:57
  in which
• 35:58
  we
• 35:58
  once
• 35:58
  walked
• 35:59
  following
• 35:59
  Satan
• 36:00
  and
• 36:01
  yet
• 36:01
  God
• 36:02
  showed
• 36:02
  his
• 36:02
  love
• 36:03
  for
• 36:03
  us
• 36:03
  and
• 36:03
  that
• 36:03
  while
• 36:04
  we
• 36:04
  were
• 36:04
  yet
• 36:04
  sinners
• 36:05
  Christ
• 36:05
  died
• 36:06
  for
• 36:06
  us
• 36:07
  so
• 36:09
  we
• 36:09
  should
• 36:09
  not
• 36:09
  neglect
• 36:10
  to
• 36:10
  share
• 36:10
  the
• 36:11
  gospel
• 36:11
  with
• 36:11
  anyone
• 36:12
  regardless
• 36:13
  of
• 36:13
  their
• 36:13
  background
• 36:14
  here's
• 36:15
  another
• 36:15
  simple
• 36:16
  application
• 36:16
  dare
• 36:17
  to
• 36:17
  not
• 36:17
  be
• 36:18
  a
• 36:18
  Jonah
• 36:18
  doesn't
• 36:19
  rhyme
• 36:19
  it's
• 36:20
  not
• 36:20
  easy
• 36:20
  to
• 36:20
  memorize
• 36:20
  but
• 36:21
  very
• 36:21
  helpful
• 36:21
  Jonah
• 36:23
  sounds
• 36:24
  like
• 36:24
  a
• 36:24
  righteous
• 36:24
  man
• 36:25
  who
• 36:25
  fears
• 36:26
  the
• 36:26
  Lord
• 36:26
  as he
• 36:26
  put
• 36:26
  it
• 36:26
  in
• 36:27
  chapter
• 36:27
  1
• 36:27
  verse
• 36:27
  9
• 36:27
  but
• 36:28
  clearly
• 36:29
  his
• 36:29
  actions
• 36:30
  display
• 36:30
  otherwise
• 36:31
  much
• 36:33
  like
• 36:33
  the
• 36:33
  Pharisees
• 36:34
  whose
• 36:34
  self
• 36:34
  righteousness
• 36:35
  blinded
• 36:35
  them
• 36:36
  from
• 36:36
  the
• 36:36
  reality
• 36:36
  of
• 36:37
  sin
• 36:37
  Jonah
• 36:38
  did
• 36:38
  not
• 36:38
  truly
• 36:39
  deal
• 36:39
  with
• 36:39
  his
• 36:39
  sin
• 36:40
  by
• 36:40
  way
• 36:40
  of
• 36:41
  repentance
• 36:42
  we
• 36:43
  do
• 36:43
  not
• 36:43
  want
• 36:44
  to
• 36:44
  be
• 36:44
  like
• 36:44
  the
• 36:44
  hypocrites
• 36:45
  who
• 36:45
  outwardly
• 36:45
  wear
• 36:46
  sheep's
• 36:46
  clothing
• 36:47
  but
• 36:47
  inwardly
• 36:47
  are
• 36:48
  ravenous
• 36:48
  wolves
• 36:49
  our
• 36:50
  words
• 36:50
  should
• 36:51
  match
• 36:51
  our
• 36:51
  actions
• 36:52
  so
• 36:54
  what
• 36:54
  does
• 36:54
  that
• 36:55
  look
• 36:55
  like
• 36:55
  well
• 36:55
  for
• 36:56
  starters
• 36:56
  let
• 36:57
  your
• 36:57
  yeses
• 36:58
  be
• 36:58
  your
• 36:58
  yeses
• 36:58
  and
• 36:59
  your
• 36:59
  nos
• 36:59
  be
• 36:59
  your
• 37:00
  nose
• 37:00
  keep
• 37:00
  your
• 37:01
  word
• 37:01
  and
• 37:02
  do
• 37:02
  as
• 37:02
  you
• 37:02
  will
• 37:02
  say
• 37:03
  you
• 37:03
  will
• 37:03
  do
• 37:03
  according
• 37:04
  to
• 37:04
  God's
• 37:05
  word
• 37:05
  and
• 37:06
  when
• 37:06
  you
• 37:06
  receive
• 37:07
  a
• 37:07
  commandment
• 37:07
  from
• 37:07
  the
• 37:08
  Lord
• 37:08
  which
• 37:08
  only
• 37:08
  happens
• 37:09
  through
• 37:09
  his
• 37:09
  written
• 37:09
  word
• 37:10
  by
• 37:10
  the
• 37:10
  way
• 37:10
  obey
• 37:11
  it
• 37:12
  don't
• 37:12
  flee
• 37:12
  as
• 37:13
  Jonah
• 37:13
  did
• 37:14
  and
• 37:15
  inevitably
• 37:15
  we
• 37:16
  will
• 37:16
  flee
• 37:16
  again
• 37:17
  at
• 37:17
  some
• 37:17
  point
• 37:17
  we
• 37:17
  are
• 37:18
  sinners
• 37:18
  that's
• 37:18
  what
• 37:18
  fleeing
• 37:19
  is
• 37:19
  but
• 37:21
  it
• 37:21
  is
• 37:21
  never
• 37:21
  too
• 37:21
  late
• 37:22
  to
• 37:22
  repent
• 37:23
  only
• 37:23
  repent
• 37:24
  as
• 37:24
  God
• 37:24
  would
• 37:24
  have
• 37:25
  you
• 37:25
  expressing
• 37:26
  !
• 37:33
  turn
• 37:34
  away
• 37:34
  from
• 37:34
  practicing
• 37:35
  sin
• 37:36
  and
• 37:38
  as
• 37:38
  a
• 37:38
  final
• 37:39
  closing
• 37:39
  remark
• 37:40
  I
• 37:40
  want
• 37:40
  to
• 37:40
  encourage
• 37:40
  you
• 37:41
  all
• 37:41
  to
• 37:42
  walk
• 37:42
  into
• 37:42
  your
• 37:42
  places
• 37:43
  of
• 37:43
  work
• 37:43
  tomorrow
• 37:43
  into
• 37:44
  your
• 37:44
  classrooms
• 37:44
  into
• 37:45
  your
• 37:45
  restaurants
• 37:45
  wherever
• 37:46
  it is
• 37:46
  you
• 37:46
  go
• 37:46
  wherever
• 37:47
  your
• 37:47
  sphere
• 37:47
  of
• 37:47
  life
• 37:48
  would
• 37:49
  have
• 37:49
  you
• 37:49
  on
• 37:49
  a
• 37:49
  Monday
• 37:49
  and
• 37:50
  a
• 37:50
  Tuesday
• 37:51
  and
• 37:51
  Wednesday
• 37:51
  Thursday
• 37:51
  Friday
• 37:52
  wherever
• 37:53
  those
• 37:53
  places
• 37:53
  are
• 37:53
  go
• 37:54
  to
• 37:55
  them
• 37:55
  and
• 37:56
  look
• 37:56
  at
• 37:56
  the
• 37:56
  people
• 37:57
  around
• 37:57
  you
• 37:57
  who
• 37:57
  you
• 37:57
  aren't
• 37:58
  believers
• 37:58
  and
• 37:59
  see
• 37:59
  them
• 37:59
  as
• 37:59
  God
• 38:00
  would
• 38:00
  have
• 38:00
  you
• 38:00
  see
• 38:01
  them
• 38:01
  they
• 38:02
  are
• 38:02
  image
• 38:03
  bearers
• 38:03
  they
• 38:04
  are
• 38:04
  helpless
• 38:05
  and
• 38:05
  naked
• 38:05
  before
• 38:06
  the
• 38:06
  Lord
• 38:06
  they
• 38:07
  do
• 38:07
  not
• 38:08
  know
• 38:08
  their
• 38:08
  right
• 38:08
  hand
• 38:09
  from
• 38:09
  their
• 38:09
  left
• 38:09
  they
• 38:10
  are
• 38:10
  sheep
• 38:10
  without
• 38:10
  a
• 38:11
  shepherd
• 38:11
  they
• 38:11
  are
• 38:12
  dead
• 38:12
  in
• 38:12
  their
• 38:12
  sin
• 38:13
  following
• 38:13
  Satan
• 38:14
  and
• 38:15
  their
• 38:15
  only
• 38:15
  hope
• 38:16
  is
• 38:17
  the
• 38:17
  gospel
• 38:17
  of
• 38:17
  Jesus
• 38:17
  Christ
• 38:18
  and
• 38:19
  we
• 38:19
  would
• 38:19
  be
• 38:19
  far
• 38:19
  worse
• 38:20
  than
• 38:21
  Jonah
• 38:21
  to
• 38:21
  say
• 38:22
  nothing
• 38:22
  at
• 38:22
  all
• 38:22
  he
• 38:23
  at
• 38:23
  least
• 38:23
  had
• 38:23
  five
• 38:23
  words
• 38:24
  for
• 38:24
  the
• 38:24
  Ninevites
• 38:25
  he
• 38:26
  at
• 38:26
  least
• 38:26
  said
• 38:27
  something
• 38:27
  and
• 38:28
  it
• 38:28
  would
• 38:28
  be
• 38:28
  to
• 38:28
  our
• 38:28
  shame
• 38:29
  to
• 38:29
  not
• 38:29
  plead
• 38:30
  with
• 38:30
  our
• 38:30
  neighbors
• 38:30
  to
• 38:31
  repent
• 38:31
  and
• 38:31
  believe
• 38:32
  in
• 38:33
  Jesus
• 38:33
  Christ
• 38:33
  and
• 38:35
  if
• 38:35
  you
• 38:35
  find
• 38:35
  that
• 38:35
  you
• 38:36
  struggle
• 38:36
  to
• 38:37
  do
• 38:37
  this
• 38:37
  regularly
• 38:37
  struggle
• 38:38
  to
• 38:38
  share
• 38:39
  the
• 38:39
  word
• 38:39
  to
• 38:39
  preach
• 38:40
  the
• 38:40
  word
• 38:40
  to
• 38:40
  dying
• 38:41
  souls
• 38:41
  I
• 38:42
  would
• 38:42
  suggest
• 38:43
  it's
• 38:43
  because
• 38:43
  you're
• 38:43
  not
• 38:44
  living
• 38:44
  in
• 38:44
  reality
• 38:44
  you're
• 38:45
  not
• 38:45
  looking
• 38:45
  at
• 38:45
  them
• 38:46
  as
• 38:46
  they
• 38:46
  are
• 38:47
  slaves
• 38:48
  to
• 38:48
  sin
• 38:48
  bondage
• 38:49
  to
• 38:49
  death
• 38:49
  already
• 38:51
  dead
• 38:51
  but
• 38:54
  we
• 38:54
  have
• 38:54
  great
• 38:54
  hope
• 38:55
  we
• 38:55
  have
• 38:55
  the
• 38:55
  gospel
• 38:56
  we
• 38:56
  have
• 38:56
  Christ
• 38:57
  who's
• 38:57
  gentle
• 38:57
  and
• 38:57
  lowly
• 38:58
  in
• 38:58
  heart
• 38:58
  a
• 38:58
  great
• 38:58
  high
• 38:58
  priest
• 38:59
  who
• 38:59
  sympathizes
• 39:00
  with
• 39:00
  us
• 39:00
  and
• 39:01
  we
• 39:01
  have
• 39:01
  every
• 39:02
  reason
• 39:02
  to
• 39:04
  go
• 39:04
  to
• 39:04
  them
• 39:05
  with
• 39:05
  a
• 39:05
  word
• 39:05
  of
• 39:05
  hope
• 39:06
  so
• 39:07
  to
• 39:08
  that
• 39:08
  end
• 39:08
  let's
• 39:08
  pray