The Book of Jonah: Part 1-4

The Book of Jonah: Part 1

Running From the Presence of God

This teaching focuses on the importance of obedience. The story packs so much wisdom in four short chapters, and the action begins immediately as the Lord brings Jonah a new mission.

Today, you can find many seminaries and churches teaching Jonah as little more than a fable told for the purpose of teaching some kind of moral. Jesus Himself made reference in Luke 11 to the Book of Jonah as a literal historical work.

Jonah 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, Jonah 1:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Nineveh’s history as an idol worshipping nation and an enemy of God’s people was cause for God’s command to Jonah. Jonah hears from God that he should rise and go cry against Nineveh because of its wickedness. God would often send His prophet to proclaim – to cry out – to a people. Sometimes for the purpose of bringing about repentance, and sometimes for the purpose of being a witness against them before they receive God’s judgment.

In response to this call, we see Jonah’s bizarre response in verse 3. Jonah jumps up immediately, and promptly disobeys God. Immediately upon hearing God’s instructions, Jonah leaves for Joppa to find a ship headed to Tarshish. What Jonah did was try to place himself as far from Nineveh as he could.

Why would Jonah take off in this way? Verse 3 tells us: To leave the presence of the Lord. This term is a common one in scripture, and it refers to God’s localized physical presence in the Temple or elsewhere. The same phrase is used when Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden, or when Cain left when he was banished following the murder of Abel, and we’re told that Mt. Horeb quaked from the presence of the Lord. It can also refer to how Jonah personally experienced the Lord’s presence in Israel. Jonah had heard from God on numerous occasions in the Land of Israel. Jonah associated the land in which he lived as a place God dwelled and interacted with His people, so knowing that he wasn’t prepared to obey God’s voice, Jonah determines to leave God’s presence.

The natural thing for any of us to do whenever we decide to disobey God’s direction is that we instinctively run from His presence; and if that is our choice, God grants us the freedom to run, but there are consequences. Disobedience is a derivative of and laced in pride because you’re choosing to elevate your actions, decisions, thoughts, patterns, and ways to higher heights greater than God’s plan. You’re esteeming your preference over God’s Mandate. Repent!

The Book of Jonah: Part 2

Running From God’s Instruction

One way or another we run from God, because of the conviction and the shame and stubbornness. Sin separates us from God. As with unbelievers, it separates us eternally, but even after we become a believer, it can separate in the sense of cutting off fellowship. This is not because God forsakes us over our sins, but because our sinful choices bring conviction and shame that drive us away from His presence. We compound our own mistakes, we disobey and grieve the Spirit in us, and then, unless we repent and turn back to God, we often experience a diminished willingness to seek His presence in worship, in study, and in prayer.

Jonah experienced consequences because of his unwillingness to surrender to God’s instruction:

The Consequence….

Jonah 1:4 The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Jonah 1:5 Then the sailors became afraid, and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. Jonah 1:6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your God. Perhaps your God will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

Note: It’s fascinating to watch as God pursues Jonah!

God called Jonah to this mission, but we know that God is not dependent on Jonah-

God has determined to work through Jonah, and God does not change His mind. God purposed to work through Jonah to bring a message of repentance to Nineveh; for this was the purpose God had in calling Jonah as a prophet in the first place. Jonah wasn’t going to change God’s decision by changing location.

Paul puts it this way in Romans 11:  Rom. 11:29- for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

God called Jonah and gifted Jonah, and these were sovereign decisions. They are irrevocable because God knows the future and therefore, He already has all the information He needs to determine the proper course for His plans. When He places a calling on a man’s life, it will never end; moreover, we can’t run far enough to escape that call.

Note: You may have thought you’ve turned and run away from God’s presence (which is impossible) but He’s calling you back to accept and embrace your call.

God raises up men and women so that they might bear fruit unto Him in this world, because while the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, the blessings that accompany our obedience are not.

The Book of Jonah: Part 3

God’s Two-Fold Intention

 In the previous lesson, due to Jonah’s disobedience, God sent a storm. While being tossed in a storm so violent, the captain and crew were certain they would die without supernatural intervention. The storm was a result of God’s determination to bring Jonah to Nineveh as He had ordered.

-We see in the text, that God desires to bring repentance to Nineveh.

- But even more importantly, God wants to bring repentance to Jonah. God is working on Jonah’s heart every bit as much as He is on the Ninevites’ hearts. God does a work in us through His call on our lives.

Note:  in verse 13, a very curious detail. As they make every effort to bring Jonah back, the storm gets worse. This seems strange, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t we expect that as the men make an effort to return that God would make the storm subside, not increase? Isn’t the purpose of the storm to bring Jonah back?

Jonah 1:13- Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [breaking through the waves] to return to land, but they could not, because the sea became even more violent [surging higher] against them.

If God were to allow these men to return to Joppa with Jonah on board, then no work could have been accomplished in Jonah’s heart.

We see an angry God unwilling to accept the sailors’ return as long as Jonah’s heart remained disobedient, and a stubborn prophet who would rather face death than obey God for the sake of a city of Gentiles.

Note: Jonah told the sailors to toss him overboard, So, that’s exactly what they did. As Jonah began to sink, he cried out to God. Out of nowhere, he was swallowed by a huge fish.

Jonah 1:17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

This became a convenient way to hold Jonah safe while at the same time placing him in a situation where he could contemplate his circumstances.

Jonah’s experience in the fish was to be a picture of Jesus’ time in the grave, of how Jesus went down into the depths of death and returned again. While in the belly of the fish, Jonah prays, (Jonah 2:1-2:10).

Finally, Jonah has been brought low enough, his pride diminished enough, that he’s ready to turn to God.

When everything else fails, then we turn to God. When our own efforts fail, we look to God. He’s the safety net rather than our first option. What’s even more significant is that Jonah waited three days to pray.

Jonah’s change of heart…….

Note: While the unrighteous worship idols and forsake God. Jonah says he will sacrifice to God, give thanks, and give gifts (that which I vowed I will pay). These are the classic signs of repentance and a renewed commitment to walk with God.

The mission is not about you, it’s about the people attached to your obedience. His harvest is initiated and seeded through your obedience. You may be tempted to quit or run away from the course, but be encouraged, God has equipped you with His Grace to finish what He has designed and destined for you to specifically achieve.

The Book of Jonah: Part 4

Submit & Repent

What does submission mean? The dictionary defines submission as "the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person." Submitting means putting others before yourself; it means not always doing what you want to do. It means putting God's desires above your desires.

Christ lived in perfect submission to the Father. The Father did God did not coerce Him to “become flesh and dwell among us” (John 1:14). Jesus chose to enter the fallen, sinful world to “lay down his life” on the cross (John 15:13) so that God could “save the world through him” (John 3:17). Jesus Christ came from Heaven of his own volition to die on the cross. He chose to place himself under the authority of the Father while incarnate. In Philippians 2:6-7 Paul writes, [Jesus Christ] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Matthew records Christ’s perfect submission most vividly in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. The Gospel writer draws us into a vision of Jesus in communion with the Father. We see Jesus’ anguish as he faces the horrors of the cross. Jesus’ words, reverberate through the ages, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Even with the terror of death looming, Christ does not exercise His own will but obeys His Father.

Repentance

The Hebrew word we translate as ‘repentance’ is teshuva; and teshuva is a lot more than a feeling of guilt or regret. In fact, it derives from the verb ‘to return’! It is a decision. It is deciding to turn away from where you are headed and moving back toward God. It is not just adjusting the course, but completely turning back around – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Teshuva is more than just stopping a certain behavior, being sorry or apologizing one time. This is a continuous decision to return to God and to receive a new beginning. The purpose is to go through a transformation. The Greek word for repent in the New Testament is “metanoeo” which means “to change one’s mind” and this involves a turning from sin.

Note: God the Father will complete His work in us, our submission activates the word. Our submission produces power and if we turn away from this current place of stagnation, rebellion, fear, and distraction, we will SEE His word working and His purpose being produced.

Some of us are stagnate in areas of assignment, but the Father is calling us back to Himself.

Matthew 4:17 tells us: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus was not suggesting repentance here, He was commanding it. Indeed, God commands all people everywhere to repent (see Acts 17:30) because repentance is a prerequisite to seeing and entering the Kingdom of God. Those who don't repent cannot be saved; they will perish in their sins

In the end, God’s plan for us is that we will be holy as he is holy (1^st Pet. 1:16). He will surely do it! In the meantime, He desires a brokenhearted people who have learned to mourn over their sin. The position of the Gospel is to bring us out of the dark, to serve God, to hear His voice and obey.