JONAH
Text: Jonah.
Delivered on: February 3, 2008. Streetsboro.
GOD’S COMMISSION FOR JONAH. Jonah 1:2. "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."
Cry out against Nineveh.
Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian nation.
It was situated on the Tigris River in what is now Iraq.
It was a very large city.
Jonah 3:3. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.
According to archaeological surveys, the circuit of the inner wall was about 8 miles.
But the city itself probably stretched outside of the city walls itself.
It’s population was probably around 600,000. Jonah 4:11. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?"
The Assyrian nation was an incredibly violent one.
Their armies were noted and feared for their fierce brutality.
Anyone who dared to stand in their way was ruthlessly cut down.
Some of the accounts of the things that they did to those whom they conquered are truly sickening.
I think that it is difficult for us to understand today the kind of paralyzing fear, dread, and helplessness that those poor souls who happened to be in the path of the Assyrians felt.
This tells us something about God.
He desires all men to be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4. Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
He is no respecter of persons. Romans 2:11. For there is no partiality with God.
He is longsuffering. 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
He cares enough to send out a messenger.
Go into all the world.
God has given us a commission. Matthew 28:19-20. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Our command is to make disciples of all nations.
God now commands all men everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30-31. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
Romans 10:14-15. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
We need to be like Isaiah. Isaiah 6:8. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
JONAH’S FLIGHT FROM THE LORD. Jonah 1:3. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Why did he flee?
Jonah tells God why he fled. Jonah 4:2. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, "Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.
Jonah had fled because he did not want the Ninevites to be saved!
They were a wicked and cruel nation and Jonah wanted to see them punished.
Therefore, Jonah tried to flee from the presence of the Lord.
He found out that that was not possible. Jonah 2:1-2. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice.
Psalms 139:8-10. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
Why do we sometimes flee from our commission?
Do we sometimes judge others unworthy?
Do we make the decision for them? Deciding that they will not obey so we should not even try.
Do we make excuses for ourselves?
Are we fearful?
JONAH’S SUCCESS & FAILURE.
The Ninevites repented. Jonah 3:5-10. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that 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.
Look at what one man was able to accomplish!
He converted the whole city!
In all of the scriptures you will not find a better example of true repentance.
Yet Jonah was miserable.
You would think that Jonah would be joyous at his success.
Yet he was actually ready to die. Jonah 4:1-4. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, "Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" 4 Then the Lord said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"’
So God prepared a little object lesson for him with a plant. Jonah 4:5-11. So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." 9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" 10 But 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. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?"
God points out his horrible lack of love and concern for other human beings.
Jonah cared more about a plant than he did about other people’s souls.
Matthew 22:37-39. Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Do we sometimes show a lack of love by putting other things before our commission to save souls?
What should the response of the righteous be when the wicked repent?
Jonah should have been thrilled that God had used him to bring a whole city out of sin.
He should have been full of joy.
Yet he was angry.
How do we respond when the wicked repents?
Luke 15:8-10. "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
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