Unanticipated Direction Series

Jonah was a prophet of God from the northern kingdom of Israel. God called him to go

to wicked and cruel people and preach judgment and repentance. Assyria was a rising

world power in the mid 740’s BC and was expanding its territory with ruthless invasions

of other nations resulting in torturous bloodbaths. Nineveh was its capital and the

heartbeat of the godless regime located on the Tigris River, about 200 miles north of

modern-day Bagdad. The near eastern peoples hated and feared their coming wrath.

Whether a prophet of God long ago or a modern-day man or woman, our lives are full

of little surprises. This small account contains timeless lessons for those surprises. We

will never cover them all, but for four weeks, we will hit each chapter, and try to gain

some help about the Unanticipated Life. Today will be Unanticipated Direction.

1. Know yourself - you are far more sinful than you think

a. Jonah was a prophet of God. Used to advise kings, and instruct Israel, God’s

mouthpiece during his time. He was comfortable. He liked what he did. He was

religious and highly respected, and an example to orthodox Jews everywhere. But God

sent a message that he didn’t like, and within a moment he was on a ship going

as far as he could in the opposite direction.

b. The whole book is about sin and grace. God’s grace reaches out to sinful people.

He did not give up on Jonah. It’s far easier if you recognize your sin, but even if

you feel like you are OK, or if you feel like you can get away from God, He will pursue you.

You’re not OK. We look at Jonah and think, I can’t believe a prophet

of God would just not do what he is told. Self-righteousness. Pride. You can’t

understand grace unless you realize that we all run.

2. Failure is inevitable -

a. God will use it. Sometimes God might even call you to do something that you will

fail. God did Jonah. He knew that Jonah would immediately reject God’s

instructions.

b. When our lives are hit by storms, or when we are given paths and instructions

that we don’t like and fail God, we must avoid getting discouraged. Even though

Jonah may have thought it was the end of God’s use for him, we know the rest of

the story. God was not done with him, and God would use his failure to bring

about his purposes.

c. Some of you feel like a failure today. You have sinned egregiously, and the guilt is

piled high. Some people feel like their entire life has been a disappointment to

lots of people, especially God. It’s easy for some to feel guilt. Some of you have

had a small string of failures. Some of you have had a tough week spiritually.

God will use failures. This is not to say “don’t worry about it” when you sin, just

don’t go jump in the lake.

3. God’s loving kindness will ALWAYS pursue his children

a. So, Jonah goes down to Joppa, pays his own way, goes down to the bottom of

the ship, and falls into a deep sleep - all variants of the same word. We tend to

think of the storm as God’s wrath upon disobedience. We need to see it as the

loving hand of the Lord pursuing people. Pursuing his prophet, pursuing the

wicked Ninevites, even pursuing idolatrous sailors, God loves people.

b. Tim Keller described this as tender violence. Our perspective is that God is going

to get him in wrath. Ours should be that God is going to love him. Many of us

interpret the disciplining hand of God as harsh, but it is working for us good. God

will go to great lengths to love you back to himself if you know him. If you are

not his child, he will go to great lengths to love you to him. Either of you turns to

him.

4. Unwilling witnesses are a thing

a. So, the sailors are desperate, they wake Jonah, and instruct him to call on his God (he

informed them that he and God weren’t on speaking terms). They cast lots and

interrogate him, and get some answers. He tells them that he is a Hebrew and

serves the God who created the land and sea. Sometimes most of us are not

thinking clearly when we run from the God who created the sea on a boat.

b. He says that they need to throw him over, but they don’t want to. So, they row,

but the storm grows worse, and they ask God not to charge them with an

innocent life lost, then they throw him in. Once they do, the seas calm, and they