Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture - Jonah
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, pastor of Journey here in Elgin. This is our Journey Through Scripture. We're looking at the book of Jonah today. So the book of Jonah, if you hadn't had a chance to read it, it won't take you very long at all. There's only four chapters in the book of Jonah, so we'll be looking at that today. All right. So Jonah is ⁓ an interesting book, and it's one that is a favorite of Sunday School. You know, children Sunday school because it's a cool story, right? You have a prophet who doesn't want to do what God has called him to do. So he gets in a boat. There's a big storm. They throw Jonah over. gets swallowed by a fish. Three days later, he gets puked out on the beach. And then he goes to Nineveh, preaches the message that God has for him, and then God saves the people. And Jonah gets mad. It's a very simple story, but there's so much to it. A couple quick things about Jonah, know, theologians and people, there's a lot of people that debate about Jonah. Debate whether ⁓ it is a fictitious story, kind of like a parable to tell a point, or if it ⁓ is historically accurate. I could go down a list and give you arguments both ways. If you have a problem with the fish aspect of the miracle, well, then you really don't know God, right? If God wants to do that, He can do that. To me, there's maybe ⁓ a stronger ⁓ historical argument that maybe this is a parable than not, but I think it happened. It happened. We do know for sure that Jonah was a prophet. In fact, in what we read just last Thursday in 2 Kings, talking about Jeroboam, Jeroboam was not a good king, but the prophets still spoke to the kings, and like we talked about last week, sometimes the kings, even though overall they were bad, sometimes they would do something that was good. Well, it says in verse 25, he restored the territory of Israel from the entrance. of Hamath to the Sea of ⁓ Ereba, according to the word of the Lord of God, which he had spoken through his servant Jonah, the son of Amity, the prophet who was from Gath-hephar." So, we know that Jonah was a prophet involved in the northern kingdom, which was dealing with the problem of Assyria. So, it is historically accurate in who Jonah was and that he was a real person, he was a real prophet. So I have no problem believing that this account happened. I think that argument just completely takes us away from what we learn about God and who God is in the story of Jonah. And it's a powerful story. And so it starts off, sometimes, ⁓ We have the Sunday School edition in our head, and then as we read through, there may be some other things that jump out to us. So let's just go jump into Jonah. So Jonah chapter one, the Lord speaks to Jonah, says this, it's very simple. It says, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before me. All right, so that's what God asked of Jonah. Doesn't seem like a huge ask, except that Jonah knows the reputation of Nineveh. They were ⁓ brutal people. There was already conflict between Assyria and Israel. So it's obvious why Jonah would be a little hesitant to want to go there. ⁓ But what's really interesting here is all God says is to go and tell them basically how bad they are. Tell them that I am as God am aware of their wickedness. Now you would think that Jonah, especially in his reaction later, right, that he is frustrated that God gives them a second opportunity. You would think that Jonah would be happy to go and tell them that God knew of their wickedness. Except, and it's unspoken here, but to me it just really jumped out. Jonah knows from the very beginning, he knows the character of God. He knows that God is going to give them a chance to repent because that's who God is. He knows that God is going to extend his mercy and his love to the people of Nineveh. And Jonah is like, I don't even want to be part of this. He doesn't want to even give them a chance. He doesn't want to risk his ⁓ life going there, ⁓ but clearly he's... ⁓ willing to give up his life. We're going to see that in just a little bit. But I believe this just really jumped out to me. Jonah knows the character of God. And he knows that the character of God is not to extend his wrath, but to extend his mercy and his love and his forgiveness. And Jonah doesn't want that for the people of Nineveh. Jonah doesn't want them to do that. He wants them to experience God's wrath, which eventually will come. But God is a God who is going to continue to offer grace and mercy. Jonah knows that. He doesn't want to deliver that message because he knows that the people of Nineveh may actually ⁓ repent. He knows that they may actually accept God's offer of mercy. and grace. And so from the very beginning, I believe that is why Jonah doesn't want to go. It's not because he's scared of the Ninevites, even though they are brutal. But he could have been killed at any time by a king of Israel. They were just as evil, right? So he has spoken to and has dealt with the political situations before. I don't believe that was the fear of Jonah. From the beginning, he was fearful that they would actually accept God's grace and His goodness, and He doesn't want that for them. There's a lesson in that for us as well. So then the story gets right into it. Jonah gets in a ship going the completely opposite direction. It isn't going anywhere near Nineveh, and he's ⁓ fast asleep. I love in verse 5, it says, mariners were afraid and every man cried out to his God. Right? So they're not crying out to the one true God, but they're all crying out to somebody because guess what? Everybody has a God. I don't care if you're an atheist or an agnostic. Everybody has a God. We all worship something. We all find our meaning in something. And it's important what that something is. It better be the one true God or it's going to be trouble and going to be more difficult. difficulty for you. So each man cries out to his own God. It's clearly not working. Jonah is fast asleep. I love the captain comes, what do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God. Perhaps your God will consider us so that we may not perish. So all the other gods have clearly failed. So now the captain is asking Jonah, why don't you call on your God? And then they cast lots and it becomes ⁓ obvious that it is Jonah. who is the one who is the problem. Jonah even tells them who he is, what's going on. And he says, I am a Hebrew. I fear the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. So Jonah is not denying who God is. He knows. And so he tells the people, tells the men, just throw me into the ocean. ⁓ This is interesting. verse 12, he said to them, pick me up, throw me into the sea, then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." Jonah, I think he expects that he's probably going to drown. He expects that this is probably his punishment and that this is coming from God, this storm, and this is his punishment. So this is going to be his lot, that he's going to drown at sea. ship, the crew, they actually already believe that Jonah is talking about a God who has power. And so they don't want to throw Jonah over because then they're worried that God is going to exact vengeance on them because they killed his prophet. So you see, they're already, starting to recognize, okay, there's something different about this man's God. There's something different about him than our God's. And ⁓ then, ⁓ so they don't want to do it, but the storm gets worse. And so finally, and they cry out, they cry out to the Lord, they cry out to God saying, ⁓ Lord, please do not let us perish for this man's life and do not charge us with innocent blood for you, ⁓ Lord have done it as, have done as it pleased you. So they picked Jonah up, threw him into the sea and the sea ceased from its raging. And then this is interesting. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows." So the Ninevites aren't the only people who recognized who God was. The ship crew is the first to recognize it. And they realized, okay, there's something about this God that is much greater than the gods that we were praying to. And so it says that they actually sacrificed and made vows to the one true God. So now we have Jonah. He gets thrown into the sea. We know that the Lord sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. And then he is in the belly of the fish. I really encourage you to read all of chapter 2. A couple of things that really jump out, verse 4, it says, yet I will look again toward your holy temple." Verse 6, I went down to the moorings of the mountain, the earth with its barge closed behind me forever, yet you have brought up my life from the pit, oh Lord my God. Right? So Jonah is begrudgingly, he's recognizing, okay, God, you are being faithful to me. You have rescued me even though I have completely rebelled against you, even though I don't even, I don't want Your mercy to be extended, but yet you have shown me mercy. You have pulled me out of the pit." And so Jonah ⁓ kind of makes that commitment that, ⁓ I will go. I will go to Nineveh. It says ⁓ verse eight and nine, those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy, but I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. ⁓ So Jonah is saying, will do what you have called me to do. Then in chapter three, just he goes into Nineveh, it's a huge city, and he begins to preach the message that God tells him. And he said that in 40 days, Nineveh shall be overthrown. So just ⁓ a simple message. And then verse 5, it says, the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast. So they actually believed God. The king of Nineveh, which is interesting, his name is not even given, it's clear that it's making a point that the king of Nineveh is well under the God of creation, that he has no power. And most kings were kind of looked upon as gods. The writer of Jonah, This story is making it clear, God is clearly above all earthly kings. so verse 10, God saw their works and they turned from their evil way and God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them and he did not do it. right, so Jonah's worst fear comes true. The people actually repent. actually recognize and listen to God's words and so God relents. He doesn't extend His wrath. And so then Jonah does as what many of us do when we don't get our own way, he pouts. He goes up and he basically is wanting to see and hoping to see God's wrath, you know, exacted on the people and it's not coming and it's very hot and miserable and so God causes a bush to grow up to give ⁓ Jonah's shade. Clearly, it was a miraculous thing. And Jonah says, I love his conversation before this happened, sorry, I jumped ahead just a little bit. This is what Jonah says, Therefore I fled previously, Dutashius, for I know that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, 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." He just can't rationalize why God would save the Assyrian people, why He would give Nineveh the chance to repent. ⁓ And by the way, later on, this kingdom of Assyria is going to be overtaken as well. So the whole kingdom does not fully repent. They go back to their wicked ways. and they will experience God's punishment. But God is not a God who his goal is to exact his wrath. No, his goal is to extend his grace and his mercy. Jonah knew that, he can't rationalize it, so he's just like, you know, I'm just done. so he's up there, he's angry with God, God ask him, is it right for you to be angry? And so Joseph goes out, Jonah goes out. sits on the hill, then God has this plant grow up to give him shade. It says, God prepared a wind and the sun beat on Jota's head so that he grew faint. So the next morning after, man, I've really butchered the order here, got a lot of things going on in my head, I guess. plant grows, provides shade. Jonah is of course happy with that. The next morning a worm comes, eats the plant, and now it is very hot and Jonah is miserable again and he's complaining to God again saying, just take me. It is better for me to die than to live. Then God said to Jonah a second time, is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And Jonah said, it is right for me to be angry even unto death. So Jonah is just at a really bad spot. And then this is how the book of Jonah ends. It's very interesting. It says, the Lord said, you have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, the great city in which you are more than 120,000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left and much livestock? Now it's kind of one of those Mike dropped moments, I guess, from God that God just tells Jonah, seriously have more concern for this plant that came up overnight and then died just as quickly. You have more concern for that plant than you do for 120,000 people in Nineveh. And he says that you didn't do anything. to deserve that plant. You didn't care for it. You didn't create it. Nothing. And I want you to think about that. You know, what are the things that we care about? You know, and we do live in a time where it is frustrating when we look out at society and the behaviors of people and the evil that we see around us. But we always have to remember the heart of who God is, that God desires mercy. He desires repentance. We need to continue to give people opportunities to repent. God will handle the ultimate punishment, which there will be if there is no repentance. There will be consequences, but that is in God's hands. And we need to make sure that we continue to share the love of God with the world around us. Even whenever we would rather see God's wrath be poured out. Sometimes that's a hard one. But I encourage you to think about the story of Jonah and think about the different aspects other than that there's a cool fish that swallows a guy. That just really doesn't even, that's not even a part of the story. That's just kind of a fun part of the story. What is really this is about is who God is, the love that he has for all creation, not just for Israel. not just for his people, not just for those who claim to love him, but for all people because he created each and every one of us and he desires for all of us to come into a relationship with him. All right, hope to see you. Begin reading through the book of Amos. So another prophet during this time period. So read through the book of Amos. All right, we'll see you.